Reef

In recent years, the Indo-Pacific lionfish - a dramatically striped, finned and armored aquarium fish - has invaded Atlantic and Caribbean coral reefs. It has been spotted off the Southeastern United States, throughout the Caribbean Sea, in the Gulf of Mexico, and it's now eating its way toward South America. What's to blame for this invasion? Most likely aquarium releases beginning in the early 1980s. And once introduced, lionfish took off. The fish has no known predator in the Atlantic.

HANALEI, Hawaii - When compiling a list of places that may be described as paradise, Hanalei Bay on the rugged north shore of the island of Kauai surely qualifies. The perfect crescent bay, rimmed by palm trees, emerald cliffs and stretches of white sand, has always had a dreamy kind of appeal. It was on these shores that sailors in the movie "South Pacific" sang of the exotic but unattainable "Bali Ha'i. " The problem is what lies below the surface of the area's shimmering blue waters.

When heading for the resort islands bordering the Great Barrier Reef, young travelers with tight budgets should keep in mind that many of the tourist businesses will reduce prices at the last minute to fill empty beds. It's always wise, therefore, to ask whether "standby" rates are available.

THANKS for the delightful and well-written article "Wild and Wooly Imaginations" [May 6]. Although I don't know these ladies, Diane Haithman certainly seems to have captured their uniqueness and the enthusiasm they have for crocheting. The term they use to describe their Institute for Figuring, "the poetic and aesthetic dimensions of science, mathematics, and the technical arts," is an intriguing and all-encompassing description. This would make a great TV show -- turning these ladies loose in these areas of thought and form.

Travelers who prefer group rather than individual foreign travel, and want more exposure to history and culture than is found on most tours, might want to check out the study tours offered by Interhostel. Similar in concept to the popular educational travel programs offered by Elderhostel, Interhostel is a separate organization administered and operated by the University of New Hampshire. Now in its 13th year, Interhostel offers only international foreign study.

A half-day trip up to Squamish and back from North Vancouver's railway station gives you only a taste of the wild, staggering beauty that is British Columbia. British Columbia is Canada's third largest province, a sprawling, raucous area of 366,355 square miles that hugs the Pacific coastline from Washington to the Yukon Territory. It nearly quadruples the size of Great Britain, and is bigger than Washington, Oregon and California. With only 2.

Some people are happy collecting fast cars or nice watches. But the ultimate vanity purchase may be the private island. Billionaire Richard Branson owns several. Magician David Copperfield has a dozen. Singer Celine Dion is trying to sell hers. And tech titan Larry Ellison is closing a deal to buy nearly all of the Hawaiian island of Lanai. Although private islands are often associated with the very rich, they aren't always that exclusive or even all that expensive. PHOTOS: Private islands for sale Private Islands Inc., a Toronto-based island marketing firm, lists about 500 islands worldwide from less than $50,000 to more than $100 million, Chief Executive Chris Krolow said.

And then there are the doomed locations, the spaces that seem to contain a different restaurant each time you drive by. The space on the corner of Santa Monica's Ocean Avenue and Colorado Boulevard would at first appear to be anything but doomed. It's a beautiful room, with a beautiful ocean view, steps away from the very successful Ivy at the Shore where the beautiful people eat.

A Maui snorkel tour company could be fined more than $670,000 for damage to coral reefs when its boat sank off the tiny island of Molokini, among the state's top snorkeling and scuba diving sites. Officials say the fine against Maui Snorkel Charters is the largest penalty ever proposed by the state in such a case. They say it is warranted because of the damage the boat caused to the coral reef as well as the company's irresponsible actions while the vessel sank on Sept. 29, 2006, and during its recovery two days later.