Too many people walking on the reef

This is my latest theory of why I didn't spot any octopuses today, on my first day back after another bout of vertigo. If you have a chance to get vertigo, say nay nay! I was very kind when I delivered my one only lecture about walking on the reef...I even thanked the two young girls for listening! Octopuses are smart animals and if they realize they are just going to get walked on, they would move out of the neighborhood.

But I did see some interesting and nice animals, even though not the 8 legged variety:

 This is two Hairy Triton shells, close together. Not sure why. Hope it isn't a predation thing...the bigger one always wins those. Note the brownish operculum. On this shell, it is brown instead of white and softer than the white ones on the Turban shells. You can see the latter just to the right of the smaller Triton shell in the following shot. 

Two purple Goat Fish, hunting together.

 And the 3 Spot Chromis! It was guarding the tannish-yellowish coral to the left in the photo. I was glad to get a shot of this one, as it is less than 1 inch long.

 Abudefduf

For once, you can see a bit of the bars that make up the Barred File fish. This one was taking a bit out of the coral or going for something on the coral.

 Bird Wrasse. I used to see these all the time on Oahu, but not as often over here. And while we're on the home territory subject, why don't we get cuttlefish in Hawaii?!

Christmas wrasse

 Juvenile of the Yellow Tail Coris. And to the up and left, a small two color damsel that I need to look up.

Black Leaf Fish. This guy was being mashed about by the waves.

 Another wrasse I need to look up. Gee, the weekend is packed!

 Male Trunk fish

Pencil urchins jutting out of a hole in the reef.

Pinktail Durgon face on for a change.

 Rock Mover wrasse

 Seal catching a snooze.

 Trevally in a parade

I would be so itchy with all that sand on me.














Spotfin Scorpion fish

 Supermale Christmas Wrasse

 A chromis to look up. 

Nice swim. I was able to swim unimpeded by the former vertigo, so hope that is totally a thing of the past. 

New Year's Eve Day post

We sent the old year off right: 6 octo-sightings!

You have to work to see the one below: it is across to the right from the Rock Mover Wrasse...brown underneath tan coral.

 Same octo-fish, but in the lower left corner.

This one was near the other one....

 And this one was in its den. Note the eye above and to the left of the siphon.

This one is hard to see...you can see the little white line above its eye, in the lower right quarter of the photo.

 Another hiding in its hole.

The siphon looks big, but the photo is cropped to emphasize it...and note the sand in the water.

 Would you see the octopus? This was my first glance at #1.

The Abudefduf

 Ambon Puffer

Eel

 Wrasse and Trunk Fish, sharing the spotlight

Male Trunk Fish

And the Female Trunk Fish

Brighteye Chromis

 Really nice cone shell...occupied, so I left it. In pristine shape.

Snowflake Moray eel

 Whitemouth Moray

Everybody, butterfly fish, Barred File Fish, Hawaiian Hog Fish, Surgeon, and damsel all got into the act of trying to eat the broken urchin.

 Hawaiian Hog Fish, alone above, and with a Threadfin Butterfly below. Isn't it amazing how they can have all the same colors but look totally different?

 Hawk Fish resting on top of a coral head. Good view..

Picasso Humu heading into a hidey hole.

This wrasse was hiding also.

 These guys were milling about, irritating the tang near the coral head.

 Juvenile Rock Mover Wrasse, pretending to be sea weed.

Leaf Fish. Pretending it wasn't visible..

 Lovely parrot fish.

 Millet seed butterfly. Note the black line over the eye...helps the eye be camouflaged. 

No clue what these were..egg cases?

 Nudie

Pencil urchin feeling squashed, no doubt.

 Pinktail Durgon.

A quartet of Rock Mover wrasses trying really hard to eat something. Goat fish awaiting leftovers.

 Sand can be so busy, right?

Look closely: the shell has orange antenna of a crab from inside.

 Scorpion fish. A really small one. Maybe 4 inches long.

Curvy Snowflake eel

 The two chromis have me interested....I'll have to look 'em up.

Have a great New Year's Eve!