An Easter Egg Hunt

  The weather here in Kona has been spectacular, relatively dry with pleasing winds and blue skies.  Saturday night we had dinner on the lanai with friends.  So clear was the sky that we saw a green flash, perhaps only the third that we have witnessed from Casa Ono.  From the standpoint of a green flash, it

The Sand Sea Cucumber  H. arenicola  Kailua Kona 2016

 doesn't hurt that our new neighbor cut down the monkeypod tree that blocked a large portion of our view of the horizon.

   Easter Sunday dawned clear and cool and the Redoubtable SKG and your humble correspondent  made our way to the pier to look for the Easter Coris.  Kahalu'u would have been a virtual lock, but a very low tide was due at 9:43 and Sandra doesn't do low tides at K Bay.  Given that the entrance has been scoured of sand, its hard to blame her.

   We negotiated the traffic, bearing the faithful to mass at St. Michael's and then, to our surprise, had to deal with a large number of recreational swimmers on the Ironman side of the pier.  As it turns out, large numbers of ladies swim on Sunday morning, going out in flights at 8, 9 and 10.  Or so we were informed by a matron of a certain age.   The ladies were there in droves to celebrate the resurrection with a

Bluestripe Butterflyfish  Easter 2016

 vigorous swim. There were certainly a large number of such to contend with as we swam through the cold, clear water.  All collisions were handled with Easterly politeness.

    On the way out, we saw a few fish but no Elegant (Easter) Coris.  We made our turn at the palace.  Immediately I spotted a Sand Sea Cucumber adrift on the sandy bottom in about fifteen feet.  I was able to dive close enough to get the picture you see here.  Along with the Stubborn Sea Cucumber, this makes the second pretty good sea cucumber in a week.   Too bad they need to be in a pre-morbid state for me to get a look.

    As there was no boat traffic on Easter morning, we swam in on the outside of the swim buoys.  Near the orange mooring buoy, I spotted a handsome Potter's Angelfish in about twelve feet.  We were both able to get a good look before he swam under a coral, refusing to reappear.  This is essentially the same spot we saw Potter's two months ago.  Certainly one needs to consider boat traffic before venturing to this portion of the reef, but a glimpse at this handsome angelfish is enticing.

    We swam together to the pier and were treated to a Bluestripe Butterflyfish.  He was swimming around the coral head where we saw the cushion star two months ago, hence he was fairly shallow and he permitted

Convex Crab out for a stroll on Easter morning.

the pictures you see here.  We have seen this butterflyfish near the pier in the past, but it is rather uncommon.  I see less than one a year.

    Shortly after tiring of annoying Mr.Bluestripe, we got the best treat of the day:  a Convex Crab scuttled over the reef right in front of me.  I had the camera in my hand, so I was able to snap a picture before he headed under a rock.  Luckily, he didn't go all the way under the rock, so I was able to dive down and take a couple more photographs with him partially exposed.  This might have been only the second Convex that I have identified; the three white spots are diagnostic. 

    The convex is half the size of the seven eleven crab, the other member of the genus Carpillius that we

Convex Crab hiding out,  Kailua Kona, 2016

 see on the Hawaiian reefs.  Keeping the puffy shape of this genus in mind, it is possible that I have seen a few more and wasn't able to put a name on the crab before he scuttled away.  

    As we swam in, Sandra found a nice Yellowtail Coris in the shallows by a remarkably clod spring.  I don't suppose that we will qualify for the Polar bear Club, but swimming through apatch of 65 degree water will wake you up on an Easter morning.  That was the closest we came to an Easter Chorus on this morning, but I'm sure you will agree that we collected some delightful Easter eggs during our hunt. 

I think I see an Easter Egg in there!