one octopus...still happy

It would be easy to be disappointed with just one octopus. But since there have been days, thankfully few, when I see no octopuses, I'm grateful for whatever I see.

This octopus was one that was quite interested in hiding. But that didn't stop it from peeking up to see if I was still there.

 You can just see the small brown blob with eye in the crevice of the rock. 

 And then later, I was able to spot it again with more body showing...eye, siphon and tentacles.

It was a great hider. But once you know where it is, sometimes you can go back when they aren't expecting you. 

 Nice blue-spined unicorn.

 And Christmas wrasse.

 NOAA was on the beach today to tag and give a tracker to honu today. Luckily, I was already in the water, so wasn't involved in the process.

 Lizard fish and male trunk fish.

 Glad I left this money cowry  on the bottom...as you can see below, it had a crab in residence.

 From the other side.

Pencil Urchin

 And this is the picked clean urchin...I think it's the same one in my earlier post this week.

 Mouthing off.

One of the volunteers, trying to see what seal this was. They do a great job.

 Bluefin Trevally

 Snowflake Moray

 Blue Spined Unicorn at a cleaning station

What not to bump into

 They were all digging for something...never did find out what!

It was a bit warmer today, so I didn't totally freeze on the way to the car.

Five octopuses and no jellyfish....hurray

Very happy to report that I saw absolutely no jellyfish today. And yes, that makes me very happy. I have never been stung, and hope never to be!

Five octopuses....I'm losing track of which ones might be new, but at least one was. I think.

This one was the first and only one I spotted in the deep side. Fully out and on top of the rock. And it moved a bit later, but I didn't get it on video. 

 But I did catch it changing color to brown....it hid under this rock.

 He'e #2 was a regular. I should say, it was in a regular's spot! Who knows if it was the same octopus?

 He'e 3...dark and below, peeking with tan and white coloration.

More peeking, but with the gloved hand showing it was #3. When you see more than one, sometimes you need the help in remembering which one was which.

 Octopus #4 was a really good hider. But yes, that one above is a den with surrounding rocks and an octopus.

 And #5, a regular from last time.  I am unsure what the blue is on the surrounding rocks, but I thought it was pretty. I think this den was really a smart choice: the octopus probably didn't have to do a thing to move in and it's a pretty good hidey-hole. You have to have good light and definitely the "tako-eye" to see it.

When I was sifting through the photos, I was surprised that I had less than 300 pictures; but then I remembered that I was SO COLD I had to get out after only 2 hours. Normally I can find things to amuse myself for 3 hours. We had temps in the 60's and I did have on my shorty wetsuit, but that wind chill walking from the shower to the car really did me in! Upon exiting the water and rinsing my wetsuit, I have on only a swim suit, as I have to leave my clothes in the car. (This is one problem with swimming on your own: no one to watch your gear on the beach. And no one to report if you get into trouble...but I try not to dwell on that.)

 This Blue Spined Unicorn fish came right up to me. I wondered if he thought I might have food. And yes, some shops are stupid enough to sell fish food. It's the real ocean and if the fish have to rely on human-inspired food, we are in a lot of trouble! This is right up there with the petting eels idea: stupid! and possibly dangerous. 

 This enterprising urchin found a Drupe shell to put on its back for protection. 

 But it missed the one below.

 Do you hate it when I say I gotta look something up?! I'm not sure what eel this is. But he had a nice striped pattern and those cute nostril tubes.

Mr. Lizard fish didn't move at all while I was looking at him.

 Male Trunk Fish

Palms and clouds. That's the kiddie pond, i.e., the shallower side.

 Pencil Urchin

And a nice Picasso Trigger Fish! I don't see them very often over here on Kauai, so I grabbed the chance for a photo. Or two.

 A shrimp, hiding in a hole. When you see a round tube in the sand, look inside. That's where they hide. I assume they dig it too, but not sure.

Too much eyeshadow and blusher. ha.

 Urchin breakfast. The white dots once all had those black spiny things on them.

A very cute little urchin, defying gravity. And also overloaded with baggage! 

A nice swim. Very glad for the opportunity. And now I'm home and warm!

4 seals and a box jelly

Well, the signs were up, but I had scanned the beach and spoken to the lifeguard, who had also scanned the beach. He said if it were him, he'd go in. Yesterday, no way.

So I got in, even considering a young boy had found a jelly fish in a hole near the water:

 They do look surprisingly like jelly! In the one above, if you look carefully, you can see the pink line of one of its tentacles. This one apparently died in the little hole...

So I got in and swam slowly and carefully down toward the deep side, where I usually look first. And this is what I saw:

They are hard to see. If you look carefully, you can see the "box" near the left and then the long tentacles. Just swimming along as if it had not a care in the world! Which I guess it doesn't. 

So I turned around, got out and told the lifeguard. He announced over the PA system that one had been spotted. Bummer for those who are on vacation! I told one couple about seeing the jelly. And props to them, they turned around and walked back to their car. I told them to try again tomorrow, as they are rarely in the water 3 days in a row! HOPE SO!

The octopuses were smarter than I, as I didn't see any. They had probably slid deep into their dens and stayed out of trouble!

But earlier, I was treated to seal action:

 What'd I do?!

Hanging out on the beach.

 Say what??!!

 The rainbows are so vivid.

 This was #4 arriving. And ignoring the Jellyfish warning....

Here's hoping the jellies disappear before my swim tomorrow...