The Juvenile Raccoon Butterflyfish at Mahukona

    As Friday approached, Sandra was becoming progressively anxious.  This was a day full of scheduling conflicts.  In the morning we had an appointment to meet with Nick the Handyman.  Starting on Wednesday our neighbor Lonnie started pleading for a ride to the airport for a 9 AM

If your gonna beat the Utes, you gotta dress sharp.

departure to Kauai.  In the late afternoon we had a long standing obligation to take our house sitters, Anita and Brian, back to dear old KOA.  Who could have anticipated several months previous when we agreed to that transfer that our beloved Huskies would be in the PAC-12 Championship game kicking off against University of Utah Utes at 3:30.

   These are not the same Utes that Joe Pesci defended in his hilarious classic My Cousin Vinny, but a bit of searching on the internet left no doubt that the Utah partisans are big fans of this movie.  If the NCAA decides that Utah may no longer use the Indian tribe, excuse me, Native Americans, as a mascot the partisans may well dress up in burgundy tails.

    By Thursday morning I had an idea that, if it wouldn't make things easier, might make them more enjoyable.  Noting that St. Nick, being an independent sort of fellow, was making noises about getting here when he could, I proposed that we give him a pass (he could come on Monday instead)

Juvenile Pink Tail Triggerfish, Mahukona, November 2018

and after dropping Lonnie and Anne off at the airport, we could go to Mahukona.  After all, by the time we got to KOA we would be a third of the way to Kawaihae.  Why not make the best of it?

   After Nick happily accepted a postponement, I dropped a quick text to Peter, our fish watching friend from Kapa'au.  Peter was on it like an Alabama State Trooper on a hapless teenage driver.  We were on for 8:30.

    But the best was yet to come.  Shortly after dinner, Lonnie texted us, saying that their real estate agent would take them to the airport at 7 AM.  The following morning, as I was gathering our snorkeling gear, Sandra called from the bedroom.  Anita had broken her washing machine, could not store her car as planned, and this parlayed into her real estate agent getting them to the airport.  Or picking up their car.  Who cares about the details?  We were free to watch he Monsters of Montlake fight the dreaded Utes, no leaving halfway through the fourth quarter for taxi duty.  And they say there isn't a God!

    And so we found ourselves motoring care free up The Queen Q highway on a brilliant Friday

Maui rising majestically behind Marla.

morning.  As we approached Waikoloa the Kohala mountains were gorgeous.  Not only that, but in the distance Maui rose out of the ocean in unprecedented glory.

    Peter and Marla were waiting for us by the bay.  We hadn't seen them in two months so we had some catching up to do before we went swimming.  You may recall that a year or so ago, we went fishwatching together to Bali.  Our friends liked it so well that they went back for three weeks and just returned two weeks ago.  Peter is an exceptionally talented underwater photographer and if you enjoy my humble efforts, you should sign on to his blog, onebreathkohala, where he is posting some remarkable photos from their recent trip.

    It was a big high tide yesterday at Mahukona and this is nothing but good.  The water was just at the top of the ladder so getting in was like slipping into a swimming pool.  Once in the water, I looked around and thought, "What a bunch of fish."  Among other things, two Achilles tangs were swimming right in front of me.  And that was just for starters.

    As we reconnoitered, Peter alerted me that there were juvenile pink tail triggerfish in the bay.  This is a moderately unusual juvenile that I have seen only a handful of times before.  Instead of a pink tail

Juvenile Raccoon butterflyfish, Mahukona November 2018

they have one of dark orange.  Otherwise, they are the same in size and behavior, e.g. skittish.  Within a few strokes I saw three of these interesting fish. Bonanza! Unlike what I have seen in the past, which is also the way they are described in field guys, these guys boasted tails ranging from a light orange through yellow, almost to chartreuse.  I figure that they don't have enough carrots in their diet.  Perhaps they have substituted some of the romaine lettuce that we have been disposing of by the ton.

    Before heading out, I took a few minutes to photograph these fish.  I thought I had the perfect picture, but when I got it home, I found that I had been shooting into the sun; it was only 8:30 and the

Christmas comes to Casa Ono.

sun was low in the south east sky.  So in preparing this picture for you I had to deal with a lot of scattered light.  Still, it gives you a pretty good idea of the coloration.

   On my way out to the north side of the bay, I spotted a female pearl wrasse.  Usually a plummy red, this lady was fairly dark, still bearing the myriad of white spots that gives the species its common name.  This fish used to be fairly common around Kailua, but we don't see it no mo'.  So this was a treat. 

   Out in the deep middle Marla spotted an octopus about 30 feet down.  He was working with a goatfish.  Naturally, despite multiple attempts, the camera was unable to take a picture of the octopus.  Instead, I'm presenting a picture of Marla in snorkeling regalia.  But what is that rising behind her?  Maui!

    On the south side of the bay we found a dozen or so milletseeds.  On the way in we saw one of my favorites, a juvenile Christmas wrasse with red and white patches forward and some spotted blue aft with a yellow tail.

A second look at the remarkable juvenile 'coon.

   But the best was yet to come.  Just opposite the ladder is a monumental chain which leads eventually to a giant anchor.  the links are damn near a foot in length and five inches thick.  covered with blue green coralline algae.  It would make a tremendous ornament in a giant's aquarium.  I was following the chain towards shore, just getting ready to make my turn to the ladder, when I spotted a small butterflyfish.  He was using the chain for cover, but I was able to dive down and hold onto one of the links, waiting until he appeared in the open.  And it was worth the wait, this was an adolescent size raccoon butterfly.  Look carefully and you will see an occulus above the tail and that distinctive black wing behind the white mask line.  Once out in the open, he remained in place long enough for six quick shots.

   In my humble estimation, this is a rare sighting.  Certainly it is the first of my storied career.  (Don't believe all the stories you hear.)  Just under two years ago I did a show entitled the keikis of the reef, in which I made four of the possible juvenile butterflies.   We see the teardrop and four spot routinely in the late summer.  And in another lucky encounter I was able to follow a keiki blacklip as he

On Friday night Judge Chamberlain Haller declared the Utes out of order.

developed for a month in the shallows by the Kailua pier.  However, I had to use the field guides for pictures of the keiki ornate, which I still haven't seen, and the raccoon.  This year I have used those baby butterflies to decorate the top of our Christmas tree, so I was very well prepared to name this fish.

 John Hoover says that the juvenile 'coon can be found in tidepools.  All I have to say is that Mahukona is the best tidepool for fishwatching on the leeward side of the Big Island.

jeff

PS.  In a hard fought struggle the Dogs held off the Ute's to earn a berth in the 2019 Rose Bowl.  Go Huskies!

That's what I'm talking about!