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Humuhumunukunukuapuaa

Hawaiis Reluctant Celebrity of the Sea

story by Mona de Crinis

photographs by Cesere Brothers

 

Sporting a rad retro look — dramatic eyeliner, blue lips, neon stripes all akimbo — the humuhumunukunukuapuaa may be Hawaiis most famous, feisty fish.Crowned the official state fish not once, but twice, this tiny, toothed tough guy has one heck of a backstory.

Let’s start with the name. It’s a mouthful — one of the longest words in the Hawaiian language — and the standing joke is that the moniker is longer than the fish. Breaking it down, humhumu (fish) plus nukunuku (nose) plus apuaa (pig-like) equals “triggerfish with a snout like a pig” or humuhumunukunukuapuaa (humuhumu or humu for short).

While it may take a few tries before the name rolls off the tongue, spotting a humu is much easier — especially if this 1980s throwback is in a bodacious mood. The yellow V-shaped markings, diagonal coal-black bands between the eyes, cerulean upper lip and slashes of orange near the gills brighten and fade with the underwater vibe. When stressed, threatened, sleeping or showing submission, the humu’s signature vibrancy dims considerably.

Snorkeling or scuba diving is the best way to catch sight of a humu. There are plenty of Maui snorkel sites, most accessible by foot, where these aquatic dignitaries circulate in quiet contentment, regaling onlookers with their pop-art splendor. A visit to Molokini Crater with one of several reputable snorkel tour companies operating on Maui all but guarantees communing with humu (and about 250 other species of fish, many endemic, and almost 40 types of coral).

While there may be plenty of fish in the sea, the humu is no ordinary reef dweller. This little piscine is a rebel with a schnoz. A school dropout, humuhumu prefer solitude over shoaling and can be a bit of a bully. They are notoriously intolerant of others in their space, which typically include shallow outer reef habitats throughout the Hawaiian Islands and the South Pacific, and have been known to grunt, squawk or even nip at the feet of intruding humans.

One of approximately 40 species of triggerfish, the humuhumunukunukuapuaa has powerful jaws and sharp teeth for feeding on snails, shrimp, sea urchins and other invertebrate, which it flushes out of the sand with jets of air.

To avoid being prey themselves, the humu’s eyes operate independently for optimum surveillance potential. When perceiving danger, the humu erects its spine to wedge itself tightly into nooks and crannies, frustrating would-be predators hoping to dislodge the bite-sized morsal for a little undersea dim sum.

A fixture in Hawaiian folklore long before Hawaii state legislature first designated the humu as state fish in 1985 (the esteemed title lapsing after a five-year trial basis, only to be reinstated permanently in 2006), this plucky fish has serious underworld connections.

Associated with the kupua (demigod) Kamapuaa, a shape-shifting chief revered as the earthly manifestation of the fertility akua (god) Lono with the power to control rain and fruitfulness, legend holds that the humu’s unusually thick skin formed as a shield against Pele’s wrath.

Enamored by the goddess of fire and volcanoes, the capricious “hog-child” morphed into a handsome suitor and eventually won Pele’s hand with his porcine charms and impressive show of strength. The marriage was short-lived, as Pele soon grew weary of his piggishness. Her weapons no match for Kamapuaa’s might, she enlisted a squadron of netherworld gods to force Kamapuaa off a cliff into the swirling seas below. Upon hitting the water, the kupua turned into a fish with armor-like skin to protect him from Pele’s fiery ire, forever fated to dart among the reefs as the humuhumunukunukuapuaa‘a.

With such a storied pedigree, the humuhumunukunukuapuaa was destined to rise above its more monochromatic brethren, its Valley Isle status further elevated as the namesake of a Grand Wailea Maui restaurant (humu is NOT on the menu).

Whether divine intervention or dumb luck, this briny rags-to-riches tale of a stout, flat, cranky, cartoonish, recluse turned celebrity is a fish story worth remembering.

 

Celebrate the Season Island Style

Collectible Hawaiian Santas bring aloha home

for the holidays

by Mona de Crinis

 

Nestled on the slopes of Haleakala, Deborah Sawyer’s Upcountry home studio is a dollmaker’s dream (and a nightmare for those with pediaphobia).

Porcelain heads with rosy old-man faces in various stages of evolution gaze unblinking from their shelved perches. Those already glued to wooden stands dry in a basket near bolts of thick Hawaiian-print fabrics. White foam batting — used to shape the jolly bellies of Sawyer’s Hawaiian Santas — hover like persistent clouds. Organized neatly on tables, premade Lilliputian surfboards, coconut palms, lei, sunglasses and baskets packed with miniature picnic items give her collectible Father Christmas dolls a festive, tropical flair.

Sawyer, who grew up on Oahu, has been crafting tropical-themed Santa and Tutu dolls on Maui for over 20 years. Inspired by her artist mother, Barbara, she remembers hanging out in mom’s studio rich with diverse fabrics. Now 87 and into oil painting, Barbara lives in West Maui and still helps her daughter produce Santas every year, making the miniscule baskets, foaming the Santas and completing other bits and pieces of Sawyer’s craft.

