Diving the Kona Coast: spotted eagle ray

Showing posts with label spotted eagle ray. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

A Recent Favorite

I've been blogging recently about the regular sightings of rays and sharks in Honaunau Bay over the last few months and sharing some of my photos with you. A couple of weekends ago, I had the privilege to swim alongside one of the Spotted Eagle Rays (Aetobatus narinari) for around two minutes, taking pictures the whole time. It was an exhilarating experience and I got a bunch of photos I liked. One really stood out and rather than show you a bunch of the photos, I thought I'd just post my favorite:

I know it's just an amateur photo taken with a point-and-shoot but it's special to me to have the sunlight streaming down on this great creature with its "wings" spread wide. I hope you enjoy it.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Aetobatus narinari at Honaunau

For months I have been following the progress of a young Spotted Eagle Ray (Aetobatus narinari) which has made Honaunau Bay its home. However, while taking these photographs, I saw another ray of similar size nearby. The presence of two rays instead of one certainly accounts for the frequency of sightings which have become almost routine for SCUBA and freedivers in the bay.

All these photos are of the same individual, the other ray staying out of range. This oneis growing up nicely but still not full-sized.

As graceful as the fish are when swimming, they still have to eat. And when they do, it's anything but graceful, diving headfirst into the sand and creating a dust storm as they search for mollusks and crustaceans.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Baby Eagle Ray at Honaunau

These are some recent photos of a juvenile Spotted Eagle Ray (Aetobatus narinari) that has been frequenting Honaunau Bay for the last several weeks. This first photo was taken late last month when I was on a solo dive.

Betty and I saw it again two weeks ago. We were on our second dive of the day when we saw it out in the distance. We were pre-occupied with looking for the male Whitley's Boxfish we had seen in the area on our earlier dive. As a result we mostly ignored the ray. A few minutes later it came up right alongside us and started digging in the sand for food.

The ray stayed nearby for around two minutes before winging away. It was a pleasant little encounter affording us a nice look and the "baby".

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Dive Report for Saturday 04/24/10

The diving at Keone'ele Cove ("Two-Step", Honaunau) was pretty good today despite surge and occasional sets from a northwest swell. Visibility was about 50 to 60 feet on the reef with pockets of better clarity here and there. The south side of the cove had some fair-sized surf rolling in so I decided to head north for my first dive. Had some good photo opportunities for some butterflyfish like the Ornate above and the Pyramids below.

At the point where I was about to turn around and start my return leg of the dive, I caught sight of a creature seldom seen at this locale, a Hawksbill Sea Turtle.

This particular Hawksbill was a small female that was only around a foot and a half in length. She stayed very close to the bottom the entire time I observed her, grazing on algae every so often.

You can get an idea of her small size from the coral formations nearby. Hawksbills differ from Green Sea Turtles primarily in the shape of their heads. The front of a Green's face is very blunt and almost vertical, whereas a Hawksbill's is tapered like a bird's beak (or maybe a hawk's bill!).

Hawksbills are not truly rare in Hawai'i but occur much less frequently than Greens which seem to be present at almost every beach. On the southeastern side of the island is a Hawksbill nesting site at Punalu'u Black Sand Beach.

I hung out with my reptilian acquaintance until my air supply encouraged me to be on my way. I snapped this photo of a Banded Sea Urchin on my way back to the Two-Step.

For my second dive I decided to take a chance on going south even though it looked kinda dicey. I was glad I did! Early in the dive I found this cute little baby Commerson's Frogfish clinging to the side of a coral head. Juveniles are almost always bright yellow like this, mimicking a type of local sponge. When they get older, their colors change to match their surroundings and they become quite difficult to see.

I took many photos of this fish but few turned out very well. Either I "blasted" it with the strobes and washed out the image or I lost the fish in shadows. I did get a good exposure of it in this photo with his mouth wide open in a "yawn".

