Diving the Kona Coast

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Thursday 8/26/10

First Dive of the Day...

...Second Dive of the Day!

Life (and diving) is good in Hawai'i!

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Here's a few photos of a Devil Scorpionfish I saw on a recent dive. These fish are a miracle of adaptation having developed camouflage that allows them to blend in perfectly with a coral rubble bottom. They are ambush predators that wait patiently for a careless fish to swim by. The scorpionfish then quickly opens its mouth which creates a partial vacuum and sucks in the fish.

Scorpionfish have venomous spines in their dorsal, anal and pelvic fins. Stepping on one will result in a painful sting. Although this fish blends in with its surroundings, when disturbed it will swim a few feet and, in the process, reveals bright orange and yellow markings on its pectoral fins which advertise its presence.

While this fish is considered unattractive by many, it is truly a underwater wonder and is a treat to see on a dive!

Monday, August 16, 2010

Turtle Portraits

I got a new camera recently and am still having trouble getting the "feel" for it. What I'm learning is that it is pretty poor at focusing on anything that happens to be moving! Not a good thing for underwater photography. Anyway, to get some decent photos, I've been going to the turtle beds early in the morning to get some close-ups of the honu while they're still being still. I've gotten a few good results, these being the best.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament

This week is the annual Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament where teams from around the world compete to catch big fish. After school/work Jacques and I went down into Kailua to see the weigh-in. Only one fish was brought to the pier, this 531 pound marlin which was caught by a group of fishermen from Japan.

I myself am not into fishing but it is a big part of life here on the Big Island. A popular bumper sticker proclaims "Kona. A quaint little drinking town with a fishing problem". No matter how you feel about the sport, seeing a giant fish like this is a memorable event.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Redstripe Pipefish

These are a couple of photos that, while of debatable artistic merit, I'm happy to have taken. While pipefish are not terribly uncommon in Hawai'i, they inhabit environments that (for me, at least) are among the least hospitable for camera-wielding SCUBA divers. These photos were taken in a tight, surge-swept lava tube near the shoreline. The surge in and out of this tube was so great that I had to brace myself against the walls with both legs and one arm while shooting with my free hand. To make matters more challenging, bubbles from my regulator dislodged silt from overhead making vis poor and causing backscatter in the photos. Also, pipefish get nervous easily and swim kind of erratically when photographed.

Pipefish are classified as tube-mouthed fishes and are closely related to the seahorse. Like the seahorse, it is the male pipefish that carries the eggs until they hatch. They are quite small and easy to miss. This one was around three or four inches long.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Rainbow Swimming Crab

I know I haven't been posting much in the way of fish photos recently, but I've just been having great luck finding fascinating invertebrates. This past weekend the surf was almost non-existent at Honaunau Bay which allowed me to explore some lava tubes along the northern shoreline. In the last tube I found a pair of these vividly colored Rainbow Swimming Crabs. Swimming crabs are unique in having a flattened pair of hindmost legs. When pumped furiously, these legs propel the crab awkwardly up into the water column although this action only loosely resembles swimming. It is probably an adequate defense against some of the slower predators it may encounter.

I found two of these crustaceans in separate locales within the same lava tube. Unfortunately, another bad aspect of my new SeaLife DC1200 camera is that it drains batteries very quickly. Battery power died during my session with these creatures, but I did get a couple decent images.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Hawaiian Swimming Crab

I just wanted to share this image of a tiny juvenile Hawaiian Swimming Crab I took last weekend. I've often seen photos like this on the web or in magazines but never thought I'd actually take one myself. The odds of getting the flash on the critter just seemed beyond my level and luck. Anyway, I'm just happy with this result.

This photo was taken with a new SeaLife DC1200 camera. I'm not too thrilled with it just yet. Macro shots (like this) are pretty good, the "normal" focus is mediocre and getting good photos of big animals is almost impossible. Maybe things will get better with more experience. Anyway, I'm pleased with this pic!