Back diving with the Kona Honu Ohana

 Fast forward six months and here we are back in Kona waters again, enjoying the sun on the ocean and slipping beneath the surface to see the wonders below.  

Last week I checked out all my gear and found it all dive-ready.  Except that my wireless tank pressure transmitter decided to complain, once I was at depth, about a low battery.  No problem, redundancy is a virture in diving, and I had an SPG clipped off on my harness.  Here I am fiddling with my computer finding out that I would be monitoring my breathing gas the old way.

Photo by Laura Posson

Got it sorted and we headed for the dropoff.  On the way out we ducked between a few pinnacles and I looked left to see this Tiger Snake Eel just hanging upside down.  Very chill, he moved languidly across a Cushion Star and didn't mind me drifting closer.

 

A highlight of the dive came when I turned a corner and saw Laura P huddled close on a wall.  Once she departed I understood what had captured her attention:  a very cute, yellow baby Frogfish.  Further on, back in shallower water Moorish Idols were everywhere.  A pretty common fish, but beautiful if you can get a good angle.  this one was very accommodating.

A fantastic start to the second dive: Just as we dropped into pretty deep water and spooked a Hawaiian Stingray.  I was too far away to get a shot or vid but others did, so it happened.

As I was lamenting not being in the right spot to record that one-in-a-million sighting I looked down ona rock and found this lovely Sea Rose, or Spanish Dancer egg mass.  That would have to do.