2024: The Year of the Octopus

Written By Captain Tara Leota

Kanaloa

Kanaloa, the god of the ocean, had several kinolau, or body forms, that he could manifest himself into. His most common form was the octopus.
Hawaiian beliefs and ancient mythology give the octopus deep meaning and symbolic qualities. 
The Hawaiian word for Octopus is He’e.
In 2024, we wanted to be like Kanaloa. As an organization we are trying to emulate the qualities of Kanaloa; versatility, agility, altruism, intelligence, awareness, and regeneration in everything that we do. Check out our home page for updates on how we embodied Kanaloa this year.
Captain Tara Leota

Captain Tara has been sharing her knowledge of and passion for Hawaiian Reef ecology for over 35 years as both a Captain and Dive Master. As a Marine Biologist and Educator, Captain Tara has developed ongoing programs, from student whale watches to reef walks sanctioned by the DOE that have not only provided the enjoyment of the sea for students and people with special needs, but also promoted safety and environmental awareness through this education. Captain Tara has superior local knowledge of Hawaiian culture, piloting Hawaii’s coastlines’, assessing weather and water conditions, Hawaiian reef ecology and taxonomy.

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The Worlds Largest Fish: Whale Sharks