Friday, December 29, 2017

High Rock and Kaloko 12/28/17

Last time I was at High Rock the current was so bad a bunch of us ended up drifting most all the way to Dotties before we could get picked up by the boat.

This time it was calm and we went hunting for wire coral gobies and shrimp.  Did end up finally finding a nice gobie, along with a few other cool fish.


Later, at Kaloko we found a big Commerson's Frog fish and a Psychedelic Wrasse and family.  Below is a juvenile Blackside Hawkfish.  Much different coloration than the adult.



Shy Octopus peeking out at me.


Here's the Psychedelic.  I had to chase him around to get this and he had abandoned his females.
I hear this White Tip Soldier is a little rare for these waters.

Golden Arches and Eel Cove 12/26/17

Sometimes I am looking to photograph particular fish - as in: specific fish that live at certain spots and are habitually in their respective coral heads or reef cubby holes.

Two animals I have been trying to get good pics of are the Red Frogfish at Golden Arches and the Viper at Eel Cove.  The frog fish has been moving around a bit near one of the arches, but the viper is often found in a little pillar of coral and rock all curled up and just checking out the passing show.

My prior attempts to photograph these animals were unsuccessful due to equipment failures as the result of poor prep on my part.

So what a cool thing to find out that our dive sites for the day would be Golden Arches and Eel Cove. 

Corrine found the Red Frogfish in a coral head off the arch and in a perfect position for me to get a good shot.


Then, off to Eel Cove.  At the start of the dive we headed down the dropoff to look for Cowfish but to no avail.  From there it was a winding circular path around through the boulders and finally back to the mooring area.

I immediately headed toward the wall to look for the viper and there he was, all coiled up in his house and looking ferocious.




Christmas Day at Puako House 40 Cleaning Station

Visibility not great today, but there were a few Honu at the cleaning station.  Only one was actually getting a cleaning; others were just resting in the cave or on the bottom.

Here are a few pics.




Saturday morning at Two Step

Solo easy cruise along the wall and over the coral garden at Two Step.  Found a Whitley's Boxfish right at the start, and then a nice little Honu having breakfast along the wall.

This dive site is one of the most relaxing and wonderful shore dives on the island.


Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Lonetree Arch and Disneyland 12/19/17

Cold, rainy day, but the boat was full.  Holiday season crowd of good divers were treated to a spectacle of Octopuses, Psychedelic Wrasses, Frogfish and more.


















Thursday, December 14, 2017

Pawai: Two dives 12/14/17

Big north west swell today so we had to seek refuge in Pawai Bay.  Not a bad place since it's a no-take area.  So fishy.  I was still unhappy to have missed the Red Frogfish at Golden Arches last week, so was glade to hear there was one at Pawai Bay.  Went to look for him and there he was!

Just before finding this beauty we stumbled onto a harem of Psychedelics with their male.


Male Psychedelic Wrasse
Thing is about these fish is that there is one male, and if he gets taken, or just wanders off for too long one of the females (above) will transition into a male and everyone's happy again.

As if that wasn't enough, here are the rest of the fish I saw today.

Gold rim Tang

Yellow tail Coris
 Here are a couple of White mouth Eels, and one of them is suggesting to the other to look elsewhere for a hole.

Supermale Bird Wrasse

Supermale Belted Wrasse

Reef Lizard

Leaf Scorpion

Spotted boxfish

Ornate Butterfly and a Spotted Toby

Moorish Idol
Shortnose Wrasse

Goldring Surgeon being cleaned by a Cleaner Wrasse