This whitemouth moray eel appeared to startle these fish, a lei triggerfish, yellow tang, moorish idol and whitespotted surgeonfish. However, it kept going, sliding into and out of cracks as eels do, until it settled between a couple of coral heads.
In my attempts to identify what I see in the water, I use John P. Hoover’s book The Ultimate Guide to Hawaiian Reef Fishes, Sea Turtles, Dolphins, Whales, and Seals. His website is hawaiisfishes.com.
This sign greets visitors to Mo’okini heiau. The heiau dates back to the 11th or 12th Century when it was an important religious site where thousands of human sacrifices were carried out. A hazardous area indeed. I imagine there were many who would happily have risked climbing the walls in those days.
For more information about the Mo’okini heiau, go to bigislandhikes.com/mookini-heiau/.
I watched this flock of finches take off, settle, take off again, settle again. Saffron finches predominated, but there were several house finches, and I think I also glimpsed a couple of other types.
This is why it’s wise here to check clothes and shoes before use. Getting ready to go out for a walk, I glanced down and saw this centipede curled up in the heel of my sandal. Centipedes can give a very painful bite, so I’m told. I haven’t experienced one – yet. While this one wasn’t exactly lively, it was still alive. I can neither confirm nor deny that the poor fellow was overcome by fumes from the sandal.
A spear fisherman eyes breaking waves as he makes his way toward the shore on the rocky North Kohala coast.
A green turtle comes up for air.
A couple of yellow tang swim around rocks as the surface water ripples overhead.
Two gold dust day geckos spot each other on a ti plant. Such frequent, daily encounters can be matter of life and death. More often, they result in a clarification of the pecking order in a given territory.