Crafted in an assembly-line style of sorts, Sawyer first sands the 9-inch wooden bases, then glues the porcelain heads to the bases and puts them in a basket face-down to dry for a few weeks. Then Barbara wraps the foam to create Santa’s legendary girth, after which Sawyer meticulously drapes with bark cloth in various Hawaiian prints — introducing a new print each year to keep Santa fresh and fashionable. Once the Santas are glued, foamed and dressed, standing about 21 inches tall, Sawyer works in threes: three feather beards, three haku lei, three sunglasses, three baskets — three Santas.

Over the years, Sawyer has dabbled in clothes pin ornaments, muumuu dolls, angels, mermaids, hula girl and tree toppers, but the Surfin’ Santas and other Hawaiian Father Christmas lines are by far her bestsellers and primary focus. “There are Father Christmas collectors all over the world who love tropical Santas,” Sawyer said, adding that she was unaware of this particularity when she launched her business, Maui Moonbeams, so dubbed after witnessing a rare moonbow cresting against the silhouette of Haleakala.

Most of the accessories she uses to make the Santas are inspired by or sourced from Maui. The tiny ipu gourd at Santa’s feet, the haku lei royally appointed with shells and ribbons of gold, the palm festooned with itty bitty “coconuts” — Indian almond pods collected in West Maui — are rooted in the culture and the aina. And the perfectly shaped mouse-sized surfboards? They’re exquisitely crafted by a woodworker on island.

Sawyer creates approximately 200 Santas annually and is never at a loss for inspiration. All she has to do is look outside. “The trees, the flowers, the ocean and crater views — Maui offers the most amazing setting for creativity.”

This year, she’s hoping for a successful holiday season as interest in Maui-based products remains high, and feels a powerful sense of kuleana, or responsibility, as a resident artist specializing in handmade collectibles with an island flavor.

“Representing Maui authentically and respectfully is really important, especially right now,” Sawyer said. “And that’s what I hope to do through my art — bring island aloha home.”

Deborah Sawyer’s Hawaiian Santas are available for purchase in person at Totally Hawaiian Gift Gallery in West Maui’s Whaler’s Village, Maui Hands in The Shops at Wailea and online at mauimoonbeams.com or her Maui Santas shop on Etsy.

 

Returning visitors ‘malama’ Maui

after fires

by Chris Amundson

 

People have long visited Maui to heal their body, mind and soul.

Now, in the wake of the Aug. 8 fires, it is Maui that will be healed with the return of visitors.

Don’t be afraid to come back, say tourism leaders — the island needs you.

“Maui needs the support of visitors now more than ever,” said Sherry Duong, executive director at Maui Visitors & Convention Bureau. “The people of Maui need your compassion and support.”

While parts of the beloved and historic Lahaina Town were devastated by the fire and are permanently closed, the rest of the island is still beautiful, still paradise, and still open and welcoming to visitors.

“Respectful, responsible and compassionate travel helps our residents and our local businesses to recover,” Duong said.

Visitors who return to Maui will receive an outpouring of aloha, just as Maui has received so much love and support from around the world since Aug. 8.

“It is important to pack kindness, patience and grace when traveling to Maui with the understanding that some people have suffered great losses,” Duong said. “Through this lens, visitors will also be able to embrace and enjoy the beauty, serenity and healing spirit of Maui.”

Lisa Paulson is the executive director of the Maui Hotel and Lodging Association and has been a Maui resident for 29 years.

“Maui is a magical island,” she said. “We still have beautiful beaches, sunset cruises and delicious meals featuring local produce and fresh-caught fish.”

And while damaged parts of Lāhainā Town are closed, Paulson encourages visitors to explore other iconic parts of Maui: “Visit, Kapalua, Napili, Honokoi,” she said. “Enjoy the sunrise from Haleakala, drive out to Hāna and experience the national park, go on a snorkel cruise, or take the drive to Makawao Town and Paia Town.”

In the days and weeks after the fire, the world saw devastation through news reports and social media. But Paulson points out that a very small portion of Maui was damaged. The fires have long been extinguished, the air is clear, and the water is safe for surfing, snorkeling and swimming.

“We are a beautiful place — come make some memories with us,” Paulson said.

The West Maui Lāhainā fire seemed a world away from South Maui’s Wailea beach resort community, which came through Aug. 8 physically unscathed. Yet, on an island, everyone is connected.

“At Wailea, travelers are going to find people here trying to be even more helpful with even more aloha spirit,” said Frank “Bud” Pikrone, executive director of the Wailea Resort Association, “because we’ve all had to go through this.”

Pikrone recognizes that some visitors might have mild trepidation about returning to Maui after the fires. “Come,” he said, “come here and see what this island is doing to help. You may be sitting at a restaurant and the server may have lost everything, but they are keeping busy — they’re moving forward.”

Enjoy the beaches, restaurants, parks and resorts, Pikrone recommends. And visitors who want to give back — mālama — also can volunteer to plant trees in Upcountry, clear invasive plants from hiking trails, participate in organized beach cleanups and help those in need by sewing clothes and serving food. Many of the islands resorts — including those in Wailea — have lists and schedules of mālama opportunities for visitors who return to Maui to help our island heal.

To learn more about how to help when you come to Maui, visit gohawaii.com/malama and mauinuistrong.info.