Maui Instructor reference

[kidspot]

that photo is great. He actually sent me a pm after reading this post.

That's great to hear - Welcome back Shaka Doug!

 

[kidspot]

My only issue with ShakaDoug is his lack of respect for the sea creatures -- he does "bughunts" (lobster diving) off of Maui, in addition to the aforementioned photo of human contact with an endangered marine mammal. I'm very surprised he doesn't have a picture of himself "riding" a turtle...

Sounds like this would be a matter of opinion - but you are welcome to yours Personally I'm thrilled to see people enjoy and use (not abuse) the ocean and it's contents. Lobster tastes great IMO (I just don't know "how" to hunt them yet) and many of our "endangered" species here are very friendly to the point of approaching and playing with people (Turtles, Monk Seals and Whales etc..) Which may be why they are endangererd - not being afraid of the hunter is not a really bright idea when you are the prey - lol

Not trying to start a fight, just sharing the other side of the coin in opinions. Whatever you do, at the very least live according to what you believe to be right and good, otherwise your values have little value.

CTmax - depending on which side of this issue you fall may be a factor in who you will want to go to for instruction as well.


Aloha, Tim

 

[KrisB]

kidspot: I hear you -- I have nothing against lobster hunting itself -- but I do think that a great deal of people come to Maui to see the lobster in the natural habitat... I would never think of removing one from the ocean there... but around Canada, it's a different story.

I also doubt that the number of lobster Doug is pictured with on his website were all for his personal use -- perhaps a little commercial fishery going on here?

I mean, really -- pluck one or two for supper tonight, but leave the rest for other people to enjoy!

 

[kidspot]

Hey KrisB,

Probably best to ask Doug directly before making assumptions - But enough of this before we completely hijack this thread (or is it too late already - lol)

Best wishes for a great dive wherever you go next

Aloha, Tim

 

[ctmax]

Thanks for all the help everyone. I think what it comes down to right now is if a company will be able to do the cert dives when they fit into my vacation. I wish the entire trip was to dive but my wife has other ideas.

 

[kidspot]

Hey KrisB and Michaelaz - I went in and asked Dan if he used to work at the Anchor square shop - he did... but his last name is not Bell... so a different Dan I think. Nice guy though - If he's the same guy he wanted to say "hi" to you both (I only remember Anchor square, not the last name when I went in to talk with him today)

Aloha, Tim

 

[KrisB]

Hmm... I wonder if it's the same guy -- I remember "Dan" at MDSC went by his middle name (all my cert papers were filled out as "Larry D. Bell")... I guess it's probably not the same guy -- but what are the chances???

 

[Shaka Doug]

My only issue with ShakaDoug is his lack of respect for the sea creatures -- he does "bughunts" (lobster diving) off of Maui, in addition to the aforementioned photo of human contact with an endangered marine mammal. I'm very surprised he doesn't have a picture of himself "riding" a turtle...

Aloha All,

Shaka Doug here....seems like I've become a topic of discussion in this thread. Well, here is a little background info for you all who are wondering about my lobstering and seal petting and turtle riding practices.

Lobster Diving: I've been diving professionally since 1985, certified since 1981. I started out back in lobster country...Maine, NH, and Massachusetts. I never took bugs there, a license was required and only available in MA. I saw thousands of lobsters running around on the sea floor. I ate them once in a while at my local restaurants and they were delicious. In 1985 I moved to the US Virgin Islands. Taking lobster there is legal, size limits do apply. That is where I did the majority of my lobster hunting and we never ran out of lobsters on the reefs. They are not easy to catch and it is sometimes quite dangerous for the hunter. In 1997 I moved to Hawaii. It is legal to hunt lobsters here during season (8 months out of the year). I have been involved in licensed commercial lobstering activities once in a while and have been successful at times. One night, we caught 111 bugs between three of us. What does that tell you? There are a lot of bugs around here for starters. How about the fact that we didn't catch ALL the bugs that night. We left the smaller ones. We left the egg bearing females. We left the ones that were too tough to catch. We left the ones we didn't find. We left the ones that got away. We ate some and sold the rest. Totally legal, totally acceptable. The people who ate and bought the lobsters were very happy. I understand that some people disagree with eating animals. Everyone is entitled to live their life how they choose. Please don't bash me for being a hunter who eats what he kills and sells some of the catch to people who can't hunt for themselves. I have twenty four years of diving experience, I have personally logged over 6,000 dives and have close to 5,000 hours of bottom time. I know what I am doing and I know the difference between right and wrong. It bugs me when a newbie diver wants to challenge my diving ethics and practices. If you want to come to Maui to see lobsters, go in the marine reserve areas. They are definitely there. Go elsewhere and it's hit or miss. Keep in mind, the islanders who have lived here for centuries have made all kinds of fishing part of their daily life. They take lobster whenever they want. They take octopus whenever they want. They collect Opihi and other yummy sea creatures whenever they want. It's part of their culture. I only take things legally, during season. I respect size limits, bag limits, reserve areas, etc. If you think I need to leave some bugs for the tourists to see, don't worry, I don't hunt where you would be going diving and I don't hunt at my favorite dive tour sites. Unfortunately, most of the bugs and fish that used to be found at these places are no longer at these places anymore anyway. The places I hunt at are so remote and so scary, you probably wouldn't have any desire to get in the water there anyway. The conditions are rough and mostly inaccessible and are only for highly experienced and skilled divers willing to get in the water in the middle of the night.

