I've been in love with wildlife my whole life (hence, the Biology degree) and here in Hawaii I'm constantly in awe at the crazy creatures that surround me!

Many years back, I went scuba diving for the first time off the eastern coast of Oahu and was scolded by the group leader when I swam off by myself to follow a green sea turtle that was swimming by.  Sea turtles have always seemed so magical and wise to me, and to see one so close was like a dream come true.

Nowadays, I probably come across one of these ancient creatures a couple times a week.  And although it's always a wonderful and refreshing encounter, sometimes I forget how lucky I am to be in such close contact with such a wide variety of amazing plants and animals every day here on the islands.

A couple weeks ago, my boyfriend, Quinn, and I were walking along the beach in Kailua only to come across a monk seal taking a nap on the beach.  No one was bothering her and she was perfectly content being lazy right there.  As we walked by, she opened one eye, looked directly at Quinn, and licked her chops.

From December to April, the waters surrounding the Hawaiian Islands are a playground for humpback whales.  Especially right now, during March, they're EVERYWHERE.  When we go out paddling our outrigger canoes, it's pretty spectacular to see them breaching no more than 50 feet away.  Sometimes they're so close, it's even a little scary!  There's even a classic tale that circulates in our canoe club of one famous paddler who apparently stood up on one of these enormous animals as he paddled his canoe over it.  And to tell you the truth, I actually believe it.