Category Archives: Fish

Peacock grouper

One difference in taking photos as a snorkeler rather than a diver, is that I can’t follow fish when they dive or hug the bottom. Also, when a fish is 30 feet down, the water affects how they look and the sun doesn’t reach them as much.

I mention this because I most often see peacock groupers in 20 to 30 feet of water where they look somewhat dull in color. They also tend to be quite shy, hurrying for cover under ledges or whatever other shelter is at hand.

However, as with many kinds of fish, juveniles can often be found in shallower water. I happened on this young peacock grouper one day and it promptly headed for cover. Before it did though, I got a couple of good images that captured the sun bringing out the spectacular blue patterns that I never see when they run deeper.

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.

Yellow tang-o

Yellow tang are the most easily identifiable fish, both in and out of the water. Their bright yellow schools, cruising the shallows, are easily seen from shore. In the water, they stand out, especially when the sun catches them.

I watched this pair as they performed what I assumed was some kind of mating dance. They shimmied up and around, dancing apart and then coming together again with the most delicate and touching moves.

Octopus

It’s exciting to see an octopus. They’re extremely hard to spot. If it’s not moving, chances are I won’t see it at all. The reason for this is that the octopus is a master of changing color and texture to match its background.

I’ve been lucky enough to see quite a few, once three in one swim. But sometimes there are weeks between sightings. As for photos, the good news is that when I spot an octopus it rarely moves, meaning I have time to get a photo. The bad news is that they blend in so well I invariably end up with offerings where I have to say something like, “It’s right there, near that coral. No, that’s not a rock.”

On this occasion, I spotted movement just before the octopus dipped into a crack in the rock and changed color. We then began a little pas de deux. When I drifted away, the octopus eased up onto the rock. If I closed in again, it slipped back into the crack. The nice thing, from my point of view, was that when it was on the rock it stood out about as well as it was ever going to against a fairly plain background.

I believe this is a day octopus. They’re active during the day and one most commonly seen around here. The passing fish are saddle wrasse.

Bluespotted cornetfish

This is a fish of many shapes and colors. Seen from the side they look skinny and long. From above they look much wider and, consequently, seem shorter. They look silvery from the side, green from above and they’ll add dark bars sometimes.

This one was hanging out in shallow water and showed no inclination to move on. It might have been guarding eggs, but that’s just speculation on my part. It shows a green tint and also the blue spots and lines that give it its name.

Abstracts – Little fish in golden pools

A shoal of small fish swim in one of the golden pools at Keawaiki. The gold color is due to a unique kind of algae growing there.

Oval Chromis

These little fish can have quite different coloration. The silvery one to the right is a common sight. The one above is a male in his courtship and spawning colors. Later, when he’s guarding the eggs, he’ll be a more silvery blue with an orange patch on the lower jaw. Juveniles can vary from silvery blue to yellow.

Many other fish also have extensive color variations, which can make it difficult identifying individuals. Oval Chromis are one the larger family of damselfishes. While their colors and patterns vary quite a bit, they all have a similar ‘look,’ which, in this case, helped narrow down what I was looking at.

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.

Scrawled filefish

This filefish is quite distinctive. It has a flattened body and long tail fin. Typically, it has a pale body with blue spots and scribbly lines, which is where it gets its name. It also has the ability to darken to a camouflage pattern, which is what this one was doing, though the blue lines are still visible. When sporting the camouflage pattern, they lie on the coral and blend in very well indeed.

Big eye emperor

It’s quite common to see this fish, usually in ones and twos, hanging almost stationary in the water, facing into the current or swells. Often they can be found hanging out in the same area for days in a row. Usually, when I approach, they drift away with minimal effort or noticeable movement. They’re quite large – up to two feet – and fun to see with their big eyes and dignified manner.

Graham's Island

Life on the Big Island of Hawaii