Category Archives: In The Water

Big eye emperor

A pair of Big Eye Emperor fishBig Eye Emperor fish

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.

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.

Sea Monster?

Sea MonsterSeemed like a good day to run a photo I took a year or so ago, but what kind of terrible sea monster is it, rising from the ocean, jaws agape?

Truth is, it’s a humpback whale about to splash back into the water. The ‘lower jaw’ is really a pectoral fin. The ‘spiky teeth,’ are tubercles, knobby bumps on the fin’s leading edge. The ‘upper jaw’ is the lower jaw seen from below. And the ‘eye’? Well, that’s an eye, no fooling.

For more information about humpback whales, I recommend Jim Darling’s book, Humpbacks: Unveiling the Mysteries or go to whaletrust.org or hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov/welcome.html.

Green turtle swimming

A green turtle passes close by.
Green Turtle SwimmingOne day, when I got in the water, I dipped my head below the surface and saw a large barracuda idling a few feet away in murky water. Gathering myself, I took a few photos, none of which turned out.

When the barracuda swam away, I tried to follow, but didn’t see it again. Instead, this green turtle slid by not two feet away. It pottered among the rocks, then came back out, passing me almost as close as before. I followed at a discreet distance, before it eased into the ruins of an old pier. I love seeing turtles in the water – they’re so graceful. First time I’ve had my camera with me.

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.

A green turtle swims through the remains of an old pier.

Reef fish

Many fish make the reef homeA great variety of fish make their home among the rocks and coral on the coast. From the bottom these are: two indo-pacific sergeants, a scrawled filefish, two or three whitebar surgeonfish, and in the background, a number of black triggerfish.

One of the pleasures of snorkeling here is that there’s always something to see and every day is different.

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.

Juvenile threadfin jack

Juvenile Threadfin Jack

Threadfin Jack Juvenile

 

This little diamond-shaped fish is probably my favorite to see on the reef. The first time I saw one I thought it was a jellyfish, shimmering along with its long filaments wavering behind it. I got a little closer and realized it was actually an extraordinary fish.

The juvenile gives no hint of what it will look like as an adult. It grows to four feet in length, becomes stocky, loses the filaments entirely, and ends up looking like a nightclub bouncer.

It’s always a thrill to see one of these, its little tail thrashing back and forth, hauling the long filaments behind it as it putters through the water.

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.

Keeltail needlefish

Keeltail NeedlefishWhen snorkeling, the tendency is to look down where numerous reef fish can be seen darting through rocks and coral. Needlefish, on the other hand, are surface swimmers and, as such, can be a little unnerving. Many times I’ve looked up and found myself in the midst of a shoal of needlefish, circling around me. At such times, I try not to think of Custer’s Last Stand.

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.

A’ama crab

A'ama Crab Shell

A’ama crabs can be seen on any visit to the shore. My appearance is usually met by a host of them scuttling for shelter. These crabs have cells called chromatophores that help camouflage them on the black lava rocks. When they shed their shells, the shell’s chromatophores are no longer alive and their true red color is revealed.