Diving

Hawaii 2015
I got in only 3 days of diving on this trip. North Shore conditions were iffy the entire time, so I had to venture South to find some good diving.
My first day of diving wasn't until Thursday because conditions were iffy both above and below the surface all week. Even then, visibility wasn't great at Tunnels and I only got a few decent photos that day, including this Arc-Eye Hawkfish. May 14, 2015 8:46 AM : Diving, animal, arc-eye hawkfish, bony fish, centrarchiformes, cirrhitidae, fish, hawkfish, osteichthyes, paracirrhites arcatus
1 My first day of diving wasn't until Thursday because conditions were iffy both above and below the surface all week. Even then, visibility wasn't great at Tunnels and I only got a few decent photos that day, including this Arc-Eye Hawkfish.
 Small school of Moorish Idols May 14, 2015 8:58 AM : Diving, animal, bony fish, fish, moorish idol, osteichthyes
2 Small school of Moorish Idols
White-tipped Reef Shark at Tunnels May 14, 2015 11:03 AM : Diving, Kauai, shark
3 White-tipped Reef Shark at Tunnels
 Conditions at Tunnels were not really improving, so on Sunday afternoon I did a South Shore boat trip. The first dive was a drift dive that started at Fish Bowl and ended at Turtle Bluffs. Right off the boat were several large Pacific Trumpetfish. May 17, 2015 1:20 PM : Diving, animal, bony fish, fish, osteichthyes, trumpetfish
4 Conditions at Tunnels were not really improving, so on Sunday afternoon I did a South Shore boat trip. The first dive was a drift dive that started at Fish Bowl and ended at Turtle Bluffs. Right off the boat were several large Pacific Trumpetfish.
Scrambled-Egg Nudibranch May 17, 2015 1:24 PM : Diving, animal, fried egg nudibranch, gastropod, gastropoda, mollusca, mollusk, nudibranch, nudibranchia, phyllidia varicosa, phyllidiidae, scrambled egg nudibranch
5 Scrambled-Egg Nudibranch
 One of two large Yellow Margin Morays during the dive May 17, 2015 1:26 PM : Diving, anguilliformes, animal, bony fish, eel, fish, moray, muraenidae, osteichthyes
6 One of two large Yellow Margin Morays during the dive
Blue-striped snapper were in massive schools over the reef May 17, 2015 1:34 PM : Diving, PEOPresentation2024, acanthuriformes, animal, bluestripe snapper, bony fish, fish, lutjanidae, lutjanus kasmira, osteichthyes, snapper
7 Blue-striped snapper were in massive schools over the reef
 Another huge Yellow Margin Moray peering out from his hiding place May 17, 2015 1:35 PM : Diving, anguilliformes, animal, bony fish, eel, fish, moray, muraenidae, osteichthyes
8 Another huge Yellow Margin Moray peering out from his hiding place
Crown of Thorns Star May 17, 2015 1:44 PM : Diving, acanthaster planci, acanthasteridae, animal, asteroidea, crown-of-thorns starfish, echinoderm, echinodermata, sea star, starfish
9 Crown of Thorns Star
 One of the gnarliest sea cucumbers I've encountered, I looked it up after we got home. It's a Hawaiian Spiky Sea Cucumber. Go figure! May 17, 2015 2:58 PM : Diving, Instagram, animal, echinoderm, echinodermata, sea cucumber
10 One of the gnarliest sea cucumbers I've encountered, I looked it up after we got home. It's a Hawaiian Spiky Sea Cucumber. Go figure!
Eyestripe Surgeonfish feeding on the reef May 17, 2015 3:32 PM : Diving, Kauai
11 Eyestripe Surgeonfish feeding on the reef
 Into the second week of our vacation and conditions at Tunnels on the North Shore were still mediocre. So I did my final day of diving at Koloa Landing. At least the best was saved for last. It was just me and the divemaster, and more critters per square inch than I can remember in a long time. Lots of stuff I was seeing for the first time. Right off the bat was this relatively rare Dragon Moray. May 20, 2015 1:12 PM : Diving, Kauai, eel, moray
12 Into the second week of our vacation and conditions at Tunnels on the North Shore were still mediocre. So I did my final day of diving at Koloa Landing. At least the best was saved for last. It was just me and the divemaster, and more critters per square inch than I can remember in a long time. Lots of stuff I was seeing for the first time. Right off the bat was this relatively rare Dragon Moray.
