Electrokate's Hawaiian pix

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Hi Kate!! I"m going to visit O'ahu shortly!!!!! Let's meet up!! I miss my hometown of Honolulu.

Best,
Ilham
 
Ok, last friday we went to Hanauma again and had a pretty good day. It was super early so the light wasn't the best but you kind of have to go at dawn or you won't get in unless you are on a bus/tour. Plus that is when the fish are out. Even saw an octopus, though I didn't get a picture of it.
Finally got some decent butterfly shots though they are small. Those guys move way too fast! Especially if I get close. I like the shot of the nervous bright eye chromis guarding his nest, the butterfly never did spot it.
First picture is of an odd fish, can't figure out if it's an old chevron or Kole tang. It was very pale grey with darker grey lines, almost white. Wish I had a better picture.
Wanted to add some more... but the site says I already added my maximum.Guess I will put some more up tomorrow or see if I can if someone replies.
 
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Kate! It's good to see you are having fun over there in hawaii...... though I will admit I kind of wish you still lived here so I could come over and trade some corals with you and see you fish basement again ;) Keep up the good work and enjoy the sun!
 
Can't believe I missed these last few pics!!! Great pics Kate!!! Glad to see the "cold" water doesn't bother you:p
 
I kind of wish I was back in my fish basement too sometimes... except when the power was out. I would have lost everything. When I get back will have to buy a generator. If you need frags pm me, my friend Josh has that tank and also his tank is pretty amazing, I got a lot of my corals from him. He's in the Black Lake area.
I think the water is cold here. I didn't acclimate to the heat, it still makes me miserable in the middle of the day, but when it drops down to 74 at night I get cold. Go figure... I wear a wetsuit to go in the water and still only last 45 minutes tops. Need a thicker wetsuit I guess.
SO here are a few more... First is a "lavender tang" which you don't see much in aquariums, supposedly they are aggressive. In most light they look grey but they have these highlights on their fins and caudal peduncle that really glow. Fascinating to watch. Next is a huge hubcap size surgeon which is mostly black but has the most amazing cobalt blue on the fins, followed by a size comparison between him and a group of convict tangs. Then there are the giant nasos... them with their twin blades and long streamers. Gorgeous. Don't know if I will ever want to keep one in a fishtank after seeing it free. The kole tangs are huge too, really stunning.
We are going to snorkel Shark's Cove today I hope... if the surf isn't too crazy. More pictures coming! Guess I better finish posting the ones from last friday first.
 
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wow, that giant naso is one of the prettiest fish I have ever seen! The tail is just mesmerizing to me...... wish I could see that in real life! Cant wait to see more, keep em coming!
 
We went out this AM but the tide was really out and we didn't get far... so I guess I should post the photos from last week first though :) Here are some random shots. The one with the puffer is nicer in its original state, I cropped off as much as possible to get the picture down to 100K which cut some of the coral from the background. Will put it in photobucket...
Kate
 
Hey Kate,
I can't see how any aquarium will ever be able to compare with this experience... but it will be fun to try! I would love to be able to see all you're finding in person.

Still miss you up here though :(

Susie
 
I miss you too Susie, sucks being so isolated. I really can't compare snorkeling with keeping tanks, it'd be impossible. Our aquariums don't usually do a great job of replicating nature what with the species all being from different origins and not likely to be near eachother in most cases. It's like comparing gardening and wilderness hiking. Both have their good and bad points. Keeping an aquarium is slightly less work and if you have to travel to dive... less expensive :)
I have to clean our gear after we go and photos have to be uploaded and corrected. 30 minutes of snorkeling can lead to 6 hours of work, mostly with photoshop.
So let me see if I can post a few more pictures or if 5 is the daily limit...
 
Coral BEAUTY

Been awhile since posting... much has happened. Went to the Big Island (Hawaii itself) twice and took so many pictures I don't know what to do with them all. Have color corrected and posted some of them here:
kate.munat.com
The snorkeling there kicks Oahu's butt for coral, it's everywhere except where the freshwater springs kill it and even then there is a lot. Says a lot for the hardiness of porites and pocillopora. Fish were amazing, and finally saw schools of yellow tangs, groups of turtles, butterflies and puffers and everything you can imagine. Electric green zoanthids in 90+ degree tidepools full of garbage with freshwater leaching in. Zoas are hardier than I thought too! Some are out of the water part of the day. Even found a 4 inch peacock flounder, which is kinda hard to see.
I missed Ilham which makes me sad but I never really did coordinate that properly. My apologies, would have loved to meet your girlfriend!
Jay was wanting some pictures of my FOWLR tank which is probably so he can laugh at the fake coral and sadness of it all compared to the tanks I had. So here are a few shots.
First off the green carpet eel blenny, which is technically a dottyback. 14" male. He was going to be tossed in the harbor by a person who shall remain anonymous so I took him (major bad idea, fish is illegal) if anyone wants him bad enough I will send him to the mainland. Eats fish and can be mean. Usually if another fish nips him he will gently take the fish in his mouth and push it away without biting but lately he has no patience and chases. What would be dumb enough to bite a fish 6 times it's size? Filefish... I have a divider in the tank now.
You can breed these fish and raise the young on BBS... Pods til settlement along with bbs. They are too big for rotifers. Don't know where to find a female though. He is really bright green. Also a pic of his victim, the hawkfish. The hawkfish looked better with the fringes on his dorsal. Again I suspect the filefish. Tomorrow we will release the file when snorkeling and watch him swim away.
Kate
 
Coral BEAUTY

So anyways, about the coral beauty... was at the wholesaler and spotted one with almost no orange. Pondered it for about a minute before I decided it was mine. This fish still has thin stripes of orange in the center of it's body and magenta around the belly, and orange on the pect fins. The rest is cobalt or violet blue. He's darker than in the pictures, but the turquoise rim on the fins does show. I love this fish and hope to keep it when I move back to the mainland. Or Susie, you still looking for one? Feel like I owe ya a big favor or 2... :)
Kate
 
Wow. I loved your pictures. It still amazes me how beautiful fish are. Thanks for posting the links! Oh I have a coral beauty with almost the same coloring. I love him/her but sheesh she is camera shy. Drives me nuts. Plus she is such a deep purple blue that it is hard to get a good pic. Yours is georgeous.
 
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wow kate! that eel blenny is my new favorite!!! so cool looking! glad to see the update, i always enjoy them!
 
You want it? :)
He is a really cool fish, and I would love to try breeding them someday but now is not the time or place. The green color is amazing, sometimes he turns very dark-almost black.
Kate
 

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