Information on "Action Ahihi"

[Aerodog]

Does anyone have information on the "Action Ahihi" group that has been harassing people around the Ahihi Cove area in the past year. They recommended dangerous behavior that has resulted in injuries that I have personally witnessed because of their insistence on instructing anyone that doesn't conform to how they think snorkelers and divers should be entering and exiting the ocean at Ahihi Cove, specifically in the area of the old cattle launch. If you step one foot off the concrete slabs before putting on your fins and kicking out on your belly (their method), they accuse you of endangering "protected fish" or stepping on coral. The area where they harass the most people and cause the most injuries is within 20 feet of shore and just off the concrete slabs they used to load cattle in the old days. The depth here ranges from 1-3 feet depending on the tide. Having dove Ahihi 100's of times in the past 15 years, I can state that "20 feet from shore area" had little to no coral growth even before the tour books and Maui Revealed made this a regular tourist stop. People are getting thrown up against rocks because of wave action and also are bottoming out on sharp rocks because of the shallow water they are made to kick out in. Also, since everyone is trying to put their fins on and off in a small area AND are unstable since they are doing this in shallow water in the surf zone, people are falling all over each other.

This is a picture of the concrete slab area. If you go past the location where the person with the blue trunks and yellow fins is standing in the left of the picture, you will get yelled at with a "are you ok?" or some other passive aggressive statement. You are expected to swim out from where the man in the left of the picture is standing.

Here is a picture of the "Action Ahihi" shirts they wear and the "State of Hawaii" lettering seems to infer state sanctioning or authority? Being a taxpayer in the state of Hawaii I don't want to be paying for a lawsuit judgment because someone gets hurt following their instructions.

 

[Thalassamania]

Volunteer Guidance for approaching Visitors

Volunteers are encouraged to establish their own style when approaching visitors. A friendly and casual approach usually works the best.
If a large group comes, it is best to wait until the whole group is together to talk to them.
Here is a script that we've found works well:

Aloha, I'm xxxx and I am a volunteer naturalist. Have you already talked to another naturalist?

[YES] Great, it is hard to track who we've talked to. The cement area for entering and exiting is right there and we ask that you do not stand past that point. Do you have any questions that I can help with?

[NO] We're here today orienting people in the preservation of our coral reef systems. This area is part of the 'Ahihi-Kina'u Reserve and has the highest level of protection found in the main Hawaiian islands. That means we are trying to have ZERO-impact so that the reserve will be like this or better for future generations. Don't take anything and don't leave anything behind.

Coral is a living animal and grows on rocky surfaces. Any rock that is underwater most of the day is a candidate for coral growth. Coral grows very slowly (about 2mm a year) so tiny coral polyps are invisible to the human eye (show picture if you have it). One of the primary demises of coral is in areas where people walk or stand. For this reason we ask that you enter AND exit on the concrete pad (point to it or people on the pad) and swim out from there. When on the pad, please check that your mask seals because a flooding mask is the primary reason people need to stand past the pad.

[Change the following based on conditions]
The reserve offers some of the best snorkeling we have on Maui. You'll see schools of fish and bigger fish than you'll find in other areas. We have books at the table if you want to identify some of the fish or corals that you see while snorkeling. If you are looking for turtles they are often found out past the point. Please remember to keep your distance so they are free to come up air; you'll get the best view of them if they don't feel threatened.

Mahalo and have a great time...


Action Ahihi

Ain't google great?

 

[kidspot]

I heard that speech last time I dove there - lol. Of course a DLNR officer was standing there with them at the time after "escorting" us away from our planned entry point about 50 yards north of Ahihi cove.

I will be interested in diving there again in a year to see if there is any difference in the reef at the entry point. It had been a couple of years since last diving there and I noticed it had gotten substantially worse ... much more dead coral Very small area to be used by SO many people.

I agree that the cement slab is a difficult entry because it is so slippery and shallow. Easy with scuba, where you just inflate your BC and "fall" in at the edge of the ramp, then donn your fins, but for a snorkeler it's pretty hard to do. Honestly this is NOT one of the better snorkel spots on the island unless you snorkel/dive outside of the cove to the much better and larger reef area. Most new snorkelers would be much better served going to Ulua, blackrock or airport beach imho.

