Kahalu'u ala Familia

    A few days ago, Shawn returned from the outing to Mahukona unsatisfied.  He had forgotten his equipment back here in Kona and, even though it was after 2 PM, he was eager to go for a second swim, and he knew where he wanted to go: Kahalu'u.

Yellowtail Coris, juvenile and intermediate, Kahalu'u August 2012

    After our excursion that morning, Sandra and I had returned to the ranch, had a small lunch and a long nap.  Thus rested, we were happy to agree to accompany Shawn, while Marissa and Andrew had
showers and naps.  We threw Shawn's gear, still nicely packaged in a jaunty cranberry colored Snorkel Bob's bag, into the trunk of his rented Camaro.  I scrounged through the pile of drying snorkel equipment, extricated my mask and fins and my wet shirt.  For trunks I grabbed a dry set from the emergency bag that we keep in the back of the Honda.

   Down at Kahalu'u things looked pretty good: it wasn't raining, the tourists were leaving and the tide was sufficiently high.  I dumped out my equipment and started to get ready, only to find that I had allocated to myself the mask we were loaning Shawn's mother.  Suffice it to say, the mask that fits a woman with a small round forehead doesn't quite make it on a pumpkin head like yours truly; there was a gap of two or three millimeters over my brow.

Pearl Wrasse female, Kahalu'u  July 2019

    Those of you who know me are aware that, once put into motion, I am not easily sidetracked.  So I cinched the strap down tight and, although it was pinching my temples to a remarkable degree, the mask didn't leak.

    Over the subsequent half hour Shawn and I had a nice swim, seeing a large mustard colored yellow margin moray, a fine whitemouth and an intermediate phase yellowtail coris.  This latter was the only blog worthy individual, but he proved elusive as far as photography was concerned.  Suffice it to say, the tiny mask did not improve my photographic abilities.   This fish had a white nose, a residual white stripe on his forward body and a yellow tail.  Summer is the time to see these adolescents and I had been looking forward to this encounter.

Dragon wrasse from behind.  Kahalu'u July 2019

     I'm including a picture from another time for your enjoyment.  You will recall the red juvenile with the white stripes that novices insist is a "Nemo" type anemonefish.  And the somewhat less common intermediate, who retains some of those vertical white stripes, but now with blue flanks and a yellow tail.

 
    Yesterday, having experienced the joys of K Bay, Shawn was Jonesing for a return visit.  Although the surf was coming up, we got all the snorkel equipment, towels and family members into the car and made it down to the bay.  It was 10 AM on a Saturday (and the usual crowd filtered in) and the parking lot was full.  Shawn nabbed a spot just as it was vacated and Sandra and I parked in one of the vacant alternate spots.

   We fought our way around the inevitable Saturday party and the five of us reconnoitered outside the entry.  As we started into the bay we were faced with a current so strong that it was almost as if we

Andrew's amazing octopus hugs a rock  Kahalu'u July 2019

were in an infinity pool.  Fifteen minutes of hard swimming got us halfway to the breakwater and to our first reward: two large pearl wrasse females who swam with us for several minutes.  They were colorful fish.  I was really taken by their royal blue, red and white pectoral fins.

   We were all getting tired so we started working our way backwards while swimming slowly into the current.  After a few minutes of this I found a brown and white dragon wrasse.  I'm including here my best effort at a picture of this fish.  Please keep in mind that all these pictures were taken while battling a substantial current.  Immobility on the part of the photographer was simply impossible.   What you see is the best I could do on this day.

The pesky rockmover wouldn't leave the octopus alone.

   As I was working for the best shot, I saw Andrew waving his hand while keeping tabs on his find.  And what a find it was!  Andy had located a small day octopus in about four feet of moving water.  The octopus was either hunting with, or being harassed by a small rockmover.  Unlike most day
octopi, this fellow had plenty of butterscotch in hsi pattern and he  threw up bullleyes of gray, white and caramel.  We followed him for a while, enjoying his different texters and colors.  At one point he hunkered down in the cleft of a  dead coral, but contineud to watch with a periscope...his eyes were extended on a virtual stock so he could keep tabs on that pesky rockmover.

    By the time we were finished with the octopus it was time to go in.  Watch out for pesky rockmovers and strong currents.

jeff