Pelagic Jellyfish

Jellyfish in Hawaii are pretty rare to encounter. If you are ever lucky enough to swim with a large pelagic jelly then take the time to look for little commensal fish like jacks, that are using the jelly as a protective home.
There is also a rare nudibranch that is only found on man-o-war jellies. Sometimes its the little things that you have to be on the lookout for. This is why when everyone is screaming jellyfish and heading the other way I am going in for a closeup!

Cornet Fish

Named after an instrument these long slender fish are often spotted at Molokini by our snorkelers. We often get the question,"what is the long, skinny, silver fish". And this will be the culprit. The can get up to an astonishing 4 1/2 feet which includes their filamentous tail which they sway side to side, unlike the trumpet fish which is also seen around Maui reefs.

Guess This Animal

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