As soon as we put our faces in the water at Po‘ipu Beach, we were surrounded by fish. One moment we were mere tourists in the water and the next we were among swarms.
There were Yellow Tang. There were Orangestripe and Whitespotted Surgeonfish. There were various kinds of Butterflyfish. There were orange Elegant Coris and ones with black and white stripes. There was a Flowery Flounder fluttering on the bottom. There were Triggerfish. There were long skinny Cornets. There were Parrotfish crunching their beaks on the rocks. And there were Moorish Idols with long dorsal fins streaming behind them.
Some swam in schools, sometimes posing for swimmers with cameras. Some swam alone, coming right up to your face to stare you down.
It made us feel as if we were in some sort of Jaques Cousteau documentary. And it made us glad we rented snorkel gear for a week.