This Spotted Eagle Ray was making the rounds to all the little sand patches using its nose to shovel up invertebrates to munch. While these rays are majestic to behold while swimming, they have a somewhat ugly face that looks like a squashed duck with snake-like eyes.

The last photos for this diving day were of this feisty little Whitemouth Moray. It was free-swimming when I first saw it, but quickly took up shelter under this overhang.

Until next week, gang! A hui hou!

Monday, December 21, 2009

Dive Report for Sunday 12/20/2009

By no means was this a "Chamber of Commerce" type of day in Kona. When I got up there was a little bit of sun and blue sky over the mountains but very gray and cloudy over the ocean. During the first dive I had a little sunlight but it got progressively darker as time went by. The scene above was taken between dives. As I geared up for my second dive it began to drizzle very lightly. But I was already wet and planning on getting wetter so I went ahead. The second dive was good, but topside it was raining buckets. To the south there was thunder and lightning and north in Kailua-Kona funnel clouds were spotted over the ocean. Pretty wild!

The weather made underwater visibility a bit like night diving. I saw this juvenile Blackside Hawkfish early in the dive. These fish undergo a dramatic change in coloration as they mature. Later in the dive I found an adult specimen. You can see from the photo below how this fish changes as it grows.

A variety of Wrasses were on the reef on the first dive. The beautifully colored fish above is a Yellowtail Coris. All wrasses swim by beating their pectoral fins, holding the tail stiff and using it only for steering. They flit around somewhat erratically and are difficult to photograph.

Above are three female Bird Wrasse darting about the reef. They have a characteristic curved beak that resembles the beak of a Hawaiian bird called a Honeycreeper. The males are similarly shaped but are bigger and colored dark green and blue.

The Saddle Wrasse is one of the more common fish on Hawaiian reefs and is easily identified by its orange "saddle" just behind the head. It has beautiful magenta markings at the base of the anal, dorsal and caudal fins.

Near the end of the first dive I came upon a cloud of stirred up sand. At first I thought it might have been the result of a couple of Square Spot Goatfish feeding in the area. But then I saw a Spotted Eagle Ray glide through the area. These graceful swimmers are becoming more commonly seen around Honaunau.

After an hour's surface interval, I returned for a second dive. This Manybar Goatfish is displaying the chin barbels that give it the family name as they somewhat resemble a goat's beard. This individual tipped me off to the presence of a Day Octopus as the two creatures sometimes hunt cooperatively.

Here are the two hunting partners together.

This particular octopus was a little shy so I only took a couple photos of it, then moved on.

Death is an integral part of nature's plan on the reef as elsewhere. This Pelagic Jellyfish has drifted to its demise in the bay. It's once flowing tentacles have been eaten down to nubs and a big gash runs across it's bell. It was being nibbled on by a Ringtail Wrasse, which fled as I approached. It's bell pulsated weakly and ineffectively, unable to lift it off the sea floor.

My diving day ended with an uncommon sight. A medium-sized Great Barracuda hovered near the surface in shallow water. When we lived in the Florida Keys we saw 'cudas all the time and they were quite bold. Often they would follow you for most of the dive. Here in Hawai'i you don't see them very often and they tend to be shy around divers. The ones I see here are generally a lot smaller than their Western Atlantic and Carribean kin.

No more dives are planned until after Christmas but hopefully I'll get one more day of diving in before the end of the year.

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Dive Report for Saturday 12/05/09

The water was a little rough at Honaunau Bay on Saturday but nowhere near the double digits forecasted for west-facing shores. A high surf advisory is in effect through Wednesday. When I arrived at the beach, groups of Spinner Dolphins (Nai'a) were visible in the north end of the bay, approaching quite near to shore. I donned my gear and swam out in the general direction of the pod.

Even before I could get off the surface, the dolphins were all around me. It was still early in the morning (around 7:15) so there was not a great deal of sunlight to photograph by.

The dolphins were apparently freshly arrived after a night of hunting out in the deep ocean. They were leaping out of the water and the sea was abuzz with their clicks and whistles.

