Goodbye for now swim

Today, I swam before going to see my California friends, who are leaving today. Sad.

But I saw 2 octopuses and several other cool things. So while sad, I was happy with the swim. And also very happy with the groceries they left me! (Including vodka and champagne. Hope the champagne will last until January 1, when I can drink again. If I want to.)

I saw the first octopus out in the deep side. It was hunkered down in a den with rocks around it. And then the wave moved me and I couldn't find it again! So here's the not great photo: mostly, that's my gloved #1 finger.

Yeah, it was somewhere in this area! Trust me, please.
#2 was more evident, over in the shallower side:

Admittedly, not a fab photo, but documentation is documentation, whether it's a good photo or not.

I did also spot a big flounder, though:

I was very surprised to spot this one, over in the deep side near the rocks.

 Did you know their eyes start out in life on opposite sides of their heads?

They they gradually migrate to one side or the other. 

Peacock Flounder. Didn't move at all. Well, except the eyes as they followed my movements.

I noticed the big Cornet first, then his companions for a total of 5.

 Nice Cloud

Barred Filefish

 The mouth of the big cornet and its eye

 Christmas Wrasse

 Honu probably getting ready to return to the water.

 Male Box Fish

 Palm trees and moon

 Neat clouds

 Nice cloud a bit closer

Palms and clouds 

 This little pencil urchin was on the rocky part between deep side and shallow, so I shot this as I swam over.

 I hope that sea cucumber doesn't eat urchins!

 Bubble shell from a previous swim. Love these shells.

So that's the scoops from today's swim. Grateful for the opportunity. And glad my friends visited. And I looked and looked as best I could with the waves, but didn't spot the frogfish. I hope that he moved and not that someone caught him!

I hope sad isn't going to be a thing...

Two swims in a row, there was something sad that happened while I was swimming: last time, the demise of an eel. And today, two things: one a little trevally trapped in a net and an Ambon puffer not doing well. Gee. Makes one think. But, on the good side, there were 2 octopuses, so after a few days of no sightings, that's all good.

 This poor Ambon puffer definitely looked the worse for wear. It had wedged itself in between two rocks, perhaps feeling more protected that way. Not sure what made its skin do that, but definitely not healthy.

 And the full on fishing net over an area bigger than my friend's kitchen; and the trevally that got caught in it.

It surprised me that this was allowed. I could easily have not seen it and swum into the net and gotten caught too. Fortunately, the fishermen picked up the net and took it out of the water. The trevally was underweight for fishing, too, so bad all around. And this was in the Keiki Pond! That is, the shallower water where everybody takes their kids.

But, as I said, there were two octopus sightings to take my mind off the sad:

 These are shots of my "regular" octopus, which I couldn't find the last few days. Glad to "catch" it today.

 And this one was hiding out near the reef break. It turned that dark brown a second later.

So, very happy to be back in the swim of finding octo-fishes.

 Two Peacock Groupers, out in the deeper side.

 Two things of note here: the crab hiding in the hole and a Snakeshead Cowry. Both were still there when I left.

 And I very nearly put my hand down on this flounder! Two eyes and a bit of skin showing.

 You can see how well hidden it was.

And the Hebrew Cone shell had some white stuff on it, but I do believe the animal was still in it, so I didn't do anything but take a photo or two.

 This Humu was protecting something! It charged me a couple of times. Since this type of fish once charged me and actually bit me, I swam away. 

 Money Cowry shell

 Moorish Idol

 And mystery things attached to a rock. Really don't know what they are, but they appeared empty. Could be some kind of egg casing.

 The guy and the net. 

 Pencil urchins

 Following is a pinktail Durgon, but also, a surprise to me, in the background on the right, a potential Scorpion Fish with its mouth slightly ajar. .......................................................................right below the ri of right.

 Another Pinktail.

 Saddleback butterfly fish.

 Snowflake and Christmas wrasse.

 Trunk standing on its head. ha.

So apart from some folks doing things I didn't approve of, a very nice swim and glad to see octo-pals again.

Trois Pieuvres! Hourra!

Yes, I did have to look up the French word for Hurray! Learn something new every day. So I saw 3 of my little octo-darlings:

 He'e #1, my "regular" octopus, occupying its assigned seating. Doesn't it look as if that hole is just designed especially for it?

Octopus #2 with a Supermale Christmas Wrasse swimming by. Not sure if the fish saw the octopus, but the octopus did change color a bit, so I'll bet it saw the wrasse!

 And #3. Just sitting in its den, out in the deep side. Not sure why I'm not seeing octopuses in the shallow side...perhaps it's because people are walking on the bottom?! (Which, thank God, they can't really do in the deep side.)

Yeah, this goes in my little book on WHAT NOT TO DO!

I did have a more or less cordial conversation with one poor soul (not the one pictured above) who thought it was ok to take a walk on the bottom. When I kindly suggested that she swim, she replied that the animals were all there before she got there, so she didn't think walking would bother them. I replied that I could see how she felt that way. (Wrong, but I could see.) So I swam off. She had her swim noodle between her legs, so I could see there were many things that she wasn't clear on.....

 Blue lined butterfly

 Christmas Wrasse

 Cleaning Station: would you trust a fish to bite parasites off your gills?!

Horn Shell

 Lizard fish for Alex

 Male Trunk Fish

Peacock Grouper. I thought about counting the number of dots, but...one only has so many hours in the day.

 Pencil Urchins

 Trevally, Snowflake Moray and female Christmas Wrasse.

 Female Trunk Fish

A loaded urchin: shells, rocks, plant matter, etc.

 The adult Yellow Tailed Coris

And the juvenile of the same type of fish! 

So creative, isn't He?!