First Cathedrals Dive, Lanai, HI

Scuba diving inside the famous First Cathedral off the coast off Lana'i

Gold Lace Nudibranch

Easy to pass this gold lace nudibranch hangs to the tops of overhangs and ceilings of caves. The first time I saw one my bubbles had dislodged it and it came floating down past my mask. The seem to glow with an internal light making them one of the most beautiful sites on the reef.

Waiting to be Cleaned

A goatfish, unicorn fish, and surgeon fish all lined up for a tiny Hawaiian cleaner wrasse to pick them clean. This is what cleaning stations can look like out at Molokini Crater, Maui. I have seen these tiny wrasse clean everything from eels to sharks and everything in between.

Garibaldi, Hypsypops rubicundus

Who would expect to see such a beautiful brightly colored fish among the rocky reef and kelp forest in California's cold coastal waters. The Garibaldi seems out of place amongst the silver, black, and grey fish that frequent this habitat. Like a tropical reef fish escaped from an aquarium the Garibaldi fiercely protects its territory throwing caution and camouflage out the window. And like other damsel fish the juvenile garibaldi manages to outshine and out compete the adults for the title of 'worst camouflage in the kelp.'

These fish were always a pleasant sight diving and snorkeling among the California reefs. And I wasn't surprised to see that the newly opened GA aquarium chose a garibaldi for its mascot, cleverly naming it Deepo, a cross between the ever popular Neemo and its main benefactor Home Depot! Little do the kids know that they will have to travel 3000 miles if they want to see their new favorite fish in the wild. Submit Images and Footage to Shutterstock and make money! Or check out my underwater photos for sale at www.daimarsphotos.com

Turtle Friend

  One of the beautiful things about scuba diving is the fact that you can be underwater long enough that animals who are normally shy and timid can become more acclimated to your presence.
  This Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle swam right at me, circled me a few times, then slowly swam up towards the surface for some air. These turtles can hold their breath for an amazing 5 hours. Luckily we see them pop up to the surface much more often around here. It is these times when the turtle is just under the surface when a photographer can catch it in the best light and with the purest colors.

Pustulose Phyllidia

This is the 2nd most common phyllidia in Hawaii. This creature feeds on poisonous sponges and incorporates those toxins into its own body.

Goldilocks and the 3 dolphins

Bottlenose dolphins just under the surface of the water. It was wild to see the three different sizes of dolphins all right next to each other, only feet away from us dangling over the edge of the bow of our boat. It reminded me of Goldilocks and the 3 bears.

Manta Ray Swim By

A few scuba divers get lucky as a 12ft manta ray glides over their group off the coast of Kona, Hawaii. Research here has concluded that there are two kinds of mantas, pelagic and coastal. This is a coastal with a nearly all white underside.

Kona Cave Diver

A lone scuba diver explores deep into an underwater cave system off the Kona coast of the Big Island. 

Hunting Eel

A white mouth moray eel cruises the reef in broad daylight in search of prey. This photo was taken right after we dropped down on the reef at magic sands on the Kona coast of the island of Hawaii. The white mouth morays are one of the few species of eels that are active hunters during the daytime.

Bowriding Dolphins

A small pod of bottlenose dolphins riding the pressure wave created by the bow of our boat. They look so graceful and effortless, like they aren't even moving their tail when they do this.

We can study individual dolphins by taking a close up photo of their dorsal fin. Many dolphins have unique notches, scratches, and wounds that allow us to identify them and gain a snapshot into their life history.

Backside Molokini Crater, Maui

Scuba Divers along the vertical underwater wall at the backside of Molokini Crater, Maui. This is the premier wall dive in Hawaii. Set about 3.5 miles offshore of the island of Maui, the water here on average exceeds 100ft almost every day of the year. The micro life on the wall is amazing and the possibility of macro wildlife swimming by on your other side makes every moment suspenseful.

