Octo-victory!

Conditions were better today and it was easier to find animals..including 2 octopuses!

 This octopus played hide and seek with me. It was more out of the den, but immediately upon seeing me, it sank back down. Gee, shy much? Of course, that's how they stay alive and uneaten, so I'm all for whatever it takes. Just because humans aren't supposed to fish here doesn't mean one of the eels won't!

 I am not positive there were 3 octopuses, so I'm only counting 2. One hid in a den that was remarkably similar to another den. They were also close; I'm thinking there's a chance that the first octopus moved to the other den....but cannot prove it. And below, you can just barely see the eye.

Eel hiding in a hole in the rocks. They were both big eels.

 This one kept watching me, so I didn't stick around too long.

I don't often see a parade of raccoons...

I recently saw the Disney movie of Aladdin, the one with Will Smith. It reminded me Abu-def duf.

 Blue lined snapper

 And a plaid cornet fish

Cowry. Still there. Can't pick 'em up!

Hikers on the mountain around the Bay.

 A small humu. They seem to keep muted colors while small.

 Gold eye Kole. Nice seersucker skin and golden eyes.

 A mess of convict tangs

An operculum that I didn't pick up. sniff sniff

 Ornate butterfly

 Palani. These are such pretty fish with the yellow and blue. When they raise their dorsal fin, the fin has nice blue and yellow lines.

 Picasso Trigger from above.

And with sunlight on its skin

 Red tailed snapper

 Sailfin tang

 Sergeant Major

 And a couple of shell halves that are still there.

 White shoulder surgeon

 Threadfin Butterfly

 Bluefin Trevally fishing with a Goatfish

 And another looking on its own for food

 Sergeant Major and Unicorn fish. This helps put in perspective the smaller size of the Sgt Major

 Wana and a toby. 

Very nice treat today to see clearer water. I plan to go beyond the reef someday soon. I've been hearing reports of Manta Rays out there.

Friday the 13th: Bah humbug!

As a Christian, I don't adhere to the old things I once did: Tarot cards, horoscopes and Luck! So Friday the 13th doesn't have the old cachet it once did.

And today was great. Not only did I see octopuses (5!), a Monk Seal, a great haircut (from a nice lady from my old church), but I was able to get to and from the local shopping center without Google Maps! Huzzah!

Mind you, I didn't say the octo-photos were stellar. But at least I saw the he'e in their natural surroundings:

 He'e 1 above. pretty well hidden.

And #2, same same.

 #3 peeked at me.

I love it when they do that, because you know they see you. The other way, by changing to the darker color, is more of an upset feeling...for them. And me, too, since I try not to disturb.

 It is pretty amazing that the eye can sort out the sand and stuff in the water, so you don't even see it. Until you get the photos home.

 This octopus wasn't particularly afraid, so it stayed in its den and let me take its photo.

You can see the rocks it places near its den entry.

 Best photo of the siphon, even with sand in the photo.

So 5 octopuses. And then the Monk Seal swam by:

 It looked at me as it swam by. So I snapped a few pix and swam in the other direction.

And later, it came back for another look. You can see the water clarity wasn't fabulous.

The seal looked as if it wanted to play, so I swam away...again.

Two brighteye Chromis hiding

 Mr. Parrot fish needs dental cleaning.

I shall have to investigate why the Brighteye had the mottled coloration.

Bubble shell hiding.

 I don't think the tang even knew the octopus was there.

This Convict tang had a black tail for some reason.

 And in this hole, an eel, not an octopus, as I expected.

 God's rays

 A nice Horn shell.

I passed this area a few times before I found the octopus, #5.

 This is the photographer extraordinaire, Larry, on his morning swim.

Lizard fishes 

 Sadly, one is not to pick shells in Hanauma Bay (it's a Marine Preserve), so I'll content myself with taking pix of the operculum.

Surprisingly, I didn't see very many operculum. Perhaps God is working to not torture me!

 The very first fish I fell in love with when I moved to Kauai: the Yellow Fin Surgeon, or Palani. I think it's prettier than its cousins, the Ringtail Surgeons.

 The obligatory sunrise shot, with palm trees of course.

Breathing and peeking at me.

 Love these Picasso Triggers! They are much more prevalent than the regular Humu.

Sailfin Tang and a female Bird Wrasse. The latter fish I didn't even see until I got the photos home!

Ambon Puffer. Not as prevalent as on Kauai, either. I have yet to see the Rockmover wrasse....

Snapper

Tiny Threadfin Butterfly. They look exactly like the adults, just smaller.

Another fish I gotta look up. Cruising with the bluefin trevally.

I like these trevally with the stripes.

Urchin way overloaded with protective rocks.

A lovely small shell, the Wentletrap.

I believe it was inhabited by a crab, who walked it down into the hole.

A nice dive, as I progress toward my birthday! We'll see how many octopuses come out to congratulate me. HA.