I give the dolphins plenty of space and how close they come is entirely up to them. On almost every encounter, there is a sub-group of three or four males who will make a few close passes. This seems to be their role in the pod, to check out any interlopers and make sure they pose no threat.

In the early morning light the image of dolphins descending on you is almost celestial or spiritual. I find myself thinking it's like seeing angels appear out of the heavens,

Very few days pass where I don't stop and think about what a fortunate soul I am. Especially so on mornings like this at Honaunau Bay. Encountering wild dolphins, on their own terms is like a waking dream. Moving to the Big Island was one of the best decisions my wife and I ever made.

I estimated there to be ~ 30 individuals in the pod although they were divided into sub-groups. When I started to get low on air, I retreated to the shallow waters of the reef to off-gas and look at some of the smaller creatures. When I returned to the beach, I looked seaward to find that the dolphins had departed from the bay. I was glad they spent part of their brief visit with me.

After an hour's surface interval, I re-entered the ocean again and was lucky enough to have another encounter with a big creature. This time, I happened upon upon a "baby" Spotted Eagle Ray in the south end of the bay. This individual is well known to local SCUBA and free-divers who have been casually observing her progress over the last couple months. She has an almost ridiculously long tail that she will "grow into" as she matures.

I took a few photos while she circled around in the sand looking for prey. As she drifted away, I turned my attention toward other matters. Like dolphins, rays pretty much control the duration of any encounter as they can swim away whenever they choose.

A few moments later I looked up and saw her soaring along the drop-off as gracefully as her namesake bird. It was a remarkable sight to see backlit against the morning light.

One last sight to share. This cheerful wreath is actually the egg mass of a large sea slug called a Spanish Dancer nudibranch. I include it here because it puts me in mind of the holiday season which I hope you all are enjoying!

Monday, October 12, 2009

Belated Weekend Dive Report for 10/10/09

This weekend we had the Ford Ironman Triathalon going on in Kona, so it was good to be diving far away from the crowd down south in Honaunau. I don't find the Triathalon to be a particularly thrilling event to witness and I've managed to avoid it every year so far. Water conditions at Honaunau were calm on the surface throughout the morning hours. Visibility was so-so with a lot of "marine snow" particulate matter hanging in the water column.

The goofy face above belongs to a Burrfish that has been holed up in a small cave for a couple of months now. This is a kind of fish often referred to as "blowfish". It can gulp large amounts of water when threatened, distending its body into a globe shape and erecting its spines. This effectively deters sharks and other predators from making a meal of the Burrfish.

This was a nice close-up I was able to get of a Crown-of-Thorns sea star. Without the flash these appear dull brown but the strobe brings out the blood-red coloration.

The spiny creature above is a Collector Urchin. These are very common in Hawai'i and are unique because they pick up pieces of algae, shell and other bottom litter to cover themselves with. This particular one is interesting because it has covered itself with the bluish-purple skeletal remains of its brethren. A little ghoulish marine behavior for this Halloween season.

This is a female Spotted Boxfish I found in a crevice. It has a rigid, armored body from which the fins and mouth protrude. It appears awkward, seemingly wiggling its fins frantically to swim. In fact, it is surprisingly fast and very agile. The males of this species are vivid blue with gold trim.

After my dives I was joined by my wife, Betty, and my grandson, Jacques, for a little playtime in the tidepools. We saw a couple of different eels, baby Raccoon Butterflyfish, a small Moorish Idol, and some shrimp. Here, my family is joined by Aquaman.

I didn't get to blog yesterday because our family made the long trip to the "big city" of Hilo to do some shopping. Specifically, we went to buy Hallmark Christmas ornaments. One of our purchases was this Finding Nemo ornament featuring Mr. Ray who is clearly based on the form of a Spotted Eagle Ray like the one in my prior post. Pretty cool!

