A Visit From My Grandsons...Mauna Lani Hotel is Closed!

Editors Note.  This blog departs from the format of most previous blogs and recounts a family vacation.  If that sort of thing makes you want to hurl, this may be a good time to stop.  

 I am certain that my faithful blog followers have noticed a small hiatus in the appearance of blogs.  In part, this was due to amazingly good surfing conditions here in Kona (and hence poor snorkeling conditions), but mostly the cause was a visit from my son James, his two sons and his lovely wife.  

The murky waters of Anaeho'omalu Bay

 
 Although they putatively came to visit us, they chose to stay in Waikoloa, a 45 minute drive to the north.  For that reason alone, this was a very high maintenance visit.  Deleterious to blogging, to say the least.

 .

   When the trip was in the planning stages, I had visions of Colsen, who is now three and a half, putting on goggles and riding my back,  taking short spins to look at the fish.  For whatever reason,
he was not sufficiently comfortable in the ocean to put his face in the water.  He did enjoy the water slides at the Waikoloa Hilton, having the surf swirl around his legs at Black Sand Beach 49 and riding a boogie board in tiny waves at Beach 69.  He seemed to have a great vacation, so from that standpoint things were a success.

Otherwise known as false advertising.

    However, snorkeling was not on the front burner.  James and I attempted to snorkel at Anaeho'omalu Bay, which is now surrounded by the Waikola development.  I had been here once before in the early 80s and never went back. As it was so convenient to Tara's dream lodgings, I was willing to give it a try.  The water had all the clarity of pea soup and the entry was plagued with sharp rocks.  Fish watching was out of the question.  Luckily that bay is so protected that there was relatively little surf at the shoreline and we were able to extricate ourselves without serious injury.

    On our first full day we went to the nearby Waikoloa Hilton.  Colsen got to play on the kiddie size water slides and I had a chance to swim in the man made lagoon.  This was actually a good thing as on that day the ocean was wild.  In the lagoon I had a quick look at a juvenile great barracuda.  As you may recall, they do not stock the lagoon, so like wild birds at a feeder, this is countable.  It had been a long time since I had seen one of these guys and I enjoyed my five to ten seconds of barracuda watching.  The juvenile great barracuda is a curious animal.  Unlike most fishes, whose juveniles are miniature reproductions of the adult, the juvenile barracuda has a head disproportionately large in comparison to its body.  I suppose if it wanted to, it could bite you.  This guy was the size of a modest rainbow trout, 12 inches max, and he was gone before you could say Sphyraenia barracuda. 

     Did I mention that Colsen had fun on the water slides?

    A couple days into the visit, we were able spring James for a trip to Kawaihae Harbor.  On arrival,

The juvenile ornate hermit crab.  Name that shell and win a nudibranch.

we were shocked to see the parking lot full of cars. The most we had seen there before was five or six.  This day there must have been 50.  Fortuitously there was one spot for us.  At first, I thought that there must be a large school of edible fish close enough to fish them from shore.  But no!  These were surfers.  There was a nice big break about fifty yards off shore and entry was made possible by the stout metal stairs that lead down to the ocean from the small park.  We left Sandra to read and watch the surfers while James and I went swimming in the harbor.

    As we entered, it was immediately apparent that things had changed.  The water had never been crystal clear, but now it was quite cloudy.  On all previous visits we had swum through a rich broth of plankton.  This day there were none.  We worked the columns thoroughly and did not see any nudibranchs.  On the middle structure we found a cauliflower coral with a single tiny dascyllus.

   As we swam across to the breakwater, I spotted a hermit crab.  As you can see, it is difficult to tell

Hai rides the waves at Kawaihae.  Picture by SKG

just what sort of shell he is inhabiting.  Perhaps that highly encrusted structure isn't a shell at all.  In any event, I'm confident that we can call him a juvenile ornate hermit crab.  Way back in the day, Marta Demaintenon, PhD taught me that hermit crabs change their coloration as they develop and it is my recollection that it was this very species that spurred the discussion.

    Back ashore, Sandra had encountered our friend Hai, who is the godfather of Kawaihae snorkeling.  We had seen his distinctive jeep in the parking area and she had spotted him surfing.  Hai verified that the columns in the lagoon seemed to be fouled, that the sponges are in decline and the nudibranchs are currently absent.  Bummer.  It seems we were lucky to see that hermit.

    One afternoon apres la nap we attempted to go to the Mauna Lani to look at the large koi pond at the entrance to the hotel.  As we made our final approach, I was shocked to find that the hotel is closed for renovation.  A large barricade is in place and a guard is posted.  He obviously doesn't work for the federal government. (Later in the trip, Sandra and I stopped at the Foodmart located in the Mauna Lani shops. While sampling the poke, we interrogated the fishmonger. He informed us that the hotel will be closed for a year and a half!) 

Getting Wet at Black sand Beach 49

   Back on the road, I made like Napoleon and turned the army around.  Although we really weren't
dressed for the beach, we motored to Black Sand Beach 49.  In the late afternoon there were few people there and the bay was a bumpy sea of moguls, which is not to be confused with oligarchs.  Three girls were body surfing the tail outs and Colsen was thus emboldened to get near the water.   Holding hands with one of the adults he proceeded to let the warm surf soak his clothes.  Reid sat patiently up the slope making the sort of faces you make when you really wish you were somewhere else.

    Two days later James et al made it down to Kona.  The first stop was the Inner Harbour in front of the King Kam hotel.  This has to be the easiest spot for children to swim.  Sadly, despite the best of support, Reid was unhappy in the water and Colsen was willing to look at what few fish could be found while firmly in his father's arms.

   James was permitted (I wish I were kidding) to take a short swim with me.  Despite the large waves

Colsen the Surfer

elsewhere on the coast, the north cusp of Kailua Bay was pretty flat and the water was fairly clear.  In the short time allotted to us, I turned him on to the coral croucher.   Paul Allen's ghost provided a nice assortment of usual suspects and we made it ashore in time to avoid a scene.  That was a close one.

