Memorial day morning we decided to got to the local snorkel reef just down the road from where we are staying, Kahaluu Beach Park . We have really enjoyed this snorkel lagoon and experiencing how it has minimally hanged over the last 25 years. The biggest change that we have noticed is the decrease in the variety of corals from all the snorkelers. What remains consistent is the variety of fish and the ever present turtles feasting on the shallow sea grass growing on the rocks. This year a new conservation organization has taken ownership of the lagoon. A new lifeguard stand has been erupted. Also, a nice little educational area with books and posters about the fish and vegetation of the area.
We were quite surprised by a unique experience today. Over the years we have: fed the fish with frozen vegetables, then they provided fish food for us to feed the fish, next we could buy fish food, and finally no fish feeding for the past 10 or so years. Today as soon as we started snorkeling we apparently swam over a Trigger Fishes nest. First, the male fish swam up and bit Tom on the palm of his left hand. I tried to swim away and the darn fish swam up and it me on my right calf! He left the mark of his entire mouth of teeth and drew blood!! Bugger!! We were really surprised!! When Joseph was 7 years old, he was feeding a Parrot fish peas in the same lagoon when the fish bit his finger drawing blood, then Stephanie thought the sharks would arrive and eat her. She swam wildly splashing and screaming in her snorkel as she swam to shore!
Kahaluu Beach Park is a tiny sheltered cove just 1/4 mile down the road from our time share. Kahaluu Beach is not a marie preserve, yet for having no fishing limitations, it rivals and generally always surpasses the quantity of fish we have seen at a dedicated marien sanctuary.
The cove is almost completely surrounded by a partially submerged rock wall that keeps the larger waves while still allowing the gentler ocean currents to flow in freely. These fresh currents carry life brining nutrients, feeding and multiplying the marine life.
The water is less than 10 feet deep even at high tide. The shallow water allows sunlight to penetrate all the way to the bottom growing lots of coral. The coral, in turn, horses and feeds all the cove’s marine life. The bottom of the cove is made up of a base layer of lava rock and coral.
Here is a list of some of the fish we saw snorkeling: Butterfly fish, parrot fish, damsel fish, surgeon fish, moorish idol, tang, wrasse, box fish, cardinal fish, squirrel fish, soldier fish, big eyes, perch, shut, trigger fish, the former Hawaii State Fish Humuhumunukunukuapuaa, goat fish, porcupine fish, peacock bass, haw fish, jack needle fish, eels, and many crustaceans and invertebrates.
Interesting to note is when you are snorkeling you can hear the clicking of all the shrimp eating in the cool.
Tonight we went to the restaurant at the top of the nearby hill, in the “Longs” shopping mall! We have dinned outside at San Choy’s before and enjoyed the sunset view:
The darn fish- the fish bite- below!
Sara and I!
suannschutt 