Red Reef Lobster molt

A Red Reef Lobster molt in the waters off Hawaii

I saw this scene almost immediately after getting in the water, the bright red catching my eye. At first I thought it was some kind of garish fishing lure, snagged in the rocks. Then I saw other details and figured it must be some kind of marine invertebrate and probably a molt.

When I got home, checked the photos, and consulted my marine invertebrates book, I realized it was the molt of a Red Reef Lobster. Its sensory hairs can clearly be seen on the claw. These lobster are active at night and so rarely seen, but they can live in shallow waters and they molt every 6 weeks or so.

I doubt I’ll ever see a live Red Reef Lobster, so this is probably as close as it gets.

Passing through

A Passion Vine Butterfly caterpillar in HawaiiA Passion Vine Butterfly caterpillar and fly in Hawaii

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

The orange and black spiky thing is a Passion Vine Butterfly caterpillar, which I saw munching on a passion vine, as they do. The fly didn’t register with me until I processed the photos, but it was definitely a fleeting moment.

Walking with dolphins

A Spinner dolphin leaps from the waters off Hawaii
A Spinner dolphin leaps from the waters off Hawaii
A Spinner dolphin leaps from the waters off Hawaii

Wait a minute, I hear you say, isn’t that supposed to be swimming with dolphins? Usually yes, but in this case, I was walking along the coast when I noticed a splash in the water. Another followed and I quickly recognized the familiar shape and behavior of Spinner Dolphins.

For almost half an hour, I watched as a large pod of dolphins – at least 50 and possibly as many as 100 – cavorted offshore. We were all heading in the same direction and, in normal circumstances, dolphins would easily outpace me, but these were having fun. In addition to spinning, I saw a lot of other regular jumps. Sometimes the dolphins turned back the way they came or headed toward shore, surfing in the waves.

When I turned inland, to head back to my car, they were still in sight and still spinning and frolicking in the waves.

Posted for Jo’s Monday Walk. See more responses here.

A Spinner dolphin leaps from the waters off Hawaii

Cacao tree

Cacao pods at Hawaii Tropical Bioreserve and Garden
A cacao pod at Hawaii Tropical Bioreserve and Garden

I saw this Cacao Tree or Cocoa Tree (Theobroma Cacao) at Hawai’i Tropical Bioreserve & Garden. I think it’s been there a long time, but this is the first time I’ve noticed it with pods. The pods are the fruit of the tree and if you cut one open, inside you’ll find a cluster of fun-sized candy bars.

Well, maybe not, but you will find an important contributor to those candy bars, cacao seeds or beans, the prime ingredient in chocolate. Each of those seeds, up to 60 per pod, contains a large amount of fat, otherwise known as cocoa butter.

For more information about Hawai’i Tropical Bioreserve & Garden, go to htbg.com.

A wasp in the grass

A wasp clambers through the grass
A wasp clambers through the grass

I noticed this wasp clambering through the grass one day recently. It made no attempt to fly, but didn’t seem damaged in any way. Its movements were a bit frenetic and, frankly, it looked a bit insane. So naturally, I got down on my hands and knees and shoved my camera into its face, taking photos!

I shoved enough that at one point the wasp climbed onto the lens and up onto the camera. At that point I decided discretion was the better part of photography, set my camera down in the grass, and waited for it to finish its exploration and stagger away, which it duly did.

A wasp clambers through the grass