   Our last outing with the familia was an afternoon at Beach 69.  This was an excellent choice because it was on Tara's list of places to look at.  Colsen had no interest in looking at the fish, but he did enjoy a bit of boogie boarding.  James was given permission to swim for twenty minutes.  (See above)  As it takes me about twenty minutes to take a good picture of a fish (and also because the water was rough and I suspected very cloudy) I left the camera with Sandra.  Perhaps she could add

to her fine collection of flipper walkers.

    As it turned out, this was a regrettable choice.  Both on the way out and the way back in, we saw two adolescent yellow tail corises, both with the face markings of the red labrid stage.  I love these little guys.  More than any other fish in Hawaii, the yellowtail coris bears juveniles with dramatically different coloration from their parents.  The degree of difference is such , that the first observers thought they were two different species.  I don't see this intermediate form very often, perhaps less often than once a year,  and it is always a treat.

 Included here is a picture i took back in 2012 showing the red labrid juvenile and his older brother.  the fish we saw were just a bit further along with only the nose spot and one stripe remaining.

    As we made our final approach to shore, a leatherback joined us.  This fast moving jack is

maximally streamlined, a veritable dart in the water. Usually it is a uniform silver with that tiny black and white flight of a dorsal fin.   Perhaps it was the suspended sediment or the angle of the sun, but this guy was an iridescent golden green... just lovely.   Even more remarkably, he swam with us for almost a minute.  I'm not sure I could have taken his picture, but I certainly regret not trying.  Included here is my interpretation of this leatherback in the form of a heavily doctored photo.

    We had a great time visiting with our grandsons, not to mention Tara and James,  and spending time on the beach with them.  And chasing them around, baby sitting...all that good stuff.  Its the stuff that dreams are made of.  If you're a grandparent. 

jeff

Down came the Reaper, mounted on a Hippocamp.

Death is a black durgon that swims with us all.

With Saint Peter's accountants:  One, Two Three. 
"Where's that Coral Croucher? You've got him in your tucker bag!
You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me." 

Up jumped Paul Allen and plunged into his fell lagoon.
"You'll never take me alive!" cried he. 
And his ghost may be heard when you swim beside Kailua's shore ,
"You'll come a-waltzing Matilda with me." 



   

    

Swimming in a Winter Wonderland

   Over the last week or so, the weather in Kona has been spectacular.  Bright blue days, relatively dry with gentle breezes and frosty cold nights requiring hats, fleeces and slippers.  Temperatures plunging into the mid 60s.  Brrrr.

Guess which one just went swimming in Kona?

    Yesterday Sandra dropped me off to go snorkeling at the pier while she went foraging up Palani at the KTA and Foodland.  While I was adjusting my neoprene vest, I attempted to make friends with a lady of a certain age.  She smiled and we exchanged pleasantries about the weather.  All the while she was donning a diveskin, its weathered appearance revealing that it, too, was of a certain age. 

    While we exchanged our few words, a group of lady recreational swimmers came ashore.  One, with remarkably blue lips, intoned, "I've got to get a full length wet suit."  Most likely she had just swam a mile or two, which puts the lie to the idea that swimming hard keeps you warm.  I don't think so...not that I actually swim hard very often.  But sometimes Sandra says that to me.  "I'm going to swim hard over to the breakwater to warm up."   Maybe she wants to get away for some time to herself.  Who can blame her?

Swim buoy floating.  Its all the rage.

    Although yesterday the ocean was quiet, over the last week there have been some excellent surfing conditions on the Kona coast.  Such a winter surf washes away the sand at Magic Sands Beach and, in my humble opinion, brings the cold water ashore.  Whether or not this is so, there could be no denying that the water at the foot of the pier was chilly.  My guess is that it has dropped another three or four degrees in the last ten days and is now at the winter temperature of about 75 degrees F.  That's F as in freezing.  Blue lips may not sink ships, but they are not necessarily all that desirable, either.

    My new found almost a friend followed me into the water.  As she got knee deep I called out, "If you're hoping  for warm water you're going to be disappointed."   While we were were getting ready to swim,  I noted that she had one of those nautical orange swim buoys that have become all the rage.  Now that she was getting in, I saw that not only was she carrying the swim buoy and her tiny fins (the type worn by recreational swimmers

Nasty, little, good for nothing blue fins

that provide marginal additional propulsion) but she was still wearing her cap and dark glasses.  Now what was this about?

   A word about those diminutive fins.  If you find yourself with a new snorkeling companion and he has brought a pair of those tiny blue fins, beware.  When you wear those tiny fins you have to keep kicking because, as one might expect, they are ineffective by design.  Ergo, your snorkeling buddy is more likely to be into exercising and less into fish watching. They will swim about furiously and scare away the fish.  Which is what Sandra's father accused her of doing when he took her ice fishing in Michigan, where the water was only marginally warmer.

    I shoved off and headed out into the bay, swimming back and forth while thanking the Almighty for my tiny bit of neoprene.  After a few minutes I looked back to see my sometimes friend resting her elbows on her swim buoy as if it were an inflatable noodle the shape of a fat piece of macaroni.  She was looking around and enjoying the beautiful day, making no effort what so ever to swim. This seemed like the sort of inactivity that one might practice in the middle of summer.  By this time I was too far away to tell if her lips were turning blue.

Watch out when he starts to dance away from the facts

    Warding off the chill as best I could I made it out to the fourth swim buoy.  On a coral about sixteen feet down, I spotted a large cone shell with a high pointed crown.  Research in Hoover's critter book and Hawaiian Shells by Mike Severns leads me to call this an Imperial Cone, Conus imperialis.  This was my first time identifying this species.  The books say it lives from 50 to 100 feet deep in rocks and attains a length of three and a half inches.  I thought it was four inches, so I was close.  At any rate, it was clearly a shell that was out of place.  Our mantra for finding hermit crabs is, "Look for the sword that was broken, in Imladris it dwells."   No.  Wait a minute...its "Look for the shell that doesn't belong."  Yeah. That's the ticket.  

Conus imperialis with a peeking hermit crab

   I dove it three times, finning hard to counteract the buoyancy of my neoprene, and got within a few feet of this not so handsome cone shell.  On each of my descents I nabbed a couple pictures and this is the best of them.  I think you will agree that there is a hermit crab observing my struggles and he has a big, fat white-tipped cheliped.  Claw to the lay people.

