Fish, Fish and more Fish (and some coral)

Breakfast of breadfruit, watermelon, and toast.  As it was low tide, I wanted to take advantage of the shallower water and snorkel the edge of the drop off, past the second pontoon. I was in the warm water before 8:30am. 

Anemonefish, and mushroom coral

Moorish Idol

Teardrop butterfly

So many fish, schools of them, just swimming with me.  A magical feeling. 

 The blue eyes of the lemonpeel is one of my favourite things to spot on the coral reef.

 Blueline Surgeon can be as large as 40 cm.  I really enjoy watching how the colours move in the water.

I don't know the name of the blue fish, but is is very bright blue.

 Some of the fish were very shy, and I had to patient to watch them come out from under the coral

A sixbar wrasse enjoyed my company, and allowed me to touch him a few times, he kept darting in front of the camera.  Perhaps he is a fish “superstar”. 

A family of Moorish Idol made me smile.  Such a wonderful feeling, just me and all the fish.

An hour in the water, so many different fish, I saw all the wrasses, parrotfish, damsels, Anemonefish, a school of trumpet fish, varieties of butterflies, Rabbitfish, squirrelfish, Surgeon, and Angels. 

 The colours of the coral were magnificent. The pinks and reds amazing.

I have only seen these a few times, Regal Angels.  I just floated and watch them eat the coral.

 In the deeper water, near the dropoff, schools of fish were waiting.

Yellowtailed Fusiliers

 Masked Banner fish and Longnosed butterfly swam with me too.  A family of Moorish Idol made me smile.  Such a wonderful feeling, just me and all the fish.

Chocolate Dip Damsel

More blue fish amongst the coral.  Fabulous textures and shapes

 I enjoy how friendly the fish are, they are used to humans not chasing them.

The blue spots of this Wrasse reminded me of the stars at night, very luminescence.

 Butterfly fish and Parrot fish swim together.  The click click of them eating the coral is the only sound I heard.

 These tiny Bluegreen Damsels were the first tropical fish I ever saw, many years ago off Malolo Island, Fiji.  I love their colour.

 The fish fins reminds me of the birds wings.  Tighe said it looks like they are flying in the water.

Another spotted Wrasse

Saw some weird and wonderful sponges / anemones / corals.  The colours underwater are fascinating.  If you don’t snorkel, you are missing out on an amazing world.    

Christmas tree worm on coral

The only noise is the fish eating the coral.  Many times I just float, allowing the current, the ebb and flow, move me with the fish.

Trumpet fish

Finally I got cold, and had to swim back to the real world.

Erik went for a ride on his bike, and  I watched the butterflies around the pool, while the urchins swam.  The butterflies are never still long enough for me to photograph them.