Posted by Rick Civelli | 08.05.2013 | Sea Turtle Camp News

Adventures in the Land of Aloha

Aloha from Hawaii. Hopefully you have had a chance to see some of the pictures we have posted so far. The campers are having a great time as we explore Oahu from top to bottom! This weekend has been packed with new adventures, and I’m sure there were some camp favorites that your students will be talking about when they get home.

Saturday after brunch we slurped down some delicious Matsumoto’s shave iced – a North Shore staple. They have been around for over 60 years and are famous for their flavored ice. Afterwards we visited the Polynesian Cultural Center and learned about how Hawaii came to be. There was a delicious luau and a show with hula and fire dancers!

On Sunday, we spent the whole day mastering boards. In the morning, we surfed up at the North Shore. Then in the afternoon we switched it up for a relaxing stand up paddle board session down a calm river accompanied by lots of sea turtles. Needless to say we went to bed with some tired arms.

Everyone is excited to get back to the Sea Life Center in the morning. All of our activities have been so engaging, from swimming with stingrays, learning about dolphin training, and of course working with the turtles. Not only have we got to help with their cleaning and food preparation, but earlier in the week we got to pit tag some green sea turtle hatchlings and participate in a release – such an incredible opportunity!

Today, there will be an octopus dissection and bird interactions! In addition to working with turtles and other marine life, Sea Life Park has a comprehensive seabird rehabilitation program.

We can’t believe how fast the time is flying. Our group is SOOO awesome; the campers have bonded together and become a little family. We have gotten compliments from the staff of the Sea Life Park, our surf instructors, and our scuba guide on how well behaved and interested our campers are. Seriously some great kids! Aloha!

– Aimy T.