The fish are still here—pretty much

We’re back in Hawaii for a couple of weeks. I’ve gotten into the water a handful of times, both snorkeling and diving. There are still lots of fish on the Kohala reefs, but they don’t seem quite as abundant or diverse as last time we were here in July. It seems that way every time we come here—fewer and fewer fish. Marla and many of our friends share this perception. But, with the exception of the aftermath of the devastating 2015 coral bleaching event, the decline has been fairly subtle and inconsistent. Maybe populations are indeed declining, or maybe it’s just a tendency to recall the past as better than it actually was. I hope it’s the latter.

There’s still plenty to see and photograph though.

A small Stout Moray at Mahukona. The mottling on the inside of the mouth—unusual in fish, or for that matter in any vertebrate—can help distinguish this species from similar eels. The trouble is not all Stout Morays share this feature. Hoover writes that these are the most abundant shallow water moray in Hawaii, but are not often spotted due to their “retiring nature.”

I was surprised at how common Ornate Butterflyfish were on this trip, especially at depth. This luminous pair was serenely meandering among the coral at about 60 feet. The Ornates feed only on living coral, but are less particular about the type of coral than most butterflyfish. Despite their feeding habits, they apparently do no harm to the reef.