Vis has always been poor at Ahihi Cove (always as in the past 14 years I've snorkeled there) until you get 100 yards off shore, where it clears up to about 60ft vis.

Just my 2 cents worth.

Aloha, Tim

btw - Ahihi bay can offer some nice diving 100 yards south of the cove, but about half of that area is also dead coral, which is NOT due to overuse... there are other factors at work in the area too ...

 

[kidspot]

btw - from their FAQ page:

Will you arrest me if stand or enter where I shouldn't?
No. I'm only here to educate. If you choose to not follow our guidance, that is your choice. We only report people that clearly breaking NAR rules like fishing, picking opihi or taking items out of the reserve. The rangers are usually quick to respond if we report those incidences.

lol - funny question and answer I think ...

Aloha, Tim

 

[ScubaSeanMaui]

It's good people are trying to help out the reef. The person Tim and I encountered was quite friendly and we took his advice... I have heard they are trying to close off Ahihi. I prefer diving the Maui Prince since the couple of dives I did at Ahihi weren't so great...

Sean

 

[sea nmf]

I have not snorkeled or even been there. I will say that I noticed that Maui's reefs are MUCH, MUCH healthier than Oahu's. Night and day. So, if they can protect it, good on them!

That being said, Hanauma Bay roped off a section of the reef to see if it would recover. I haven't noticed any significant improvement in the almost four years I've been snorkeling there. And their "movie" doesn't seem to have an affect at all on people. They still grab, stand, and abuse the reef. Perhaps it would be worse if they didn't show the movie, though.

 

[friscuba]

It'll be curious to see how the Hanauma Bay experiment goes, I'd give it another decade. When I moved here in '99 and went to the Place of Refuge, the north wall looked as though a bull dozer had gone through - damage from Iniki back in 92/93 or whenever. It looked the same for a couple years then suddenly the finger coral started taking off. Now you've got 8-10 inches of new growth finger coral on that whole dropoff and remnants of the old bashed up areas are getting harder to notice.

 

[MeiLing]

It is a state program. Here is a website that has info about it.

http://www.state.hi.us/dlnr/dofaw/newsletter/newsletter summer 07.pdf

Apparently the area is a very high priority reserve area, second only to the French Frigate Shoals, which pretty much means that if you are going to use it you need to follow the rules that they've laid out.

 

[Aerodog]

I have not snorkeled or even been there. I will say that I noticed that Maui's reefs are MUCH, MUCH healthier than Oahu's. Night and day. So, if they can protect it, good on them!

Absolutely, as a diver I'm sure we are all interested in protecting the coral reefs and sealife. I have an issue with the tactics used by some of the "Action Ahihi" volunteer group and their recommendations on how to enter the water.

Apparently the area is a very high priority reserve area, second only to the French Frigate Shoals, which pretty much means that if you are going to use it you need to follow the rules that they've laid out.

I believe that the "don't step off the concrete slab rule" is an incorrect interpretation by the "Action Ahihi" group concerning the rules and regulations of the DLNR and NARS as they relate to the reserve. I do not believe that DLNR LEO or Rangers would ticket you for stepping off the concrete slab. IMHO, individuals can protect the coral and underwater sea life and also enjoy the reserve safely by walking out another 20 feet from the concrete slab to deeper water and out of the surf zone before starting to snorkel. I am AGAINST the people that stand up in the middle of the cove on top of living coral because they are tired from snorkeling or want to yell at their kids.

I am not against any group trying to protect the area that I enjoy, especially Ahihi which is my favorite beach dive site on Maui, in fact, its in MY best interest for the tourists to be chased out of the reserve and like Kidspot mentioned, scuba divers with BC's can easily inflate, reg in, and swim out. Who likes walking over submerged rocks with 60 pounds of gear just waiting to get an ankle sprain! Oh well, rant off.....

 

[MeiLing]

The bottom line is that it is a reserve area and the state can manage it the best way it sees fit, including banning folks from going there.

The state is highly unlikely to set up any area banning just tourists! Haunama Bay is a case in point!