Happy New Year dives @ Suck'em Up and Turtle Heaven

Back in Kona and the Holiday parties are over, so the Kona Honu Ohana converged on the boat for some winter diving.  OK, water was 78.8 degrees, which is cold for Kona-thin blood humans.  I was swimming on the wild side with a Pinnacle Merino 5mil, while others more sensible were in their 7s.

Highlights for me are the things I didn't see, but Laura found some Imperial Nudis, and everyone else but me saw the 9 foot Tiger Shark at Turtle heaven.  I was looking everywhere in the blue and didn't see it.

But I did see some things I'd never seen before, like the Blacklip Butterfly and the Longjaw Squirrelfish.

Visibility was better than last fall, even though there were storms.  Which is good for photographers who often get engrossed in getting the shot they want, while veryone else swims away.  Fortunately I found faint bubbles on the 150 degrees heading we were on at Turtle Heaven.  Just where I thought they'd be, only 100 meters lfurther on.  Swim hard; use gas.

For a couple of years I've been searching wire corals for Wire Coral Shrimp.  Fiknally today I found one, in an overhang at Turtle Eeaven.  I couldn't get closer but here she is!

Then I saw Laura zommingt in on something behind a coral ledger.  Ah, Female Whitley's Boxfish.  Awesome.

Here are the other great things that came out to be seen today. White Margin Nudi with baby and eggs.  Not sure where Papa is. White Mouth Eel, arceye Hawkfish, Barred Filefish, Yellowtail Coris, Leaf Scorpion, Porcupine Puffer, and a bby Yellowtail Coris or Rainbow Wrasse.