Did I mention?

Did I mention that I dive with one glove?  No, not trying to emulate singers.....but if I wear two gloves, can't really use the camera as well....not an amazing reason, but that's it!

And did I mention the glove today was purple? :)

Yes, it's a gardening glove.  I have found that all those expensive dive gloves end up disintegrating.  How annoying, especially since they are really expensive.  Espec when compared with gardening gloves. 

Gloves also help me just in case I have to pick up glass or something. Which happened a lot today: about 27 pieces.  All broken, and probably would go very badly into someone's foot.  People can be quite unaware of the dangers on the bottom.  I'm not even talking about Scorpion Fish, in this case.

So please be careful!  If you're not hip to the Hawaiian ocean, please go in only after checking with a lifeguard.  I should probably give myself scoldings, too, because I go in at 7 a.m. and the lifeguards only get there at 9....I do pray for safety, but God doesn't tell me to be stupid!!!  So I am ultra careful, praying before entering the water, but also waiting for others to be on the beach, at least.

The beach was also guarded by today's small seal:

Fortunately, the nice man who puts up the signs to protect the seals was on the job this morning.  And if you see him, please thank him!  It's a volunteer job, so give your thanks when you can......

Palms and clouds, natch:

Basically the same scene...just different light.  Isn't God amazing?

Octopus #1. To the left of the red rock in the middle. You can see the head and a bit of arm... hey! They live by the camouflage, right?  Why would it be easy?  Both the octopuses I saw today were quite shy.  Where are the big adults, who don't care about visitors and who fly across the seascape? But truly, I'm thankful for any and all octopuses that I see.  I KNOW there are other cool animals, but there's just something about an octopus.  Very unusual, fairly rare and complicated.  Would I lie?


Here's the other one:

The brown blob pretty much in the center of the picture.  Click on it!  It will become evident.....

Neither octopus did much.  I thought to take lots of photos, but with the water visibility, there wasn't much point. I don't like to get too close, and with medium visibility, you couldn't see much.

For my sweetheart, a box fish..one of quite a few today:

Awwww... So cute as it swims away.  Like I would hurt anything so cute. 










And speaking of cute, here's an Ambon Puffer, my fave:

Don't miss the pretty blue at the bottom of the fish: bright blue fin.  Quite lovely.  And they are quick and shy, not a photog's dream....but the colors and patterns are......

Once again, I was struck by stripes:

So similar, and yet so different!  But note they both have 5 stripes....I shall have to investigate if the bigger ones have only 5 stripes, too....

A damsel and some convict tangs...








You know I'm into shells...here's a nice cone shell...

I love the Cone Shells. Perhaps because they are kinda dicey (having that poison and all), but also a cool shape and so very many types! Also, I think they hunt mostly at night, from what I'm told, but one can often see them in the daytime.  Which is good, since I don't venture out during the evening hours.  Hey! I'm up at 4 a.m., so I need my rest.....





And another shell:

 A cowry....so pretty and with some kind of tube near it....Gosh, the things to learn are outweighing my time in the water....

Lots and lots of Snowflake Eels around lately.  I saw one today that probably was only as big around as a pencil.  Just one of the many reasons not to walk around on the bottom:

I am amazed by the cool pattern and calm demeanor of this animal. Also, they aren't shy about moving around. So if you look, GO SLOWLY!, you will see them....



And since I am still watching the abudefduf, here's one...

OK, right, maybe we should call it an Eagle Eye Challenge!  But it's there.  It's a small one. They are much quicker over here, too...they flee...











And as I was finishing the dive and looking for operculum near the shore (glass too), I found this:

See it?  A Lizard fish!  Had I put my hand down a minute sooner, I would have at least scared it.  HA.

And when I got home, the lovely wasn't over:

Oh yeah.  Lovely and the first I've seen here in the condo neighborhood.  I'll keep watching for more.  I have no power to grow them, but I surely do appreciate them!