Slate Pencil Urchin

The slate pencil urchin shows off its amazing array of pattern when you get a close look. The bright red blunt tipped spines are easy to spot out on the reef, although usually snorkeling are too busy looking for the sharp, poisonous black spiny sea urchins to care to stop too long for a detailed look at one of these less dangerous species.

The real charm in these urchins comes with the back story of their name. When the urchin dies the spines lose their color, turn white, and sometimes wash up on shore. Early missionaries to the Hawaiian Islands utilized these by drawing marks on a slate board just like chalk on a blackboard. This is the method they used to teach writing to new students.

Crown-of-thorns Sea Star

The Crown-of-thorns sea star has a bad reputation around the world thanks to its habit of devouring coral. Great swaths of the barrier reef in Australia have been devastated by this naturally occurring sea star.
It is when blooms of crown-of-thorns occur that the reef really suffers. On some patches of reef thousands can gather during one of these blooms, moving over the reef and eating any coral polyps within the reach of their extruded stomach.
But it is important to remember that they do occur naturally, and are spotted here in Hawaii from time to time. We do keep a close eye to make sure they are not proliferating in large numbers. Also while viewing and photographing these striking animals it is important to stay clear of their many thorns as contact with your skin will cause an itchy, irritating rash.

Dwarf Moray Eel

     Moray eels are one of my favorite fish to photograph. There are many different species out here in Hawaii ranging from 6 foot Giant Morays to tiny 6 inch Dwarf Moray Eels like the one pictured here. Notoriously shy these little eels will peer out of their protected crevices until you get to close then disappear completely. Most of the bigger eels will retract only a little, leaving their head sticking out. I was lucky enough to get a picture of this little guy right before he zipped backwards into his crevice, not to be seen again.

Banded Coral Shrimp

Banded Coral Shrimp, Stenopus hispidus

These conspicuous reef shrimp are very interesting subjects to watch. They have been seen cleaning other fish, including moray eels, presumably picking off parasites. They are often in pairs and have been seen protecting each other during molting, grooming each other, and even performing a 'courting' dance. A truly remarkable relationship for shrimp. However, I have been told that if two unmated coral shrimp are placed together, they will fight to the death!

Reef Lighting

One of the toughest things for an underwater photographer is lighting. Especially if you are taking a picture of a wide area, such as  a landscape shot like this one. The farther down you go the more light you lose. Not only do you lose general light, but colors are absorbed and disappear as you swim deeper as well. You start losing your reds and oranges, then your yellow, the green, and finally blue. This is why the deep ocean looks so blue, because it is the last color absorbed by the water.
This is why photographers flock to clear water settings like Hawaii and hope for sunny days. The sun rays can be seen filtering down through the water and hitting the reef here at the same time as a dark shadow is cast by the vertical rock cliff to the right of the photo area. Having a good model scuba diver can also add a lot to your reef scape image.

This photo was taken at Black Rock in Kaanapali, Maui.

Scorpion Fish

The California Scorpionfish, Scorpaena guttata, often lies motionless among rocks and on the bottom, waiting to ambush its prey. You can find scoripionfish all around the worlds oceans and many, like this one, have poison filled spines in their fins. You would not want to mistake one of these for a harmless Cabezon as one of my Cali friends did. 
This picture was taken at night and I remember the scorpion fish staring me down and posing perfectly, slightly raised up on its fanned out pectoral fins.

Giant Green Anemone

Giant Green Anemone, (Anthopleura xanthogrammica).

 These relatives of jellyfish can be found along the west coast of the U.S. from Alaska all the way to Baja, Mexico. I photographed this one in the cool waters off Santa Barbara Island at a dive site called Shag Rock. These anemones catch the eye from far away but it is close up that they really put on a colorful show. You would be hard to find this neon green color elsewhere in nature. Just another reason to pay a few more visits to the ocean, even if you aren't in the tropics.

