Category: Maui

I love echinoderms, and this urchin is one of my favorite echinoderms to see! Its color is beautiful, and it doesn’t have those sharp spines like other urchins have. The slate pencil urchin leaves a reddish-orange mark on your fingers when handled, but that’s like a cool little souvenir. It’s always fun to hold and examine these urchins, but just be sure to be gentle and return them carefully.

Sea turtles are so fun to see in the ocean! Did you know you can look at a turtle’s carapace, or shell, to help you identify which type of sea turtle it is? In the ocean resources section, you’ll find a helpful chart that shows the different scute (or plate) patterns on different types of sea turtles.

One of the best places for kids of all ages to find ocean life is simply along the shoreline. One of our favorite treasures to find along a Maui shoreline is the shingle urchin, which is also called a helmet urchin. Just like a helmet is used for protection, the urchin’s helmet-like shape is protection from the rough surf. Their tiny tube feet cling to rocks through crashing waves. These echinoderms have a beautiful deep purple color and are often hard to spot on the rocks.