Category: Diving

Exploring the wet

Christmas Eve Diving

What else would I do on a Christmas Eve? Go shopping? Not really my ideal plan for the day. What about going diving? Not a bad idea at all…

Pete and I had already planned to go diving, but the plan had been to go shore diving somewhere. Then Dennis extended an invitation to join him on the boat, a gracious invitation we quickly accepted. As a result, the morning of the 24th saw us leaving Honokohau Harbor looking for a dive site to try.

Facing the Deep
Pete attempting to photograph garden eels at the base of the reef at Eel Cove
The surf was definitely up a bit, with a long swell rocking the boat and breakers hitting the rocks. Conditions in the water were pretty nice, visibility to near 100ft and just a gentle surge to be felt nearer the shore.

We did not go far from the harbor. First choice was a dive site called Sharkfin Rock just off Old Airport Park about two miles south of Honokohau. It is always a good sign when you can see the bottom 60 feet below through the blue water. Just inshore from the mooring a few surfers enjoyed the breaks along the park. Except for the one bodyboarder who was yelling at us to stop blocking his waves, as if a mere boat can have any significant effect on waves of any real size!

Strobe Effects
Pete imitating an old fashioned photographer with his strobe held away from the camera
The second site was a spot even closer to the harbor, a site called Eel Cove. The little indent in the shoreline that is right at the tip of the peninsula that protects Honokohau Harbor from the south. It is a very exposed site that drops off steeply. The cove offered just a bit of protection from the southerly swell and gave access to great diving conditions.

Eel Cove Profile
A typical Hawaiian dive profile, start deep and work your way up
The sites we dove this day allow access to deep water, we dropped to the base of the coral reef and explored our way up the slope. At Eel Cove there were indeed garden eels below 80ft on the sand slope. We dropped down to see them for a few minutes before heading back up the slope.

We found nothing truly unusual.. There were a number of nice encounters with reef regulars, some uncommon species of butterflyfish, a large day octopus, a young whitemouth moray. The second site at Eel cove was definitely one of the fishiest sites I have seen in quite a while. A lot of young fish to be seen. I expect the the more exposed site offers good feeding opportunities and less abuse from the aquarium collectors. I got a few good photos, particularly of the octopus. I have not seen what results Pete got from his efforts.

The day was simply a nice day to be out on the water, with good dive conditions that provided two nice dives. In the end I did do a little shopping. A stop at Costco was convenient as it is right above the harbor. There I grabbed a quick lunch and a couple things to keep our refrigerator stocked over the holiday.

Postcard from the Reef – Frogfish

I have been looking for a frogfish for years. Even so far as to comb a coral pinnacle where one had been seen the previous day with a group of other divers. So far I have had no success. These fish possess remarkable camouflage, I have probably swum right over more than one. But given how thoroughly I can comb a section of reef it is surprising that I never found one.

My friend Pete however…

Commerson's Frogfish
A commerson’s frogfish (Antennarius commerson), photo by Pete Tucker, used with permission

Postcard from the Reef – Urchin Crab

Sometimes it is simply knowing where to look.

I have known about these guys for a while, even looked a few times. It is daunting when you know exactly where to look, but that place is heavily defended and tough to approach. Obtaining a photo of something that is nestled amongst six inch spines? Challenging…

Sea Urchin Crab
A female sea urchin crab (Echinoecus pentagonus) in the anal cavity of a large banded urchin (Echinothrix calamaris)

Postcard from the Reef – Red Swimming Crab

Why are so many things I shoot determined to hide in a crevice. I may be big and noisy, but I just want to take your picture, not eat you. Maybe if I hold the camera upside down, twist the strobe to the side, maybe I can get a decent photo…

Red Swimming Crab
Red Swimming Crab (Gonioinfradens paucidentata) in a crevice at 40′ depth, Kaloko

Postcard from the Reef – Cleaner Wrasse

One of the prettiest fish on the reef, and one of the hardest to photograph. The neon colors just beg to be photographed. But these small fish never stop moving, darting rapidly about their post. An exercise in frustration and photos of empty coral…

Hawaiian Cleaner Wrasse
Two juvenile Hawaiian Cleaner Wrasse (Labroides phthirophagus)

Postcard from the Reef – Reef Rose

With the appearance, size and color of a rose, the moniker Reef Rose seems to fit. In reality these are the eggs of a large nudibranch, the Spanish dancer. Not at all hard to spot, I had been finding these for years before actually seeing the parent.

I always make a point to check the egg mass closely. There is another nudibranch, a tiny parasitic nudibranch that eats the eggs of the Spanish dancer, a species unsurprisingly called the egg-eating nudibranch.

The eggs of a Spanish Dancer nudibranch (Hexabranchus sanguineus) at Three Tables, Oahu