Sometimes, even if you think you know what you're doing....

So there was a decent rip this morning. I got in ok on the deep side and wasn't swept away, so I proceeded to look for octopuses and other cool creatures. 

The surf was 5 to 7 feet and looked pretty amazing. I decided immediately not to go as far out as I normally do. 

When I was done on the deep side, I looked for the waves and shot over to the Keiki Pond in between.

I looked for and found an octopus:

Obviously, not the best photo, but he was hiding in his den. Just where he should be!

And a Scorpion Fish:

the mouth is to the right of the photo. Slightly agape.

So after I saw some cool things, the current got me! It swept me over the dividing rocks and back into the deeper side. It was really going and my fervent finning had no effect. My bad!

So I looked again for operculum, found a few more and then the waves going the other way swept me back over the rocks into the Keiki pond! And here I thought I had an inkling about how to maneuver. Words to the wise.. No ill effects, but I am reminded to take good care.

Other cool animals:

 Christmas Wrasse

 Cone and Drupe shells

 Hermit Crab: look at the upper right to see its eyes.

 And the mystery fish hiding in the corals. I do think it's a Spotfin Scorp, but could easily be wrong.

 And my new cool Octopus bath mat! Purchased for me by my sweetheart for my un-birthday present. (He says, since my birthday is in December that I should not have to share my birthday with Jesus. So he gives me another birthday in July. Cool, non?)

 Pencil Urchins being accompanied by Brighteye Chromis.

 Picasso Trigger

 And a very nice and very shy Porcupine Puffer! It's hard to tell from this photo, but the skin had a very pristine sheen to it, so I would guess it's not very old.

 Ringtail Surgeon

 Rock Mover Wrasse. It had just picked up the red rock and thrown it around to peek underneath for food items. They are tough!

So a nice swim, even with big waves. I tried to get out to Frogfish territory, without any luck. The waves were too slamming...Be careful out there!!

One octopus! woohoo!!!

It has been kind of you not to mention it, but I haven't seen octopus in a while...until today! yay! OK, look away, Barbara and Perry! I was celebrating seeing my first octopus for a while...

In this one, you can see the siphon and eye...very cool. The eye has lines radiating out from it.

 Look closely at this monk seal: it's moulting! Theories abound as to why they drag themselves further from the water when moulting.  In this case, nestled right up next to what I think is Naupaka plant on the beach.

Seal #2 sleeping peacefully on the island.  the water was jamming, but I'm glad to say that they had taken down the Beach Closed sign, so I was able to go in the deep end.

 Juvenile Rock Mover wrasse.

Orange shoulder surgeon fish....in a yellow phase.

 Two 4-spot butterfly. It's fun to say that.

Clouds, waves.

 Clouds, palms. I didn't crop this one...i wanted you to see the majesty of the scene!

 Indo pacific damsel.  Very pretty.

 Scarface Blenny. I rarely get to see them sitting out like this.

Arc en ciel (rainbow)

 Sadly broken piece of coral.

3 Moorish Idols, all together.  I guess one was the parent...but I am guessing..

A great day. And now for a restorative nap! Thanks for reading...

Go that way if you want to see fish!

As I neared the end of the Sunday dive, a cute little boy swam up to me, tapped me and said "Go that way if you want to see fish!" How adorable. Of course, I'd been seeing fish all along, so it wasn't surprising. But he was so excited.  So I thanked him.  If I told him I was trying to see octopuses, he probably would have followed me, hoping.  Anyway, it was cute.  And I didn't see octopuses anyway.  Two days, no he'e! But as I told God, I enjoy the swim anyway.  I am always a bit disappointed when I don't see octopuses, but I am thankful for the swim.  I did see some cool stuff, so it wasn't like there were no neat things to spot.

Hiding eel.  He's the brown part, inside the hole, wrapped around the rock. No wonder I didn't see any octopuses!!!

Money Cowry. It is SO tempting to pick 'em up! I don't think I have any of these at home.  But I didn't.  I do try to be good.

This is why lots of folks don't see Leaf Fish.  The big rock, at the bottom. You can see it, kinda light green...leaning one "paw" on the rock. They are good at disguise.

Christmas Wrasse.  Just occurred to me that it is brightly colored, but as far as I know, not poisonous.  So I guess that "bright colors" means "leave me alone" isn't always the case.

A friend, in town from North Carolina, said these Rock Mover Wrasse fish look like they have makeup on. HAHAHA. 

I think this is a yellow phase of the Orange Shoulder Surgeon Fish. Correct me if I'm wrong!

