Hawaii — Blog — The Greenest Blue

A Mid-Summer Adventure to Big Island: Travel With a Purpose

Hey! It’s been donkey’s years since I’ve last posted and I wanted to share a cool adventure that’s in the works. This is a different style of trip than I’ve done before, and I’m excited to switch it up. For the next two weeks, I’ll be guiding a high school service trip for 16 students from around the country (and a few from around the globe!). I’ll be working through Putney Student Travel and Nat Geo Student Expeditions, two awesome organizations that host epic service-focused and educational adventures all over the world. Although my leader orientation was remote this year, I can tell that this company brings together remarkable individuals to create life-changing experiences for the adventurous high schoolers that embark with us. SERIOUSLY. They have a knack for it. I met another guide in Maui while she was leading a middle school trip, and she was literally in the middle of through-hiking the Appalachian Trail when she took a break to guide this Putney trip. SO COOL.

Hawaii, Mindful Travel, TravelLauren FritzJuly 24, 2021Big Island, Hawaii, Putney Student Travel, adventure

What's Maui Marine Tourism (Whale Watching, Snorkeling) Like During the Pandemic?

Hi from Maui - just wanted to check in and give a few life updates! The last few months have been a f***ing whirlwind, and in a mostly good way. There are positive whirlwinds, I can confirm – they shake you up and make you reevaluate what’s important to you. Even as I write this, my mind feels like it’s spinning at a thousand turns per second. The last few months have brought a lot of change, a lot of life lessons, a lot of new experiences, a lot of new people, and a lot of talking through masks…so my voice is basically always raspy or gone.

The Reefs of Maui - A Quick Dip Into Coral Reef Ecology, Part One

The crazy cool thing about snorkeling in Hawaii is that about 25 percent of the fish you can see out here are endemic to the islands. You won’t see them anywhere else! There are very few places in the world where you can find a comparable number of unique fish species. Why is that? The Hawaiian Islands (which are actually the tops of an underwater mountain range) are separated from all other underwater mountain ranges by a distance of more than 1,000 miles, far greater than the distances between any other Pacific islands and their neighbors. This massive distance between Hawaii and other island chains is what paved the way for the emergence of many new species. Isolation encourages endemism because the fish populations are much smaller and more localized, and therefore are more easily affected by genetic changes. Two examples of endemic fishes are the Milletseed Butterflyfish and the Saddle Wrasse - they are super abundant down here, and a probable reason for that abundance is that they are the most perfectly adapted to the local ocean conditions, in comparison to non-endemic fish.

6 Reasons to Pick Maui Snorkel Charters for Your Maui Snorkeling Excursion

I’m sure there are plenty of holiday-makers down in Hawai’i right now soaking up copious amounts of Vitamin D, sipping lilikoi-foam-topped Mai Tais, and perfecting the beautiful art of doing nothing. Is there a better time to immerse yourself in total relaxation than Christmas and New Year’s? Shouldn’t the holidays be about stepping away from the craziness of every day life and just enjoying the beauty of existing? Maui happens to be one of the best places to practice this art form - you’ll get the backdrop of waving palm trees and crystal clear blue water while you’re recharging those batteries of yours.

BUT, if you’re anything like me, you’ll find yourself itching to get into the water after a few minutes on the island. And rightfully so! The water around the Hawaiian islands are warm year round and home to many stunning coral reefs and fascinating marine organisms. Coral reefs are About 25% of the fish, invertebrate, and plant species you’ll find here are endemic, meaning you won’t spot them anywhere else in the world. There are several popular snorkeling spots around Maui that have quite an impressive reputation for good reason - there’s also the allure of the chance of spotting a manta ray, a sea turtle, an octopus, eels, spinner dolphins, or even humpback whales!

3 Environmental Issues to Care About When you Travel to Maui

So I’ve been on an extended stopover in Maui, visiting some very beautiful, kindhearted friends of mine, many of whom I used to live and work with. I am slowly making my way south towards the Southern Hemisphere, but while waiting for some visa paperwork to process, I couldn’t not stop on the most isolated island chain in the world! Maui holds a special place in my heart because it represents a very dynamic time in my young twenties. I moved out here on a whim (and since then, each subsequent move has become easier and easier) to explore what it meant to be a marine naturalist.

2017 Wrap Up - Three Island Homes and One Big Adventure

Dear 2017,

Everyone loves a little bit of reflection at the start of a new year - it gives us time to feel good about the places we've been, cringe a bit at the mistakes we've made, and laugh because of all the lessons we've learned from them. It's been good for me to ponder over you and all of the adventures you've provided for me.