Divings

It's been a couple years since I dove here, so just did some exploring. Mix of macro and normal shots. Christmas Tree WormGoldring SurgeonfishTrumpetfish and Hawaiian Cleaner WrasseTrumpetfish and Hawaiian Cleaner WrasseTrumpetfish and Hawaiian Cleaner WrasseTrumpetfish and Ringtail WrasseTrumpetfish, Hawaiian Cleaner Wrasse, and Ringtail WrasseOrnate ButterflyfishOrnate ButterflyfishHawaiian Cleaner WrasseOrnate ButterflyfishOrnate Butterflyfish and Hawaiian Cleaner WrasseTrumpetfish, Hawaiian Cleaner Wrasse, and Ringtail WrassePaletail Unicronfish – Naso brevirostrisTrumpetfish and Hawaiian Cleaner WrasseTrumpetfish and Hawaiian Cleaner WrasseOrnate Butterflyfish, Lei …

Ok, so I think I finally found my extreme close-up lens and settings. Finally getting the kind of results I want on the smaller critters. Had to take the lens off for the Frogfish; he wouldn't let me get close enough to get a macro eye shot. 🙂 I also saw a Monk Seal on the move , but I couldn't get the lens off in time before he swam away. 🙁 Swelling Coral – …

A couple of interesting moments on today's dive: a huge school of Ringtail Surgeonfish descended on the St Anthony, circled it once, and left, and then on the way back to shore I find a huge Triton's Trumpet shell that had a Barred Moray Eel, a couple of Coral Banded Shrimps, and a Jeweled Anemone Hermit Crab inside. So a Hermit Crab in its shell inside another, much bigger shell. Kind of like a Russian …

Raccoon ButterflyfishLight-spotted Sea CucumberHarlequin ShrimpWhite-margin NudibranchTrembling NudibranchYellowmargin Moray EelGalactic ScorpionfishGalactic ScorpionfishPebble Collector UrchinKangaroo Nudibranch

As Murphy dictates, bring a wide-angle lens and only find small subjects. Oh well, have cropping tool and not afraid to use it. Henshaw's Snake EelHenshaw's Snake EelPacific Miter – Vexillum pacificum wisemaniPacific Miter – Vexillum pacificum wisemaniBluespotted CornetfishBluespotted CornetfishRedmargin Spanish DancerRedmargin Spanish DancerRedmargin Spanish DancerUndulated Moray EelUndulated Moray EelUndulated Moray EelRed-spotted NudibranchTrembling NudibranchRed-spotted NudibranchSponge CrabSponge CrabBearded Cusk Eel – Brotula multibarbata

In diving, unlike in life, it is good to get hung up on the little things. Another Ulua Sunset dive, well pre-sunset really. Kangaroo NudibranchKnobby Sea Star with ShrimpLeaf ScorpionfishHawaiian Green Lionfish (juvenile)Banded Coal ShrimpBanded Coal ShrimpHawaiian White-spotted TobyHawaiian White-spotted TobyHawaiian White-spotted TobyHawaiian White-spotted TobySpaghetti WormChristmas Tree WormGalactic ScorpionfishFlame Wrasse (female) – Cirrhilabrus jordaniHawaiian Domino Dmselfish (juvenile) in Slate Pencil UrchinWire Coral GobyCrown of Thorns StarfishHawaiian White-spotted Toby

Red-spotted NudibranchRed-spotted NudibranchRed-spotted NudibranchRed-spotted NudibranchWhite-margin NudibranchLaurent's Hermit CrabBlack Coral Goby on Black CoralWhitemouth Moray EelBigeye ScadBigeye ScadBigeye ScadLongnose ButterflyfishHawaiian Hogfish (mature female), Longnose Butterflyfish, Goldging Surgeonfish, Yellow TangWhite-spotted Sea Cucumber – Actinopyga variansGloomy NudibranchWire Coral Goby

Monk SealMonk SealMonk Seal

It's the goto nowadays and is always fruitful for cool critters. Saw a nudibranch I have yet to identify. Maybe another first sighting in Hawaii! I'll update this post when I find out. For now, it's "? Nudibranch". Pink LeucettaHawaiian Domino Damselfish in Crown of ThornsHawaiian Domino Damselfish in Crown of ThornsHawaiian Domino Damselfish in Crown of ThornsChristmas Tree WormBanded Coral ShrimpHawaiian White-spotted TobyMarbled ShrimpWhite-margin NudibranchWhite-margin NudibranchWhite-margin NudibranchBarred Moray EelMarbled ShrimpHawaiian Swimming CrabForskal's PleurobranchForskal's PleurobranchForskal's …

