Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
member, waves come in sets, and little ones can be followed by giants, so watch the action
awhile instead of plunging right in. Standard procedure is to duck under a breaking wave.
You can survive even thunderous oceans using this technique. Don't try to swim through a
heavy froth and never turn your back and let it smash you.
Sharks and Marine Life
Some visitors fear that the moment their feet can no longer touch the sand they will be
immediately attacked by
sharks.
Sharks live in all the oceans of the world and are largely
harmless. More people die every year from falling coconuts and vending machines than
from shark attacks. The chances of even seeing a large shark are remarkably slim. Hawaii-
an sharks are well fed—on fish—and don't usually bother with unsavory humans. To avoid
sharks, avoid rivermouths, murky water, and especially murky water around dusk and
dawn when there isn't as much natural light.
Portuguese man-of-wars
and other jellyfish put out long, floating tentacles that sting
if they touch you. It seems that many floating jellyfish are blown into shore by winds on
the eighth, ninth, and 10th days after the full moon. Don't wash a sting off with freshwater
because this will only aggravate it. Hot saltwater will take away the sting, as will alco-
hol (the drinking or the rubbing kind), aftershave lotion, or meat tenderizer. After rinsing,
soak with a wet towel. Antihistamines may also bring relief. Expect to start to feel better
in about a half hour.
Coral
can give you a nasty cut and is known for causing infections because it's a living
organism. Wash the cut immediately and apply an antiseptic. Keep it clean and covered,
and watch for infection. With coral cuts, it's best to have a professional look at it.
Poisonous
sea urchins
found in tidepools and shallow reefs can be beautiful creatures,
but if you step on them, their spines will enter your foot, break off, and burn like blazes.
This is known to locals as
wana
(pronounced: Vah-na). Soaking a couple of times in vin-
egar for a half hour or so should stop the burning, or if that's not available, the Hawaiian
solution is urine. It might seem gross, but it should put the fire out. Don't worry, the spines
will wear off in a few days, and there are generally no long-term effects.
Hawaiian reefs also have their share of
moray eels.
These creatures are ferocious in ap-
pearance but will never initiate an attack. You'll have to poke around in their holes while
snorkeling or scuba diving to provoke them. Sometimes this is inadvertent on the diver's
part, so be careful where you stick your hand while underwater.
Present in streams, ponds, and muddy soil, leptospirosis is a freshwater-borne bacteria,
deposited by the urine of infected animals. Two to 20 days after the bacteria enter the
