It might take a little arm-twisting to get 9-year-old Jon to say goodbye to the X-Men, but he always relents. He knows that staring down a living, bubbling hermit crab can be as entertaining as watching cartoon mutants.

"He complains the whole way there, but once he's in the water, I can't get him out," Tsuchiyama says.

And what's not to love about a day at the tidepool?

Given the right conditions, a good tidepool can be a combination swimming pool, Jacuzzi and interactive aquarium.

•

Signs of life, do not disturb A guide for reef and tidepool visitors • Never turn your back to the ocean. • If you turn over a rock, be sure to put it back the way it was. Organisms that live beneath it may be harmed by exposure to the sun; things that live where you put the rock may also be harmed or displaced. • Never walk on or touch live coral. • Do not remove shells. Hermit crabs need them as homes. • Watch your step. Look for sandy areas to walk on and look closely at rocks before you step on them, making sure they are stable. • Bring a first-aid kit and a cell phone for emergencies.

Many beachgoers confuse simple reef flats for tidepools, though both provide opportunities for edification and fun for people who exercise the right amount of caution and respect.

Tidepools are different from other reef structures that enclose water in that they are fully isolated from the ocean at least once a day during low tide.

In Hawai'i, tidepools and shallow reef areas are home to a wide variety of marine life, from small fish and crabs to urchins and sponges. But the mini-ecosystems can be as fragile as they are fascinating.

Mark Heckman, acting educational director for the Waikiki Aquarium, encourages reef and tidepool tourists to be aware of their potential impact on marine life during their visits.

"I tell people to show respect for all life in the sea and to leave things the same or better than when they arrived."

If the water is deep enough, Heckman recommends floating face down on the surface for a closer view of the reef's inhabitants.

"Kids will do this automatically, but parents are sometimes reluctant to get down in there," Heckman says. "Who do you think has the better view? There's so much to see."

The self-immersion approach also corresponds nicely to Heckman's rule that it's best to observe things without disturbing them.

"If something lives in the water, leave it in the water," he says. "Go into the water to look at it rather than lifting it out of the water."

Certain sea creatures, like the Portuguese man-o-war or fire worms, can be hazardous to humans, and Heckman says it pays to read up on local marine life. He recommends "All Stings Considered" by Craig Thomas and Susan Scott, "Hawaii's Sea Creatures, a Guide to Hawaii's Marine Invertebrates" by John Hoover, and "Shore Fishes of Hawaii" by John Randall. He also recommends Catherine Orr's "Discover Hawaii's Sandy Beaches and Tidepools" for general information.

Unspinning your wheels

If you get the drift — that style of racing in which cars sort of slide sideways in a controlled manner (yow!) — you'll be at tomorrow's Drift Showoff, 3-10 p.m. at Hawaii Raceway Park. The event includes a car show, competition (including top drifters from Japan) and entertainment by DJs and live bands.

Admission is $15 general. www.driftshowoff.com.

Malcolm in the middle of a spy caper on DVD

Looking for escapist fare on DVD or video for the whole family? Consider "Agent Cody Banks."

Taking a cue from Robert Rodriguez's successful "Spy Kids" franchise, director Harald Zwart offers us a teen in spy's clothing — Frankie Muniz of "Malcolm in the Middle." But the feel is utterly different. While the Rodriguez movies are high on humor, family, friendship and creatively bizarre gadgets, "Agent Cody Banks" goes for the James Bond wannabe crowd.

That means Cody is a loner with a family alternately at odds with or clueless about his secret-agent life, an utter absence of friends, a handler with Bond-babe type cleavage (Angie Harmon), and the latest techno-tools to save the world and impress the girl (the appealing and wholesome Hilary Duff).

So there's not much in terms of messages or themes. But taken as escapist fare, "Agent Cody Banks" does offer fun, thanks to cool whizzing, flying and skateboarding toys and the appeal of Muniz, Duff and Harmon, whose deadpan jokes hit with rat-a-tat precision.

— Nancy Churnin, Dallas Morning News

Lots of stuff for seniors

The 19th annual Hawaii Seniors Fair: The Good Life Expo continues, with nearly 250 booths and seminars addressing topics such as finances, long-term care, nutrition, travel and all the things that figure into those well-deserved sunset years. Other attractions include arts and crafts activities, flu and pneumonia vaccinations, entertainment, games, giveaways and drawings, and cooking demos.

This year's show ambassador is jazz vocalist Azure McCall. The expo generally draws more than 20,000 attendees during its three-day run (it began yesterday).

Hours are 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. today and tomorrow at the Blaisdell Exhibition Hall. Admission is free; sponsored by The Honolulu Advertiser.

Grammy-winning flutist

Grammy-winning flutist Paul Horn gives a concert at 7:30 p.m. today at the Doris Duke Theatre, Honolulu Academy of Arts. Horn has recorded more than 40 albums and is considered an originator of what is now called New Age music.

The presentation, sponsored by Mental Health Kokua and the art museum, includes scenes from the 2002 documentary "Mount Kailash — Return to Tibet," by Maui filmmaker Tom Vendetti, which follows Horn's pilgrimage to the holy site.

Admission is $35. 532-8700.

Cross-culturally Shakespearean

Ngarimu Daniels plays Portia (Pohia) and Te Rangihau Gilbert is Bassanio (Patanio) in "The Maori Merchant of Venice." He Taonga Films

After Sunday's 4:15 p.m. screening, University of Hawai'i English professor Valerie Wayne will chat it up and answer questions about the film; a reception at the Row Bar follows.

Discover Mo'ili'ili Festival includes crafts, ghost stories

Crafts, fresh produce, homemade jams and jellies, baked goodies, kids' games, entertainment and the charm of the Mo'ili'ili neighborhood are among the attractions of the 8th annual Discover Mo'ili'ili Festival, 3-9 p.m. today at the Mo'ili'ili Community Center.

There's also a spaghetti dinner ($7) and, for you history buffs, a 4 p.m. presentation on "The Lay of the Land: Mo'ili'ili and the University of Hawai'i," which looks at water, land use and landscaping of the area. A special Tribute to Glen Grant: Ghost Storytelling Contest begins at 6 p.m.; admission is $3 general, $1 kids under 12. Grant, a historian and storyteller, died in June.