This Spanish Dancer might be about to crawl off a cliff. I don't know how their eyesight is, but I hope it doesn't get poked.

 Trunk Fish. Alex and I really love these..

As we do the Lizard fish.

 This neat 4 spot butterfly was about 2 inches long. Awesomely cute!

Can you see the scorpion fish? It has its right fin on the red rock. They, like the Leaf Fish, are really good hiders.

As is this box crab! I would NEVER have spotted it if it hadn't moved.  It's the middle "rock"..you can see the slightly opened mouth. And 2 eyes just below the mouth in this photo.

Cowry near a drupe.  I don't think either would eat the other..i hope.

 This is the same Cowry that I found yesterday.  In the same general area.

This large Cone shell was in the rocks between the big pond and the little pond.  I spotted it just as I was pulled over into the big pond! So this is the best photo I got, as I couldn't find it again when I fought the current and went back over...nice big cone and definitely filled with the real animal. You can see it near the bottom of the shell, inside.

Today's trash and shell and operculum haul.  Thankfully, I didn't see any yucky trash (paper, old shoes, dental bridge...yes I have found one of those. No lie!)

So no octopuses were spotted, but I have heard that since we have so many seals, turtles and of course, that lifeguard that hunts 'em, I'm not surprised.  Perhaps God will show me some next week. Thanks for the safety, God!

And speaking of God, please pray for my friend with cancer, when you can take a moment. She is having hospice care at home now. 

I was hopeful!

I was so hopeful to see an octopus! I was denied, but thought I spotted one...

From afar off, it looked brown like an octopus.  No joy...a sea cucumber.  These are what some people eat...I would have to be plenty hungry to do so.
But there were plentiful seals:

 Snoozing on the beach....

Snoozing on the island

Swimming! EEK! The lifeguard had said there was a seal in the water, but didn't say where. I understand why they don't (as people not in the know will swim over to look....I'm told they can bite!), but it made it hard to guess, from sea level, where it might be.  I did perform a few circle sweeps, kicking around in a circle to see if it was near me.  But then forgot about it, until I looked up and there it was! I snapped a few photos and swam the other way. That's why you'll never see a true close-up in my blog....i like to leave them alone for the most part.
I did see some of the usual suspects and they are still very pretty:

The male Trunk Fish for example. I love light when it hits part of the subject of the photo.....
There were several Juvenile Rock Mover wrasses

Love the clown face!











A rainbow at sea:

I had to choose: photograph the rainbow or the surfers.  Guess which one won?









Pencil Urchin:

 Maybe this is the day of twins..

I love them for their bright coloration, which disappears, by the way, once you take them out of water....you'll see them on the bottom, pale beige, rolling with the waves.

A blenny...this one stayed still for the camera, perhaps because i was behind it. But it eventually did dart under a rock. They sometimes peek out from holes and then withdraw quickly back into them when they are frightened..
A nice Peacock Flounder did swim into my filming area:

They are pale, but it helps when they move...easier to spot.

Plenty of Snowflake Moray eels.  These poor guys probably get really frightened when people walk around.  If the people only knew...

This Abudefduf was guarding the area between the big pond and the kiddie pond...these are the rocks I sometimes swim over to traverse from one to the other..

 Lizard Fish waiting for prey and hoping no one steps on it...

If you were an inch long, wouldn't the big bad ocean scare you?!
Hawaiian Green Lion Fish:

You can see the sand in the water which impacts the visibility, but still caught some of their lovely colors. Don't touch 'em, though: like their cousins the Scorpion Fish, they pack a poisonous punch on those spines..Unfortunately for my camera, they like to hide and hang upside down on rocks. Makes getting a full photo tough...

 A pretty pair of Moorish Idols

A juvenile Yellow Tail Coris...there is practically nothing similar except shape in this fish and the adult...which has a yellow tail, and blue and green on its body. Oh and spots! Crazy how different the baby is from the adult.

 Snakeshead Cowry

 Christmas Wrasse

 And Christmas Wrasse lurking near a Snowflake Moray eel and Convict Tang. 

Goat fish.  Bottom feeders.....I don't eat them.  But then, when you think about it, I guess everything in the ocean ends up on the bottom...good and bad..

Basket Shell

 I think an Auger shell but I could easily be wrong...I did look it up, but still not sure.

 This crab was occupying the Bubble Shell, darn it!

Hebrew Cone shell, partially buried.

Well, it was a nice dive.  I would prefer to see my #1 all time fave, the octopus, but perhaps tomorrow will hold that treat in store. Thanks for reading! Tell your friends....