Kauai anew!: A beautiful day in the neighborhood and the Bay!

What a treat to get into the water today! You can tell by the fact that I took 569 photos...which required 2 cameras! HA. And fortunately for you, there will NOT be 569 photos in this post. (There will probably be less than 100...consider yourself lucky.)

Six octopuses!! The water was much nicer than it has been recently, since the wind and waves calmed down:

Ah, si jolie! I took this once I got finished and walked up the hill. Nice, eh?

I noticed the rocks arranged around a hole about 3 yards from shore. Yup, an octopus was in residence. Thank you, God!

You can see the pale body and suckers inside.

He'e #2 was further out.

The siphon is pretty easy to see. Look for its eye, just a bit to the right of the siphon.

Obviously, the siphon opens and contracts during breathing.

Hiding pretty well, isn't it?

#3 was also hiding and breathing. Next to wana! I'm surprised they don't mind being so close to something pokey.

And #4:

#4 peeking. Look closely to the right. Just the eyes are showing above the rock.

And more peeking. They definitely want to keep you in sight, even if only because we are bigger than they are. I wonder if the big Pacific octopuses do this peeking too? Isn't the rainbow-light pretty, too?

#5: I enjoyed the light on this one. Note the eyes: that's one way to tell, in octo-art, whether the artist has actually ever seen an octopus in the wild. Many just go with human eyes.

More light and peeking from its hiding place.

I enjoy the white lines that radiate out from their eyes sometimes.

And last but not least, #6:

Hiding and peeking, all the while keeping me in sight.

Note its eye: see that white color? I think this poor octopus was attacked and lost part of its skin. I haven't seen an eye like this before. When their legs are bitten off, their skin becomes white where the leg was and when they change color, the white part doesn't. I guess since it's missing the chromatophores in the skin. (Octo-fact: they can regrow their legs.)

I do enjoy rainbow octopuses.

What a difference a little light makes.

OK. Now that the truly amazing animals have been documented, let's move on to other amazing animals, knowing full well that the octopus of course is the coolest animal ever. Just sayin'.

Oops. Almost forgot. #3 blew water and sand at me. In a vain attempt to make me go away. As if! I laughed out loud in my snorkel.

Abudefduf. Looks pensive.

And as if it were smiling.

Bigeye Emperor. These are fairly rare anywhere, so it's always a pleasure to see them.

They are very calm appearing fish.

Although admittedly, I don't speed up on them or surprise them.

This one caught a little rainbow light on the skin.

Male Bird Wrasse

Blue-lined snapper

I liked the light on these Convict Tangs, too.

Cornet Fish. Not particularly plaid today.

Small Humu. The "regular" kind. See how the colors are more pale when they are younger?

And the creme de la creme of Butterfly fishes, the Lined Butterfly. This one was part of a duo.

Note how hard it is to see the eye. Less easy for a predator to attack and damage the eye, I'm thinkin'.

Light does add something special to the photo.

Needlefish

Needles and an Abudefduf

Needles with a Sergeant Major

Needles, Sergeant Major and what I determined, once I looked at my book at home, were some Spotfin Squirrelfish. They like to hide.

No octopus in this hole. Just a really tiny Sergeant Major.

I only saw a few operculum. Still hard not to bring them home.

Nice Parrot Fish. It's fascinating to me that some fish really rev me up and some don't. The parrots are in the latter category. No reason.

The Picasso Trigger. Arguably, the prettiest one. But maybe the Pinktail is in contention, too.

Red Tailed Snapper

This looked to me like a gladiator driving a chariot. Apparently, I'm fanciful in the mornings.

Sailfin Tangs. They too, often travel in pairs.

And a Trunk or Box fish. I was so excited to see this one, as they are apparently not plentiful in Hanauma Bay. At least, inside the barrier reef.

More Spotfin Squirrel fish. Note the Sergeant Major behind them. Up and down stripes, as opposed to front to back.

If you know these fish and differ with my guess as to their identity, please do let me know!

Teardrop Butterfly. Accompanied by another, who wasn't in the frame.

A cute little white spotted Toby. Trying to disappear. They can puff up if alarmed.

The Trevally don't seem to be intimidated by much. They are very fast. Perhaps that's why.

Another Trunkfish photo

Spiky tail on the orange-spined Unicorn fish.

Yellow Tang. Just seeing them makes me happy. They are so bright.

Now, on to clouds and sunrises. I was able to spot 2 islands in the early morning light; I'm told they were Maui and Lanai. Perhaps my archaeologist hubby will confirm or deny. ha.