Monday, March 27, 2017

As it should be!

Today, even with the crowds, saw a lone turtle and seal, sleeping peacefully on the beach.  As it should be!
The turtle was sleeping on the little island that has been created by the water washing away the connecting spit.  And you can't tell from the photo, but the seal had a horde of watchers, only a few feet away, but it was roped off, so people didn't get into the protective circle..
I took the photo from the water, pretty far away...the photo is cropped to protect the seal's identity. ha.
I also saw what I at first thought was an octopus, but turned out to be, I think, some black sponges:

You can see how I might have made that mistake, especially from about 10 feet above... but I was happy to see, a few minutes later, the real octopus deal:
See how I could make that mistake?! Of course, the octopus has a siphon (near the bottom of the brown), so I knew it wasn't a sponge....Also, it didn't stay still, but moved underneath the rock.  I found this octopus by following a Rock Mover Wrasse..the poor octopus was pestered by the wrasse, as it slid all around the octopus.  Not sure what it got out of that equation, but there you go. So many things about an octopus are mysterious.
There was a very nice Trunk Fish, also:
This one showed its face more than some.  Also, it's maleness. Reportedly, the blue means male. I do think they are quite a pretty fish. Fast, though.  This one was interested in eating, which is the only reason I was able to catch this photo.
I saw a bunch of lizard fish, too. Small, large and medium:
The large one flew off when my shadow hit it. Gee, sensitive.  Who knew?!

A small snowflake moray eel was accompanied by a wrasse.  Not sure the eel appreciated it.
It almost appears as if the eel were about the eat the wrasse, but not so.  It was too busy trying to hide.
And I found a Turban shell, atop a rock.  Pretty rare to see them out.  This is the shell that when preyed upon and eaten, leaves behind the operculum that I collect.
They can actually be pretty shells, but this one is covered in ocean gunk, so not as pretty.  But the shell is still pretty protective.  Although not enough, sometimes. 
And its neighbor, the Cowry shell:
Very shiny and protected, not just with its shell, but also its hiding place, under a ledge of rock:
When I took the photo of the Wrasse, didn't even see the Lizard fish above it.  Two eyes can only see so much at once, apparently.
There was also a trio of Moorish Idol fish:

I caught only two with my camera.  I do love their personalities (quiet and just slowly cruising through the water) and the long dorsal fin.  Quite pretty. They look as if they have eyebrows, too, but you can't really catch that in this photo.
No Scorpion Fish, but there was a black leaf fish:
Like the Hawk Fish, the Leaf rests either side's fins on the rocks around it.  The head is at the top of the photo.
I turned over this shell, only to find a tiny urchin hoping to remain unnoticed underneath:
So I turned the shell back over to let the urchin keep its hidey-hole.
And last but not least, one of my fave fish, the Rock Mover Wrasse.  These are incredibly strong-jawed fish.  I have seen them throw rocks around that are bigger than they are!
This duo cruised around quickly, bending this way and that. You can see the "antlers" on the one on the right.  I really enjoy how energetic these fish are.
And I enjoyed the safety too!  The waves were moving me all around, but I was still able to get some snaps of the local wildlife.
Keep reading..There will be a slight hiatus, as we have meeting coming up next weekend.  Back atcha asap!

Saturday, March 25, 2017

Do Rock Mover Wrasse have scales?

For once, yay me, I actually looked up the answer before asking it on my blog! Wow, I can learn...
I looked at the adult Rock Mover above and thought: gee, I wonder if they have scales?  They certainly don't look as if they do.  However, having Google'd it, I discovered that indeed they have a scaleless head, except for 2 scales on the upper part of the gill openings and a row of small scales behind the eye. Who knew? (Well, Wikipedia did.)
The Juvenile was hanging onto seaweed, so when the seaweed moved, so did the fish.  A really pretty good camouflage.  Not as good as the octopus, but still..what is?
See? Pretty well hidden.  And it didn't have all the brown and white when I first spotted it. This was taken when I dove down a bit and snapped a quick shot. 
And, thank you God, there were actually 2 octopuses today.  The second one was better hidden, in a hole in the kiddie pond:
That is its siphon (breathing tube) almost closed.  I was thinking that I guess I'm glad they are so shy. If they weren't the tako hunters (bad, bad people!) would find them more easily. 
And yes, of course there were other critters in today's dive: This Hawk Fish and Snowflake Moray eel hung out together.  Well, actually the eel slithered away..
The Hawk Fish didn't move at all.  It just kept its place between two rocks, watching. That's what they do!
A Bright Eye Chromis also got its picture taken:
I do think they are just so cute.  And there are a lot of really little ones around right now.  No bigger than my pinkie finger nail.  And just as quick as the older ones.  Usually, by the time I get the camera turned on, they have darted away. It is hard to catch the small fish on film.
Christmas Wrasse:

These fish are quick too, but just so pretty I have to keep trying to get another good photo.
And there was a tiny humuhumunukunukuapua'a too:
Awwww.  And yes, it wanted to get away.  Usually the small ones dart into a nearby hole to escape me.
And this seal actually got out of the water to escape me!

Just kidding.  This seal was already sleeping on the beach before I even knew it was there..I only looked up because the lifeguard mentioned it: they can bite! And when you watch them sleeping, you can't even tell they are breathing.  Hence the idea people have sometimes that they are dead.  They aren't, usually, but just sleeping.
This Cowry Shell also might have been sleeping, as it was deep into a hole in the coral:
I do think they are quite lovely shells.  And the shell is super hard, too.  It stays shiny because the animal comes out sometimes and moves along its outer shell. At least, that's my guess.
Urchin up close:
Note the new spines growing inside, just ready to poke someone...
And last, but certainly not least, especially on the cuteness scale, a really small Trunk Fish:
And she had her tail all curved around her back part.....probably about 2 inches long, just counting the body.  Very cute. 
When my friend and I walked later near the beach, another smaller seal had joined in the nap.  

Sunday, March 19, 2017

Fish in the dentist's chair...

OK, once again, please bear with me and let me show pix without so many words.  Chicken is almost baked at home!
Hello Kitty met me at the beach!
and as I was coming back up from taking this photo, I saw octopus #2!
You can see why this Parrot Fish occasionally needs teeth cleaners.
I

Tune in again next week.  Meetings coming up at work, so there may not be any fleurs to photograph.  Well, they'll be there, but I may not be able to take the time...

Pollen Anonymous

When you work in a garden, especially one as beautiful as the National Tropical Botanical Garden, it is very possible, and I'm proof, that you might run into flowers you've never seen before.
Isn't that crazy cool?! Pollen aplenty. And long silky strings, almost making a skirt.
And since I was too lazy to blog about underwater adventures yesterday, please bear with me and see the pix from yesterday, perhaps with a word of two thrown in.  Maybe you'll like the post better without so many words...let me know.
Love this bird! The White Rumped Shama stopped by to sing for us.







A male box. ha























Mohawk.


Wow! That was quick!
Do you love the crab on the left?  I had hopes to take the pretty bubble shell home, but it wasn't to be. Couldn't have a homeless crab, right?!