This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Your Happy Place.’ See more responses here.
There were a few options for this theme, but I went with this collection because I love going snorkeling and because, just a few days ago, my wife and I revisited Two Step for the final time before Hawaii loosened its restrictions on visitors. We got up early, drove down, and were in the water around 7:45 am. There were two other people swimming at that time, no one else waiting to get in.
The top photo was taken after our swim, around 9:30 am. In a ‘normal’ year, at this time of day, this whole area would be dotted with groups of people, and chairs and mounds of towels left by people already in the water. The bay would also be similarly populated with people, cruising around, looking at fish. There would be several snorkeling tour boats out in the bay, dumping people into the water. Two Step is one of the best spots for snorkeling on the island but, truth is, much of the time it’s kind of a zoo.
Goatfishes and raccoon butterflyfishes hang, almost motionless. 
Raccoon butterflyfishes are more curious here … 
… although there’s such a thing as too close. This one butted the camera housing. 
Pearly soldierfishes hover. 
An ember parrotfish catches the light. 
We saw more reef lizardfishes than we’d seen before, including this handsome fellow.
However, one of the nice things about Two Step, that I’ve mentioned before, is that it’s a marine reserve. No fishing is allowed and the fish have figured that out. I can’t emphasize enough how differently the fish there react to people than they do in areas where fishing and spear fishing is allowed. They’re so much more mellow and less inclined to dart away.
Also posted in response to Becky’s October Squares challenge theme of ‘Kind.’ See more responses here.
What a treat!
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The fish must be happy to be left more alone, without crowds splashing around and tainting the water with sunscreen. It looks just beautiful, the colors and peacefulness
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I think the fish do like it. In different places around the world, marine creatures have been returning to places they haven’t been seen in years, because the waters are quieter currently. I think Two Step will get busier quite quickly because it’s such a good snorkeling site. I think it might be quite a while though before it gets as busy as it used to be.
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Something good out of all this
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Indeed.
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Such an amazing happy place, Graham, even the marine life are happy! Gorgeous images, and funny about the fish wanting the close up!
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Thanks, Terri. There are definitely fish that have been curious about me in the water, but I’ve never had one comes right up to me like that before.
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