The spikes live on....

This spiky urchin had obviously recently been eaten...but isn't it amazing how the spikes live on?! These suckers could still really hurt you if you stepped on them.  Note that some are kinda thick and others are really thin....they could really slide into your foot.  Just one more reason not to walk around.  And not really a good example in either case I'll show you, but found 2 scorpion fishes today: both would NOT be good to walk on, but both were pretty well hidden.
See what you think:

What you really cannot tell from this shot is that he was very well hidden under a rock.  Which is what made this shot so hard to take.  Had to have a weird angle on the camera and dunk under to grab the photo...and note the cone shell on the lower right.  By the time i came back to this guy a few minutes later, the cone had disappeared! Guess it doesn't like company either...

This one was really well hidden.  This one is totally in a hole.  I only noted it because i was looking for an octopus.
Today was a one octopus day...but any day with an octopus is aces in my book! See if you can spot this one:

Did I mention a good hiding place?!

If you click on the photo, you probably will be able to see its whitish siphon.  But little else. Here's where it was hiding:

That hole in the middle of the rock.  There were TONS of people in the water.  So the octopus, being the smart animal that it is, stayed in its den.  Not venturing out so it could be spotted and harassed.  Smart, smart, smart! (Kinda wish I'd been that smart! Oh the bumpers and screamers were out in the water today....)
There were two somewhat unusual animals that I spotted: one is my pal, the Flying Gurnard and the other, a Spanish Dancer nudibranch:

This is the coolest fish!  It gets its name from the "wings" on each side.  It can open them and make a lovely blue pattern..and also fly.  I do not usually see them with the wings expanded even this much, so I felt lucky.
And then we go to Spain:

This one was down about 10 feet ...so it wasn't easy to catch a good shot.  But the head is on the right and the lungs on the left.  Click on the photo to see it better.  Last time I saw one of these, it was flipping through the water...cool.
Juvenile Rock Mover:

I absolutely love these fish!  and they turn into very tough fish....I saw an adult today that was picking up rocks in its mouth and throwing them around.  Pretty amazing...
And on one side of the pond...

And on the other side, all white clouds and light:

Isn't that crazy?  and I caught a drop of rain:

When I first saw this, I thought it was an octopus peeking up at me!  But no, it's a drop of rain hitting the ocean.  And no prob...after all, I was already wet!  And walking to the car later, it was pouring down rain. I thought: Well, I can't get much wetter than this!!!

The octopuses were back!

Nothing like starting off the day with a sleeping seal.  This one was on his back, just soaking up the sun.  About 3 yards away was the other one.  Yesterday, they had both been pretty cozy.  The seal volunteer said there's no explaining what will upset a seal...cozy one day, totally separated the next. We just let 'em sleep..

this little guy was in a group of his kind, just sliding along

The female Christmas Wrasse looks as if she doesn't belong.  She didn't seem to mind. 

And a pretty rare find: a goby:

I like these little guys, because they are fast and just dart out for a bite, then back into their holes.  Cute.  And plaid.

I do love the Pinktail Durgon.  They are very shy and will swim away if they see me.  But this one was just a little bit late.  This is a cropped photo, so I wasn't as close as it appears....
The first of two octopuses.  At first, I doubted that it was another one: one has to be careful.  They can move and make me think it's another one.  This is the first one:

Hiding at the bottom of the rock.

And #2:

I agree, very hard to see.  The brown part, below and to the left of the red rock.  I am hopeful that one day I'll be able to see one out and about again.  Perhaps hunting.  I want to see that, but don't want to swim at night!  For me, too scary.

Trunk fish:

There were several Cowry shells.  I picked this one up, as it was upside down on the bottom, something that never happens when it's alive.  But I wasn't sure enough that it was empty, so I left it back on the ocean floor.

They are such pretty shells.  Shiny and smooth and well patterned.  I have one at home that's bigger than my fist.  










Also saw several Drupe shells, including this Raspberry Drupe

Plenty of urchins around, too.  Sometimes it seems they are the most prevalent thing...

This pair of Bluefin Trevally strolled by.  I enjoyed the sunlight on their skins.

Nice pattern on the Ambon puffer, too.  The pretty blue fin on its underside has still eluded my camera, but someday I'll catch it.

Moorish idols swam by too.  I do love the long white thread that swirls behind them. And it seems as if they have eyelashes, too.  Look!









Another green juvenile Rock Mover Wrasse:

Pretty, quick and bendy enough to hide among the seaweed.
This tiny humu tried to escape my camera

Maybe two inches long.  Awwww.
And speaking of awwww, the final seal photo:

This is the other one, a distance away from seal #1.  Glad I got a chance to get back into the water. Don't want to start the week without an octo-viewing.