Imperial Nudibranch

The Imperial Nudibranch is one of the most beautiful sea creatures one can come across in the Hawaiian Islands. Littered with golden spots on its milky white skin, rhinophores a deep blue specked with white, a deep blue almost purple margin,  and exposed gills like an icy crown carried on its back complete the picture of this sea slug. Like in this photo they are often found in pairs, one trailing behind the other as they work their way across the reef.

California Sea Lion Close Up

   A young California Sea Lion gets up close to the camera off the coast of Santa Barbara Island, Channel Islands Marine National Park. These youngsters are playful and energetic and seem very excited whenever we would show up with a boat full of snorkelers. I was charged many times like this and every time the sea lions would alter directions staying just out of hands reach. Every once in a while you could hear them barking underwater as they charged as bubbles came out of their open jaws.
   I always wondered why there were no sharks attacking the young pups. That was until we witnessed a massive great white shark attack a full grown sea lion about two miles off of this same rookery. After seeing these sea lions in action underwater its amazing a shark could ever catch one. They are the epitome of grace and agility with a child-like curiosity and playfulness that sparks the imagination.

Another breathtaking view from the underwater world. This scuba diver is ascending near a mooring line connected to the bow of an old shipwreck off the coast of Maui. The ocean water can play beautiful tricks with sunlight as it slowly absorbs and diffuses the light.

 An encounter with a Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas) like this is becoming less rare around the Hawaiian Islands thanks in large part to the conservation effort that protects these gentle marine reptiles. We are currently doing research on these sea turtles at Pacific Whale Foundation and with the use of photo ID capability we are able to study them without having to capture or harass them. The scales on the side of the face form a unique pattern that we are able to code by taking photos and thus get a glimpse into the life history, movements, and behavoir of our turtles. It is not a bad way to spend a day of research. Not to mention the crystal clear waters of Hawaii make for a pretty good laboratory.

Wire Coral Goby

Wire Coral Goby (Bryaninops yongei)

These tiny fish live on wire corals which are unbranched relatives of black corals which grow at deeper depths here in Hawaii. A band of the coral cleared of living tissue that the goby uses to deposit its eggs can often be seen before the almost translucent goby.

Yet another reason to take a camera out there with you on your dives. It really makes you slow down and appreciate the small stuff.  

Scuba Diver in Underwater Canyon

A scuba diver drifts through an underwater canyon at a North shore Maui dive site. The North shore holds some great secrets for the intrepid scuba diver adventurer. Amazing topography, different substrate, and rarely seen marine life are just some of the reasons to explore lesser known sites. This is why you will find the true underwater explorer waiting for the big winter swells to die down for those rare calm days like this one.

Commerson's Frogfish

 A rare glimpse at a Commerson's Frogfish (Antennarius commerson) at Wailea Point, Maui. These fish are masters of camouflage and ambush. The have the ability to change their color over a period of days. Frogfish have a tiny lure, or esca, which attracts small fish close enough to be gobbled up. Shipwrecks are a great place to spot frogfish, although they are probably at many sites and just overlooked.

Island kelpfish, Alloclinus holderi

A master of camouflage, the Island kelpfish (Alloclinus holderi) is often overlooked among the kelp forest of southern California. The different colors, shapes, and patterns break up the outline of this beautiful fish.

This close up picture makes you wonder just how any animal in nature can be quite so stunning. 

Hermissenda crassicornis

  This is a blast back to my diving days around the Channel Islands off the coast of Southern California. I found this little nudibranch off the southeast coast of Anacapa Island. The cold water brings alot of amazing life.

Whale Shark Close Encounter

 

 Shortly after leaving Molokini we got word that there was a whale shark, Rhincodon typus, in the area. I've been waiting for a long time to take pictures of a whale shark in clear water and the water around Molokini is almost always 100+ft visibility or better. This day was no exception.
 We spotted the whale shark about 80ft down in blue water. Not giving us a second thought or perhaps curious he swam up until he was only 2ft below the surface of the water. This is a picture of my coworker Ashley a good 30ft away from the shark which gives you an idea of the size of the largest fish in the world. We estimated the length to be about 22ft with a tail at least 6ft tall. After hanging out at the surface for a few minutes the shark slowly decended down until he was out of sight.
 This was an incredible chance encounter that is very rare out here in Hawaii. We were in no danger even though the shark is so large, because it is a filter feeder, using gill rakers to filter out plankton from the water.

