A Few Friendly Fish in Kailua

Rainbow Runner, Kailua Bay 2017

     Through out the state, great surfing conditions persisted for most of the week.  Luckily, here in Kailua Kona when the swell is coming from the north, Kailua Bay is largely spared.  Looking for some water suitable for snorkeling, we took a dip on the Ironman side of the pier on Tuesday. As I had hoped, the bay was fairly flat, although, commensurate with the high energy conditions out in the ocean, there was some sand suspended in the otherwise calm water.  

    I spent 40 minutes paddling around.  It certainly was great to get out swimming in the ocean, especially when the people in Texas were wading in frigid water collecting in their living rooms.  However, the sad fact is that I was seeing relatively few fish. Certainly nothing special.  Towards the end of the swim, I had a brief encounter with a jack cruising through the coral rubble near the seawall.  About 16 inches in length, it was a shiny sea green and had a deeply forked tail. It cruised by me, giving me a fine look at the tail as

Opelu (Not Rainbow Runners!) 2013, Kailua Bay

it turned around the coral.  And then it was gone.  

   Suffice it to say, this was unusual and it wasn't until I got home and looked through the books that I decided that this was a rainbow runner.  Under the tutelage of Professor Robert Hillis, just this side of a decade in the past, I have refined my rainbow running diagnostic abilities.  This is an uncommon fish, usually seen in deeper water.  Occurring singly, the Rainbow Runner is definitely not an opelu, that smaller, shiny blue mackerel that we see in frenetic schools.  And contrary to the name, it isn't especially pretty.  You might expect it to have a flashy red stripe on the side, similar to a Rainbow Trout.  On the rare occasion I see one, they are  steely gray above and lighter below with a darker stripe down the lateral line.  The ones I see are less than two feet in length, but the books say they can grow to four feet.  As far as I can remember, which at this stage ain't sayin' much, I have never seen a green one, but John Hoover says they can come in a range of grayish tones, form bluish to greenish.

    Before moving on I have to leave you with two quotes:

Otto to KKK Ken, "Don't eat the green ones, they're not ripe yet."

Yellow Subamarine, "Funny, you don't look bluish."

Kevin Kline in A Fish called Wanda, "Don't eat the green ones, they're not ripe yet."

   Mid-week, or Hump Day, as we are reminded nightly on the Geico commercial which appears just before Final Jeopardy, Sandra and I went to our favorite butterfly bush, the crown milkweed tree behind the library.  This was a great choice as the area was literally swarming with monarch butterflies.  We found several caterpillars and two or three chrysalis. The highlight, though, was a pair of monarchs flopping beneath the bush, locked in a cunjugal embrace.  

    Being the voyeur that she is, schmoopie caught the pair in the act.  Photographically, that is. She sent the picture to Cousin Don back in New Hampshire.  Being snowed in, he had nothing better to do and improved the image and that is what you see here.

Monarchs In Love.  Photo by SKG, Graphics by Don Batkins

  

    All of which reminds me of the old Sioux Indian story.  One day a young boy emerged from the teepee and confronted his father.  "Father" he implored, "Why do I have such a peculiar name?"  "Well, my son," the brave answered, "In our tribe, the day a child is born, the father greets the great spirit and the next thing he sees becomes the child's name.  That is why your sister is named Running Deer and your brother is named Badger Digging a Hole.  And that my son, is why you are known as the Two Butterlies In Love."

    Suffice it to say, I cleaned the story up the story a trifle in case any impressionable children start reading the blog under the covers.

Pearl Wrasse Female  Kahalu'u 2021

    Thursday Sandra and performed some death defying surgery on a tree that was touching the roof,  filled the Honda with branches and transported them to the dump in Waikoloa. By early afternoon we were down at Kahalu'u.  After a quick konichiwa with Yasuko and Vince, I was in the cool, clear water. Although there are not a gazillion fish at K Bay, the fish watching there is currently much better than at the pier.  And by some miracle, the homeless are prevented from congregating and camping in the park.

    Hoping for a photo, I first checked the area where we saw the Leaf Scorpionfish a week ago.  Of course he wasn't there, but I did find a large female Pearl Wrasse in the turbulent water that prevails in that corner of the bay.  Perhaps I should send this photo to Señor Batkins and see if he can sharpen it up.  In any event, I'm sure you get the idea and rejoice that such a fish can still be found at K Bay.

Ring Tail Wrasse,   February 2021

     Shortly after that, out in the middle, I encountered a Ring Tail Wrasse.  This fish can be spotted in deeper water or in the relatively peaceful bays.  He has an unmistakable profile and is often approachable as he looks for something to eat among the nooks and crannies of the coral. 

As I swam around the bay, I saw a few good fish, but nothing special.  Finally I made it over to the area by the breakwater.  In some clear water I had a close encounter with a large male ember parrotfish who remained still for a nice picture.  Nothing earthshaking, but a pleasant end to the week.

jeff

Ember Parrotfish, Kahalu'u  February 2021

A second look at the Ring Tail Wrasse showing off some terminal red.