All the things: Dotties and Turtle Heaven 2/27/2020

Since we've got used to winter conditions in Kona - cold water, swell, surge, current, chop - it was very nice to suddenly have a simulated summer day underwater, except that it was still cold.  Morning glass reflected the partly sunny sky as we made way on Honu One (Kona Honu Divers) toward north Pine Trees to have a look at Dotties.

Sure enough, Dotties was rocking.  No current, no surge, and critters galore.  Dotties is special becvause it is home to some very rare Protopalythoa soft corals, hardly ever found in Kona.

 

The next coolest things that we saw on our way out toward the abyss were a Flamebsck Coral Shrimp, haning upside down just like it says they do in Hoovers book, and a nice fat Devil Scorpion.  I couldn't get him to spread his pecs.  Further out I fell behind only to see Laura gesturing with the pipefish sign.  Apparently there were a lot of them out but when I got there only one brave one was peeking out from under the ledge.

Flameback Coral shrimp

Devil Scorpion

Pipefish

At Turtle Heaven there was an actual turtle!  A Hawksbill!  He kept trying to run away from me so I only got a side view shot.  Laura was more successful with frontal views. One of the highlights of this dive was the Frogfish right under the mooring.  I got him in a yawn!

Barred filefish

Blackside Hawkfish

Frogfish yawn

Hawksbill gturtle

Helmet shell and lunch

Moorish Idol front view

Ornate Butte4rfly

Raccoon Butterfly

Red Blackside hawkfish

Spotted boxfish

Varicose Phyllidia

Yellow Margin eel

 

Twilight dive at Garden Eel Cove 2/23/2020

The transition from day to night is magical underwater.  So many gradations of deep blue form a corridor of increasing gloom as you look out into he abyss.  What beings emerge as the mantle of night drapes the reef? 

At least last night it was mostly the usual suspects at Garden eel Cove during the twilight dive.  We were there for two dives, one before sunset and the other after dark to enjoy the graceful slow motion ballet of the Hawaiian Mantas.  Except they didn't show.  It's the ocean.  But the reef in twolight was extraordinarily beautiful.  here are some shots from that dive.  My favorite is the Black Longnose Butterfly, a fish that only exists in Hawaii and who changes color from black to yellow depending on, who knows?  maybe diet?

Black Longnose Butterfly

Divers at twilight

More divers at twilight

Ornate Butterfly and reef

Raccoon butterflies and reef

Sandy finds a Reticulated Frogfish

Sandy relocates a Crown of Thorns

Trumpetfish in a crack

If you can't be with the one you love, love the one your'e with: 2/17/2020 Golden Arches and Eel Cove

First off: at Eel Cove (Fish Bowl) none of the star attractions were home.  Gooseberry the Thornback Cowfish and the Viper Eel in the pillar by the mooring were not home.  Though Quinn said he saw Gooseberry, so maybe I just looked in the wrong place.

So I focused on who was home, namely, a bunch of Eels, Yellow Margins, Stouts, and White Mouth eels.  Who else was home?  The big yellow Frogfish at Golden Arches had moved from the east side of South Arch to the west side.  Both Kevin and Ty found him there and he was sunning himself up on a ledge at about 20 FSW.

 

Other critters that were home included a Banded Coral Shrimp and a shy Octopus.  You can see his eye peeking out through the hole.  A Peacock Grouper was out and showing off.

Peacock Grouper

Stout Moray

Yellow Margin looking like a Viper

Yellow margin in a hole

Other notable critters today were a Fourspot Butterfly, and a Trumpet fish head, which I had to get a shot of because of Virginia, and, below Ty found a couple of Seastar Shrimp on a star at Golden Arches.  I'd never seen this animal before so, great find Ty!  Finally, at Eel Cove there was a Supermale Bullethead Parrot cruising around looking for action.

Four spot Butterfly

Trumpet fish head

Porcupine Punner

kPyramid Butterfly

Seastar Shrimp

Supermale Bullethead Parrot

Valentine's Day dives: Pipe Dreams and South Pines

After a two year hiatus I made it back to Pipe Dreams today.  It's a site right off the tip of Keahole Pt, the furthest west point of the Big Island.  There's often current there, and there was today, but it wasn't bad, so we went in.

First thing I wanted to see was that the pipe broke in half last year during a storm.  Sure enough the pipe is now in two pieces; the bottom half broke off and slide down the steep slope toward the bottom.  The bottom of the pipe used to be at about 125 FSW.  Now the top of the bottom half is at ab out that depth, and the bottom is now probably around 140 FSW.  Too deep for rec diving, and way too deep for Nitrox, which I was breathing today.  so I just looked.  Didn't get a still shot of it but there is a video I'll add when I get it processed.

Crown of thorns detail

Crown of thorns star

Flounder face

Flounder Swimming

Harlequins

Octopus on the move

Octopus on the move

Male Spotted Boxfish

Reef Lizard

Valentine Day Divas