Just in time for Christmas: a little bit naughty, a little bit nice

When the rip current is really strong, our lifeguards put up a sign that says No Swimming. They mean no swimming right where the kiddie pond meets the deep pond. Those of us who live here know what they mean. Then they go home and reappear the next day at 9 a.m.

But when you show up at 7:45 a.m. the next day, it is not evident whether the signs are still appropriate. So the naughty in me said: I'm goin' in! And I saw one octopus:

So I was glad I did.
Also glad that others apparently could read and didn't come in so I was in fat delightful city with no other snorkelers to scare my octopuses! 

But on my nice side, I did get out after seeing one octopus and went faithfully into the Kiddie Pond, so when the lifeguards showed up, they would be unaware that I had disregarded their sign.

And they took it down when they got there, so I didn't feel too badly.

And saw 3 more octopuses. What a great day. (All it takes to make me happy are cool animals with 8 legs....)

 He'e 2.

And 3.
#4 was more accommodating about letting me take pix, so:

I love that they bring rocks around their dens. Might not be the best life-preserving idea, though...But this one knew about the "peeking at you" concept. So cute.







I am unsure if this last one might be the same one that usually lets me take pix, as it was in a different location. They can move, but it is hard to prove!

 Three cute little bluefin trevally were fishing with a goat fish. They trevally tend to follow other fish around, hoping for scraps. Lazy buggahs!

4 spot butterfly fish. Very pretty.

 And a little Ambon Puffer, showing a bit of blue on its anal fin.

The female of the Christmas Wrasse.

 Cute little box or trunk fish. Awesome.

When God made the Scorpion fish, he was NOT sleeping! These guys are hard to see.

 When they stop, as this one did, unless you already know they are there, it's really hard to see them.

 See what I mean?!

 God's rays

 A hairy triton shell with not only the brown operculum, but a bit of the animal coming out of the tube to the right.

 The white and brown bit is the animal in the tunnel pointing down in this shell.

More peeking. They look to ensure that you are gone before coming out again. They are definitely very smart animals...

 And this is the hole they apparently make in shells when they prey upon them! Tiny, right?!

 Snowflake moray eel, looking to escape..

Clouds of the morning

 Pretty shells in my collection. These are the tiny ones that I keep in a special box to protect them. Drupes, Bubble Shells, even wentletraps!

 This Urchin was really loaded up with protective gear gathered from the bottom.

Even a wentletrap shell had a possible octo-hole.

If you do go swimming, please swim! By that I mean, some folks think if they have reef walkers on, that it's ok to walk on the reef! If I ever meet the folks who have produced reef walkers shoes, I will give them a large piece of my mind! People walk around on the reef as if they're in a lake. But unbeknownst to them, many animals live in the rocks they are walking on. So please swim instead of standing around talking. You'll see more stuff anyway. Standing doesn't let you look at all the cool stuff! I can't keep telling you all this stuff. LOL. Oh wait! I can! You might stop reading though, and I do appreciate you doing that. Have a wonderful day, full of God's great creatures.