November 14, 2009 Dives - Mahi & Makaha Caverns

On Saturday, November 14, 2009, I dove with Jo (divemaster) from Ocean Concepts. We did two dives, the Mahi, a 95 foot deep dive on a ship that was intentionally sunk as an artificial reef and Makaha Caverns, a 50 foot deep dive on a shallow coral reef with lava tubes and swim-throughs.

This was my first certification dive for Digital Underwater Photographer. Since I was in Jo's group, we were first in the water. There were 19 divers and three "guides", so they paired up all the divers and the three guides each took a group.

Visibility was good - about 60 feet. When Shawn came up from attaching the mooring line, he said to me to get in and descend immediately since there were lots of Spotted Eagle Rays and the big Giant Barracuda hanging out over the wreck.

I told Jo I would see her on the bottom and did a giant stride in and descended immediately. The Eagle Rays were there just as he said in a couple of big groups.

Spotted Eagle Rays

I was experimenting with White Balance on this dive since I was working on the Digital Underwater Photography certification. I learned a lot by doing that, but most of my photos from this dive are pretty bad. I did manage to get some good ones, but only when I reset my camera and used flash or took wide angle shots in a more normal fashion.

Right on the stern of the wreck, I found a Sculptured Slipper Lobster, a Desirable Nudibranch, and a Commerson's Frogfish.

Sculptured Slipper Lobster

Desirable Nudibranch

Commerson's Frogfish

The Giant Barracuda was there too, but I could not get a decent photo of it.

Jo led the group out a little way off the starboard side and pointed out a Panther Flounder.

Panther Flounder

Right by the Panther Flounder was a pipe with a big Yellowmargin Moray Eel - the real reason we had come out there.

Yellowmargin Moray Eel

While I was hanging back and taking photos of the Panther Flounder and the Moray, the rest of the group headed back over to the wreck. I noticed a huge group of Spotted Eagle Rays that were slowly coming in the direction of where I was. I positioned myself where I thought they would come to and began taking photos and a video. They turned and swam directly over me as I laid on the bottom.

Spotted Eagle Rays

Once again, I ended the dive as I usually do on the Mahi, by slowly ascending up the mast. As Jo was swimming by toward the mooring line, I took this photo. It shows the wreck better than any photo I have taken so far.

Jo over the Mahi

While I was ascending, the big group of Spotted Eagle Rays decided to do one more pass right over the wreck, so I was able to get some more great photos.

Spotted Eagle Rays

Right at the top of the mast, there was a little Yellowtail Filefish hiding down in a hole in the coral.

Yellowtail Filefish

I did my safety stop under the boat and then swam up to the ladder and climbed out with 500 psi left.

On the second dive, we made the normal tour through Makaha Caverns. I was still experimenting with the camera settings since this was the second Digital Underwater Photographer certification dive. I took quite a few photos, only a handful came out. I am still not sure what was happening, but they were all out of focus.

Rough-Spined Urchin

This is a new nudibranch - the first I have seen.

Violet Gill Nudibranch

There was a huge Titan Scorpionfish. I shot it over and over and finally scared it away. I just could not get a good photo. This is the best of the worst!

Titan Scorpionfish

I rarely see these little guys anyway, but this is the first time I have seen two together. They are so tiny, only a few inches long.

Dwarf Moray Eels

When we got back to the boat, my batteries were dead and I was frustrated with the camera. I ended the dive and got back on board with 900 psi left.

November 13, 2009 Night Dives - Deep LCU & Turtle Reef

On Friday night, November 13, 2009, I dove with Carlos Santana (divemaster) from Ocean Concepts. We did two dives, the Deep LCU, a 106 foot deep dive on a Landing Craft Utility that was intentionally sunk as an artificial reef and Turtle Reef, a 35 foot deep dive on a shallow coral reef.

I was doing the first dive for Underwater Naturalist certification - I was supposed to observe plants and animals underwater and how they interact. Carlos' group was the second in the water. There were 13 divers and three "guides", so they paired up all the divers and the three guides each took a group.

Visibility was pretty good - about 40 feet, but since it was night, it didn't matter much. We headed on down to the wreck and immediately found a frogfish. I took a photo of it and thought I got a pretty good one, but it didn't turn out. There was a lot of surge and in the dark, you can see it is a frogfish, but that's about it. I did manage to get a couple of other photos.

Commerson's Frogfish

We went through a little swim-through and there on the bottom just outside the wreck was a rare endemic sea cucumber - a Hawaiian Yellow-Tip Sea Cucumber.

Hawaiian Yellow-Tip Sea Cucumber

Hanging out on the front of the LCU wheelhouse was a Cushion Star with a Leaf Scorpionfish perched on top.

Leaf Scorpionfish

This Regal Slipper Lobster was out in the open on the landing door with no place to hide.

Regal Slipper Lobster

At the other end of the LCU, there were two more frogfish hanging out on the railing. They were right on top of each other. I tried to get some photos, but the current and surge were so strong that I could not get one in focus except for this one from the side where you can see both the greenish one tucked in behind the brownish one.