   Now for your riddle: What's big, fat, white and crabby?  The obvious answer is Donald Trump.  The left handed hermit crab, Calcinus laevimanus, was my second guess. Does President Trump live fifteen feet below the ocean surface?  Not by the hair on the nearest playboy centerfold, he doesn't.  And neither, apparently, does the left handed hermit crab.  In fact, John Hoover says he lives only inches below the surface.

Milkfish, Kailua Bay January 2019

   So lefty is out and, all kidding aside, the picture is totally inadequate to identify the crab.  If we were forced to guess,  I would say hidden hermit crab, Ca. latens, which lives down to 30 feet.  

   A bit further on I ran into half a dozen milkfish.   The water was nice and clear so I dove them with a photo in mind.  They swam towards the shore and then turned back, giving me my opportunity.  This may be my best picture ever of this opalescent beauty with the fine tail.  Stormy Daniels eat your heart
out. 

    At the furthest extent of my swim I was overwhelmed with the beauty of Hulihee's Palace on this bright winter day and I nabbed the picture you see here.  Does it make you wish you were in Kona? 


   Before getting out at the end of the swim, I checked out the area on the far side of the swim line by the pier.   There were some fine patches of orange sponge near the floating line.  A bit further, as I neared the spot where I might find some choice flotsam that had escaped the clutches of the cruisers, I ran into a huge peppered moray.  This muscular beast was out of his niche, extending his head a foot or more above the coral.   I swear that in my quest for trinkets I darn near collided with the brute.

The Palace from the south on a bright winter's day.

    On shore I enjoyed my cold shower and had a chance to spy my erstwhile friend from the start of the swim.  And yes, she had blue lips. 

    The doctor orders a hot toddy for one and all.  Put it on my tab. 

jeff
    

Snorkeling With Kathy

    It requires a certain brashness to write a blog about swimming with someone else's beautiful young wife.  In fact, this blog is about our adventures with four visitors, Kathy, her husband Vernon, Sandy Harris and her husband Steve.  I ask rhetorically, how do you fit all that into a title?  And not only

Two compañeros birdwatching in Ecuador. 

that, although Kathy is still beautiful, she is young only in relationship to my ancient age...she turned
60 the first day we went swimming together.  Kathy is an amazing operating room secretary and Sandy (who has been Kathy's friend since grade school) was a crack operating room nurse, but now hangs IVs for a living.  What a waste.

     I, as you probably know, have not been near an operating room in about six years.   In the words of my departed compañero, Mike Van Ronzelen,  "Think of the lives that were saved."  A little later in this rambling missive we will look at some ghosts.  For now, take a moment to think how someone special, who has touched your life, lives on through your memories.  Now imagine sitting in the pouring rain on the edge of a muddy trail in Ecuador waiting for some stupid bird.  We miss you, Mikey.

   Our first day swimming together was the day after the quartet arrived.  Both the ladies had fond memories of City of Refuge and so that is where we had our inaugural dip.  Ever so long ago Sandy Harris returned to Salem (Oregon) Hospital from a vacation on the Big Island and told me about

Sandra will bring you home safely.

swimming with dolphins at City.  For years after, as a sign of esteem tinged with the green of envy, I called her "girl who swims with dolphins."  The operating room is a jocular place, so you can get away with shit like that.  Plus, back then, social media and cell phone cameras were the stuff of science fiction.  Yes, for many of us smarty pantses the world is a trickier place.

   Prior to this dip on the beach at Honaunau, I had consulted the wave predictor, which said the sea would be clement.  And it was right.  As the six of us hit the gentle  water, it was apparent that we had a variety of motivations and abilities.  I had wondered how I would keep six of us together.  This was not an issue.  Kathy pushed me to swim out with her in search of Gail Deluke's reef shark.  Sandy Harris and Steve headed off together in another direction and it looked like Sandra was going to shepherd Vernon. Not that Vernon necessarily needed shepherding, but in our experience, who knew? 

   Sandra is the shepherd, I shall not want.  She guideth our guests upon the still water.  She comes and gets me when they freak out.  She restoreth my soul.

   Kathy and I made a big loop, not seeing any sharks or anything else unusual.  The water was super clear, and as we approached the drop off into the dolphin pond, we saw a turtle swimming about forty feet down.  Over in the north corner, I relinquished the camera to Kathy.  She took a dozen pictures from the surface, of

Cleaner wrasse and yellow tang.  City of Refuge Dec. 2018  Photo Kathy Yoder

fish that were really far away.  It is a testimony to the camera and the water clarity that she ended up with a couple usable pictures.  This one of the yellow tang and the cleaner wrasse was taken from the surface of fish that were roughly 30 feet down.

    As we swam back to the two step entry, I commented to Kathy that I hoped that no one was mad that we had sort of ditched them for 40 minutes.  She replied, " Well, Vernon doesn't get angry."  And I thought,  "I wonder what that is like?"   How far might I have advanced in this world if I never got angry?  Simultaneously I felt a small wave of relief, because Vernon is a big guy who could probably pick me up and throw me like a dart.  If he got angry.

   Actually, in my dotage I have taken to consuming Costco muffins in much the same way that Homer Simpson goes after a box full from Winchell's..  So I am no longer a 90 pound weakling.  You

Mmmm...Costco muffins.

have to double that.   And its hard to get a good grip for throwing. Lucky me.

    Back on the beach, we compared notes and discovered that on this day Sandra was the big winner.  Swimming by herself after Vernon headed for the exit, she had bagged Potter's Angelfish..

    The six of us went to the Coffee Shack for lunch.  The big winner and I shared a turkey and ham sandwich on luau bread, which includes mac nuts and pineapple.  Yummy.  Over lunch, we decided that on the morrow, the Fishfinder Six would head to Ho'okena.

    Once again, the ocean gave up with out a fight.  I had been worried about getting our flipper walking gaggle through a surf entry.  Lucky me...there was no surf!  This day the group stayed together.  Soon we found the coral with many Potter's angels and one solid look for one and all at a flame.  A bit further out, we found a few gilded triggers for the multitude.

