Back on track!

Today I was able to get back on track: the deep side was open again, so I had two ponds to octo-snoop in! Strangely, I saw octopuses in the Kiddie pond last week but none there this week. The four I saw were in the deep part. I guess God doesn't want me to assume....

 Octopus #1.  A small one...see the little siphon? S/he was hiding in the rock.

What a great hider, eh? I can see why no one would see it. If they see you coming first, they definitely duck down and hide.

 Below, octopus #2. You can see its eyes in the middle of the brown circles.

 Octopus #3 was in between two coral pieces. The octopuses don't seem to be bothered by urchins, either.

 An admittedly terrible photo! I was close to the beach and the octopus pulled a rock in the hole to help it hide from me. (Yes, I don't care what you say: that's TOOL USE!) It's the brown behind the black of the rock.

Three Moorish Idol fish behaved for the camera.

As did 3 Rock Mover Wrasses. I don't know why they go on their tails as if they were standing up, but it's cool to watch 'em do it.

A mess of goat fish.

 I have been watching Blue Planet II and saw something similar to this object below, which turned out to be shark egg case. But I eventually deduced it to be an urchin which had grabbed some leaves to hide itself.

Seal on the beach from the water and then when I was on land.

Multiple urchins and pink coral!

 Achilles tang.

Ambon puffer, finally showing a bit of the nice blue anal fin.

 They are quite bendy!

his could be a crab with anemone attached, but it was hiding in a hole, so hard to figure it all out.

 Pencil urchin...between a rock and well, another rock! instead of a hard place.

 Cornet fish.

A Christmas Wrasse sped by me.

 These octopuses are easier to put on film...being as how it's one I colored! Note the lifelike colors I chose. ha

 Nice cone shell. I didn't bring it home..it felt heavy so I assumed it was being used, hopefully by the original animal.

Cranberry drupe shell. I think they're very pretty.

 An adorable little Box Fish...maybe 3 inches including the tail.

This is what the sky looked like most of the time I was in the water. A bit more sun did pop out but not for long.

 This is a photo of the empty hole on top of a coral head, where I've often seen octopuses.  Sadly, no octopus was at home here today. After all, it had been a while since I was able to visit the deep pond. Perhaps it got lonely. 

Female adult Trunk Fish:

 Goats and Needles. The goat fishes really like to hang out here, near the place between the deep and the shallower pond. 

 Hawk fish, lurking on top of a coral head.

I was swimming along looking for octopuses and felt something to my right: a big old Honu! It took me a minute to turn around enough to get away. It didn't seem particularly bothered by my presence. Perhaps because I swim really slowly.

 A nice leaf fish, leaning on its fins.

Male Trunk Fish:

 Millet seed butterfly fish.

Money Cowry shell. It was in great shape, so I assumed it was still in use.

Pencil urchin. I would feel very claustrophobic!

Picasso Trigger fish. A little and very cute one.

 Pinktail Durgon. 

This Puffer fish, perhaps a Guinea Fowl, was hiding under an overhang. It didn't appear too happy for some unknown reason. Perhaps my presence was an irritant. In any case, I snapped a few photos and then left it alone.

 Can you see the faint rainbow at sea?

Saddle Wrasse and the only eel I saw today. Bending to hide under a rock.

An Achilles tang and a Brighteye Chromis near the right. They were all over the reef today. I saw quite a few tiny Chromis, so it must be hatching time....can't catch 'em on film though.  Too tiny and too fast!

 Turban Shell. This is the type of shell that provides those white operculum, of which I saw and picked up quite a few.

 One of the potentially painful urchins, showing its anal sac. (That ball in the middle)

Two more urchins. It's hard to tell from the photo, but the one in the circular hole is tiny and quite cute.

Very happy with my 3 hours in the water today! I did get a bit cold from time to time, but handled it by swimming faster. And happy to see some octopuses, too. Thanks for reading!