A Good Morning at Kawaihae Harbor

Orange Stylinos Sponge, Kawaihae March 2025

   A couple days ago Sandra and I returned to Kawaihae on a sunny morning.  We had met with Peter and Marla a month ago, and they said a trip to Kawaihae provided three species of nudibranchs and fair water quality.  

    We had planned to go to Mahu Kona, another fifteen miles further north, but the tide was very low, and the wind was predicted to be ferocious.   This has been the situation on numerous occasions lately, causing us to swim somewhere else.   As we arrived at the harbor, there were two older girls with snorkel masks collecting shells.  the girls said the water was clear, although they also said they had never noticed it to be green, so we charged ahead.   

   As it turned out, the water was cool (as opposed to freezing) and only a little green.  At worst the visibility was about eight feet.  The first platform had little to offer.  The second platform provided a single Trembling Nudibranch.  He was about eight feet down, so I dove a few times and got one picture that isn't terrible.  

Orange and blue sponges

   What was encouraging was that we saw a lot more fouling organisms on the pilings, including several kinds of sponges, which I am showing you here, At least two species of hydroids were present.  This included a group of very large hydroids that John Hoover calls Christmas Tree.  I didn't know that species got so large.  

     

Christmas Tree hydroids and Snowflake Coral (lower left)

   Towards the end of our snorkel, we both saw a clump that looked like a tangle of pinkish yarn that I was sure was an animal.  I did what I could with the pictures and sent them along to John Hoover, calling it a Curious Tangle.  He replied that he thought it was Polybranchia jensennae, which is a sort of nudibranch.  Personally, I can't find the nudibranch in this mess.  Perhaps one of you will have an idea.  Or perhaps like our new ober fuhrer, Herr Musk, I need to be taking Ketamine to improve my perception.

    So the good news is that there is stuff growing on the pylons, including a variety of intriguing invertebrates.  And the shower in the park is still warm and perhaps the most scenic ablution on the planet.

jeff

   

Curious Tangle..is it a nudibranch?