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Spotted Eagle Ray

Last weekend, I posted on my recent dive in Keauhou Bay where I saw a Spotted Eagle Ray. Today I thought I'd post some more Eagle Ray photos I took a few months ago, also in Keauhou Bay. This ray was particularly at ease around me and allowed me to take dozens of photos. Above, she is ready to chow down on a sea urchin.

In both the photos above you can appreciate the "duck-bill" appearance of the animal's head. It is not particularly beautiful, but very well adapted for rooting around in the sand for crustaceans and molluscs. Several times at Honaunau, Betty and I have seen Eagle Rays actually digging holes in the coral reef with their bills, shattering the coral in the process. On a couple occasions there was thick, viscous purple ink in the water from the ray's victim, a sea hare.

Aside from the bill, an eagle ray is a beautiful and graceful creature. In this view, several of the venomous barbs are visible at the base of the tail. Although it is a shy and inoffensive fish, it must be accorded a fair amount of respect. A mature specimen can be six feet across and weigh up to 500 pounds. The Hawaiian name is hihimanu which means "magnificent" or "elegant"

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Weekend Dive Report for 10/03/09

This weekend was PERFECT for scuba diving with gentle surf out of the north and west at only 2 to 3 feet. The weather was sunny all day long both Saturday and Sunday. With such good conditions, I decided to make the drive down to Keauhou Bay to see some manta rays. Visibility was only around 50' but the bay has a lot of sandy bottom so crystal clear conditions are not the norm here. Surface swam out to the area where the most active cleaning stations are but found no mantas, I decided to submerge and start looking around for smaller stuff. Within a few minutes, I came upon a divided flatworm making its way slowly across the coral rubble.

I continued westward toward the mouth of the bay, staying along the reef drop-off and maintaining a watch for big mantas. I thought I saw one out in the distance. As I watched, the winged shape drew closer, revealing the form of a spotted eagle ray. These are smaller cousins of mantas but have several characteristics that set them apart. Eagle rays have shovel-shaped snouts that they use to dig for shellfish which make up the bulk of their diet. Unlike mantas, eagle rays can have several venomous spines at the base of their tails. The one I encountered had only one spine. I suspect it may have used up its other spines fending off whatever creature ate its tail. Usually an eagle ray sports a long whip-like tail. They have brownish dorsal surfaces with white irregular markings. Often they are shy but this one circled around lazily, seemingly unperturbed by my presence,

At about the point where I was ready to turn around and head back to shore, I found a male palenose parrotfish grazing contentedly. Usually these fish are darting swiftly over the reef and are very difficult for me to photograph. This one afforded me time to take several photos before he was on his way. There are many species of parrotfish, but they all have a characteristic "beak" formed by fusion of their teeth. This adaptation allows them to scape algae off of corals. The undigestible mineral portion of the coral is excreted and becomes the lovely sand of our tropical beaches. When scuba diving or snorkeling their scraping can be easily heard.

Near the end of the dive I was waiting for a very uncooperative octopus to emerge from hos lair when I looked up to see a huge manta slowly cruise by. I had time to take only one photo as this ray continued on a straight and level path and faded out of view. The photo is at the top of this post.

On the second dive I was able to find a cooperative manta almost immediately. I settled in to start taking some spectacular photos only to be foiled by malfunctioning strobes that wouldn't fire together. This has been an ongoing problem ever since I bought this camera system. One strobe or the other will fire, but rarely will they fire together. I plan to devote at least one posting to SeaLife camera's inadequate strobes. Their cameras are fine, possibly great, but the strobes are heartbreakers. Anyway the manta was a real gem and made repeated close passes as she glided from one cleaning station to another.

I spent the better part of the dive just appreciating this big creature. After surfacing, I stowed my gear in my Jeep, walked to a nearby resort where I slid through the pool and used the bathroom to change clothes. Then I drove a 1/2 mile to a shopping center where I met up with my family to take in a movie. Kona is a great place to live!

(Sorry for the changing print size. It's way past my bedtime!)