Lots of turtles too at Koloa Landing May 20, 2015 1:13 PM : Diving, animal, chelonia mydas, cheloniidae, hawaiian green sea turtle, honu, reptile, reptilia, sea turtle, testudines, turtle
13 Lots of turtles too at Koloa Landing
 This Devil Scorpionfish, a master of disguise, was just sitting out and enjoying the view May 20, 2015 1:19 PM : Diving, PEOPresentation2024, animal, bony fish, devil scorpionfish, fish, osteichthyes, perciformes, scorpaenidae, scorpaenopsis diabolus, scorpionfish
14 This Devil Scorpionfish, a master of disguise, was just sitting out and enjoying the view
Whitemouth Moray May 20, 2015 1:20 PM : Diving, Kauai
15 Whitemouth Moray
 Orangeband Surgeonfish May 20, 2015 1:23 PM : Diving, Kauai
16 Orangeband Surgeonfish
I am pretty sure this ugly mass is a Commerson's Frogfish May 20, 2015 1:30 PM : Diving, anglerfish, animal, antennariidae, bony fish, fish, frogfish, lophiiformes, osteichthyes
17 I am pretty sure this ugly mass is a Commerson's Frogfish
 A white Leaf Scorpionfish May 20, 2015 1:39 PM : Diving, animal, bony fish, fish, leaf scorpionfish, osteichthyes, perciformes, scorpaenidae, scorpionfish, taenianotus triacanthus
18 A white Leaf Scorpionfish
Blackside Hawkfish May 20, 2015 1:44 PM : Diving, Kauai, hawkfish
19 Blackside Hawkfish
 An adult Whitemouth Moray May 20, 2015 1:50 PM : Diving, anguilliformes, animal, bony fish, eel, fish, moray, muraenidae, osteichthyes
20 An adult Whitemouth Moray
And more honu, this one doing a drive-by over my head May 20, 2015 1:58 PM : Diving, animal, chelonia mydas, cheloniidae, hawaiian green sea turtle, honu, reptile, reptilia, sea turtle, testudines, turtle
21 And more honu, this one doing a drive-by over my head
 A Shortsnout Scorpionfish, yet another master of disguise May 20, 2015 2:41 PM : Diving, animal, bony fish, fish, osteichthyes, perciformes, scorpaenidae, scorpionfish
22 A Shortsnout Scorpionfish, yet another master of disguise
First time for me, a Blue Dragon Nudibranch May 20, 2015 2:47 PM : Diving, animal, blue dragon nudibranch, facelinidae, gastropod, gastropoda, mollusca, mollusk, nudibranch, nudibranchia, pteraeolidia ianthina
23 First time for me, a Blue Dragon Nudibranch
 This Yellow Margined Nudibranch was less than 1/2" long May 20, 2015 2:50 PM : Diving, animal, ardeadoris angustolutea, chromodorid, chromodorididae, gastropod, gastropoda, mollusca, mollusk, nudibranch, nudibranchia, yellow margin nudibranch
24 This Yellow Margined Nudibranch was less than 1/2" long
This Scrambled-Egg Nudibranch was rather large, almost 3" long May 20, 2015 2:52 PM : Diving, animal, fried egg nudibranch, gastropod, gastropoda, mollusca, mollusk, nudibranch, nudibranchia, phyllidia varicosa, phyllidiidae, scrambled egg nudibranch
25 This Scrambled-Egg Nudibranch was rather large, almost 3" long
 These Raccoon Butterflyfish were so intent feasting on a mat of Sergeant Major eggs that they were oblivious to me taking pictures of them. May 20, 2015 2:57 PM : Diving, Kauai, SpectrumGalleryLetThereBeLoveCandidate
26 These Raccoon Butterflyfish were so intent feasting on a mat of Sergeant Major eggs that they were oblivious to me taking pictures of them.
May 20, 2015 2:57 PM : Diving
27
 I was tracking this tiny Snowflake Moray Eel through the reef and positioned myself to patiently wait it out. I was completely oblivious to the Commerson's Frogfish lurking right outside its door and nearly bumped it with one of my strobes until I lifted my eyes from the viewfinder to realize the reason for the eel's shyness to emerge. May 20, 2015 3:02 PM : Diving, Instagram, Kauai, eel, moray
28 I was tracking this tiny Snowflake Moray Eel through the reef and positioned myself to patiently wait it out. I was completely oblivious to the Commerson's Frogfish lurking right outside its door and nearly bumped it with one of my strobes until I lifted my eyes from the viewfinder to realize the reason for the eel's shyness to emerge.
My diving on this trip ended with finding this Titan Scorpionfish posed for its beauty shot May 20, 2015 3:15 PM : Diving, Kauai, scorpionfish
29 My diving on this trip ended with finding this Titan Scorpionfish posed for its beauty shot