Vernon and your humble correspondent in the shallows at Ho'okena

   The pressure was off, so we swam near the shore.  Our friends had some good looks at the usual Quell domage.  
suspects.  This was a nice swim in clear water with lots of fish, but nothing unusual.   We had a good time talking at the table, from where I first saw the dolphins at Ho'okena.  This day there was lots of good company, but no dolphins. 

     On our last day of swimming together, we went to the best kept secret.  Our flat seas held and our flipper walkers were able to flop down the small sandy beach on the Ironman side and into the cool water without a hitch.  Thankfully, the fish showed up.  There was a nice representation of butterflies and everyone got a good look at a Mu.  And they all got a great look at the palace, which isn't a fish, of course, but I think that look from the ocean at the palace is perhaps my iconic image of Kona.  Certainly worth the swim.   

Milkfish, Kailua Pier, Feb 2015.  Silvery ghosts swim over the sand

    By this time Vernon was really comfortable in the water and he and I looked at a couple fish, including a small school of milkfish.  There have been times when milkfish were pretty regular out by the fourth swim buoy.  Currently that is not the case, so this was a pretty good sighting.  In their own way, milkfish are pretty cool.  They are bigger than most of the fish we see.  And with those large forked tails they are almost shark-like.  Being pearly white, they are a bit like fast swimming ghosts as they cruise above the sand.  I hope Vernon enjoyed them as much as I did. by the fourth swim buoy.  Here I am including the best picture I have taken so far of this school, from about two years ago.  Suffice it to say, a fair amount of processing went into that picture.

  Kathy and I were the last to hit the beach and we got a great look at the baby gurnard.  Its hard to get tired of this handsome fish which scratches out a living in the sand with those magnificent little claws.  Here is the best picture from that day. 

Helmeted Gurnard Juvenile,  Kailua Pier  December 2018

    That night we had a farewell meal at the Big Island Grill.  Vernon and I enjoyed my special loco moco, bed of fries, roast pork with pork gravy and an egg easy over.  Better than a box of donuts, to be sure.  I thought we were done swimming, but Kathy said she might try to squeeze in one more

Lined Butterlyfish  Kahalu'u December 2018

swim in the early morning.

 And so it was that at just before 0700 she texted me to say she and Vernon were headed to Kahalu'u.   We were the first ones into the shelter at K Bay, but by the time we were ready to go in the water, there was a mother with two kids who were racing between the tables.  Vernon had decided
that swimming at 7:30 was just too crazy, and he bid us good luck as we hit the water.

   The water was clear and calm, but Kathy later remarked that this was the most current she had experienced.  That is the funny thing about Kahalu'u; from the shore it looks so safe.  Luckily, Kathy is a recreational swimmer (who knew?) so her observation did not imply any risk.

    For me, 7:30 is early, and so I didn't really know what we might see.  I was hoping for an octopus.  As it turns out, we saw a lot more diurnal fish than I had expected.  Remember, this was one of the shortest days of the year and the sun was barely up, but yet there were twelve wrasses swimming, eleven parrots chomping, ten surgeonfish...

The luminous juvenile of the Hawaiian cleaner wrasse

    Over by the breakwater we enjoyed a close encounter with a pair of lined butterfly.  They stuck around long enough for us to both get a few photos.  The one I am showing you was taken into the
rising sun, as opposed to having the sun behind me, so I am surprised that it turned out as well as it did.  My swim buddy had been doing a little work in the old Hoover that we had loaned her and the lined was her target fish.  Suffice it to say, we aim to please.

   We swam across the bay to the mauka side by the Rescue Shelter and there, plying his trade in one of the remaining  Everman's coral was a tiny juvenile cleaner wrasse.  This fish has such a luminous blue against a black stripe, a blue so deep it might remind you of a male indigo bunting, perched on a branch on a hot, humid New England spring morning singing its heart out.  Quite a bird and quite a fish.  I'm showing you a

The male indigo bunting courtesy of NestWatchers

picture of the juvenile cleaner wrasse from that morning.  Not the best picture I have taken of this fish, but it gives you the sense of its size in the space and the intensity of its color.  The bunting picture is borrowed from the internet.  I hope you agree with me that the intense dark blue is pretty close to a match.  And by the way, like the juvenile cleaner wrasse, you don't see an indigo bunting every day you go bird watching.  Both are pretty special.

   We met Vernon on shore and soon we were saying our good byes through the car windows.  Perhaps the nicest thing one can hope for a friend is that they end up with a wonderful companion.  Especially one that will come along when you are looking for a new fish.

jeff

Kathy and Vernon Yoder at the Kailua Pier. 

    

   

A Crowned Jellyfish at Kahalu'u

    We had a very enjoyable visit with our son Charles and enjoyed several snorkels during which we found some very good fish and critters.  For his Aloha snorkel he chose to go to Kahalu'u.  No surprise that two days after Christmas it was full of of tourists engaged in full contact snorkeling,

Crowned Jellyfish  Cephea cephea,  Kahalu'u Big Island December 2018

flailing at your humble correspondent and inflicting what damage they could upon the remaining coral.

  Our friend and recent visitor, Kathy Yoder, showed us an insert from the information provided by Snorkel Bob, in which that long time booster of fishwatching in Kona encouraged his patrons to stay away from Kahalu'u.  Give this treasure a chance to rest and regenerate, pleads Snorkel Bob.  It is my opinion that the Yoders would have approached the coral in K Bay with due respect.  Frankly, I am so discouraged by the attitude of many of the tourists that I despond of protecting the sites to which they have access.  Kahalu'u is victim number one.  Short of the county closing the bay for a year or two, I can't imagine that any amount of pleading by Bob, myself or anyone else will have much effect.

Note the fimbriated contractile fringe at the base of the hood. (lower right)

   It took Charles and I a while to thread our way through the maddening crowd in the bay.  Once free, we swam almost to the Menehune Breakwater.  Simultaneously, we spotted what appeared to be a white plastic bag and headed for it, both with the intention of scooping it up to be deposited in the appropriate receptacle on shore.  But low and behold, this was no piece of plastic, but the most wonderful jelly: a crowned Jellyfish,Cepea cephea.