Seal Petting: Yes it is illegal to approach monk seals here in Hawaii. I have only had a handful of encounters with them myself. On the day that I happened to be lucky enough to get to play with one AND have my camera handy, I shot the pictures that you see on my websiter and here at Scubabboard. This particular seal was not your average wild seal. To begin with, he had a long history of interacting with people and divers. He was caught as a baby by fishermen and he swallowed a fish hook. He was captured, treated, rehabilitated, and released onj the Big Island. Well, he grew fond of people and started hanging around divers and snorkelers. He was captured again and a satellite transmitter was implanted on his back (ouch...that's got to hurt!). He was released again only to become a friendly nuisance to divers and snorkelers. He was captured in nets again and released on a deserted island called Kaho'olawe, about 10 miles from Maui. The day we saw him, he had swam across extremely rough seas and found a resting spot at Makena Landing...a popular diving and snorkeling site. We had just finished making a dive when we saw him playing with the tourists there. As experience divers, we took a watchful eye to make sure no one was getting hurt or into trouble withthis very friendly animal. To give you an idea of how he was acting, think about a friendly dog for a minute. Have you ever been accosted by a dog that just wants to play? One that runs around you, jumps up, licks you, runs away, comes back, licks you some more? It's fun if you're not scared of the dog and he means no harm. Well, that's what this seals behavior was like. We couldn't get him to leave us alone. I was fortunate enough to have my camera and I got some "once in a lifetime" shots" that are priceless to me and the people in them. Was I being a Bad Dive Instructor that day? I don't think so. Did I set a Bad Example? I don't think so. Was I extrememly lucky? You bet! We only played together for around twenty minutes when the Rangers showed up. They had tracked the animal through his satellite transmitter and came to capture him again. This made the animal nervous and shy. He swam out deeper and wouldn't let the rangers near him. They were armed with nets and tranquilizer guns, not cameras like us. The Seal gave them a run for their money but they eventually tired him out and captured him and sent him off to the Johnston Atoll. A place where humans are not allowed to visit due to high radiation from WW11 days.
fun story with a sad ending. I wouldn't approach another seal but if this happens again, you bet I'm gonna try for pictures.

Turtle Riding: Yeah, this is a good one. I see turtles on almost every dive. I love them. Everyone loves them. We do not ride them, we do not hunt them, we do not chase them. We photgraph them and swim with them. We look at them. We enjoy them and they seem to be comfortable with us. I am blessed to be able to spend so much time with them. They were almost wiped out by hunting! Now there seems to be an abundance of them. So, Mr. or Ms. Kris B, you won't see a picture of me riding a turtle on my website, sorry, hate to dissappoint you. Maybe once you rack up a few more dives you will understand. I respect the ocean. I make my living there and I spend a lot of my life in it. The last thing I want to do is ruin it.

So, please don't label me as an animal killer. I am one of Maui's most experienced and responsible dive instructors...just ask anyone who has dove with me. I'm off to the water right now so I hope you all havbe a great Sunday filled with Aloha!

Thanks to everyone who takes the time to read this. Kris B. you should come by and make some dives with me next time you on Maui...you'll see I'm really not such a bad guy. There is no "Lack of Respect" for our sea creatures on my dives. You might even learn a thing or two about our water and the differences between making a few dives in Canada and a couple thousand dives in the Pacific.

Anyone else want to ask me about this subject? I'm always available through my website or you could PM me.

Dive Safe ~ Dive Shaka,

Shaka Doug

PS Thanks Kidspot! I know you know where I'm coming from. BTW, Makena Landing is an AWESOME night dive. You should come out with me some time.

 

[DiveMaven]

Thanks for the great explanation Doug. Even though I don't know you and had no opinion about how you treat the wildlife on Maui, it was interesting to read about your experiences.

I guess the saying that a picture is worth a 1000 words is correct....even though the words that interpret the picture may not be accurate! ;-)

 

[kidspot]

Good to see you back on Doug! Things in the Hawaii Oahana just were not the same when you went off-line for the past few weeks - I read about your bug hunts on your website and am really hoping to sign up for one soon - I'd love to learn how to hunt them myself ...

Aloha, Tim