Category Archives: Fish

You can hide, but you can’t run

A Blue Goatfish and a Pacific Day Octopus in the waters off Hawaii
A pair of Blue Goatfishes and a Pacific Day Octopus in the waters off Hawaii

I spotted this Pacific Day Octopus hunting with a pair of Blue Goatfishes. It’s quite common to see an arrangement like this in the water; there are benefits for both. But when a clumsy swimmer splashes into the picture, the situation changes. Goatfishes will swim away only if they feel threatened, but the octopus will settle somewhere and blend into the background.

However, it’s hard to disappear into the background when the fish keep nudging them to continue with the hunt. This octopus looked quite miffed about the situation until it finally gave up and shot off to hide elsewhere. The goatfishes followed, but the octopus found a crack to settle into, and the clumsy swimmer bid it a fond farewell!

The Numbers Game #72

Lava fountaining in the summit caldera of Kilauea Volcano, Hawaii
Lava fountaining during the 21st episode of the current eruption at Kilauea Volcano.

The idea of The Numbers Game is to enter a number into the search bar of your computer and then post a selection of the photos that turn up. This week’s number is 193. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.

The top photo is from two days ago, when I finally made it down to Kilauea Volcano to see the latest in a string of eruptions. Hopefully, I will get my photos sorted for a longer post about that in the next day or two.

A bee in a cannonball tree flower in Hawaii
A bee in the flower of a Cannonball Tree.
A Phalaenopsis violacea orchid.
A Pinktail Triggerfish.
Hapu’u Ferns.
Kahili Ginger and raindrops.
An old propellor on shore near the boat lauch at South Point.

The Numbers Game #71

A beach at Kekaha Kai Park.

The idea of The Numbers Game is to enter a number into the search bar of your computer and then post a selection of the photos that turn up. This week’s number is 192. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.

Two reef lizardfish waiting on lobe coral
Two Reef Lizardfishes .
Hibiscus “Blue Bayou.”
Beach chairs in front of the Kohanaiki Beach Club, Hawaii
Chairs in front of Kohanaiki Beach Club.
Wasps building a nest
Wasps building a nest.
Bees collect water from the edge of a pool
Bees gathering water.
A green turtle swims in Kiholo Bay, Hawaii
A Green Turtle in the waters of Kiholo Bay.

Photos for people who like pastels

Pastel Candies in Hawaii
Pastel shades of candy.

This week’s Sunday Stills color challenge theme is ‘Pastels.’ See more responses here. Captions on the photos.

Purple Crown Flowers in Hawaii
A Crown Flower.
Foliage in a pot at Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden in Hawaii
A pleasing pot at Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden.
The interior of the Painted Church at Honaunau in Hawaii
A plethora of pastels inside the Painted Church at Honaunau.
A Rosy-faced lovebird in Hawaii
A Rosy-faced Lovebird getting to grips with lunch.
A piece of organic matter floating in the water off Hawaii
Organic matter floating in the ocean.
A Palenose Parrotfish in the waters off Hawaii
A Palenose Parrotfish.

The Numbers Game #70

The beach at Honoka’ope Bay.

The idea of The Numbers Game is to enter a number into the search bar of your computer and then post a selection of the photos that turn up. This week’s number is 191. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.

Green Anoles lined up in a window.
Flies on a horse.
Late afternoon in a macadamia nut orchard.
A Jeweled Anemone Crab.
A juvenile Commerson’s Frogfish.
Four spotted eagle rays in the waters off the Big Island of Hawaii
Spotted Eagle Rays circling next to the parking area at Mahukona.

Just passing through

A Manta Ray swims by in the waters off Hawaii

During yesterday’s swim, this Manta Ray appeared in front of me. It passed directly beneath me, and was clearly not inclined to pause and check out the ungainly creature above it. It’s the first I’ve seen in a long while, and certainly the first this year. Manta Ray encounters are a treat, especially as this one was beautifully marked and in great condition, which is always good to see.

A Manta Ray swims by in the waters off Hawaii