Wednesday Sep 19, 2007

This is the third or fourth "final" North Shore dive of the season.  Conditions were great for mid September, and John and I met up to try to hit the outside reefs beyond Shark's Cove.  After and hour and fifteen minutes in traffic I was glad to get in the water, and we descended after about a 25 minute surface swim, over the Witches Nose and at an underwater mesa or island in 75' of water. 

Visibility was excellent, and we came upon a settled Star eye or Carolines parrotfish (Calotomus carolinus).  Got some nice macro images of the eye and teeth, as the fish was quite a cooperative subject.  Also got a goby I had not filmed before, a Twospot Sand Goby  (Coryphopterus duospilus).

John was in search of another reef, which we spent some time looking for, to no avail.  Lots of depressions in the sand indicating feeding rays, but no rays sighted.  We worked our way back up to the Witches Nose and surrounding caves, passing through a small school of Heller's Barracuda.  I had not filmed them in Hawaii before.

Visibility eroded as we closed on the shore, reducing quality video opportunities.  We did see some interesting fish.

Twospot Sand Goby Coryphopterus duospilus

Carolines parrotfish Calotomus carolinus

Carolines parrotfish Calotomus carolinus