   It was rolling over and over in the current, so it took a moment to appreciate the various components of this jellyfish.  Surmounting the hood was a significant convoluted cap.  At the base of the hood there was a fine fringe that contracted rhythmically.  As the animal was obviously out of control, these contractions had no effect on stability or locomotion.  In fact, this fringe was so delicate that it is hard to imagine a situation where it would be effective.   Kids Zone Critter Squad states that this species lives at extreme depth, as deep as 3000 feet during the day, and ascends to near the surface at night, so that contractile fringe must be more effective than it appears.

The crown is separated from the bell by a deep groove.

 At first I thought that it might be a dislodged upside down jellyfish.  As it happens, this species and the upside down jelly are in the same order, Rhizostomeae.  Jellies of this order do not have tentacles, and what I took for tentacles were actually oral arms, which serve as multiple port for ingesting tiny prey. The crown jellyfish is divided into two components held together by a central trunk.   
The lower component was the solid bell and below that part projected several stubby oral arms, some of which appeared to have been damaged.  Another site, Whatsthatfish, did a good job of elucidating the separation of the crown or umbrella and the lower hood.

   Floating with the current at the same speed, we watched and photographed the crown jellyfish, meandering passively through the multitude of tourists in the process.  Finally, over by the rescue shelter we ended our float.  At this point we were with a group of young Japanese tourists and some fish as well.  A threadfin butterfly took a taste of the jellyfish, but only one nibble.  Perhaps it needed some wasabi.

While we watched, a threadfin took a nibble of the crowned jelly

   Charles, having watched me take so many shots, remarked that I must have some great pictures.  I responded that translucent animals are difficult to photograph, so we would have to see. We have done some small tricks with contrast and red green coloring to enhance these pictures and allow you to see the animal for what it is.

    One final justification...the picture in John Hoover's excellent critter book was taken, amazingly, in this very bay, presumably before the year 2000.  And his picture is no better than any of these.  Translucent animals are difficult to photograph.

   In addition to telling us about the daily migration from deep to shallow, Kids' Zone Critter Squad revealed another tidbit: this species is eaten as a delicacy in Japan.  No mention of wasabi.  Domo arigato. 

 Dragon Wrasse  Kahalu'u  December 2018. This was Charles' Aloha Fish.

    Neither in Hoover nor in any article I found on the internet were those two black spicules mentioned, which figure prominently in at least one picture.  They certainly seemed intrinsic to the animal.


    Following the encounter with the crowned jelly, we saw a large convex crab and a large brown dragon wrasse.  The crab was in the shade and didn't photograph worth a hoot, but the dragon wrasse and the TG 5 connected for a beautiful shot.  I hope you enjoy this look at one of our more unusual fish.

    We had a great time snorkeling with Chuck.  I hope you enjoyed coming along for the ride.

jeff 

Ewa Blenny at Ho'okena

   This blog will address two important discoveries relating to Ho'okena.  The first is culinary.

    Yesterday was supposed to begin with brunch at the Coffee Shack.  A few miles past Captain Cook, this eatery with the killer view of Kealakekua Bay and Honaunau is perhaps the most popular place to eat on the leeward side of the Big Island.  When we arrived, there were lots of people milling around outside and the waitress who took our name suspected that we might be seated in 45 minutes.  This was Boxing Day, so there are tons of hungry people in Kona.  But even so...45 minutes?

     With filling our bellies in mind, we headed down the road.  In a few miles we ran across Keoki's Ono Fish and Chips.  As we entered, we realized that we had been to this location several years before.  In that iteration it was known as Epicure and specialized in cinnamon rolls.    Yesterday our waitress was Rhonda, a jocular lady of a certain age trying hard to be character of the week.  Hailing from rural  Louisiana, she speaks with a pronounced southern accent and insisted on calling me Mr. Jeff.  (To be honest, I've been called worse.)  Miss Rhonda served us delicious fish and chips and a cheeseburger in a garden setting.  We were done eating by the time our 45 minutes expired at the Coffee shack.

     If you were worried that, based on the name, this place might cater to locals only, don't be.  The only island presence in the place was the Donkey Balls guy on the sign outside.

    If you find yourself in a similar situation, you might just pull this arrow out of your quiver.

A Male Gilded Triggerfish at Ho'okena, December 2018

    It was a relatively short drive from Keoki's down to Ho'okena, where the day was still beautiful and the parking lot chock a block full.  We were offered a parking spot in the camp ground for a five dollar contribution, but before it came to that, someone pulled out and we slipped right in.

   The other option is parking on the non-existent shoulder of the road outside the park...a fifty meter schlep which we happily avoided.

   Sandra decided to let Charles and I swim while she stayed ashore in her sand chair in the shade and finished her book.  As the sea was calm, we entered by the pillars of the long gone pier for the first time in my career.  Following other snorkelers and canoes out into the bay, we were required to swim over shallow rocks for twenty meters.  But all was well.

   If you follow the blog, you know the expected fish of this location.  Potter's and flame angelfish, gilded triggerfish and garden eels.  Among fish watchers, Ho'okena is famous for these specialties 

Charles flips a face obscuring double shaka at Ho'okena

that everywhere else are found in deeper water. Charles and I found them all in short order.  Heading back into the shallow coral garden, I turned the camera over to Charles, who attempted to photograph a wily stripe belly puffer.

   Shortly after that, in a coral about twelve feet deep, I spotted what I initially thought was a juvenile cleaner wrasse...she of the blue stripe variety, which is what I saw..a long fish with a shiny blue stripe.  Before I took my dive, I realized that I was in error.  This fish was longer and skinnier than that tiny blue stripe cleaner wrasse.   And it was alternately straightening out and wiggling its body.  Still when I dove down and got my one superb look, I was surprised to be eye to eye with an ewa blenny.

    I was surprised because this is an extremely rare fish for a snorkeler.  It was only my second ewa blenny, and Peter Kroppje had to set me up for my first observation, over a year ago outside the bay at Mahukona.  That fish was much larger and had two fine blue stripes running the length of his body.  This guy had yellowish dorsal fins and a very large blue stripe running down his flank. 

