OK, so my on-line name is Lio Kai, Sea Horse in Hawaiian. I love these little guys but here in Hawaii I don't get to see them very often in the wild. Alright, once ever in the eleven years that I've been here. But two weeks ago on the front page of "West Hawaii Today" I read an article about a breeding farm for sea horses here in Kona. I remember hearing talk of this farm years ago, and the article said the magic words "Now Open For Public Tours". That being said, today I put together a company outing to the "Ocean Rider" sea horse farm to take the public tour of the farm, and I gotta tell you I was blown away. Craig and Carol gave a very informative tour of the farm, stopping to talk about and show the ponds where the red volcanic shrimp live and breed (natural primary food for adults) as well as the multitude of different sea horses from around the world. Babies to mating adults. Taking time to show us many of the different animals up close. They also breed and raise their own food for the stock animals starting with copepods and zooplankton, to Hawaiian Ogo (seeweed) and Opae (small red shrimp) and so on. All of this is on the tour and is explained in detail. They breed all of the sea horses there on the farm as well as Anemone fish (Nemo) and a few others animals too. I had so much fun that I want to go back and do it again. They are the only sea horse farm in the USA and they are right here in my own backyard. They only give one tour per day on only two days a week with a max of 10 people. I wanted to go yesterday but it was booked. Other than diving and eating at the Brew Pub, you have got to see this farm. It was awesome. Being there made me lonesome for Galapagos.
Matthew J D'Avella (LioKai)
Matthew J D'Avella (LioKai)