Shark's Cove Snorkeling

I can't believe how the days get away from me.  It seems I spend as much time blogging as I do having this awesome experiences.  I am sure it will slow down over the weeks....I think!

Kyle had to go to work on Monday and the kids were determined to go to Shark's Cove.  I am a little apprehensive to go to new places on my own, especially and specifically if they involve new ocean. The ocean seems to be different at every different beach we try.  This was not exception.
There are no sharks as the name implies.  It is supposed to look like shark's fins I suppose.  The funny part is that it has a Hawaiian name, but no one uses it, but it's American name isn't posted anywhere, so you just have to know that the outcropping of rocks just right of the fire station is Shark's Cove and the rocks that are a bit down the road left of the fire station (different beach, different Hawaiian name) is Three Tables....yes because it looks like Three Tables.   Maybe that is what the Hawaiian name means actually....I just thought of that.

So we went to Shark's Cove with our water socks and snorkels and Matty's little lifejacket!  As soon as we got there we started to see fish.  Quite a few little ones as we were wading through.  It was not deep anywhere until we got right out to that rocky ridge. The thing separating massive waves from us.  I sent Emily and George out first to explore and kept Evan and Matty close.  The rocks were slippery so we found a spot that was about 4 feet deep and Matty was perfectly happy there.  Evan was not perfectly happy.  He wanted to be out with the kids.  Finally I got George's attention. (He couldn't hear anything at this ocean because of the waves hitting the rocks and snorkeling.....so grateful he is such a strong swimmer).  As soon as Evan put his head under the water he started screaming George's name.  Muffled by the water and his snorkel I could still hear the word GGEEOOORRGGE coming from him, over and over again.  I was getting nervous and then I realized it was just because of the awesome fish he was seeing.  When they came back each time they had more amazing fish to tell me about.  I guess Emily could see the desire in my eyes, because she volunteered to sit with Matty so I could take a turn.  I was grateful and they were safe, so off I went.  It really was amazing.

They called this the noodle fish.  I thought it was an eel at first, and it and it's two friends were a little creepy, but they were just harmless long skinny fish....about 2 feet long!

A great big sea slug

This little beauty is called a saddle wrasse.

There were lots of these. They are about 18 inches long.

Our first Humuhumunukunukuapua'a sighting!  We were so excited to see the state fish, the kids have been practicing his name for weeks and finally we got to see some.  His friends with the stripes are called Convict Tangs...get it?

The awesome pictures I took in this ridiculously clear water got erased.  Luckily we have time to snorkel again, and have, and will.....but here is evidence (thanks to George's underwater camera) that I was there too!





Here are some pictures from our next snorkeling trip, our first of many to Three Tables.

HUMU!  They are really awesome.  That yellow line is florescent.

 This one is one of my favorites too. He is a Orangeband Surgeonfish. The names really aren't that impressive, except for Humu's who's English name is Wedge picassofish.

 Just an awesome cave for the fish to explore.

Emily took these pictures of the green sea turtles.  She said there were two adults and a baby.  She followed them around for a while.  Then one went missing, and all of the sudden it swam right underneath her!

There will be more snorkeling pictures to come!