A beautiful new Hawaiian fish was recently discovered within the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, and it has been named Tosanoides Obama Pyle. The fish was named after the president in gratitude for his decision to expand the monument, which we discussed last week. Also, the fish bears similarities with the president's campaign logo colors, which helped scientists finalize their decision.

This particular species is from the genus Tosanoides, and was discovered at Kure within the monument, which happens to be the world's northernmost atoll. This member of the Tosanoides genus is the only one that exists outside the waters of Japan. At some point in history, a population happened to find its way from Japanese waters all the way to Kure, where their isolation and new habitat cultivated their unique traits, until they became their own species. What a journey it must have been!

The monument includes no less than 17 genera and 22 species (so far) that scientists have found nowhere else in the world, meaning it has the highest rate of marine endemism ever recorded. Considering all the untouched coral reefs and seamounts, it's no surprise that the monument is such an oasis to animal life. Its 7,000 plus species include endangered turtles, monk seals and seabirds, along with a host of other dynamic species.

The main Hawaiian islands, including Maui, are located at the southeastern end of the chain. They are the youngest and therefore largest of the islands, but a fantastic array of marine species have had plenty of time to establish themselves off our scenic coastlines. To explore some remarkable Hawaiian reefs, we hope you'll try both our Molokini snorkel tour and our Lanai snorkel tour.

If you need our assistance with your Maui ocean activities, you'll find our contact information at the bottom of the page. We are currently offering a 10% discount for all our activities if you book online, but this may change in the future, so we hope you'll take advantage of it now! Mahalo!