Five octopuses and no jellyfish....hurray

Very happy to report that I saw absolutely no jellyfish today. And yes, that makes me very happy. I have never been stung, and hope never to be!

Five octopuses....I'm losing track of which ones might be new, but at least one was. I think.

This one was the first and only one I spotted in the deep side. Fully out and on top of the rock. And it moved a bit later, but I didn't get it on video. 

 But I did catch it changing color to brown....it hid under this rock.

 He'e #2 was a regular. I should say, it was in a regular's spot! Who knows if it was the same octopus?

 He'e 3...dark and below, peeking with tan and white coloration.

More peeking, but with the gloved hand showing it was #3. When you see more than one, sometimes you need the help in remembering which one was which.

 Octopus #4 was a really good hider. But yes, that one above is a den with surrounding rocks and an octopus.

 And #5, a regular from last time.  I am unsure what the blue is on the surrounding rocks, but I thought it was pretty. I think this den was really a smart choice: the octopus probably didn't have to do a thing to move in and it's a pretty good hidey-hole. You have to have good light and definitely the "tako-eye" to see it.

When I was sifting through the photos, I was surprised that I had less than 300 pictures; but then I remembered that I was SO COLD I had to get out after only 2 hours. Normally I can find things to amuse myself for 3 hours. We had temps in the 60's and I did have on my shorty wetsuit, but that wind chill walking from the shower to the car really did me in! Upon exiting the water and rinsing my wetsuit, I have on only a swim suit, as I have to leave my clothes in the car. (This is one problem with swimming on your own: no one to watch your gear on the beach. And no one to report if you get into trouble...but I try not to dwell on that.)

 This Blue Spined Unicorn fish came right up to me. I wondered if he thought I might have food. And yes, some shops are stupid enough to sell fish food. It's the real ocean and if the fish have to rely on human-inspired food, we are in a lot of trouble! This is right up there with the petting eels idea: stupid! and possibly dangerous. 

 This enterprising urchin found a Drupe shell to put on its back for protection. 

 But it missed the one below.

 Do you hate it when I say I gotta look something up?! I'm not sure what eel this is. But he had a nice striped pattern and those cute nostril tubes.

Mr. Lizard fish didn't move at all while I was looking at him.

 Male Trunk Fish

Palms and clouds. That's the kiddie pond, i.e., the shallower side.

 Pencil Urchin

And a nice Picasso Trigger Fish! I don't see them very often over here on Kauai, so I grabbed the chance for a photo. Or two.

 A shrimp, hiding in a hole. When you see a round tube in the sand, look inside. That's where they hide. I assume they dig it too, but not sure.

Too much eyeshadow and blusher. ha.

 Urchin breakfast. The white dots once all had those black spiny things on them.

A very cute little urchin, defying gravity. And also overloaded with baggage! 

A nice swim. Very glad for the opportunity. And now I'm home and warm!

Two octopuses again!

Yeeha! Love to spot octopuses. Or as Alex calls them, octo-feesh! I found what I think was a new octopus very quickly after I entered the water (Beware! rip current in the deep end!) 

Unfortunately, octopuses are smart..it saw me and withdrew into its den. You can see a line of brown at the back of the hole. That's the octopus.

Convict tangs and ringtail surgeon fish. Apparently, they get along.

 Hawkfish atop its coral parts. Below, as a surprise, is a damsel fish that I've been trying to identify. But it's so quick that I have a hard time seeing it well enough to know its type..IN this photo, you can see its nose poking out.

I call this Unicorn Moustache! Two Blue Spined Unicorns, the bottom one getting cleaned near the mouth. Doesn't the Cleaner Wrasse look like a moustache?!

Octopus #2. I couldn't believe it when I saw it...Just sitting in a hole in the rock. When I first saw it, I thought it was just a brown blob. But this shows its ability to make its skin bumpy. Perhaps to disguise what it is...the winner of all fish, the Octofish!

And what I at first thought was just a bit of sea fluff turned out to be one of those cool white and orange lined shrimp. Don't faint, but I got out my book and its real name is Banded Coral Shrimp. 

The Threadfin Butterfly fish. It has a very cool long thread at the end which gives it its name. But I have noticed lately that they also have an interesting nose: I wonder if it can expand its nose..see how its two pieces?

 And my pal, the Brighteye Chromis, above. Below, a Drupe covered in gunk. Unless it's a Cranberry Drupe. Ah, what I don't know would fill many books..

 A small fish of unknown name. But it is quick and pretty much the same color as the sand!

Pencil urchin mashed between two rocks. Not sure how that works as a survival strategy, but pretty nonetheless.

 Palms and clouds...what could be better? (Well, octopus, but you know that.)

Breadfruit from our local Community Garden. I think they are not only pretty, but strikingly so.

Back underwater, the Trunk Fish. It's neat how the coloration on the tail and fins ends below the actual end of the tail and fin. There's probably a good reason for that, but I don't know what it is.

 OK, now, do you see the animal below? You might be able to click on the picture to enlarge it. (Eagle eye challenge)

 This might help....look for two round eyes. 

Good disguise, eh? This one flew away from me, vibrated itself under the sand, with just its eyes and part of the head still above the sand. Quite good camou, don't you agree? And of course, I wasn't quick enough to grab that video op.

This little (maybe 2 inches long) Raccoon butterfly fish was darting around, trying to eat and hide at the same time. Not easy.

 Another flounder! This was 2 of 3 that I saw.

Flounder eyes. Starting out one eye on each side of the head, the eye migrates so both are on one side. I guess it wouldn't make any sense to have one underneath, where there wouldn't be much to look at!

Pretty much sand colored. That's why I have sometimes missed seeing them, until I'm right upon them!

Below, the Christmas Wrasse. But don't stop there! Above and to its right, a Scorpion Fish that I didn't see at first.  Look for the orange and then in following pictures. (See also youtube video...look for octopigirl7 and see the fish moving along the bottom. Trying to get away from photog girl.)

 Another great disguise! I often don't see them until they move, with that blast of orange color. It's saying: Stay Away! I'm poisonous!

This poor fellow didn't like me watching and following him.

 Mouth agape. And a face only a mother could love!

The Christmas Wrasse blasted past while I was filming the Scorp.

 Showing a bit of orange. 

 And a bit more. Usually I only see the orange when they move.

This tiny Humu was darting about. It was probably maybe possibly 2 inches long, including the tail! Awesomely adorable. And yet feisty even when so small.

Stacked rocks. I thought there was a Hawaiian name for this, but when I googled it, found that this can be a bad thing, as supposedly it disturbs/moves the rocks that are telling a geological story, especially at the Volcanoes park. Hmmmmm...

And neat clouds and palm trees ended this day, as I walked with my friend, who is newly returned from a visit to the mainland. We hope she'll stay here, but the jury is out: she has family on the mainland and misses them. Stay tuned...