I started spearfishing when I moved to the Big Island a few years ago. Once my friend put a three-prong in my hand during a camping trip on the coast and I caught my first kole, I was hooked. The feeling of eating fish with your friends that you all caught a couple hours earlier by a fire under the stars was so refreshing and continues to deepen my connection to place, the ocean, and to my food.
I work as a wildlife biologist so sustainably hunting and being intentional on how much I take from the reef is important to me. I try to prioritize taking the invasive species off the reef first; the ta’ape, to’au and roi are the main targets in Hawai‘i. I learn something new from the ocean every dive and I try to give back in small ways.
My other favorite way to connect with the ocean is through surfing. So even when the waves are big or flat, I am stoked!
One of the most special places I’ve been is the Aleutian Islands in Alaska, where I connected with the Salty Sisters! I went for a work trip to study bait uptake in salmon streams in preparation for an upcoming rat eradication, and we were lucky enough to fish for halibut, rockfish, and salmon to sustain us while we camped and worked on the island. It was an experience I will never forget!
You can follow me and fish adventures on my Instagram @carmencleo
