The Day We Call Christmas. Or a Visit from the Christmas Wrasse.

   A Visit from the Christmas Wrasse

 'Twas the day we call Christmas.and at Kahalu'u,
The bay rolled with waves 'neath a sky that was blu'u.
The tourists were there in multitudinous number.
Except for the few that were still home a slumber.

The hau'olis held goggles and snorkels and fins
With colored shave ices all over their skins 
Ma in her wetsuit, and me in my vest,
Were determined to swim, along with the rest. 

There was at least one nice Reef Teacher

Getting into the water of course was a battle,
No way to avoid  the interminable prattle,  
Of the brainless Reef teachers (who stick in my craw) 
"Watch out for the turtles or we'll call in the law!"


Soon we were swimming, Christmas wrasses we sought,
Got to do it yourself, for the wrasse can't be bought.
Not for shekels or dollars or euros or yen.
He was here for last Christmas. Would he be here again?


The waves clung like molasses and rocked us and rolled us.
With our ears full of water the surf sang like a chorus.
Yet out by the rocks where we'd seen him before.

Our Christmas Turtle

No wrasses were there, though we saw fish galore.


Puffers and Surgeons, both smaller and bigger. 
And we bagged us a turtle and fine Lagoon Trigger.
We swam to the middle, through the waves that looked frosted.
When we paused in an eddy I said, "I am exhausted."


Said Sandra the Tiger, " To the kiosk return!"
So we revved up our jets and set them to burn.
And we swam there again, with hearts of good cheer.
But this was our last chance, Would we find him this year?

On this day the best photo op was this close approach Ember Parrot

Lagoon Trigger Christmas Day

And then up ahead, multicolors ablaze,
Swam a lone Christmas wrasse through the watery haze.
I pointed and flapped, shouted "Mark!" through my snorkel.
Sounding  nothing so much as a duck in mid chortle.  


we caught him on film as he altered his course.
He and gave Sandra a wink and he said in full force.
"Fear not the Trump.  Seventeen is winner.
That pompous buffon is just a beginner."

Cloudy water, but still a Christmas Wrasse!

Then he turned out to sea, as quick as a ferret,
And he said as he swam (with a fine Christmas spirit)
Be kind to the fish in the water so clear.
Be not naughty, but nice and I'll see you next year.  

jeff 





All the above pictures were taken on Christmas Day 2016.   You will note that the water is fairly flat.  It flattened out just as Sandra and I made it to shore.  "Where is the justice in that?"  I ask you.   The Christmas wrasse was found in extremely cloudy water over by the small kiosk (now condemned by the county.)  So we are including below a picture taken of this beautiful fish in clear water in 2008.

Now that's Christmas.