A fully packed day at the beach! YAY GOD!

I had a very nice swim today and I'm calling it fully packed because I saw 3 octopuses, a leaf fish, a scorpion fish, a biggish live cone shell, horn shell with hermit crab and the biggest surprise, a small Spotted Eagle Ray! (look also on youtube.com for octopigirl7 for the video.)

Starting with the most unusual sighting:

 Spotted Eagle Ray:The photo above makes it look larger than it was; the 2nd photo is more like the real size.

It just calmly swept under me, not caring that I was there. Unlike the octopuses!

This octopus I have seen before: it just curls around itself and pretty much does nothing. No hunting, no running, no color changes. Mind you, I'm not saying it's boring, but there wasn't a lot to photograph!

This octopus also stayed in its den: you can see the brown just inside, below the rocks.

#3 was more visible: And visibly brown, so it saw me and didn't appreciate the intrusion.

 Initially, it was the usual light brown and white-ish coloration.

You can see the siphon just above its eye. And the sand that blew in on it.

 Please do me and yourself a favor if you see one of these Cone shells: don't touch. They have venom.

The side near the bottom on the photos was the part I saw first; you can always tell a cone shell, as they have a rather triangular silhouette.

Mostly this photo shows you the tail and back of the Leaf. The eye is the dark part to the right in the photo, behind the snout. And note also the little "foot" at the bottom of the animal.

 A bit of rainbow from above that landed on its back.

Again, you can see the foot, in this case, above the animal. What you normally see first is the back fins and tail. It waves in the breeze from the water movement.

If you look carefully, you can see the claws of the green hermit crab. Also, a small round hole in the shell near the smaller end: I'm told that octopuses drill holes like that when they prey upon shells. That would explain why the crab was able to steal the shell for its own use.

Pink crab legs and below, you can spot the eyes. I never saw the whole crab.

Devil Scorpion Fish, showing its "I'm Poisonous!" warning fin.

Hard to see when the orange isn't showing, right?

 This shows the fins, tail and eyes and slightly open mouth. 

 I tell you: I had a heck of a time getting these shots, because it definitely blends into the bottom.

 Now it's looking at me: note the eyes and mouth.

 Trying to pretend I wasn't there...ha

Four Spot Butterfly. (The other 2 spots are on the other side.) And note how its eye is camouflaged by being in the dark line on its face. 

A mess of Trevally flew through.

Abudefduf. (Say it 3 times...much fun. Your mileage may vary.) 

 Christmas Wrasse male

Big Cornet Fish. Too big to get in one frame, so I chose the business end and eye.

Female Trunk or Box fish

 The male

We always have great clouds; this shows God's rays shining through. And palm trees for my sweetheart!

Sleeping Honu. You can see the tracks where it came around and nosed again toward the water.

 Needlefish

A pair of Saddleback Butterfly

 Lots of Snowflake Moray eels. Well, one in the photo, that is. But lots out and about that I didn't photograph.

 This tiny Humu was perhaps 2 inches long. Quite adorable. Their coloration is muted in the juvenile version. Almost as if they have to grow into their colors.

 A very small Raccoon Butterfly fish and the Abudefduf.

Urchin, heavily loaded with rocks, shells, plant material. For protection, I think.

So see what I mean about fully packed?! Very enjoyable. And there were plenty of people walking on the bottom, but I delivered no lectures. If I told everyone not to walk, as in: this isn't a lake!, I would never get any swimming done!

Spotted Eagle Ray and an octopus

Surprised by a big Spotted Eagle Ray. Go to youtube.com and ask for octopigirl7...nice ray.
One octopus:

Yes, you can't see it dancing. ha. Lately, not so much movement with the little he'e. Still good to see them.

 The sleeping seal wasn't dancing, either! But if it were me, I'd be very itchy from the sand on my face. Apparently, it doesn't bother this one. At least not enough to wake it up!

 Abudefduf parade. 

I keep wanting to call these Basket shells, but not really sure if the white  one is a basket...I do know the one below is a Cone shell.

 And this crazy crab totally had a stroll. The video is rather confusing, so not sure if I'll upload it. But look at all the spiny hairs on this crab's legs! 

Pencil urchins

 A nice surprise rainbow above the palm trees.

Saddleback Butterfly fish. It did have a partner, but s/he didn't get in this shot, which I took to show the pretty coloration and designs.

 Same seal as above, but I wanted to show the waves and the caution sign. People were being good. 

Unfortunately, two kids and an older gentlemen kicked me while I was swimming in the small pond. The father of the kid laughed and said Yeah he should pay more attention. Grrrr. But it didn't spoil my swim. Just made me wonder how that kid will turn out. Parents, please watch your kids carefully when they are in the water!!! It can be life or death: it's the REAL ocean! Not the always pretty one you see on TV.