A Crab, a Fish and a Kuki'o Beach Update

  Over the last two days I have been lucky enough to experience a couple worthy sightings, one on the home court and another in a surprising location.

Snap!  No wonder he's smiling!

     Wednesday morning, after dropping off another trunk full of yard debris, I headed down to the pier.  The cruise ship was in and it was very busy, even in the water.  What a change from two days earlier when the place was virtually deserted.  As I swam out, I saw those small fish that I identified in the last blog as juvenile blue fin trevally.  As I came up with that ID on my own, with the help of Google images (an unreliable source, for obvious reasons) I gave them another look and said to myself, "Snap!  If those turn out to be maturing flagtails, I'll be eating crow again." 
 
    Snap, as defined in the Modern Urban Dictionary, is a term of dismay.  As in "Snap!  My pit bull just ate my last three oxycodones."  As it replaces a phrase or two that might cause one to be labeled coarse or vulgar in genteel company, "Snap!" can be quite useful.   But I digress.

    It was usual suspects all the way our to the palace, where I was momentarily surprised to see a fellow swimming rapidly fifteen feet below me wearing very long fins.  "Why is he swimming so fast in the opposite

Seven Eleven Crab Carpilius maculatus  Kailua Kona 2014

direction?" I wondered.  I made a leisurely loop back and was doodling along in the vicinity of the outermost swim buoy when the man with the long fins appeared at my side and said, "Would you like to see a cool crab?"

    Well, I always want to see something cool. I suppose that's why I go snorkeling.  So I followed him back about five yards and, amazingly, the crab was still there.  It was a Seven Eleven Crab, dining happily on the sand just outside the reef.  As it was only about twelve feet down, I was able to dive quite close to get the pictures you see here.  

    The crab was remarkably large, perhaps eight inches across.  In Hoover's critter book, John notes that this crab is usually seen at night.  This may explain why I haven't seen it before.  (I really ought to swim at night more frequently.)  He also discusses the distinctive coloration.  His photo shows a tan carapace with burgundy spots.  This animal had a gray blue carapace with dark gray spots.  If one uses her imagination, one might be convinced that the spots are a dark shade of violet.  Regardless, there is no doubt about the identification.  This was a Seven Eleven Crab!  Tick it off.

    In defense of the photographer, if you want to take a really sharp underwater picture, you need really clear water.  The water here has been cloudy at best since our return. 

How much air remains in your lung after forced exhalation?

   Back on the beach, I encountered my guide, whose name is Rob.  Rob likes to free dive with his Go Pro camera.  He had some amusing tales of diving with the rays at the cleaning station which segued into a description of the mild delerium he experiences when he stays down too long.  After a brief discussion of hypoxia, hypercarbia and respiratory physiology, we bid a fond farewell with hopes that we might meet again in the briny deep.

    Yesterday Sandra and I took an excursion.  Our grandchild, my very namesake, and his parents are coming for a visit in a few short weeks and we wanted to check out the beach near the Four Seasons.  It was our recollection that Kuki'o Beach might be just the place for young Keahi to become acquainted  with Kanaloa. 

    Taking the first left after Cemetery Beach,  were greeted cordially by Lono at the gatehouse and issued a visitors beach pass.  After traversing multiple jarring traffic bumps, we arrived at the parking area.  It was

Milletseed Pair in Denuded Kuki'o Bay

about 10 AM as we made our way down to the well groomed beach with the killer tidepool.  This must be the nicest place on our coast for a toddler to encounter the ocean.  We strolled over to the pleasantly shaded lawn where I noticed that there was now, in front of a couple gazillion dollar homes,  a small sandy entry to the bay.

     Sandra settled down to read her book, while I made my way to the sandy entry.  In times gone by, entering here might not have been so easy, but the rocks at the shoreline have been stripped of coral.  Swimming out, I could not avoid noticing that most of the rocks in the shallows were now devoid of marine life,  Maybe just a thin veneer of algae.  Que triste!   In spite of this lack of coral,  I did encounter a pair of Milletseed Butterflyfish.  to the bitter end, I will not lose hope that this handsome species, once so common, recovers.

     Further out,  there were small patches of coral among larger areas where coral had lived before the era of coral death.  Fish were not especially plentiful and very spooky.  There were a pair of spear fishermen

Longspine Pufferfish  Diodon holocanthus  Bonaire 2009

nearby which probably explains the nervous fish.  The water was cloudy and overall it was not the glorious Hawaiian reef experience one hopes for.

    But suddenly right below me was a Longspine Pufferfish, Diodon holocanthus.  Although I used to see this handsome fish every time I came to Hawaii back in the 80s it has become really uncommon.  I can't recall the last time I saw one in Hawaii.  Sandra and I did see one in Bonaire five years ago, so I have a photo to show you.  The fish in Bonaire were quite docile...           spearfishing is not allowed on that small Caribbean island.   This fish, quite to the contrary, took off like a bat out of hell.  It makes me wonder if spear fishermen are so indiscriminate that they take poisonous puffers, or do all the fish get jumpy when they are in area of frequent spear fishing?  Well, as any fish in the sea can out swim me,  my pursuit was in vain; I did not get a lovely photo, but at least I got a good, brief look.  Tick it off!

The Beach Scene at Kuki'o Bay

    On our way out we got another look at the beach, now littered with keikis in their colorful bathing costumes.  Happily, even at 11 AM on this weekday, there were a few parking spots available.  We'll see you back on this beach in early August with little Keahi!

Aloha Keahi!  Lookin' Good at the Bay Luau!