Photo Courtesy of John Hoover

   Much of the information that follows comes form John Hoover's Ultimate Guide, including the photo for which he has kindly given permission.  As it turns out, the ewa blenny is variable and some of this is based on age.  The juvenile, like the juvenile Hawaiian cleaner wrasse, has a big blue stripe and it is smaller than the adult, although, in my extremely limited experience, still 50% larger than Gosline's fanged blenny.  The latter is seen commonly at shallow depths in places like Kahalu'u.  These blennies actually attack fish, nabbing a scale or two, so that blue stripe is probably a bit of mimicry.  A smart fish chooses to be cleaned but eschews a predatory nip.

    I wouldn't have been able to snap a photo on this single successful dive, even if Charles hadn't had the camera.  He attempted photos of the flame angelfish for ten minutes, while I waited patiently for the ewa blenny to reappear. It never did.  Obviously, I was extremely lucky to get one look.  Here you see a photo of the page in John's book. The fish we saw at Mahukona was much like the top photo.  The juvenile at Ho'okena was the blue stripe juvenile, second from the top. 

     We have waited a while to add a fish to the Ho'okena list and it is appropriate that it is one that should only appear at diving depths. 

   On the bottom of the photo you see Gosline's fang blenny.  This is an exceptionally deceiving picture.  This fish is usually seen from the top, appearing very long and skinny, like a Virginia Slims cigarette.  And as I mentioned above, they alternately straighten like the tobacco product, and then wiggle the aft two thirds of their body.  This wiggle, mildly reminiscent of that employed by some beach girls here in Kona, may be an attempt to lure a fish into scale nipping range. 

   So. Do I win the MCP award or what? Never fear...Me Too is on this.

   And as long as I have abandoned our subject, let me update you on our friend John Hoover.  He is being paid to go to Palmyra Reef in the eastern South Pacific.  Due south, way due south, of Hawaii Island.   Palmyra atoll is one third of the way from Hawaii to Samoa.  The atoll has been purchased by the Nature Conservancy and John has been

Wait a minute!  You mean I have to compete with this guy?  I don't stand a chance.

hired to create an app for the animals in the refuge.  I assumed that he was creating the app for someone to use.  If so was the Nature Conservancy opening up this far flung atoll to tourism?  Here is his reply:

   "The Nature Conservancy uses Palmyra to raise money from their very wealthy donors. It costs about 50K to go there for a week and stay at the little research station. The app would be for them. I don’t think there are any plans for tourism. No facilities for that, for one thing." 

   This time you got a fish story, a biology lesson and a glimpse at how the ecologically sensitive  other half lives.   Happy New Year from the land of bikini clad hau'oli girls.  Snort, snort.

jeff

Whatch your Wrasse or Christmas 2018

The Christmas Honu

    Christmas Day 2018 dawned beautiful and blue here in Kailua Kona.  We had planned to go to Mahukona for our Christmas tradition, the quest for the eponymous wrasse.  During this holiday season we are reveling in a visit from our son Charles. As he considered our plan, while consuming a brace of bagels, he took my Ironman quip a step further.  You may know that the Ironman competitors race their bicycles 60 miles from the Kailua pier north to Hawi, which is a mere ten miles past Mahukona.  I joke that I get tired just driving to Hawi.  My son took it a step further.  He got tired just thinking about driving to Hawi.  Adjusting to that sentiment, our plans changed; we would go to Paul Allen's reef.

    It was glorious down by the Marriot, formerly the King Kamehameha Hotel.  There were lots of people out around the pier and more than a few of them were swimming.  On the way out, I spotted a juvenile Christmas wrasse, pointed at it, but neither  Charles nor Sandra were near enough to see it.

Freckeld hawkfish juvenile.  Paul Allen's Reef   Christmas 2018

    We swam across the tranquil bay and they both were able to swim down, hold on and see the tiny coral croucher in his cauliflower refugio, resplendent in his pastel blue frock with the pink dots. 

    Off we went around the corner, the idea being that a Christmas wrasse was sure to be found where the ocean splashed against the wall. Before we got very far we had a very close approach by a green sea turtle.  He was happy to swim with us for a few strokes and we captured this nice picture.

     We didn't see a Christmas wrasse, but way out where one has a good view of the little light house, Charles spotted a juvenile freckled hawkfish.  This is the fellow with the bold white flank and the chartreuse cap..one of my favorite fish.  This little fish is usually seen by us in calm waters, like Kahalu'u Bay.  What was he doing way out here where the surf pounds against the lava?

   In previous years in late December, from this spot far out on the wall, we have enjoyed a close up view of Paul Allen's boat, the Octopus.  Swimming back, I ruminated on the passing of Mr. Allen and the vacancy we now find in Kona this Christmas season.  With that brewing in my benighted noggin, I composed the following lyrics.

Paul Allen's boat, Paul Allen's boat,
You are not here this season.
Paul Allen's boat, Paul Allen's boat,
His Passing is the reason.

  On Christmas Day we long to see / Your helicopter in a tree

At Christmas Time he gave us mirth,
His helicopter and his girth.

Paul Allen's boat, Paul Allen's boat,
I guess we're gonna miss you.

    We will miss Paul Allen; like Don Drysdale, he should pass into the the legendary fabric of Kailua Kona. Who can forget Paul Allen helicoptering from the pad on the Octopus to the estate, a mere quarter mile away?  Ostentatious?  Nooooo.

    I'm sure that the Redoubtable SKG and your humble correspondent are not the only ones in this beach community that are curious to see what happens to the Thurston Estate.

    We didn't see any Potter's angelfish among the dead coral offshore and nothing special as we swam back over the breakwater.  Right at the breakwater I spotted another Christmas wrasse that swam away before I could get Sandra's attention.

    Sandra went in and I was on my way when Charles announced that he had seen a small Christmas

Five Stripe Wrasse, the Inner Harbour,  Kailua Pier  Christmas 2018

wrasse.  We went back and what he had was the same initial phase five striped wrasse I had seen last week.  We followed it around, took a bunch of pictures and, low and behold, we came up with this gorgeous shot, worthy for a field guide in my unbiased opinion.

