I figured it out

No more sore elbow! I figured out how it happens: I am trying not to strongly grasp my camera in my right hand (for 2 or 3 hours while I'm swimming.) To do that, I'm sharing holding it with my left hand, too. Which makes me bend my elbow strangely. Gosh, I'm a mass of mess!

So I handle it by holding the camera lightly and with the arm mostly straight. Gee, who knew that blogging could be painful?

But totally worth it for today's prize photo:

Male Box or Trunk fish. I told my hubby that perhaps I could now actually count the number of dots. He reminded me that there are dots underneath too. Ah, a photog's work is never done.

Especially since I haven't even reported on the octopus count for the day: 2

Octopus #1










Below, the eye: look for white lines radiating outward.

This nice octopus sat still for my photos. It didn't scrunch down or turn dark brown. This was on the deep side.










Octopus #2 was out in the Keiki Pond and was entrenched in its den, so harder to see.

 The light got on its skin a bit, so you can see the brown color and the siphon. And following is what I first saw: hard to know its even there, right?! (Siphon in the hole near the bottom left)

2 sea cucumbers. Keep this in mind if you ever think to eat one in a restaurant!

And the Ambon Puffer showing a bit of its blue fin underneath.

 I just love the patterns on them when the sun hits 'em.

This is where an octopus was last time, but not at home today, apparently. And just in case you think: Why doesn't she just put a hand in there to check if it's really empty? That's because sometimes an eel takes over a den and chica does not want an eel bite. 

 Nice Black Leaf Fish

It didn't move even a little bit. It is the definition of ambush predator (and a member of the Scorpion Fish family.) 

Brighteye Chromis. These fish are all over the reef; if I took a photo of every one I saw, I'd be there all day.

 Electric Blue Crab hiding in a shell.

Drupe shell on the reef, resting.

 This Humu dove into a slot on this coral head about a second after I snapped the photo.

And I was lucky to get a photo of this Lizard Fish: Right after I saw it, it snapped away and zoomed up over the reef rocks, so I was happy I got a photo at all.

 Male Trunk Fish

 And nobody was home in the hole in the coral head where I saw the octopus yesterday. 

Pencil Urchin

This Picasso Trigger swam quickly away on the deep side, so this photo is just a reminder that it was there at all.

 Rain out at sea

Scorpion Fish awaiting prey.

 This little fish is, I think, the one that mimics the Hawaiian Cleaner Wrasse, but bites the fish instead of cleaning it.

Snowflake Moray didn't appreciate my visit.

 And the Trevally was hoping for a snack blown up by the goat fish.

Urchins and their baggage/protection

In case you want to see one that isn't completely covered with rocks, coral, algae, shells, etc.

Yes, there is one underneath all that rock.

 In case you don't believe me, look for the tiny white spike-y things.

And this Urchin picked up some of the plentiful plant material I've been seeing lately.

 I called this one Urchin Suicide, as it was perched up on the tippy-top of a coral head, apparently ready to jump off.

 I hesitate to guess what the pink stuff on this one was, but it looks suspiciously like gum. Yuck. Hope I'm wrong.

And I cannot tell what these little pink things were, either. But they were interesting.

So that's the haps from today's 2.5 hours of swim. Nice light, octopuses and cool fish. Love that! (Seals were mysteriously absent. No one knows where they were.)

Sore elbow, but two octopuses

Since I am aging, I'm getting accustomed to having little aches and pains, but today was more than usual. I don't know what I did to tweak my elbow, but of course, it's on the right side which is my most often used side, since I'm right handed. But not complaining: saw two octopuses. And 3 seals. And some eels. I mean, the swim was chock full of fun.

And the water was nice too. I did lose about 20 minutes waiting for the seals to decide where they wanted to haul out:

 The one above shows one of our wonderful volunteers, awaiting the decision. This seal is kind of bark-y, so you know when he is around.

