Photo Copyright 2010 by Barry Fackler
We were blessed with another day of great shore diving conditions at Honaunau on this fine Super Bowl Sunday morning. Clear skies and clear calm water once again. We have been having a wonderful winter diving season.
Photo Copyright 2010 by Barry Fackler
The Green Sea Turtles, also known as honu, have returned to the bay after a brief hiatus. I spent the first dive trying to get some shots of them at cleaning stations on the south side of the bay.
Copyright 2010 by Barry Fackler
The trick to photographing this activity is to not scare off the fish doing the cleaning, in this case, a small group of Yellow Tangs.
Copyright 2010 by Barry Fackler
I did alright by my somewhat low standards. The early morning sunlight filtering through the water lent a nice background scene.
Copyright 2010 by Barry Fackler
I love photographing honus. They're big, docile, colorful (compared to other big marine subjects) and somewhat expressive. They seem to convey a sense of wisdom and dignity.
Copyright 2010 by Barry Fackler
During the course of photographing the honu, this small Finescale Triggerfish gave me a photo op. These fish were only seen occasionally in Hawai'i until a few years ago. Until that time it was thought that they were swept in on currents from other parts of the Pacific. Now, experts believe they are established in Hawaiian waters and breeding locally.
During my surface interval, I watched 2 or 3 Humpbacks spouting and diving outside the bay. A pod of Spinner Dolphins also showed up, much to the delight of the assembled crowd. After an hour, I geared up and went below again.
All Photos Above Copyright 2010 by Barry Fackler
The dolphins were spending a good amount of time in shallow water and remained pretty frisky throughout my dive. They are always a remarkable sight. I spent a little time looking around the reef but mostly I just hung out with the dolphins.
Copyright 2010 by Barry Fackler
The two photos above are not ones I think are all that great, but they do illustrate how close the dolphins approach swimmers in Honaunau Bay. In the top photo, a pair of snorkelers hovers above a phalanx of dolphins. The lower photo shows dolphins gliding over a group of student divers.
As you can see, people could get a good look at the dolphins today without even getting in the water.
After my second dive, I hung out and got to see two whale breeches. I'm amazed at how many whale sightings there are this year. After going home and cleaning my gear, I took a nap and ended up missing the entire Super Bowl. I heard it was pretty good but I had a super day of my own!
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