   Ashore in the shower, I accosted a young couple who were conversing some un-American tongue. It turned out they were German, from the Ruhr, the mega city that includes Köln and Düsseldorf. 

The guy had a wingspan of an albatross, so I asked him if he was a triathelete, which he was.  In fact, he had qualified for Kona this last year, but had got married and affairs of state took precedence over competing for the world championship.

    I wished he and his wife a frohe Weihnacht.  His wife said Merry Christmas and he said frohe Weihnacht, commenting that despite my linguistic inferiority he could understand what I had said. I replied,"We both said the same thing, but your accent is better. "  The Iron frau had a good laugh  and that was Christmas in Kona.

 jeff
  

Paul Allen's Reef at its Very Best

    This has been a delightful week in Kailua Kona.  Its been dry and cool with blue skies every day.   And we have enjoyed some time with friends and had some very productive experiences at the beach.

Stocky Hawkfish Looking Up.  Kahalu'u  December 2018

      A few days ago Sandra and I went down to Kahalu'u, our first time back there since we returned from the mainland.   Sandra wore her wet suit, but the water really wasn't all that cold, still around 80, and it was fairly clear.  There were plenty of fish, but nothing especially noteworthy.  I saw one of those small shrimp that like to perch on the coral, only to disappear by the time one has his camera adjusted for a shot.  As the shrimp had vanished I took a picture of his surrogate, the stocky hawkfish who was hanging out nearby.  Its a pretty exposure and I hope you will forgive me for showing you a picture taken from above.  The stocky hawkfish is not especially rare, but it is a bit skittish...it is very unusual to dive down to get a side view without Mr. Stocky slipping into the coral.

    While I was getting my shower, Sandra put the camera to good use, nabbing this picture of the

Playing Ukuleles Island Style  photo courtesy of the Redoubtable SKG

ukulele group that seems to be at the Kahalu'u shelter in the mornings.  They play while we are getting ready to snorkel and their songs have a way of getting stuck in my head in such a way that it provides the background music, however insipid, for the swim.  On this day it was Island Style.  A tune with which I was previously unfamiliar, but still seemed to play over and over while I circled the bay.

   Two days later we met Peter and Marla at Ho'okena.  For us it was the doable 40 minute drive.  For them, coming all the way from Kapa'au, it was almost two hours.  In hopes of having mild surf conditions, we made this excursion on Saturday.  Getting there around 9 AM, there was still plenty of parking and we were able to nab a spot at the table under the banyan tree.  There really is nothing like sitting in the cool shade right by a beautiful beach in Hawaii.  I don't mean to be boastful, but its

With Kroppjean Patience and Persistence.

pretty sweet.

    Our friends had made this long journey with some good fish watching in mind.  Suffice it to say I felt a small amount of pressure.  But not to worry,  Ho'okena yielded up its four specialties: flame angelfish (which lives in a large coral head with its cousin the Potter's angelfish),  garden eels and bridled and gilded triggerfish.  It took Marla to spot the first flame angel.  After that the four specialties fell like dominoes.  The water was clear and its always fun to swim with friends, but we did not see anything unusual.

   Towards shore, on the way out, Sandra and I encountered a really nice finescale triggerfish...big and creamy white.  Naturally this shy species made getting a good picture as difficult as she could.

   We also saw a school of  keel tailed needlefish.  Keeltails are the most commonly encountered

 Big, Blue Keeltailed Needlefish  Ho'okena December 2018

needlefish.  You see them at the surface, so a snorkeler is actually looking up at them.  Usually they are small and largely translucent.  And they swim in a school, turning this way and that in perfect unison, like a flock of songbirds. These guys were nothing like that.  They were swimming in mid-water, actually interacting with one another.  And they were remarkably large and a lustrous, rich blue.   I really wanted to turn them into a school of Heller's barracuda.   If you look carefully, you will even see a shiny blue lateral line. It is reasonable to surmise that this was a breeding group of keeltailed needlefish.

    By the time I was done enjoying them, my compatriots had deserted me and I made my way ashore unaccompanied.

   Back at our table in the shade, we ate an early lunch and looked at each other's pictures.  On this day, Peter was shooting with a Sony camera in a housing.  And he was also wearing what looked like six pounds of lead...maybe more.  Suffice it to say I was out gunned.  He showed us a killer picture of

Bali.  Come for the fish.  Return for the people.

a gilded triggerfish.  To be fair, in addition to lead and a good camera, Peter possesses a great deal of patience and persistence.  Perhaps if you sign on to his blog, onebreathkohala, you will find that
picture of the gilded trigger.

   As you may know from reading this blog, Peter and Marla liked Bali so well that they went back, having returned to the Big Island about the same time we returned from Mexico.  We were still debriefing them and uncovered a useful detail.  They did not have a driver pre-arranged; when they arrived in Denpassar they chose a likely lad from the mob of solicitors that one encounters as he leaves customs.  Is this more dangerous than hailing a taxi on the streets of Mexico City?  Looked at in the proper pessimistic light, either one might seem foolish heading towards a death wish.  On the other hand, this seems to have worked out fine.  They used the man from the mob for a couple more transfers and then picked up another driver off the street, maybe in Ubud, and used him for several more transfers, going as far as Pemuteran.  And back.  Which despite the excellent snorkeling on the north west

The Coral Croucher outside the late Paul Allen's lagoon.  Finally!

corner of this magic island, is a good thing.

   The government of Indonesia sends me 200 rupiah (approximately 10 cents US) for each one of you that I talk into going to Bali, so I have a vested interest in passing on these travel tips.

    Which brings us to yesterday.

    In the morning we hosted my long lost friends from Salem Hospital to a delicious Hawaiian breakfast.  Bagels from Safeway, muffins from Costco, POG from Target and Yuban dark roast.  We did at least throw in some yummy papayas from the market by the library.  I had not seen these two ladies in what we calculated to be 12 years, but happily we were all in acceptable condition and we had a wonderful time talking about Hawaii and Salem and what not.  After I forced them to look at the fish on the Christmas tree and the bathroom wall (this fish thing really has gotten out of hand) we loaned them some powerful fins and

Potter's Angelfish looking out of his Coral Cave.  Paul Allen's Reef December 2018

made plans to meet at City of Refuge tomorrow.

