Category Archives: In The Water

Just the one monk seal

A Hawaiian Monk seal rests at Upolu, Hawaii

I saw this Hawaiian Monk Seal resting at Upolu earlier this year. So what qualifies her for Becky’s Squares: Seven? (See more responses here.) Nothing obvious in the top photo, but let’s take a closer look. A couple of scars, one of which looks a bit like a 7, but probably not that.

Scars on a Hawaiian Monk seal at Upolu, Hawaii

Hmmm. Too hard to figure out how many whiskers we’ve got here.

A Hawaiian Monk seal rests at Upolu, Hawaii

Ah, here we go. The tag on the flipper is M37. This is a prime way for researchers to track seals around the islands. I posted a photo of her with an M36 tag, but this one would have been in the other tail flipper.

Tag on a Hawaiian Monk seal at Upolu, Hawaii

Whitemouth Moray Eel spotted

A Whitemouth Moray Eel in the waters off Hawaii

I saw this small Whitemouth Moray Eel sticking out from a gap in the rocks. With its mouth open, it’s easy to identify.

So why is this posted for Becky’s Squares: Seven (see more responses here)? Well, this eel sports 2,408 visible white spots, which is seven to the power of four plus seven. OK, you counters out there – over to you!

Seven-eleven Crab

A Seven-eleven crab in the waters off Hawaii

The Seven-eleven Crab (Carpilius maculatus), is easier to identify than it is to see. That’s because it’s mostly active at night. This one was probably on its way to its daytime resting spot when I saw it. It gets its name from the prominent red spots on its shell, two behind each eye and three on the back, with the other four generally less visible along the rear, though two of those are clear in this photo.

Posted for Becky’s Squares: Seven. See more responses here.

Eagle Rays spotted

Spotted Eagle Rays in the waters off Hawaii
Spotted Eagle Rays in the waters off Hawaii

Yesterday, in the water, I saw these three Spotted Eagle Rays heading my way. They were on the smaller side, but all in excellent condition, except for the slightly larger one that had lost much of its tail. The three made several languid loops around my wife and I before they finally eased away into shallower water.

The second photo gives a good view of the ray’s spiracles. They have one on each side, just above and behind the eye. These openings allow them to pass water through to the gills, even when they are digging for prey and churning up a lot of sand.

Spotted Eagle Rays in the waters off Hawaii
Spotted Eagle Rays in the waters off Hawaii

Horn-eyed Ghost Crab

A Horn-eyed Ghost Crab emerging from its hole in Kawaihae Hawaii
A Horn-eyed Ghost Crab by its hole in Kawaihae Hawaii

I’m not entirely confident that this is a Horn-eyed Ghost Crab, but that’s what my usual ID source says. On the plus side, it’s clearly bigger than a Pallid Ghost Crab. But Horn-eyed Ghost Crabs are generally not seen during the day, though this was taken in the early morning. They also have points on their eye stalks, though I’ve seen photos without. Any input on identity would be appreciated.

A Horn-eyed Ghost Crab in Kawaihae Hawaii

Perplexed Peppered Moray

A Peppered Moray Eel in the waters off Hawaii
A Peppered Moray Eel in the waters off Hawaii

On a recent swim, I saw this Peppered Moray Eel zipping towards me in fairly shallow water. My response was to start taking photos. The eel’s response was to stop dead, raise its head up, and give me a decidedly unimpressed look.

We held our positions for a short while and then I edged off to one side and the eel did the same, before deciding enough was enough and scooting to sanctuary under a large rock.

A Peppered Moray Eel in the waters off Hawaii
A Peppered Moray Eel in the waters off Hawaii