Undulated Moray Eel

An undulated eel with other fish
An undulated eel in the waters off Hawaii

I saw this Undulated Moray Eel out in the open recently and, rather than dart for shelter, it remained where it was opening and closing its jaws. While this looks threatening, it’s typical of most eels, the purpose being to push water over its gills, the equivalent of breathing. However, that’s not to say it’s a good idea to dive down and interact with the eel.

My fish book describes the Undulated Moray Eel as “one of the nastiest.” Its narrow jaws hold three rows of teeth, one running down the middle of its mouth. It’s usual prey includes small fish, but this eel was accompanied by a changing group of fish, and neither seemed too bothered about the other.

In Hawaii, this eel is often called the chainlink eel, for obvious reasons.

An undulated eel in the waters off Hawaii

To the winner goes the spoils

Two Green Anoles locked in combat

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Peek.’ See more responses here.

I had a couple of photos lined up for this, but a few days ago I was outside cleaning windows. (I do it annually, whether they need it or not!) I got distracted by a kerfuffle in the cane grass behind me. I thought I saw an anole, so dashed inside and got my camera. When I got back and peeked into the tangle mass of cane grass, I could see two anoles locked in mortal combat.

I was pretty sure this was two males fighting. Usually, when there’s a territorial dispute there’s a lot of puffing and posturing that resolves the issue. This time, the two anoles were similar sized and the challenge was on.

It was hard to get a clear view, but each anole had a grip on the other’s head. Both sported dark bruising from the encounter. They wrestled to gain the upper hand, jerking up and down the cane grass as they did so.

Eventually, they fell apart. It was hard to tell who was the winner, but since one of them left the scene, I figured the other had won or defended his territory. However, since he was staggering around like he’d just gone 15 rounds with Mike Tyson, the other one might want to regroup and see about coming out for round 2!

Punalu’u Black Sand Beach Park

Punaluu black sand beach in Hawaii

Punalu’u is one of the more popular places to visit on the Big Island. For one thing, it’s a black sand beach that’s easily accessible. It’s also a great place to see Green Turtles and sometimes Hawksbill Turtles. There’s picnic tables and restrooms, you can camp there, and it’s a beautiful stretch of coastline to wander along.

On my most recent visit, I was happy to see that the area where the turtles tend to rest has been more obviously identified with a rock wall and signs. This is part of the ongoing efforts to deter the ‘Let’s get a picture of little Billy riding the turtle’ crowd. Oh yes, they exist and, sadly, they’re nowhere near as endangered as the turtles. There is one turtle in this photo, but it looks like a rock.

Punaluu black sand beach with turtle resting area

Here’s a closer look.

Punaluu black sand beach with turtle resting

And a close up (with a zoom lens), getting some much needed rest.

Punaluu black sand beach with turtle resting

I really like Punalu’u, especially early in the day as this was. Later on, it can get very crowded.

Baby centipede

A small centipede in Hawaii

Centipedes have a modified pair of front legs behind the head, through which they inject their venom, so they don’t really bite, but sting. I have yet to be stung by a centipede, he says tempting fate, but I’m told that it’s extremely painful regardless of the size of the centipede.

This little centipede, which I was happy to spot outside the house, was probably no more than an inch long. But I was taking no chances and ushered it away from the house without getting too up close and personal.

Malcolm’s Bench

A bench near Mahukona Lighthouse in Hawaii

This bench, located on the shoreline just below the lighthouse between Mahukona and Lapakahi, is a memorial to Malcolm Davis. Malcolm was a North Kohala man who disappeared while freediving off this part of the coast in 2020. He was 20 years old and was never found.

A bench near Mahukona Lighthouse in Hawaii

It’s a lovely spot, with a view up and down the coast and across to Maui, a place to sit and watch the waves, a place for contemplation.

A bench near Mahukona Lighthouse in Hawaii