BOARD MEETING REPORT

The Board elects its officers at the January Board meeting and did so again this year. Cindy Bond was elected President, Barbara Nowak was elected Vice-President, Roy Gritter was re-elected as Secretary and Laurel Anderson was re-elected as Treasurer.
Salvatore (Sal) Pagliaro was appointed to the Board for one year by the Board. Only the Association can elect a Board Member for the normal two years. Sal, who was a member of the Friends, saw the request for Board Members in the November Newsletter, attended the December Board Meeting and the Association Meeting. Based on what he experienced at those meetings he indicated his willingness to serve.
With the changes in the City government, the Board plans to schedule meetings with Mayor Hannemann and Lester Chang, the replacement for Bill Balfour as Parks & Recreation Director so that they realize the goals and function of the FOHB. With Councilmember Charles Djou as the new Parks Committee Chair of the City Council, the Board has a "Friend" in that position.

Remember, any FOHB member or potential member is welcome at any Board meeting on the first Tuesday of the month at TransPacific Hawaii College at 5:45 pm.

ANNUAL MEETING & PARTY REPORT

After calling the business portion of the Annual Meeting to order, President John Norris briefly explained the process for Board Membership and individuals who might be interested in Board Membership were encouraged to contact one of the current Board Members for information. The Board nominated Fran Gabrielli, Roy Gritter, and John Norris for re-election to the Board for two years and they were elected by acclamation.

The main 2004 activities of the Board were briefly reviewed. They included (1) Considerable contacts with the BudgetCommittee of the City Council to block Bill 19, which would have transferred Hanauma Bay Funds into the General Fund, and to question the Budget Dept. in its handling of the Bay funds, (2) Continuing development of the FOHB Website with thanks to Board Member Bryn Kaufman, (3) Presentations to the FOHB by both Mayoral candidates, (4) A very successful Oktoberfest, Hawaiian Style, that generated $2,500 for the FOHB and (5) Continuing support for the research activities of U.H. doctoral student Ms. Ling Ong, who is conducting research on the Parrotfish population in the Bay by using sensors imbedded under the skin of the fish.
Treasurer Laurel Anderson accepted a check from Larry Winnik for $396 that resulted from his donating $1 to the FOHB for every CT (see other side) of his sold.
Laurel Anderson also presented the financial report for the past year as follows: Balance as of 12/1/03 of $7,363.42; Income of $6,126.13; Expenses of $6,039.15; and a balance on 12/1/04 of $7,450.40.

The talk by Nick Whitney on whales and their special actions was very interesting and entertaining, thus well received.

DA CAVE

One thing I really enjoy about the Bay is the never ending variety and unique ability for it to continually surprise even the most jaded, been there, done that snorkel dude who's convinced himself that he's seen all there is to see.

Yup! I'm talking about me! After 12 plus years of near daily snorkels, I thought I had seen it all and, in fact, have even slacked off a bit on my daily photo adventures. Now I'm the first to admit the Bay is not quite it's former self, especially following the feeding ban and the tremendous storm surge that hit it in December of '03, which arranged the coral and the bottom topography. However, there's still a bit of surprise in the old gal! (Bays are members of the female persuasion.)

For the past several years, on my daily excursions, I routinely stop in a special area in the flats where there's a small entrance to a mini-cave just bit enough to stick a camera into and take a blind shot of the innermost recesses of a concealed depression that can't be more that 9-inches wide and maybe 18-inches deep. I basically snap a photo and then see what I've got on the LCD display on the camera rear. Over the years I've photographed a variety of Morays, a juvenile Peacock Grouper, several Banded Coral Shrimp, a couple of resident Bluestripe Pipefish who have established a cleaning station there and, more recently, a Conger Eel who has taken what appears to be a long term lease on the property.

Yesterday my blind shot yielded a couple of Marble Shrimp hanging on the side of the cave wall, likely waiting for nightfall so that they could venture forth and forage. For me, this daily blind shot has given new meaning to my daily forays into the Bay and I always look forward to seeing how Father nature is going to surprise me. It's a bit like bottom fishing in that you don't know what you have until you get a bit of color as you bring the critter boatside. I get that same anticipatory feeling between snapping the photo and reviewing the LCD screen.

So, where am I going with all this? Geez, I dunno! Maybe just a tip of the hat to Father Nature for giving me those special moments and the anticipation of yet another new critter just around the corner, or as in my case, just around the cave!! May your New Year be filled with the anticipation of new adventures just around your corner as well. Oh yeah! If you don't have the equivalent of my "blind cave shot," to experience a special moment, I have a 'my cave' direction map available for only $10 plus S&H!! Batteries not included.

Aloha, as always, Larry Winnik

BAY EDUCATION ACTIVITIES

The following article by D.B. Dunlap was published in the HBEP Newsletter, Ha'ilono 'o Hanauma.

4DJ VISITS HANAUMA BAY

This make monk seal was first seen on Laysan in 1987 and was already a breeding adult (at least 5-years old) at that time. This would put him in the neighborhood of 22 years old in 2004. Since the average life span is around 30-years, he is definitely getting up there in age.

In 1994 he was translocated, along with 19 other males, to alleviate the over-abundance of males on Laysan in an attempt to curb the "mobbing" and injuring or killing of females during mating. 4DJ and another monk seal 4DI were moved to Molokai and were not seen until March of 2004. 4DJ was observed at Ewa Beach on March 25 and then at Sandy Beach on March 28. He became a frequent visitor to Rabbit Island through April; then he dropped out of site to mid-September, when he was again on Rabbit Island. He disappeared until his arrival at the Bay on November 18.
4DJ can be identified by a natural, white mark on his center forehead and by a partial BROWN tag on his right tail.

HBEP OUTREACH

PROGRAM

11/18/04 "Parrotfish Ecology: Feeding, Sand Production and Home Range Size" Ling Ong, Grad Student at U.H. on her research on tracking Parrotfish in the Bay.
2/3/05 "Tapaitapua - Sharks of Polynesia" produced by Thomas F. Horton
2/10/05 "TBA" by Dean Grubbs of UH Manoa and Hawaii Inst. of Marine Biology
12/17/05 "Shark Research in Hawaii" by Kim Holland, UH Manoa and Hawaii Inst. of Marine Biology
2//24/05 "Prehistoric Sharks" produced for the Discovery Channel by Ancient Sharks Productions.

Remember ALL talks/FILMS are in the Bay Education Center THEATER on Thursdays at 6:30 pm.


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NANAMOANA is published bimonthly by the Friends of Hanauma Bay,
100 Hanauma Bay Road, Honolulu, HI 96825
Roy Gritter, Editor.

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