Favorite snorkeling/diving spot & why: The site is called Naia and is at the mouth of Honokohau Harbor in Kailua-Kona. I enjoy it because of the diversity of seeing turtles, eagle rays, manta rays, dolphins,and sharks as well as all the tropicals plus flatworms, nudibranchs and shrimp on any given day. Favorite snorkeling/diving experience in Hawaii: My favorite constant is freediving with the spinner dolphins but the special ones are free diving with a whale shark or pods of pilot whales.
Favorite example of symbiosis on the reef: The peacock grouper chasing the eels through the coral maze to scare up food.
Fascinating and interesting marine creature: Clearly my favorite are manta rays as that is my sole job as a dive guide escorting guests safely of the manta ray night dives
How are reefs faring in Hawaii overall? Quite well on the Big Island as they are not overrun and dive operators here are quite reef-conscious and pass this on to their guests.
What are some healthy reef indicators: Any invasive species has been minor and has remained under control by the native counter-actions.
Tip for protecting the reef? Good bouyancy, don't touch the reef.