Saw 5 octopuses! Of course, ecstatic and thankful about that. Here they are:
The octopus is the only brown thing in the picture. About a third of the way in on the left. You will rightly surmise that I was in the deep side. This octopus started out brown and stayed that way. I did zoom down to try to get a better and closer photo, but caught no good picture.
You can see its siphon in the middle of the brown. Deeply ensconced in its den, it never ventured out that I saw. But they can be tricky: they will let me swim away, sometimes, and then pop up to see if I'm really gone.
The eye is up and to the left of the siphon.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxXTyeDGT94yzMI5PbC-FkVAYitij-xdX_4Dt7OlO4SskeN54tS3X9KmpjVHWf0Elfh1cY8Viny1nquqQ1wOu_YRxVNr5rzHpJ8HH2D54S70eWZc2_DmKkblnFR4hk9OGg73AgS70j16E/s320/he%2527e+3+w+siphon.jpg)
When they are at home, they are really at home. Probably a good survival strategy. But putting the rocks around the den, not so much. I would never eat an octopus, but others have no such qualms. (Seals, especially.)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ8-7ZLxvbfNrw2y1cYyfv5p13ccDjHgEJ7n1ioD5NPYP2u5Xh4mf_yP19V2TmgBZO9pa97XU8lPdFw5Hr65ZQHPPy7P-qeLQ2PUGDLuXnKmAP32I1CoGMxX9GgidXXb2Q2TGe-XZXmPQ/s320/he%2527e+5+really+use.jpg)
The siphon showing in this photo became aqua in the one below. Eye just below and to the right of the siphon.
Siphon just brown.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd_dhM0el_3Vv6vrlKv2h10YgOcoOKrQgX8FG3upGhzuJJtHq0iB4t9NAJvR75Odtp81bTzo_VzMlX2SuC60ZCzsTkfYxQrkDHwmkAijnH4JZBDMfxBABJD16Uf3nOjAPB0AqiEAAP0N0/s320/he%2527e+5.jpg)
Rock Mover Wrasse and Hawaiian Cleaner wrasse
Cone shell occupied by the original owner, I think.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCT8gNpaoodHz2CYOx-eJW0FeAEyl0l8kJhvOTqfo5HD4RArAlIvQO4T21PTk8lYSi7WDHvc7EGpkTEin0F9TjKJhRV9EREb8REVX2QIGeIXaMCosyfiE7z_0Qb5_cUCadnjOLVkMWX_0/s320/cone.jpg)
Electric Blue Crab in a shell:
This Drupe had a crab too (which I didn't see until the pix got up on the computer.)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJMCWY4c5qUAo9OaQ8G-O5ItZQRDGvCe7WA6sgr1wQPbRLd95U-AuQENKOIG1rk8gFXdGM6cFmukns7vrcOc3f-Yp5bGXBkiVYVEtVppsr0_zD9JYKSfReQPpAHtOH4aV326Jd1Q_QscA/s320/drupe+w+crab.jpg)
Brighteye Chromis: I have thought for a while that they go into octo-dens and give an early warning signal that someone is coming..
I wonder if this Snowflake Moray thought it was hiding? In any case, the tail end was showing.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSFyfGTrkxMzBzrOAUi4RvRqrNMMkQ8k5Sq6Vs8FgiKSh-VEprATiJ0D5mpsSjbE2I6tVIMCjSi0yHeyzejxXq7hpgQ3WM3bh7ZwKuXEOlA3mu5GHUOi09Pc7MOXC5iFIpBwzurzvSF1o/s320/eel+tail.jpg)
Male Box fish from behind
Needle Fish and damsels
This is a very special operculum...it was about 4 inches from an octo-den! And yes, I was able to dive down, snag it and the octopus was none the wiser. Or, it didn't care. And some fave earrings..
Pencil urchins
Another crab in a shell![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLCXzf_mUo1siooU4Aspl_NV2yy_ACtyFkBkGgx8AJOQKVXcKOYdi16zRgRXVKLNHmfbCrzngOIpCgBWbEjedW83J2uEOiJWPTVnlq2-GW2YVJOBUPyuDfjfFKCtVa1mo2LwSGovg8ZdU/s320/shell+and+crab.jpg)
Spotfin Scorpion Fish: this one didn't move at all.
Stocky Hawk fish totally balancing between two rocks.
A group of tangs. They were feeding on something, couldn't tell what.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioGtSWOcuGz6EcytVTziO2iYzYQBuP3jek9cu0ct-In4VG8YQ3tjN-M2vBTC7EOeLGxWYb-MGHPeKSZDCSAqcvkq1zZ3MOLCS-Lxx9itpveZXTkaqYyBfJuJ48wsllHzF212yCH80XW4g/s320/tangs.jpg)
The Bluefin Trevally was hassling the Snowflake Moray. The latter is the most prevalent eel on the reef in this area.
I don't know if these Trevally have a different name, but I like their stripes.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQGDmM9i7avecs7qg7g6C44cDkoLtkd-zGRv1LyXBRlSrGhxGeduLK6V7mmqRUmHF3vfoGHTSJt9o5R8Afwa1e79Zoogqen5kLF1WmxDDi2G_KMoss-kp11W_OQ56HZX9mAUP6WipPx0g/s320/trev.jpg)
And I really like these yellow tail coris! Very pretty colors and designs.
Very happy for the viewing ops today. Lots of nice water. It was rather cold though: I stayed in for over 2 and a half hours and even with a wetsuit, I got cold...probably because I go slowly, searching for octopuses. No seals, though, and no turtles. Maybe they've heard there's a storm coming.
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