Aloha to all the he'e!

I believe I said goodbye to the octopuses previously, but today I had a break in the moving plans and was able to swim again! YAY! But today is probably the final swim until we unpack on Oahu. I hope those octopuses are ready for me...

I saw 4 of the little darlings today:

 Yes, it really was in there. Before I was ready to snap a photo, I saw it slink down into its den...The lines in the water are bits of sand, moving with the current.

#2, I think.  

 Showing a bit of siphon.

The color changes are so amazingly quick. 

 Another hider.

 And #3, the smallest and most well hidden. I had to look very carefully to tell what it was.

This was in the deeper part, so it was harder to get close. I think the octopus probably liked it that way.

I think this is #4. It is surprising how hard it is to keep track. My personal record in octo-sightings is 24 at Hanauma Bay in one swim. The Ranger said: Are you sure you aren't just seeing the same one over and over again?!!! Oh those of little faith! 

 Farewell for a while, you 8 legged astounding creatures!

And of course, I had to say goodbye to other of my frequent "pals":

The 3rd seal was looking up. I believe these were all males...

 Banded snake eel surprised me! If you like, look up zebra moray, to compare and contrast.

Brighteye Chromis. Love these tiny, fast fish.

 A Cornet and some Needlefish. Interesting how they are so similar, yet different in physical appearance and behavior.

Awwww. A cute juvenile tang.

More Needlefish 

 Pencil Urchin. Taken with the microscope feature on my Olympus TG4 camera. Yay, Olympus!

When it's this deep, you can see the pinktail cavorting and trying to avoid my camera activities.

 This one kept scratching his belly. I would too, if I were lying in sand. That stuff can be very itchy.

Younger Pinktail. 

 One of the many reasons not to walk on the bottom: Wana. Anal sac is visible.

The reason this eel is called the Whitemouth Moray!

A very enjoyable swim. At least until the Bottom Walkers arrived. Can't give them all a lecture. I did have nice chats with two visitors, one of whom was from Vermont. She noted they were very happy to be here. No doubt!

I must say I am very grateful to God for His marvelous ocean creations. It has  been a good run on Kauai again. I hope and pray to see many more marvelous creatures in our new locale. 

OOPS! Almost forgot today's mystery sighting: It's a Cone Shell, covered in sea gunk (a technical term.) But are those eyes? And if so, are they the eyes of the shell?!

Sometimes, things remain a mystery. That's what makes it interesting.

A very adorable octopus

Of course, all octopuses are adorable in one way or another, but #2 was really a good find because it was a. young b. small and c. not that afraid of humans yet!
So a win-win-win!

 This is #2 next to the slim red rock.

 And letting itself have some white in addition to brown...

Here you can see more parts of this octopus: eye, brown and white skin, and part of the suckers. 

Eye and siphon 

And a little bit of rainbow purple on its eye!

 And the following is what I saw at first...just a brown blob. It's the rocks they put outside their dens that sometimes give them away.

I did see another octopus, but it was hiding so well in its den that the photos didn't turn out. It's the same one I have often seen.

 I've been told these are some kind of eggs...two together looked funny, though, like goggles.

3 opercula on a penny! 

 This 3 spot damsel was guarding a coral head. Unfortunately, the other side of the coral head had fishing line wrapped onto it. I was able to get some of it cut off with my trusty scissors, but not all. 

 Cone shell. I didn't pick it up....thinking it was still occupied by the original animal. Venom is not our friend.

A pair of pencils

 A young filefish. Not sure what kind.

Honu swam through

 Humu about to hide in the hole to the right.

And more or less successful hiding. 

 A parade of Kihikihi

Lizard for my sweetheart!

And a box fish with sun on its skin, showing the colors and textures too.

 Moon and palms

Needlefish 

 Part of today's trash. Also picked up fishing lead.

 Nice flower nearby

Seal on the beach. I was a ways away.

 Some fool swimmer lost goggles. I did pick them up and throw them away. About 12 feet down.

 Trevally irritating a snowflake moray.

 Whitemouth moray.

 And a nice treat: Zebra Moray!

Note that some stripes don't go all the way around.

And that's the scoop. Nice swim. Enjoying the start of winter water with fewer rough waves...