Clownfish

This photo of a clownfish, or more technically called anemonefish, was taken off the coast of Kenya in the Kisite Marine National Park.
Many people go to Africa thinking of lions, elephants, and pangolins, and tend to overlook the incredible underwater life that exist there. From giant clams, to whale sharks, moray eels, to nemo's cousin, the diving along Africa's coast is not to be missed.
Photographers in Africa know that wildlife photography is very challenging, I wonder what they would think of underwater wildlife photography...

Shark Vision

When holding your breath, diving into a cave, and staying long enough for your eyes to adjust, a sight like this can make you skip a beat. Fortunately I was hoping to see a shark when I dove into this cave. It is a white tip reef shark at one of the many caves at 5 Graves, aka. Turtle Town, in Makena, Maui.
Being in the water with a shark is a magical experience that is becoming rarer and rarer. If you are afraid of sharks then take the time to really find out the truth behind shark attacks. You are more likely to be hit by lightning...twice.

Green Sea Turtle

Green Sea Turtle, Chelonia mydas

Green sea turtles are found in warm water throughout the world. Here in Hawaii they frequent near shore habitats where they can find food (mostly algae), hide from predation (mainly sharks), and frolic in the warm beautiful water. However they will travel hundreds of miles from the main Hawaiian islands in order to travel back to their natal beach to lay their eggs.

We don't see any of the baby turtles until they start showing up in the eight main Hawaiian islands after 6-7 years. The smaller ones we see are about dinner plate size but grow to 400+lbs behemoths, making them the largest hard shelled sea turtle in the world. Only the leatherback grows bigger tipping the scales at nearly 2000lbs!

This medium sized turtle kept an eye on me as he came up for a few breaths of air. The water was so clear that I could almost see his reflection in the surface.

Undulated Moray Eel, Gymnothorax undulatus

The Undulated moray eel, Gymnothorax undulatus, is one of the nastiest eels found. Do not attempt to play with or feed this moray.  It is most often active at night The narrow jaws and yellow head characterize this eel. It has long, sharp teeth including a row down the center of the mouth.

This eel was hunting at night. During the day the body takes on a darker brown coloration.

Although eels are often seen peeking out of crevices, opening and closing their mouth, it is not a threat, merely an action to pump water over their gills.

Trembling Nudibranch

Trembling Nudibranch, Chromodoris vibrata

This attractive nudibranch is named after the way its gills continually tremble and vibrate. You can see the exposed gills as a dark purple fringed circle towards the back of the nudibranch. The rhinophores are dark blue and look almost like ears towards the head of the animal.

Found in Japan, Marshall Islands, and the Hawaiian Islands.

Day Octopus, Octopus cyanea

The day octopus, Octopus cyanea, is a common octopus found throughout the Indo-Pacific region, of eastern Africa and the Red Sea to the Hawaiian Islands. This octopus excavates lairs in coral reefs and rubble fields which can be located by identifying "middens" outside the lair entrance which are typically the empty shells of bivalves and crabs which it has preyed upon.

Due to their hunting during daylight hours the day octopus has extremely effective camouflage ability. It can change the color and texture of its skin almost instantly by sending nerve impulses from its complex brain to its muscles. One was seen to change color over 1000 times during a 7 hour perious by biologist Roger Hanlan. 

One of my favorite sea creature, the octopus defies the imagination with its fantastic color changing, ability to squeeze through tiny cracks seemingly only big enough for its arm, vanishing in a cloud of ink, and eery intelligence rivaling some birds and mammals.

This day octopus stared me down until I finally moved on about 20ft deep at 5 Graves, Makena, Maui.