The Pier Is Back

    As of today, the Kailua Kona pier as a snorkeling venue is totally back on track.  The sewer has been repaired and the algae, which was so prominent on the Ironman side two months ago, is now completely gone.  Palani has been repaired; today it was so smooth you could have done it on a skateboard.  The restrooms have a fresh coat of paint, but in an ongoing nod to the corona virus and

social distancing, there is still only one operational shower head.  If the Ironmen were here, that would be a problem.  As it is, with no tourists vying for the facilities, the wait for  a shower is a couple minutes at the most. 

   I wish that I had some fantastic fish pictures to go along with my rosy news.  In the last week I have snorkeled the pier three times.  Each time the water was a little less clear than the time before.  From my first swim, I have a video of an ornate butterfly that  segues in to a guineafowl puffer. 

A Potter's angel lives among the coral beneath the mooring buoy.

   On that first swim, I found a Potter's Angelfish in the coral by one of the large mooring buoys.  There is little usage of those mooring buoys and it seems safe enough to swim in that area as long as you are cautious.  A Potter's angelfish is certainly a good reward.

   There has been a nice selection of the usual suspects and we hope something special shows up soon.  

   In the meantime, its good to know that the peir is now a safe, clean place to swim and that access has been restored.

jeff