Mamo Shallows

In the sparkling shallows the mamo gather in a lively crowd — silver bodies barred in bold black, touched with gold where the sun hits. They hover over their coral head like bees over a hive.

These little damselfish are fierce defenders of their tiny gardens of algae. Ask any snorkeler in Hawaiʻi — the mamo are often the first friends to come and look you in the eye.