Best Friends

I found this in the water today....sadly, pretty beat up and the black cord attached to it was grungy, so I'll remember it from my blog post. I also found this:

It was in the water near the beach, so I tossed it up out of the water onto the beach. I hope whoever lost it, finds it. But good luck: there was sand all throughout the tube. They'll have to take it apart to get all that sand out. 

And I saw 3 octopuses and a flounder! Whoop. A red letter day...

Octopus #1 just above the orange.

 In this one, you can see octopus #3 with some of its pretty blue coloration near the suckers.

 The green part on the rock helped me find this one again today.

 Octopus #2 out in the deep part. The circular things at the top are near the eyes.

 The Rock Mover Wrasse is what first attracted my attention. See Octopus #2 just below the fish's jaw..no one said octo-viewing is easy!

 Same octopus, a bit closer. I zoomed down.

And to the left, octopus #3 in its den. I would bet it moved those rocks for protective purposes. Yes, they are tool users.

And now to the flounder. Look also for the video on youtube . Search for octopigirl7.

The poor flounder thought that zooming away would make me stop following. Didn't work.

 Again, lighting helped.

I love how the light captured some of its patterns.

 And the light helped with this Ambon Puffer too: you can see the brilliant blue anal fin above and the face below.

 I'm thinking Intelligent Creator, aren't you?

Hawaiian Hogfish

 Nudibranch, hiding underneath a rock.

Pinktail Durgon in the deep side.

 Plumeria flower on the ground at my friend's house.

Some little trevally swimming around.

 Snowflake moray

 Trevally and Christmas Wrasse

And the wana....in my continuing attempt to have people NOT walk on the sea floor, just imagine stepping on these babies!

Nice water and good viewings. Ah. Life is good. Thanks, God!

Sorry, crab! MY BAD

I don't know if you know Angela Johnson, the comic. She's a hoot!

Anyway, she has a bit where her aunty accidentally runs over a dog. (Yes, I know it is hard to think of this as funny, but...) The aunty says "Soddy dog!" 

I say all this because I accidentally brought a tiny hermit crab home today. I only found it when I put the shells and operculum in bleach and it ran up the side of the little cup! EEK. I immediately put it into fresh water, thinking that was at least better than water. Then it went outside. MY BAD! And here's how one knows I'm a photographer: I thought: I should have taken a photo of it! I do try not to kill the wildlife.

I am currently listening to an album while I'm writing this post: Buffy Sainte-Marie!!! I listened to her (and sang along) when I was growing up. So powerful. Anyway, she's still singing and recording. Such an amazing artist. If you don't already know her music, check her out on youtube.

So the octopus was back today: YAY. 

Skybox view 

 Peeking at me

 It popped up when I went away; sneaked back and took this photo. The eye has small white lines radiating out from it....just below the red rock.

Very happy to spot this one. It is now a regular, but didn't appear to be home last time I looked.

And there was a snoozing seal on the beach.

I took the one to the right from the water; below, from the beach

This Cornet was about 3 feet long (guessing.) They are super impressive and move really fluidly through the water. Great hunters.

3 Moorish Idols

 Abudefduf bending.

Ambon Puffer showing its lovely colors and dots.

This urchin picked up a shell to put on its back (purple at bottom)

 I have been ignoring this fish, but noticed today how pretty it is. So many patterns and colors.

 This is a bluelined butterfly...NOT a stripey! I have been misrepresenting it. Hate it when that happens!

 Find the eel. Yes, there is one. It's with with spots. Well hidden.

 Female Trunk or box fish

 Male box fish

Years ago (30+), this was the most fabulous fish I would routinely see. Hawaiian name is Palani. The other name is surgeon fish. Really pretty; it has nice color patterns on its skin, which aren't evident here.

 Pencils. Long story short: urchin in the deep side. I wasn't going to go to the deep side, but my vertigo had gone away, so I did. Without any problems. Thank you, God!

Nice bubble shell. It's still there.

 Find the eel. Apparently, octopus are not the only ones that peek at swimmers.

 Another nice tang. And again, it has lovely patterns on its hide.

 I call this one Toupee Urchin. HA.

 The trash, glass, scrunchies, bracelets and shells I brought back home.

 Bluefin Trevally and Christmas Wrasse female. I always enjoy seeing this type of wrasse...it reminds me of the time I cut fishing line off of one. Hope it's still swimming.

 I see these all the time. My bad memory forgets what they are, but they look like a tan tube and the white fronds go out to find food. I think!

Very glad my brief foray into vertigo has gone away. Going without swimming would be bad.....