Tag Archives: Snorkeling

The Numbers Game #26

Sunrise from the road to Mauna Loa Observatory, now no longer accessible since the 2022 eruption.

The idea of The Numbers Game is to enter a number into the search bar of your computer and then post a selection of the photos that turn up. This week’s number is 147. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.

A view of Rainbow Falls in Hilo Hawaii
Rainbow Falls in Hilo.
The stairs down to Kaumana Caves in Hilo.
A view of a river gully on the Hamakua Coast in Hawaii as seen from the air
A view of Kealakaha Stream gully, on the Hamakua Coast, from the air.
A Black Triggerfish looking agitated in the waters off Hawaii
An agitated Black Triggerfish.
Hawaiian Zebra blenny and Padina japonica in a tide pool in Hawaii
Hawaiian Zebra Blenny in a filed of Padina japonica seaweed.
A view of Mauna Kea from Mauna Loa showing Pahoehoe and A’a lava flows side by side.

Scrawled Filefish

A Scrawled Filefish in the waters off Hawaii

When I first saw this Scrawled Filefish, I tried and failed to get any decent photos, so I carried on swimming. When I looked behind me a bit later, I saw the fish following me as they sometimes do, and I got this photo.

Scrawled Filefish are not just curious looking, they’re also curious fish. They will often trail swimmers, checking them out.

The Numbers Game #25

Encrusted pilings in Kawaihae Harbor, Hawaii
Corals grow on the pilings in Kawaihae Harbor.

The idea of The Numbers Game is to enter a number into the search bar of your computer and then post a selection of the photos that turn up. This week’s number is 146. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.

These photos, all with a 146 in their numeric identification, are from a snorkel in murky water in Kawaihae Harbor.

Orange Red Didemnid in Kawaihae Harbor, Hawaii
I think this is Orange-red Didemnid, a kind of tunicate.
Encrusted pilings in Kawaihae Harbor, Hawaii
Pilings in murky water.
Antler Coral on a piling in Kawaihae Harbor, Hawaii
Antler Coral grows on a piling in Kawaihae Harbor.
A Banded Urchin on a piling in Kawaihae Harbor, Hawaii
A Banded Urchin on a piling.
An Aama crab on a piling in Kawaihae Harbor, Hawaii
Above the water, A’ama crabs move around on the pilings.
A Diadema savignyi urchin on a rock in Kawaihae Harbor, Hawaii
A rare Diadema savignyi Urchin, with its electric blue lines on the test.

Blacktip Reef Shark

A Blacktip Reef Shark in the waters off Hawaii

I don’t see sharks a lot, but when I do they’re usually Whitetip Reef Sharks, which are fairly common around the island. I’ve seen others, including a few Blacktip Reef Sharks, but haven’t got photos of them before.

A few days ago, snorkeling out of Lapakahi, this Blacktip Reef Shark emerged out of hazy waters, heading my way. When it saw me, it veered off to the side, zipped past, and continued on its way. The shark was no more than four feet long, but there was no mistaking it with those markings.

It was a short encounter, so I only took a few photos and, given the conditions, had no great hopes that the photos would be any good, or that the shark would even be in them! So I was pleased that this one shot turned out halfway decent.

Lurking

A Spotted Coral Blenny peeks out from a head of Cauliflower Coral in Hawaii

I took this photo of a head of Cauliflower Coral because I was happy about how healthy it looked. Then I saw that I was being watched. This Spotted Coral Blenny was wedged into the coral head, as they do, clearly waiting for me to move on.

Well, it is the last of the month, so time for me to move forward into June and for the blenny to go about his business.

Posted for Becky’s Squares: Move Forward, Reconstruct, Renew, and/or are Burgeoning. See more responses here.

Waves

Wavelets in Pelakane Bay Hawaii
A calm morning with little wavelets and a view of Hualalai.

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Water, Waterscapes and/or Water Safety.’ See more responses here. Captions on the photos.

Also posted for Becky’s Squares: Move Forward, Reconstruct, Renew, and/or are Burgeoning, because waves are always moving forward. See more responses here.

A fishing boat off the coast of Hawaii
Time for a swim. Looks like a good morning for fishing too.
A breaking wave in Hawaii
Uh oh. Here comes a bigger wave.
A boat anchor outside breaking waves in Hawaii
Best stay outside the surf line.
Waipio beach seen from the lookout
They don’t look too big from up here.
A surfer heads out at Kawaihae Hawaii
Still, the surfers will be happy.
Sunset off the beach at Mauna Kea Resort Hawaii
Ahhh. All is calm again.

Triton’s Trumpet

A Triton's Trumpet in the waters off Hawaii

It’s been a long time since I saw a Triton’s Trumpet, so I was happy to spot this one soon after I got into the water recently. However, it didn’t look like it was in a good situation, shell down in the rocks and the opening exposed. I’m not one to interfere with nature too much so I took photos and carried on with my swim. When I returned, I looked for it again and found it right side up and all well.

Triton’s Trumpets are extremely large marine snails. Even when I first saw it, in its precarious position, there was probably no danger. Triton’s Trumpets have no predators in nature. The biggest threat to them is, of course, us humans, who covet them for their very attractive shells.

A downside of this is that these snails are one of the few things that eat Crown-of-Thorns Stars, which are significant destroyers of coral. So going out and buying one of these shells contributes in a direct way to the disappearance of coral reefs.

One thing I have yet to see, but would very much like to see, is a Triton’s Trumpet going after a Crown-of-Thorns Star. That’s because they’re considered to be very speedy snails. Even though a Crown-of-Thorns Star can detect the presence of a Triton’s Trumpet and get a head start, the snail can run it down, moving forward with considerable purpose!

Posted for Becky’s Squares: Move Forward, Reconstruct, Renew, and/or are Burgeoning. See more responses here.

A Triton's Trumpet in the waters off Hawaii

The Numbers Game #21

Sunken roads at South Point Hawaii
Sometimes, the way to move forward is unclear, as when navigating these roads at South Point.

The idea of The Numbers Game is to enter a number into the search bar of your computer and then post a selection of the photos that turn up. This week’s number is 142. Captions are on the photos. You can see more responses here.

Also posted for Becky’s Squares: Move Forward, Reconstruct, Renew, and/or are Burgeoning. See more responses here.

Cattle and their egrets near Hawi Wind Farm.
A lunar eclipse over Hawaii
A lunar eclipse a few years ago.
Two Asian Swallowtail butterflies frolic on the wing.
A Whitemouth Moray Eel in the waters off Hawaii
A Whitemouth Moray Eel.
Acute Halfbeaks swim in the waters off Hawaii
Acute Halfbeaks swim just below the surface in the waters off the Kohala coast.