Commerson's Frogfish

When I swam back to the stern, I was able to get a couple more photos of the frogfish that we discovered at the beginning of the dive.

Commerson's Frogfish

And another one that I discovered close by.

Commerson's Frogfish

A couple of rare endemic Hawaiian Ruby Cardinalfish. They are completely see-through. You can clearly see the spine and internal organs of the nearest one.

Hawaiian Ruby Cardinalfish

I saw this big coral shrimp as I was getting ready to ascend.

Flameback Coral Shrimp

We all slowly ascended and did a safety stop hanging onto the mooring line due to the strong current. I was back on board with 500 psi.

On the second Underwater Naturalist dive, I was supposed to find instances of commensalism. I didn't realize it at the time I was on the dive, but afterwards, while post-processing the photos, I discovered that I had succeeded spectacularly.

Right after getting to the bottom, I discovered a Day Octopus asleep in its lair.

Day Octopus

Then, just a little further on, I came across a big Spanish Dancer Nudibranch and coaxed it into dancing so all the others could see it. It only danced for a brief time and about the time I managed to get the camera on it to take a video, it stopped and just settled down to the bottom.

Spanish Dancer Nudibranch

In this video, as the nudibranch is slowly settling back down to the bottom, it briefly leaves the field of view. Just as it comes back into view, a tiny red shrimp can be seen scurrying around on the nudibranch.

This tiny commensal Imperial Shrimp is rarely found in Hawaii, mostly on Spanish Dancer Nudibranchs. Occasionally, it is also found on some sea cucumbers, where it can take on the coloration of its host. Most of the time, it retains the red and white coloration of the Spanish Dancer.

Imperial Shrimp

Came across another Sculptured Slipper Lobster out in the open.

Sculptured Slipper Lobster

This is one of the few sites where I nearly always see a Yellowhead Moray Eel.

Yellowhead Moray Eel

I discovered this big Marbled Shrimp down in a little hole between corals.

Marbled Shrimp

This was a good specimen of a Red Pencil Urchin.

Red Pencil Urchin

This site also often has a Zebra Moray Eel hanging out

Zebra Moray Eel

Got another photo of the Yellowhead Moray Eel on the way back.

Yellowhead Moray Eel

As I was headed back to the boat near the end of the dive, I came across a Divided Flatworm.

Divided Flatworm

This was the longest Light-Spotted Sea Cucumber I have ever seen. It was enormous!

Light-Spotted Sea Cucumber

I got cold and ended the dive with 1300 psi left.

November 7, 2009 Dives - Mahi & Makaha Caverns

On Saturday, November 7, 2009, I dove with Jo (divemaster) from Ocean Concepts. We did two dives, the Mahi, a 95 foot deep dive on a ship that was intentionally sunk as an artificial reef and Makaha Caverns, a 50 foot deep dive on a shallow coral reef with lava tubes and swim-throughs.

Since I was in Jo's group, we were first in the water. There were 18 divers and three "guides", so they paired up all the divers and the three guides each took a group. This was the first dive for my Peak Performance Buoyancy certification.

Visibility was not so good - only about 30 feet. There was a small group of Spotted Eagle Rays right as we were descending, but they took off and we didn't see them again.

Spotted Eagle Rays

I spent the dive concentrating on positioning in the water and making sure that I didn't settle down on anything that I didn't want to.

The visibility was such that getting good photos was difficult - lots of stuff in the water. I managed a few close-up shots as I swam along the length of the wreck.

White Didemnid (Tunicate)

Sculptured Slipper Lobster

Crown-of-Thorns Star

At the bow, there were two very large Day Octopus right out in the open on the ocean floor. I think they were mating. I took several photos, but was having some kind of trouble with the camera. I am not sure what it was, but it just wouldn't focus. This is the only photo I got that turned out at all.

Day Octopus

I spent so much time with the Octopus right down on the bottom that I burned through most of my air and had to make a slow ascent while swimming the length of the wreck back to the mooring line. I did my three minute safety stop and then surfaced beside the boat and did a buoyancy check before getting out. I was weighted just right with 16 pounds.

On the second dive, we made the normal tour through Makaha Caverns. The visibility was better than at the Mahi. This was the second certification dive for Peak Performance Buoyancy.

This little Whitemouth Moray was poking out of the wall of the reef right under the boat.

Whitemouth Moray Eel

As we headed up the first little canyon, I saw this Fisher's Sea Star.

Fisher's Sea Star

This turtle wanted to swim along with us.

Green Sea Turtle

Lots of colorful reef fish today.

Reef Fish

Found another Green Sea Turtle out eating on the top of the reef.

Green Sea Turtle

As we got back under the boat, I had to hover in mid-water for three minutes. While I was doing that, Jo started rubbing two fingers together and the Milletseed Butterflyfish crowded around her to eat the bits of skin she rubbed off.

Milletseed Butterflyfish

I was about out of air when I got done hovering, so I ascended and got out with 100 psi left.