From the Land of Sky Blue Waters

    Winter here in the land of rainbows is the time of the year when things cool down.  When the Hamm's bear gets up in the morning, he puts on a coat and maybe even a hat.  And the water cools down to an even

greater degree.  The green and brown algae that clings like a shroud to the rocks on the bottom of the bays dies off.  And so does the algae suspended in the water.  The bays look clean.  And the water is clear, providing a great opportunity for said bear to pick up his camera and take some pictures.  Lofty balsams aside, if you want to take pictures of fish, there is no substitute for clear water.

    This week the surf was calm enough to let the water clear up to a startling degree.  Sandra and I went snorkeling at the pier on Wednesday and the folks changing, apres swim, at the cubby wear all, "The water is sooo clear today."  Of course, it was a little cold , too, but not so bad.

    In the shallows in front of the Fish Hopper, Sandra found a small porcupinefish.  Not so unusual on the

  Paul Allen side, but a nice find in the well illuminated shallows. 

     Just past the last swim buoy, I spotted twenty or more milkfish.  I would like to propose, that if it is a murder of ravens and a flamboyance of flamingos, shouldn't it be a dairy of milkfish?   Just think about that while you are pouring the 2% on your cheerios.

     The milkfish were a nice find.  Our records reveal that we saw them last  in Kailua Bay in January of the previous year .  Our last two spottings were at Manini Bay and at Waialea (Beach 69)  in May of last year. They are large, shiny and blend into the sandy background.  If the water hadn't been clear, we probably wouldn't have seen them.

    John Hoover interviewed an expert on aquaculture in the Philippines who reported that when cooked, milkfish turn the broth a milky white.  (When you add ouzo to water the same thing happens, although I

suspect that the chemical reaction is different.)  She also said that the milkfish are delicious when grown in brackish ponds.  Back in 2013, while strolling past the handsome fish pond at the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel with our nephew Andrew, we happened upon three people harvesting milkfish.  Lying there on the manicured lawn, there were four big, beautiful fish, at least three feet in length.  And if you can believe the lady in the P. I,, delicious.  I sincerely regret that search as I may, I can not find a photograph of these particular milkfish and the people hauling the monsters onto the lawn.  Mea culpa.

   Back in the cool clear water, I chased the dairy of milkfish and captured the picture you see here.  I wasn't able to get within ten meters, so the picture isn't outstanding.  But delicious fish have to take precautions, right?

  After dealing with a whitebar surgeon that was so yellow I wanted to turn it into a masked rabbitfish (which

it most assuredly was not) we made the turn for home.  Immediately we ran into a pair of scribbled filefish.  Sandra recalls her first trip to Hawai'i and a scribbled filefish that followed her around K Bay.  Since that day, Mr. Scribble has been her totem.  Thus, we stopped to admire this pair.  Initially on the bottom they were splotched dark and light.  After a moment, though, one ascended and lightened to the classic pattern that I was able to capture to the great effect you see here.
 
     Returning through  the shallows, Sandra struck pay dirt again.  She watched as a lizardfish made a dash and then settled right in front of her.  What she then saw was  the taciturn visage of an Orangemouth Lizardfish.  He sat there stolidly while I captured his

image replete with those blazing orange lips. These are easily my best pictures of this colorful and unusual species.

Yesterday I went snorkeling with the indefatigable Bob Hillis.  He had hoped to get in at Mile Marker 4, which is that little bay adjacent to White Sands Beach Park.  Too bad for him, he had hooked up with a wuss who didn't want to get cut to shreds. 
   
     We ended up at Kahalu'u, which was amazing.  The water was clear throughout the bay, unprecedented in my experience.  And the fish were numerous and  determined to show off.    Between us we found 4 species of moray eels and a great many of the usual suspects in their brightest colours.   Bob must have taken over one hundred pictures.  I didn't do too badly myself with the Red labrid Wrasse and the Arc Eye Hawkfish.   This Red labrid was less

than three centimeters in length.  I have to give the camera a lot of credit.  Its ability to focus quickly and coordinate the flash creates some remarkable images of tiny underwater animals.

    The arc eye hawkfish  was very patient with me, allowing me several opportunities to dive down and  brace against the current for a picture.  It's not often that a hawkfish allows several approaches with in two feet.  From their skittish behavior, one might deduce that they are also delicious.  It took a only a little work at home to clean up the image to the one you see here.  Not too shabby...nothing like clear water, a fast camera and a Hamm's beer.

 A gorgeous Stocky Hawkfish  perched cooperatively in the open and a stout moray eel maneuvered in and out of a coral to complete the day.   We had swam for almost two hours in the chilly bay, but it was well

 worth a few shivers.  It's hard to imagine taking a hot shower and then hiding under a quilt for an hour on a sultry Hawaiian afternoon.  But I'm here to tell you, if you work things just right, it can happen.

Last night we had dinner with some friends down at the beach.  As we dined on homemade chili and rolls, we listened to the rising surf as it banged against the rocks.  Time for the Hamm's Bear to don a new persona.

jeff