Obviously, they are using their hiding camouflage very well. Historically, I have noted that May is a slow month for octo-viewings...I am really ready for June.
So you will correctly assume I had another non-octo day. It even occurred to me that I could do an Octo Greatest Hits blog post with previous photos. Well, maybe. We'll see. And it's not that I didn't see any cool creatures. I just didn't spot any octopuses. And it wasn't for lack of trying. 3 hours in the drink and no octopuses.
And now that I think about it, there also were no seals on the beach and no scorpion fish in the water. Perhaps everyone took a vacation together.
In any case, following is what I did see:
The 3 spot Chromis, guarding its coral head. This is one of the larger ones I've seen.
A trio of trevally. I think they were circling an eel at this time.
Abudefduf
Ambon puffer. I always wonder why there are some areas on their bodies that have no dots or stripes.
My book says that this is the Bullethead Blenny. When the male is seeking female companionship, he gets "nuptial colors" which means below his jaw, his skin is blue. I will be looking for that.
Shortjaw Bonefish
Rock-boring Urchin
Christmas Wrasse. It is AMAZING how hard it is to catch this fish on film with light on its body! They are super fast.
Chub
We are very fortunate to live in such a beautiful place.
Commensal fishing: 3 goats and a bluefin trevally. The trevally, I think, is rather lazy. It follows the goat fish, hoping to snap up a prey item without much effort.
Drupe shell and rock boring urchin
Hawkfish on top of a coral cluster. Hence the hawk name..
Hebrew Cone, buried in the sand.
Humu. The regular one.
Indo Pacific Damsel
Fisherman's lead and an earring I found today.
Somebody ate a lobster and left the carcass floating around.
Male Box fish
Moorish Idol
Nice orange rock. I'll probably use this in my underwater game somehow.
I think it's a yellowfin Surgeon fish.
Parrot fish from above.
The Peacock Grouper escaping to somewhere else to hide.
Pencil urchins. I would be so claustrophobic!
More pencils. The one previous hides out near the wave break.
Picasso Trigger fish. You can see the spine. At this moment, it's not extended, but I'm told they can extend it so they can't be pulled out of holes by fishermen.
This Humu has its spine raised a bit....it was being aggressive to the other fish.
I think this is poo, but am not sure. Oddly, they don't put poo in the fish books!
Rock-boring urchin.
Rock Mover Wrasse
Snowflake moray
This Spanish Dancer was small and in an awkward place, so I didn't get a great shot.
A few reasons why one shouldn't walk on the bottom or reach into rocks.
Bluefin Trevally
An urchin wearing its garden...
Octopus, show yourselves! I'll be back in the water in a few days and would very much enjoy seeing you all!