This was one that couldn't decide which pond he wanted to be in. Or whether frolicking would be more fun than lounging on the beach. Eventually, when I left the water, there were no seals on the beach, so they must have chosen frolicking somewhere else. I do try not to enter the water when they are there, as I don't want to encourage them to play! We need to keep our distance. Not just because they are wild animals, but also endangered and protected.

 Once I did get in the water on the deeper side, I was extremely excited to discover that, after a couple of months of searching in this area, an octopus had decided to hang out in the top hole of a coral head! I check this hole each time I swim, as there used to be an octopus that lived in that hole. But haven't seen one for quite a while, so I was really great to see it in use again.

 I was also a little concerned, as this octopus wasn't colored the same as most are; that is, it was a pale color, which I take to mean it is either scared, or ill. But I can't really know that....they do NOT speak to me, other than sometimes to blow sand and water in my direction to get me to go away. ha.

 Preceding and following is he'e #2 out near the wave break.

 By this time, I had graduated over to the shallower side, having seen just the one octopus in the deep side. There was also a spear fisherman, so I tend to disappear when they are around, not wanting to be in the area in case they catch something and blood appears in the water. I was also praying he wouldn't find the one octopus I saw. 

Peeking at me. I love it when they do that. They do bring rocks into their dens, I think to camouflage and block the entry.

 Two four-spot butterfly and a bluestripe butterfly. It's amazing how they almost disappear if you look at them head-on, as they are so slender.

 Bright eye Chromis. I'm unsure why some have that faint striping.

 Here's the Catseye of the Operculum! I do not often see these, as they have been in the water long enough to get bleached out, I guess.

 And Mr. Electric Blue Crab had appropriated a Turban Shell.

 As this one did.

 I don't normally post food pix, but I have been enjoying some good Rosemary/Parmesan bread with butter and radishes and parsley. Reminds me of our trips to Paris! Our radishes are not as sweet as the French ones, however.

 And today's trash: a stretchy bracelet, some fishing line and a hook and more fishing line with leader. It irritates me to see these things because some people aren't aware to be on the lookout for fishing line and hooks.

 A seal going over the rocks. Not sure why it did that, as there's a less rocky place nearby, but he had his reasons, I guess.

 Speaking of reasons, not at all sure why this Hawaiian Hogfish wanted to hang out near this eel. Doesn't seem like a good survival strategy to me. But neither animal was hurt, so I guess it all turned out ok.

 Following is the juvenile Yellow Tail Coris, along with pals the Brighteye Chromis on top and saddle wrasse juveniles below. The red really stands out against the pale sand and rocks.

 A male Trunk fish butt.

 Nudibranch. This one was perhaps 3 inches long. In the photo following you can see a bit more of the "naked lungs" that give them their name.

 Operculum on paper towel. I love the swirly line. That part is the part inside the "door" when attached to the Turban shell.

 And Pencil Urchins. A man from Minnesota asked me if I get rock fever. I said, No, since the ocean is big and I am blessed to get in often!

 The Pencils would have a good reason to have rock fever, all scrunched in between those rocks.

 Pinktail Durgon: I recently discovered that they will eat octopuses. I must admit, even though I know it's nature for them to eat, it did move them down in my Fave Fish list.

 Scorpion Fish. They are really amazing at hiding. The nose and eyes are near the top right of the photo.

 From further away, this is how I first saw the fish. Find the red rock, then the pale rock to its left and then further left is the fish. No really, I wouldn't lie.

 And its cousin, the Spotfin Scorpion Fish. I saw both of these pretty soon after entering the water on the shallow side.

 Today's good treasures.

 More spotfin scorp.

 The coral head that now houses the octopus. 

 Urchin. Yes, it's under the protection of all the rocks it picked up.

 This Urchin apparently has enough spiky goodness not to need to put rocks on itself.

Isn't God amazing? So many incredible creations, just waiting for us to discover.