I thought that they were going to rent masks at Snorkel Bob's and spend the rest of the day acquainting themselves with their new equipment.  As Sandra and I arrived at the pier an hour or so later, I texted Kathy to let her know that she could borrow an underwater camera on Wednesday.  She texted back saying that they were at the Harbor House (drinking beer and eating giant hamburgers.)  So I'm not so sure they took that introductory swim.  Get with the program!

   I texted back, "Have a Firerock for me!" and headed into the Inner Harbour in front of the King Kam Hotel, where the water was now on the south side of eighty.

     I was happy to make it out past the heiau and the breakwater into the warmer ocean.  I swam straight across the little bay to pick up where I left off more than two months ago. It took me a minute or two to find the same head of cauliflower coral that I have been observing.  But it is still there, and so is the pair of coral crouchers!  I believe it is safe to say that this very same unusual and uncommon fish has been in the very same coral for four months.  Parvenu that I am, I hate to say this, but this borders on real  

The usual look at a speckled scorpionfish.  December2018, Kailua Pier

science.  Being by myself, I was able to approach my mission with Kroppjean patience and persistence and was rewarded, at long last, with a picture of the croucher, tucked as deep as he could wiggle his plump, speckled body into his coral amparo.

     That last word comes from the Cuban classic, Guantanamera.  In the traditional lyrics, it is a buck deer that is searching for his monte amparo.  Mountain hideaway to the Spanglishly challenged.  In my lyrics, and it is well within the Cuban tradition to write new lyrics to Guantanamera, it is a pes en la bahia, que busca un coral amparo.   Suffice it say, in whatever language one chooses, this pair of crouchers is well established in their amparo. And, at last, Ive got proof.

     The swim wasn't over.  Around the point, I looked for the yellowtail filefish without success.  I then swam ten yards off shore to look for Potter's angel.  I didn't see one, by I took notice of a lone staghorn coral growing bravely among all the detritus of his bygone relatives.  I dove to take a look at what he might be harboring and suddenly off to my left was a Potter's.  This guy was nosing in and out of a small window in the dead coral and allowed me to photograph him on three dives before disappearing.  This was only about 12 feet deep, so it was a

Speckled Scorpionfish  Sebastapistes coniorta. Kailua Pier December 2018

reasonable chance.

    Finally it was time to head for the barn.  As I approached the breakwater, I found another cauliflower coral to examine.  To my delight, there was, in addition to coral blenny, a fine speckled scorpionfish living in the folds of the coral. This species is sort of like the coral croucher:  obscure, small and hides in Pocillipora coral.  In each respect, the  speckled scorpion is a bit less so, but still it is a fishwatcher's fish to be sure and no one else would be aware of it.

The five stripe wrasse shoots up the side of a rock. 

     These were ideal conditions.  the water was clear and not moving very fast, the coral was only four feet down and there was a firm piece of dead coral nearby to use for a hand hold.  On my first attempt I got the fish in its usual attitude, lying across the leaf with its head facing down.  On my second attempt, he moved, lacing his body flat across a recess.  However, form the standpoint of hiding, he made a poor choice and ended up in a spot where he was still accessible to my prying camera.  Snap, snap, snap.  And whadya know?  Not a shabby picture of a species devilishly difficult to photograph.  And don't you just love the coral blenny peering from around the corner?

    In putting together the blog, I had the chance to search for the species name in John Hoover's book.  It is a testimony to how difficult this fish is, that the picture you see here is dramatically better than John's.  Did I just break my arm patting myself on the back? Maybe.

    Thinking that it had been a wonderfully productive swim, I made it over the rip rap and into the

Five Stripe Wrasse.  Thallasoma quinquevittatum  Kialua Pier December 2018

channel opposite the pier.  Suddenly, in the moving water there was an unusual, small wrasse.  About the size and shape of a smaller saddleback wrasse, this guy had a green base and a variety of rose colored markings.  Honestly, I couldn't figure out what I was looking at, but with that rose colored streak across his upper flank, I knew it was not a usual suspect.  Although he was a very fast moving fish, he stayed with me for several minutes and I took at least a dozen pictures.  As is so often the case, the last photograph was the best.  it wasn't until we got home and Sandra and I could look at the books and compare them with the pictures that we decided this was a five stripe wrasse.

   So variable is this fish, that John Hoover provides four pictures in his book.  Our fish corresponds well to the initial phase, male or female photograph.  

   In my defense, not only is this fish always fast moving and found in surging water, but it is extremely variable in coloration.  Back on the beach at Ho'okena, the persistent Peter Kroppje noted that frequently we are taking pictures of fast moving fish in moving water.  Hence, nothing is still and the result is bound to be blurry.  Unknowingly, he described this situation in spades.

   At last the swim was done and we headed for shore. But I had one more treat in store.  As I finished my shower a veritable giant approached.  Over seven feet tall, he hung a purple bag on one of the

Uncle Tui is now the quartebacks coach for Cal. 

hooks.  Noting the W on his chapeau, I asked, "Is that a Washington W?"  Indeed it was!  the giant's name was Patrick and he is here for two months.  He asked if I was going to the Rose Bowl and we agreed that it was a little much from here.  He then revealed that his nephew played center for the Huskies and hiked the ball to Marques Tuiasosopo.  A few of you may not be aware of Tui, but he is my favorite player of all time.  He was not tall enough for a pro team to believe in him...all he could do was win.   Patrick went on to tell me that his nephew now has a house on Hood Canal and that a couple summers ago Tui came to visit for 4th of July.  At a nearby Indian reservation he pretty much bought out the fireworks stand and, according to Patrick, they damn near burned down his nephew's house.  Now each year at 4th of July, his children want to know if Uncle Tui is coming.

    Thanks to you all for being such patient and persistent readers.  We wish you a Merry Fishmas and a micro-brew beer.