Which Hawaiian sea animal is your favorite? After all, what is a visit to Hawaii without seeing some of the ocean wildlife? Seeing turtles, sharks, dolphins, fish, and more are amazing memories. They’re unforgettable moments where we connect with nature and God’s creations. I can’t even say how many people tell me about how they saw turtles, fish, or dolphins on their trip to Hawaii and their entire soul lights up.
Seeing (and possibly getting close—if circumstances are safe and permit) marine animals in Hawaii inspires us. It ignites a part of us deep within, perhaps the inner child, the one we’ve tucked away for so long.
I hope this list of ocean animals in Hawaii will inspire you. Maybe it will jog your memories of Hawaii. Maybe you’ll learn something new. Or, just maybe, you’ll remember how much you love nature, God’s creations, and let out that inner child in you once more. 🙂
Read more about Hawaii’s value of protecting and caring for the ‘aina here: Mālama
Manta Ray
Yes, the manta ray is a Hawaiian sea animal too! I’m from the Big Island so I was actually shocked to learn—after I moved—that there are tons of manta rays on Kona side and you can go on a tour to swim with them! If you’ve done this, please let me know in the comments. I’m fascinated and would love to do it in the future.
Manta rays are different from sting rays, but I won’t go into detail on it. The nice thing is that the Hawaiians also distinguished them differently. The word for manta ray is hāhālua (pronounced hah-hah-loo-ah).
If you’ve read “Aloha State of Mind” you’ll remember my little discussion on hā, which is breath. But hā can also mean mouth, and manta ray literally means “two mouths.” Side note: If you know Hawaiian numbers, ‘elua is two, so that’s why “lua” is the last part of this word.
The Hawaiians called manta ray “two mouths” because of the two flaps sticking out either side of their mouths, so it makes sense.
Both the manta ray and sting ray can also be called “lupe.”
Sting Ray
The sting ray is known to be around Hawaii, though I’ve never heard of anyone encountering them. They’re called hīhīmanu in Hawaiian. Hihi could mean several things, like “to creep, spread, or intertwine” or “a large meshed fish net.” Manu means “bird” so what I infer from this is that the Hawaiians must have seen the sting ray as a large fish bird, because sting rays do have large wings on either side of their bodies, or a spread-out, creeping bird.
Turtle
My favorite sea animal of all time, the honu (pronounced hO-noo) can be found all over the Hawaiian islands. When I looked in the Hawaiian dictionary, I actually found out the the hawksbill turtle has its own name, which is ‘ea.
If you love turtles, check out this article:
–Get 20% off a Fahlo sea turtle bracelet with code LEIALOHA20 – When you buy a bracelet you not only support the turtle conservation, but you receive a turtle to track!
Shark
People are so afraid of sharks, but I think they’re beautiful and majestic! The Hawaiian word for shark is manō. Many ancient Hawaiian legends and proverbs tell of the niuhi, which is a man-eating shark, but most Hawaiians regarded the shark as sacred ‘aumakua, family ancestors.
If you love sharks, check out these articles:
–Swimming with Sharks on O’ahu
–Get 20% off a Fahlo shark bracelet using code LEIALOHA20. When you buy a bracelet, you also receive a shark to track!
Fish
The generic name for fish is i’a but most fish have specific names according to their type. The old Hawaiian superstition is to not let anyone know when you’re going fishing or the fish will hear and leave the area!
Here are some notable fish names (let’s see if you can say these!) 😉
- ‘Ahi
- Mahimahi
- Humuhumunukunukuapua’a
- A’awa
- Moi
- Opelu
- Manini
Dolphin
If you’ve been lucky enough to spot dolphins swimming and resting in the bay areas, then you know how playful and fun they can be. The Hawaiian word for dolphin is “nai’a,” pronounced nae-ah.
Whale
Maui is the best place to see whales when they migrate towards warmer waters. The Hawaiian word for humpback whale is koholā, pronounced kO-hO-lah, and the word for sperm whale is palaoa.
–Read about seeing whales and snorkeling Molokini Crater in Maui here!
-Read the Simple Maui Guide here
Octopus
My dad used to catch squid in the reefy areas of the North Shore. While I have seen a good amount of squid in my life (and the black ink they shoot out too), I haven’t seen an octopus. The Hawaiian word for octopus is he’e, and the word for squid is similar, mūhe’e.
Sea urchin – Yes, it’s a Hawaiian sea animal (even though it might not look like it hehe)
Watch out for this lovely yet dangerous invertebrate animal. Especially on the Big Island, where the only way to get into the water is by way of walking on lava rocks, or sandy shores with rocks, keep an eye out for the long black spindles of the sea urchin. The Hawaiian word for sea urchin is wana, pronounced vah-nah.
Jellyfish
I used to get stung a lot by the Portuguese Man-of-War at Hukilau beach or other beaches along the North Shore of Oahu. While it’s not very common for people to get stung by jellyfish in Hawaii, it does happen. The Hawaiian word for jelly fish is pololia.
What is your favorite marine animal?
Is there a sea animal I missed? Do you know the Hawaiian word for it? Let us know in the comments below!
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