Category Archives: In The Water

Stocky hawkfish

A stocky hawkfish in the waters off the Big Island of Hawaii.

A lot of fish use camouflage, either for defense or for ambushing prey. From a photographic point of view, the nice thing about these kinds of fish are that they’ll remain stationary, relying on blending in, even when I get quite close. The downside, of course, is that it’s really hard to spot them unless they move.

Lately, I’ve been on a bit of a run of noticing some of these fish, moving or not. This stocky hawkfish remained glued to this spot even as I floated a foot or two away. It’s fun to see them on the move because they swim quite fast and then plunk down on a bit of rock or coral and are instantly still.

Ambon toby

An Ambon Toby swims in the shallows off the Big Island of Hawaii.

I saw this little ambon toby in the shallows one day. The lines radiating from the eyes are quite distinctive. Supposedly they can be skittish and hard to approach, but this one seemed unperturbed by my presence.

 

Pallid ghost crab

A Pallid Ghost Crab blends in with the sand.A Pallid Ghost Crab waits by the entrance ot its burrow.

This week’s WordPress photo challenge seeks distractions and for me, one thing that gets my attention is movement. I see something out of the corner of my eye and I wonder what it was, then try to find out.

In this instance, I was crossing a beach when I noticed bits of it get up and scurry away. Closer inspection revealed several of these pallid ghost crabs. They’re beautifully camouflaged, but if that cover is blown, they zip away, and I do mean zip. They take off like Usain Bolt, then stop and disappear again.

If that doesn’t work, say because some annoying individual with a camera stays hot on the trail, the crab will head for its burrow, perch on the edge, and at the slightest unwelcome movement, disappear from view.

 

 

Blue goatfish

Blue goatfish are easy to identify with a good deal of blue on their bodies and a yellow patch in front of the tail.Blue goatfish are easy to identify with a good deal of blue on their bodies and a yellow patch in front of the tail.

Blue goatfish are easy to identify with a good deal of blue on their bodies and a yellow patch in front of the tail. When feeding, they move their long barbels forward and use them to roust small fish from cracks and coral heads.

Bluefin trevallies

A shoal of young bluefin trevallies roams the shallows.

A shoal of young bluefin trevallies roams the shallows. Adult bluefin trevallies grow to a good size and can also often be seen close to shore. When they catch the light right, they reflect an almost neon blue.

Waimanu swimming

A Hawaiian monk seal swims in a a bay

Waimanu is one of the few Hawaiian monk seals that live permanently around the Big Island. She has given birth to three pups, each time in the vicinity of Keokea Park in North Kohala. All three pups died, one from swallowing a fish hook when a few months old, the other two while still with their mother on the beach.

We’ll see if she returns to the park again this year for another go.