Friday, March 28, 2014

Hawkeye

Copyright 2014 by Barry Fackler


stocky hawkfish                    Cirrhitus pinnulatus

O'ili

Photo Copyright 2014 by Barry Fackler


barred filefish                       Cantherhines dumerili   

Togetherness

Photo Copyright 2014 by Barry Fackler


ornate butterflyfish                  Chaetodon ornatissimus

Just Passing Through

Photo Copyright 2014 by Barry Fackler


spinner dolphins                Stenella longirostris

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Big Cow Eyes

Photo Copyright 2014 by Barry Fackler
giant porcupinefish                   Diodon hystrix

Whale Watching

All Photos Copyright 2014 by Barry Fackler



This past weekend, Betty and I decided to play tourist and go on a whale-watching cruise out of Kawaihai. We've been seeing whales from shore all winter long (even while driving) but we wanted a more up-close experience.



We sailed with Ocean Sports on their big catamaran and had a super time. We saw a bunch of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) at close range including mothers with their calves.





We had a wonderful time and felt fortunate to see so many whales this late in the season. They will soon be migrating to their feeding grounds in Alaska.







Saturday, March 22, 2014

Star With a Spare

Photo Copyright 2014 by Barry Fackler
spotted linckia               Linckia multifora


This little starfish has an extra ray.

Shy Guy

Photo Copyright 2014 by Barry Fackler


zebra moray eel               Gymnomuraena zebra


I don't see zebra morays very often and when I do find one, it's face is usually buried in the reef and only a little bit of its body is visible. This individual graced me with a chance to photograph its lovely countenance. This photo is among my first taken using a video strobe as a light source.

The Reliable Model

Photo Copyright 2014 by Barry Fackler


whitetip reef shark                Triaenodon obesus


This young shark is a very reliable model for me. For several months now, she can always be found at the same resting spot in the early morning. I know it's always the same individual by the distinctive scar behind the mouth on her right side - a memento from an encounter with a fisherman's hook. Sometimes she shares her resting spot with a green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas).

No Cavities!

Photo Copyright 2014 by Barry Fackler


whitemouth moray eel                Gymnothorax meleagris

VAVA II

Photo Copyright 2014 by Barry Fackler
The super yacht VAVA II spent several days moored in Kailua Bay and was the talk of the town throughout its stay. There is much information about the vessel and the fabulously wealthy owners available on the internet. Note the helicopter as well as the paddle boarder on the right who is getting a close-up look at how the 1% live.

Blue Unicorn

Photo Copyright 2014 by Barry Fackler


bluespine unicornfish            Naso unicornis

Thursday, March 13, 2014

Underside

Photo Copyright 2014 by Barry Fackler

green sea turtle            Chelonia mydas

Scrawled and Scribbled

Photo Copyright 2014 by Barry Fackler


The scrawled or scribbled filefish (Aluterus scriptus) is another fish with intricate markings. It can color-phase from a light blue cast to the brownish-yellow hue shown here,

Swiggles and Dots

Photo Copyright 2014 by Barry Fackler




The eyestripe surgeonfish (Acanthurus dussumieri) have been making much closer approaches during the early dives. If I don't over-expose the shot, an intricate patterning is visible on the body and tail.

Ctenophore

Photo Copyright 2014 by Barry Fackler


Every once in a while, I happen across one of these comb jellies on my early morning dives. Usually, they look pretty beat up and are always hard to photograph with the simple equipment I use. Their bodies have a surprising resistance to compression, despite the squishy-sounding common name.

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Surprised

Photo Copyright 2014 by Barry Fackler


ornate butterflyfish               Chaetodon ornatissimus

Big Sky

Photo Copyright 2014 by Barry Fackler
green sea turtle               Chelonia mydas

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Dive Site

Photo Copyright 2014 by Barry Fackler


This is what I see just before an early morning descent at my favorite dive site, Honaunau Bay. The palm trees in the distance are at Pu'uhonua O' Honaunau National Historical Park. To the left can be seen the gentle slope of Mauna Loa.

Flowery Flounder Face

Photo Copyright 2014 by Barry Fackler

flowery flounder, peacock flounder            Bothus mancus

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Uprising

Photo Copyright 2014 by Barry Fackler


green sea turtle          (Chelonia mydas)

Leaf Fish

Photo Copyright 2014 by Barry Fackler

leaf scorpionfish            (Taenianotus triacanthus)

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Convict Tang at Cleaning Station


Photos Copyright 2014 by Barry Fackler

A convict tang (Acanthurus triostegus) visits a cleaning station to have parasites and dead scales removed by a Hawaiian cleaner wrasse (Labroides phthirophagus) in a classic example of symbiosis.