Kahalu'u...the New Octopus Hotspot

    Two days ago the surf came down.  The Kona Coast had been the recipient of great surfing conditions for over a week.  I had tried snorkeling at the pier a couple days earlier and the visibility was two to four feet.  Sometimes it felt like I was snorkeling through a sandbox.

Cat Lady Minus Her Snorkel.

     So, when the breakers went away, we hopped in the car and got to Kahalu'u wiki wiki.  As I sat on a rock, I was joined in the shallows by a pleasant young lady wearing a white neoprene hat with little pointy ears.  Was she the cat snorkeler?  We discussed the water temperature, which was on the cool side, and wave conditions, which were acceptable.  I shoved off and I assumed she was right behind me.

     The water warmed as I made my way out of the shallow, rocky inlet that is our K Bay entrance.  The water was clear, but there was enough current to guarantee that I would keep swimming or head immediately in the wrong direction.  About five minutes into the swim I was tapped on the shoulder.  It was the Cat Lady and she said in a sweet voice, almost reverential, " Octopus".  She then proceeded to point.  It seems her octopus had sequestered himself under a rock and I didn't see him.  but I have no doubt that she did.  Coupled with the small octopus I saw a week or so ago, this boded well for the Day Octopus in Kahalu'u.

Day Octopus, Kahalu'u 12/24

    The Cat Lady and I snorkeled on towards the breakwater without seeing anything noteworthy and so I turned and headed out into the middle of the bay.  There, I encountered two older ladies, possible even older than myself.  (Is that possible?)  In spite of being of a certain age, neither was wearing fins.  So, despite everything, they must be much stronger swimmers than I am.  I was attempting to take a picture of a white mouth moray when one of the ladies tapped me on the shoulder.  And she said, "Octopus." 

   It took a moment for them to position me correctly...there was plenty of current and more than a touch of slosh.  But once I got around to the seaside of a large dying coral, I was treated to a fine large octopus.  This guy was changing colors and had thrown up a shaggy appearance, so he resembled a bear skin cap.  He was the size of the air bladder on a bagpipe, so I think we should call him Angus. 

   Regardless of the difficult conditions, I was able to get the picture you see here.  Not terrible, everything considered.

Devil Scorpionfish, Kahalu'u  12/24

    I was about to swim away when one of the ladies surfaced and said, "Is that a scorpionfish?"   Either these ladies were lucky, or they are very good, because they were easily able to direct me to a fine Devil Scorpionfish who had positioned himself on a rock.  I was able to dive down and get this mug shot.

   I left them to their treasures and head in.  Over by the rescue kiosk I found a baby Lagoon Triggerfish, perhaps three inches long.  Is there a Hawaiian word for toddler?  I chased him around for five minutes and never got a very good photo.  But it was a nice end to the snorkeling trip.  

  

    It appears this is a good time at Kahalu'u for octopuses and I hope you have a chance to get down there for a look before the surf comes up.  After all, it is winter in Hawaii.

jeff