On our second morning in Hawa'ii, we walked out our door and hiked a 10-minute trail down to Sea Lodge Beach, a small, isolated snorkeling locale that offers a shallow reef and, at least on Tuesday, calm waters. The fact that this beach is so convenient just adds to its allure, which would already have been great given the variety of fish we saw there. There will most definitely be another Sea Lodge installment.
Betsy looks out on the ocean on our way to the beach. The trail winds through a palm forest (below) before reaching a short coastal lava shelf, which leads to the beach.
It's a shallow reef, which means not too much kicking around -- just floating gently over the surface.
Some sort of butterfly fish, not listed on our identification sheet.
From the surface, this was a normal piece of coral. But every time Betsy and I got close, this little guy would dart out and let us know whose turf it was. And then just as quickly, dart back in.
Though manybar goatfish don't really have an attractive name, this blue and green specimen was certainly attracted to it.
Betsy led me to this fish, which seemed to be guarding its eggs in the hole under the coral. I'm not sure if fish actually do that, but it was hesitant to give up its position there.
This is a cleaner wrasse, often found cleaning the body of a larger fish. But they're quick and flitty, so this shot will have to do for now.
Given how close they linger to the surface, these needlefish are hard to capture on film. They swim in vast schools that basically surround you, adding an element of fear to the already tough shot. But their shimmering silver bodies glinted sunlight, making a close encounter memorable.
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