Beautiful conditions today. Makes finding the smaller reefs much easier! Heller's BarracudaHawaiian Domino Damselfish and Bigscale SoldierfishPinktail TriggerfishPinktail TriggerfishBluestripe SnapperPinktail TriggerfishPinktail TriggerfishSaddleback WrasseHawaiian Cleaner WrasseYellowmargin Moray EelHawaiian Green LionfishPotters AngelfishThreadfin ButterflyfishHawaiian Green LionfishPotters AngelfishHawaiian Green LionfishPotters AngelfishPotters Angelfish

Boat dives today. "Holo Holo" technically means "let's get together and take a stroll," but is used more like "let's get together and see where life takes us." In this case, "where life takes us" is a dive site anywhere other than Molokini Crater. Today, life took us to Tank & Landing Craft, off Maluaka Beach in Makena, for the first dive and Marty's Reef for the second. If you recall from previous posts, I …

Dove Black Rock today in Ka'anapali. Which meant driving past the remains of Lahaina Town. It was my first time on that side of the island since the fire. It's surreal. Well, I wish it were, it is painfully all too real. The first dive was a cleanup dive, so no camera. Second dive I went on my own. The current was strong so it was hard to stop and get pictures. However, conditions were …

Conditions cleaned up today finally and shore diving was excellent! I generally avoid long surface swims, preferring to use my scooters underwater to get where I want to go. But there are some sites I want to do from shore that I don't know how to find underwater yet, and/or a bit too far to do the round trip underwater. That was one of the main reasons for my purchase of the Garmin Descent Mk3i …

Surge and murky this evening, but enjoyable and nice critter spottings none-the-less. Black Brittle StarStout MorayStout MorayStout MoraySnowflake Moray EelVaricose PhyllidiaLight-spotted Sea CucumberBlack-spotted Sea CucumberBluespotted CornetfishKangaroo NudibranchLeaf Scorpionfish

Just a couple of easy shore dives at Ulua today. It was Green Lionfish central out there! I guess that's appropriate for St Patty's day. 🙂 Hawaiian Green LionfishHawaiian Green LionfishHawaiian Green LionfishHawaiian Green LionfishHawaiian Green LionfishHawaiian Green LionfishHawaiian Green LionfishRinged Sap-sucking SlugTwospot WrasseOrnate ButterflyfishSpotted BoxfishYellowhead Moray Eel & Banded Coral ShrimpYellowhead Moray Eel & Banded Coral ShrimpYellowhead Moray Eel & Banded Coral ShrimpYellowhead Moray Eel & Banded Coral ShrimpLeaf Scorpionfish & Banded Coral ShrimpBloody …

Went out on the Maui Diamond II today. T'was a very nice, relaxing dive day. Had great whale shows, and saw, we believe, a sandbar shark which is very rare in the waters, but we only caught a glimpse so the ID is not positive, and no one got pictures of it. Oh well. Sleek Unicornfish & Hawaiian Cleaner WrasseWhitetip Reef SharkWhitetip Reef SharkHawaiian Spiny LobsterYellowmargin Moray EelBig Longnose ButterflyfishBig Longnose ButterflyfishIndo-pacific Sergeant Major & …

My main mission today was to just go and hang out at the St Anthony and listen to the whales and hope that one (or more) might swim by. They have been so loud and so abundant lately in that area that I figure one day, if I play the odds, I will get lucky. Today was not that day. But the Milletseed Butterflyfish got used to me hanging around and decided that I, and …

These are becoming my favorite. I always spot some interesting critters. Varicose PhyllidiaWhite-margin NudibranchGloomy NudibranchKangaroo NudibranchKangaroo NudibranchGalactic ScorpionfishSpotted Boxfish – maleSpotted Boxfish – maleBigfin SquidBigfin SquidBigfin Squid

Catching up with posting. Pictures are from dives over the last few days since returning from the Bahamas: Aloha Reef, Z-Blocks, Keawakapu, Marty's Reef, and Makena Landing. Raccoon and Ornate ButterflyfishRaccoon ButterflyfishOrnate ButterflyfishRainbow ButterflyfishYellow TangsThornback CowfishLeaf ScorpionfishRedbarred Hawkfish – Cirrhitops fasciatusDomino DamselfishAshy Sea Cucumber – Holothuria cinerascensWhitemouth Moray EelBlackside Hawkfish, Bigscale Soldierfish, Squarespot GoatfishBlackspot Goatfish, Yellowfin Goatfish, Hawaiian Cleaner Wrasse, Sleek UnicornfishBogscale Soldierfish, Yellow TangSquarespot Goatfish and Bluestripe Snapper schoolRaccoon ButterflyfishTrumpetfishSculptured Slipper LobsterBigeye ScadJeweled Anemone …

After a long flight, and 2 days of no diving due to foul weather, I finally got to do 8 dives over 4 days at Tiger Beach in the Bahamas with Epic Diving. The experience was awesome. Though I generally prefer "natural," IOW unexpected and unprompted, encounters, being able to get this close and even touch Tiger Sharks was awe inspiring. This is a big picture dump. I took no above water pictures except a …