Manini Beach Park... A New Snorkeling Spot!

Auntie makes sure everyone is happy at Manini Park

    On Easter Sunday, I found myself in the check out line at Walmart.  Not exactly the sunrise service at Columbia Presbyterian Church, but what can I say?  Eves dropping on my fellow parishioners, I overheard a discussion about an Easter egg hunt at Manini Park.  Said hunting grounds was described as being at the bottom of Na po po Road.  I give you this pronunciation, as this is what you may well hear as you wander lost in the Honaunau wilderness.  The road and the tiny enclave is actually Napo'opo'o and I firmly believe those glottic stops should not be omitted.
   At any rate, the description of the park was complementary to information I had received from Laura, who answers the phone at fisheries enforcement at Honokohau, where the the big boats bring in the world record marlin.  She and I had a discussion about spear fishing at Kahalu'u Beach park here in Kona.  She pointed out that the only area on the whole island of Hawaii where fishing is illegal is Kealakekua Bay, the south cusp of which is Manini Point. So as I got ready to pay for my candy eggs, I wondered about this park.  Was it a spot where sweetie and I might find fish unfamiliar with the spear, hook and net?  Friendly and plentiful, from the poisonous puffer to the toothsome flounder.

A Fishwatchers glimpse of the Hawaiian Hogfish

    A few days later, after checking things out with Mr. Google, we made our way south to the bottom of Old Napo'opo'o Rd.  Turning left, as if to drive across the desert to City of Refuge, we instead took the first right, onto a one lane road that wound along the shore for 100 yards to the beach park.  How hard was that?
    The park is privately owned by a gentleman who resides in Portland.  There are a few grassy acres and a lava reef through which winds a sand channel two to four yards wide.  An auntie stands guard under a beach umbrella, keeping the keikis in line and dispensing good advice on a variety of topics.  She told us that the tsunami had actually opened the sand channel thus improving Manini Beach Park as a snorkeling site.  Good old Mother Nature.
    That day the surf was moderate and there was a bit of slosh up and down the channel.  The Redoubtable SKG decreed that it was a piece of cake.   We sat on the lava reef to don our fins and let the surge carry us down the sand channel.   I joined Sandra in the deep water where we cleared the gravel from our fins before setting out.  (I am so lucky to have a great snorkeling companion that can take the surgey sand channel without a second thought!) 

Ladyfish  Elops Hawaiiensis Kealakekua Bay April 2012

     The sea was a little cloudy, but the slight decrease in visibility did not prevent us from noting a severe decrease in fish.  A post-swim talk with the auntie revealed the following:  net fishing (the most destructive to fry) is permitted at that park, as is fishing with a hook and line.  Spear fishing is not allowed.  However, if one goes through the gate at the far end of the park, one can enter the water and spear fish legally.  If one is caught fishing in the middle of Kealakekua Bay, they will be cited, but right by Manini park, all fishermen are welcome.  E komo mai.

The Delicious Achilles Tang with the Goldrim Hybrid

    We did see a pretty good variety of fish and the density was not a lot different from City (what some of you guys call Two Step.)  The variety might have been superior to City, but possibly not.  In addition to most of the usual suspects, we saw a Mu and Mr. Scribble.  Best of all, we saw a Black Tail Snapper and a female Hawaiian Hogfish schooling with a half dozen Blue Stripe Snapper!  Those didn't used to be rare fish, but they certainly are now.  The two snapper species are introduced fish, so I don't know if we should feel badly that they are becoming less common.  The Hawaiian Hogfish, on the other hand, is an endemic that is clearly less prevalent than it was a decade ago.  In the preceding five months, we have seen one hogfish and one Blacktail Snapper.  These were the first Bluestripe Snapper for this season!
    As we headed in, we were cut off by a mob of Ladyfish.  There were at least fifteen of these lovely,  large predators in the school and I got my best picture ever of Ladyfish.

Auntie Sandra brings you this vision of childhood bliss.

    Back ashore, we enjoyed our lunch in the tidy park.  There were a number of moms with kids and a couple families that might have been tourists.  The weather was fantastic ... blue sky, 75 degrees with a nice breeze.  And Auntie Sandra got a couple great shots of the keikis at play.
    On our way home, we stopped at the coffee company for some samples,  an avocado to go and a nice chat with the hostess.  Berni was a local gal, very familiar with Manini Park.  She only swims in really sheltered spots, so she hadn't swum there.  We told her that we found the fish there pretty good, but there were a few species missing, notably the Achille's Tang.  To clarify, i drew her a quick picture on the take home menu.  She knew this fish with the bright orange spot in front of the tail and allowed as how she finds it to be particularly buttery and flavorful.  There goes another super Hawaiian endemic!

Jeff