January 12, 2013

Airplane Ledge

Horned Helmet

Horned Helmet, Sea Snails, Molluscs, Invertibrates, Family Cassididae, Cassis cornuta, (Hawaiian Name: hāwa‘e po‘o hina), 81 feet deep. Common in Hawai'i on sand bottoms at scuba depths. Spines much smaller or mostly missing on females. Grows to at least 12 inches. Hawai'i & Indo-Pacific. Airplane Ledge, Wainae, O'ahu, Hawai'i, USA, January 12, 2013. f/5.5, 1/60 second, ISO 200.

Pebble Collector Urchin

Pebble Collector Urchin, Echinoderms, Invertibrates, Family Toxopneustidae, Peudoboletia indiana, (Hawaiian Name: hāwa‘e po‘o hina), 65 feet deep. Common in Hawai'i on rubble bottoms at scuba depths. Spines range from white to purple. Collects rubble to "adorn" itself. Test is white and compressed. Grows to diameter of 5 inches. Hawai'i & Indo-Pacific. Airplane Ledge, Wainae, O'ahu, Hawai'i, USA, January 12, 2013. f/5.5, 1/200 second, ISO 200.

Selfie. 15 feet deep. Airplane Ledge, Wainae, O'ahu, Hawai'i, USA, January 12, 2013. f/4.9, 1/35 second, ISO 71.

Kea'au Corners

Shortnose Mantis Shrimp

Shortnose Mantis Shrimp, Crustaceans, Decapods, Invertibrates, Family Odontodactylidae, Odontodactylus brevirostris, 49 feet deep. Smasher-type mantis shrimp that inhabits burrows in sandy rubble at scuba depths. Not common in Hawai'i. Grows to 3 inches. Hawaii & Indo-Pacific. Kea'au Corners, Wainae, O'ahu, Hawai'i, USA, January 12, 2013. f/4.4, 1/200 second, ISO 80.

Purple Velvet Star

Purple Velvet Star, Echinoderms, Invertibrates, Family Ophidiasteridae, Leiaster leachi, 48 feet deep. Rare in Hawai'i at scuba depths. Appears fluorescent blue underwater. Slippery surface. May grow to 15 inches. Hawai'i & Indo-Pacific. Kea'au Corners, Wainae, O'ahu, Hawai'i, USA, January 12, 2013. f/7.8, 1/60 second, ISO 200.

Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle

Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle, Family Cheloniidae, Chelonia mydas, (Hawaiian Name: honu), 21 feet deep. The only common sea turtle in Hawai'i, occurs in warm and temperate seas worldwide. Green turtles belonging to the distinct Hawaiian subpopulation nest at the protected French Frigate Shoals some 800 kilometers (500 mi) west of the Hawaiian Islands. Feeds upon sea grasses and seaweed and rests on beaches or in underwater caverns where it can remain submerged for several hours on a single breath. Lives to a maximum age of about 80 years, and carapace length of 3 feet. Listed as endangered by the IUCN and CITES and is protected from exploitation in most countries. It is illegal to collect, harm or kill them. In the USA, that prohibition also includes intentionally touching one. I was swimming quietly along at 21 feet in depth when this individual decided he needed company and joined me for a while. Kea'au Corners, Wainae, O'ahu, Hawai'i, USA, January 12, 2013. f/3.1, 1/100 second, ISO 80.

Rusty Guard Crab

Rusty Guard Crab in Cauliflower Coral, Crustaceans, Decapods, Invertibrates, Family Trapeziidae, Trapezia bidentata, 22 feet deep. Lives within the branches of Cauliflower and occasionally, Antler corals. Carapace width to 0.5 inch. Hawaii, Tropical Eastern Pacific & Indo-Pacific. Kea'au Corners, Wainae, O'ahu, Hawai'i, USA, January 12, 2013. f/2.9, 1/60 second, ISO 50.

August 4, 2012

Hanauma Bay

White-Spotted Sea Cucumber

White-Spotted Sea Cucumber, Echinoderms, Invertibrates, Family Holothuriidae, Actinopyga varians, 5 feet deep. Common in areas exposed to wave action. Strongly attached to the reef. Hard skin with white spots. Grows to 8 inches. Hawaii & Tropical Pacific. Hanauma Bay, O'ahu, Hawai'i, USA, August 4, 2012. f/5.5, 1/320 second, ISO 80.

Convict Tangs

Convict Tangs, Damselfish, Family Acanthuridae, Acanthurus triostegus, (Hawaiian Name: manini), 5 feet deep. Frequently found on shallow reefs forming large feeding aggregations mixed with other species. Grows to 11 inches. Hawai‘i, Indo-Pacific, & Tropical Eastern Pacific. Hanauma Bay, O'ahu, Hawai'i, USA, August 4, 2012. f/5.5, 1/800 second, ISO 80.

September 5, 2011

Mahi Shipwreck

Blue-Spotted Sea Urchin

Family Diadematidae, Astropyga radiata, 95 feet deep. First and only one I have ever seen! Unlike any other urchin. Very pretty. Mahi Shipwreck, Wainae, O'ahu, Hawai'i, USA, September 5, 2011. f/5.5, 1/50 second, ISO 200.

Blue-Spotted Sea Urchin

Family Diadematidae, Astropyga radiata, 95 feet deep. This pretty reddish brown and white striped urchin is found through the Indo-Pacific and inhabits sand or rubble bottoms of at least 50 ft. or more. In other areas of the Indo-Pacific it can be found in shallow sea-grass beds. Uncommon in Hawai'i, it is rarely seen. The spineless areas of the test contain rows of iridescent blue dots that can expand and contract, sometimes disappearing altogether. Mahi Shipwreck, Wainae, O'ahu, Hawai'i, USA, September 5, 2011. f/5.5, 1/60 second, ISO 80.

January 18, 2010

Lana'i Lookout

Humpback Whale Breach

This Humpback Whale cow and her calf entertained us for almost an hour. First, she breached, then over the space of nearly an hour and covering about a half mile in distance, she spy-hopped, fin-slapped and played on or near the surface with her calf. All the while I was snapping photos whenever I could anticipate her antics. Right at the end, when she was the very nearest to where we were located, she made an enormous breach and I was lucky to get two exceptional shots. Lana'i Lookout, O'ahu, Hawai'i, USA, January 18, 2010. f/5.6, 1/2000 second, ISO 200.

Humpback Whale Breach

This Humpback Whale cow and her calf entertained us for almost an hour. First, she breached, then over the space of nearly an hour and covering about a half mile in distance, she spy-hopped, fin-slapped and played on or near the surface with her calf. All the while I was snapping photos whenever I could anticipate her antics. Right at the end, when she was the very nearest to where we were located, she made an enormous breach and I was lucky to get two exceptional shots. Lana'i Lookout, O'ahu, Hawai'i, USA, January 18, 2010. f/5.6, 1/2000 second, ISO 200.