Category Archives: In The Water

A green turtle drifts by

I visited Kiholo Bay again recently. At the eastern end of the bay is Wainanali’i lagoon, a stretch of water tucked behind a long spit of land. This protected water would be a prime snorkeling spot except that the bay gets a lot of freshwater infusion. This makes the water cloudy and gives it a distinctive turquoise appearance.

While it’s hard to see much when in the water, from shore the milky, turquoise water has an otherworldly look. Fish and turtles seem to ripple and float against a backdrop of nothingness. It’s a great place to wander along the shore, seeing what’s lurking in the shallows, and watching to see what floats into view before drifting away again.

Posted in response to this week’s WordPress Photo Challenge, ‘Out of This World.’

Resting shark

While out snorkeling one day I came across this scene. It’s not a great photo (though the murkiness adds a little to the menace, I think), but still enough to identify it as a shark, resting on the sandy bottom. Later in the day, it was still there. It was more visible with its head out from under the ledge, but the water was cloudier so I didn’t take photos.

I’m pretty sure this is a whitetip reef shark as I’ve heard about one hanging out in that area. The white tips, that give the shark its name, are on the dorsal and tail fins so aren’t visible in this image.

In response to WPC ‘A face in the crowd.’

Touching octopuses

For Valentine’s Day I offer this photo of two day octopuses. It comes with a little story.

One day, while I was snorkeling, I noticed a stocky hawkfish about to plop onto a bit of coral. Before it could settle, a blue goatfish butted it away, getting my attention. I wondered if its presence might mean there was an eel or octopus around since they sometimes hunt together. Almost immediately, just beyond the goatfish, I noticed a day octopus glued to the side of a rock.

I took a couple of photos but knew they wouldn’t be very good; the octopus just looked like another lump of rock. So I began the usual dance I do with an octopus. I edge away, as though I’m leaving, keeping an eye on the octopus out of the corner of my eye. I know the octopus is watching me. Often, when I’ve gone a ways, the octopus will rise up onto whatever rock it’s hiding behind. If I’m quick, I can turn and get a photo before the octopus slides back down again. It’s like we’re connected by a line: I go away, the octopus rises. I return, the octopus sinks.

I swam behind a large chunk of rock, then peeked around the side. Still there, still hidden. A bit farther, another peek. Still there, still hidden. And again. And then I looked away momentarily and when I looked back, the octopus was gone. I think they, like many other creatures, watch a person’s eyes and if the person looks away, off they shoot.

It was a matter of a moment so I knew it couldn’t have gone far. I looked around, examining the rocks. Nothing. They can squeeze into tiny spaces so it was always possible I wouldn’t see it even if it was close by. Then, as I turned around, I caught a glimpse of movement and saw the octopus zip behind a bit of rock. Except then I immediately saw a second octopus follow the first.

I swam around the rock and saw the two of them, each in its own separate crack, a few feet apart. Again I took a couple of photos and then moved away. This time I went farther and waited, watching from a fair distance. Eventually, the octopus on the right of the photo emerged and moved toward the other one. I edged closer and began taking photos. It was then that that octopus slowly eased a tentacle toward the other one, sliding over the rock until it reached up and over the front of the other octopus. It was such a sweet and tender gesture, as though the octopus sought reassurance in making physical contact with its companion.

I took the photo and swam off, leaving them in peace.

Convict tang shoal

This week’s posts are on the theme of the WordPress photo challenge, ‘Tour Guide.’

Getting in the water is a top activity here. Whether it’s surfing or swimming, diving or snorkeling, the water is relatively warm and reasonably clear. And there’s lots to see in the water. Here, a shoal of convict tang are joined by a couple of yellow tang, a whitespotted surgeonfish, a ringtail surgeonfish, and an orangespine unicornfish.

Fish feeding

Fish feed near the surface of the water off the Big Island of Hawaii.Fish feed near the surface of the water off the Big Island of Hawaii.

Another post based on the theme of this week’s WordPress Photo Challenge, which is ‘Silence.’

It’s not unusual to see fish feeding while snorkeling, but on this day the numbers doing so, up near the surface, were large. These are mostly Hawaiian sergeants and black triggerfish, with a few indo-pacific sergeants amongst them.

By easing myself slowly toward them, they weren’t unduly concerned, parting as I got close and returning as I passed. I felt like I was swimming in an aquarium, a quiet environment without the usual noises of everyday life.

Fish feed near the surface of the water off the Big Island of Hawaii.