Hawaiian Cleaner Wrasse at work

A Hawaiian Cleaner Wrasse and Whitebar Surgeonfish in the waters off Hawaii
A Hawaiian Cleaner Wrasse and Whitebar Surgeonfish in the waters off Hawaii

Cleaner wrasses establish territories where they remove mucus, parasites, and dead tissue from other fish. These cleaning stations can exist in the same place for years and can have several wrasses performing those services. Their clients can be anything from other small reef fish to eels and sharks.

In these photos, a Hawaiian Cleaner Wrasse services a Whitebar Surgeonfish.

A look down Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway

Queen Kaahumanu Highway on the Big Island, Hawaii, as seen from the air

The Queen Ka’ahumanu Highway was built in the 1970s to connect Kailua Kona to Kawaihae and Waimea along a coastal route. This also opened up the south Kohala coast for resort development that had been led by the Mauna Kea Resort, which opened in the late 1960s. Mauna Kea Resort is in the foreground of this image.

Shower time

An Hawaiian Garden Spider in the rain

I saw this female Hawaiian Garden Spider scooting up a strand of her web during a welcome rain shower. She stopped just before reaching the top and was soon the recipient of drops of water dripping from the roof. When the rain passed, she carried on up to the gutter.

I think she was getting some water to drink and possibly enjoying having a little wash. It’s been very dry here lately and water has been in short supply for the local wildlife.