Tag Archives: Snorkeling

Predators

Blue Goatfishes and other fish hunt fro prey in the waters off Hawaii

It’s not unusual to see this kind of gang activity while snorkeling, and what they’re doing is hunting. Their prey is small fish that take sanctuary in coral heads and among the rocks.

This bunch of hunters is dominated by Blue Goatfishes, easily identified by their blue bodies and yellow saddle at the base of the tail. There’s also a Bluefin Trevally and Pacific Trumpetfish toward the bottom of the photo and, near the top of the photo, a Peacock Grouper with a Whitemouth Moray Eel curling below it.

Eels are popular members of these hunting parties because they can wriggle into the smallest spaces, flushing out prey. The goatfishes perform similar work using long, white barbels below the chin to probe small spaces in the hopes of disturbing a meal. Other fish tag along hoping to be beneficiaries of this work by being the first to snag any victims that get flushed out.

Aquatic

A greeting on the sea floor at Two Step, Hawaii

This week’s Sunday Stills color challenge theme is ‘Teal or Aqua.’ See more responses here. I’m going underwater for a selection of aquatic aquas.

The top photo shows what happens when divers have too much time on their hands.

Next, we have some Square-spot Goatfishes and a few Orangeband Surgeonfishes meandering over a patch of sand. Then a Bullethead Parrotfish displaying a variety of colors. And a shoal of Hawaiian Silversides going hither and yon over a rocky bottom.

Goatfish and orangeband surgeonfish in the waters off Hawaii
A Bullethead Parrotfish in the waters off Hawaii
Hawaiian Silversides in the waters off Hawaii

Finally, a couple of Spinner Dolphin photos, where they swam below me over an aqua background.

Spinner Dolphins in the waters off HawaiiA Spinner Dolphin in the waters off Hawaii

A Raccoon Butterflyfish says hello

Raccoon Butterflyfishes swim in the waters off Hawaii
Raccoon Butterflyfishes swim in the waters off Hawaii
A Raccoon Butterflyfish swims in the waters off Hawaii

I was snorkeling recently in a marine reserve where fishing is prohibited and the fish there are noticeably more mellow than those in my usual snorkeling spot, where fishing of all kinds takes place.

The Raccoon Butterflyfishes there passed close by without concern. Smaller groups maintained a tight formation, while the odd one wasn’t shy about checking me out.

Fishing float

An inflated bag, used as a fishing float, on the waters off Hawaii

I saw this floating bag while out snorkeling. It looks like flotsam, but people fishing use such bags to get their hook and line out far enough to where it won’t get snagged on rocks and coral. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon to see such bags, deflated and abandoned, left behind in the water. That’s because they do sometimes get caught on rocks or because the line broke leaving them to drift, just one more bit of drifting garbage.

Pacific Trumpetfish

A pacific trumpetfish and two yellow tangs in the waters off Hawaii

A Pacific Trumpetfish drifts in the water as a couple of Yellow Tangs pass by. Trumpetfishes often hang vertically, head down waiting to snag a meal. They also change color and markings to blend in with other fish, hoping to sneak up on prey.

Trumpetfishes looks easy to spot, but they propel themselves with dorsal and anal fins set far back on the body where they’re not seen by potential prey and, from the front, which is where its prey is, they’re very hard to see.

Flowery Flounder in reverse

A flowery flounder on the sand in Hawaii
A flowery flounder swimming in Hawaii
A flowery flounder on the sand in Hawaii

The top photo shows a Flowery Flounder resting on a patch of sandy sea floor. These fish blend in so well they’re almost impossible to spot. The trick is to spot them on the move (second photo). In motion, they’re quite distinctive with their undulating movement, especially if the pectoral fin is raised as in this photo.

The third photo shows the fish just as it landed on the sand to begin its very fast process of blending in.

Green turtle circling

A Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle swims by
A Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle swims by

I was snorkeling in some fairly hazy water and lamenting that, on such a day, I wasn’t going to get any decent photos unless something swam right up to my face. Not long after, this little turtle showed up and did just that. It looped around me several times before diving lower and heading away. But it made my day and I was glad I hadn’t given up on my swim earlier when I was feeling as gloomy as the water.

A Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle swims by