When I got to the pond today, I was very happy to see very limited surf! Is it winter already?!
Normally, there are waves crashing into the Keiki Pond, but not today!! Woohoo!
I debated whether I should start with the Keiki Pond, to search for the frog fish (which I didn't find.) But I'm glad I opted to go into the harder-to-do deep side, because I found 3 octopuses over there. Woohoo! (Let me know if you get tired of that, but can you tell I am excited?)
At first pass, octopus #1 was just a brown blur in its den. But on the 2nd pass, it was out and showing off. I could tell it was an adult not just because of its size, but also the size of the siphon.
It got a little rainbow light on it.
Octopus #2 of 5:
It was a small one. So adorable.
This is what I first saw. AND I saw #1 and 2 within the first five minutes of swimming. Banner day. (#2 is the brown blob near the rock.)
I especially liked that it didn't seem to care too much that I was there. Never really turned to that angry brown color.
If #3 hadn't moved, I would never have spotted it! A Rock Mover Wrasse was trying to boss it around. Here, it rests between coral heads.
Yes it was between 2 heads of coral. In the photo above, it is on the right about 1/3 of the way down. Isn't that great camouflage?
#4
It's another young one. Which also didn't change into that brown color.
And also between a rock and a rock.
I would say hiding well, but I spotted it. But my husband says I have mad skills.
#5 selected a great den, out near the sign in the Keiki Pond.
And unless you know where to look, you wouldn't suspect it was there.
I included the following photo because of the suckers showing on the left. They have around 240 suckers on each leg. I'm telling you, these animals are way cool.
See what I mean? It's a small narrow den entry. That is part of the fun: finding the little darlings.
OK, now that the octo-excitement is over, here are the other wonderful examples of God's creativity that I saw:
A group of 8 Kihikihi (Moorish Idol) fish. They are such pretty fish and swim in a very elegant manner, always appearing calm.
This empty shell was the remains of someone's meal. Not mine.
The female Trunk Fish.
I think this spotted fish below the coral head is the juvenile of the Barred Filefish. Note the little hawk fish on top of the coral head.
A nice Hebrew Cone shell which I left alone.
And now we come to the reason I almost called this post Box City!
Isn't it amazing that the dots even occur on its eyes?
You might not know my fave color, but this fish has it in spades!
More Moorish Idols.
And needlefish
Pencil Urchin out of hiding.
And more or less in hiding with rainbow.
Pinktail Durgon. Since the water was less wavy, it was also less bubbly, so I got some better pix of this beautiful and shy fish.
I just think it's so crazy that it has so many colors going on! The pink on the tail, the yellow fins and the orange mouth.
I call it plaid Cornet fish.
Nice shell, I think it's a basket, but could easily, as you may know, be wrong.
Snowflake Moray eel out and about.
Tiny Humu juveniles, maybe 2 inches long. They dart for cover when a large animal like me comes along. What'd I do?!
Bluefin Trevally swam through.
I thought the juxtaposition of these 2 types of urchin was interesting.
There was an octopus in this den, now occupied by an eel. I hope the octopus escaped.
So that's the scoop from today's 2 hour swim. Very happy with the sightings, the water and God's provision.
OOPS! Almost forgot the cool clouds:
I really enjoyed the contrasts in shading and the enormity of this cloud. Which was so big, I couldn't get it all in one shot!
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