So much to see!!!

When I first got to the park with my friend Inayah,we were super excited.We were wondering what phenomenal sea creatures we would see during the tour.

During the first half of the walk we went to the west side of Magic Island.There was SO MUCH to see!!! There was lots of snails and Hermit crabs. Did you know that when a snail dies or leaves its shell the Hermit crab moves in and uses it as its home? Its shell is really pretty. There was also a lot of pepeau limu (seaweed) and Coral.
 
Moving on to the next side! There was so much more to see! We saw lots of different sea creatures like Ghost Shrimp,Sea Cucumber,Sea Hare,Anemone crab and Sea Urchins.
 
When the walk was done, we went to shore to rinse off our gear. Then, our tour guide called us. He was going to give us a surprise,but what? It was a shell! Mine was a Cowry shell. Goodbye sea creatures!
Thanks, LAMC!
 
Submitted by: Samantha Nakagawa
Reef walk date: March 18th, 2011

Freckled Hawkfish and huge Anemone Hermit Crabs

Just when I thought I had seen it all, I was lucky enough to find new animals on our last reef walk.  Have you ever seen a Barred Moray Eel or a Freckled Hawkfish? 
During the first half of the walk, one family spotted an eel slithering around the rocks in only a few inches of water. As the rest of the group gathered around, we put our nets in the water to try to capture the eel. This was a quick and evasive eel. At one point it wiggled through the legs of one of the walkers! But, alas, it escaped into deeper water. 

Brittlestars, Box crabs, Sea Cucumbers, and a giant Green Marbled Shrimp were among the animals we were able to collect and observe. Not only did we find the largest Green Shrimp I’ve ever seen, but also the largest Anemone Hermit Crab. This crab was at least 7-9 inches long and was adorned with several anemones. What a find!

Please come join us on a reef walk and help us discover the animals that call the reef their home.

A hui hou! 

Octopi and Sea Hare

We enjoyed the reef walk tremendously! At first it seemed unlikely we'd find anything, the water looked empty, but after just a few minutes we started spotting fish and (let's just say) "others." Tiphanie and Mike (correct name? sorry!) were great when we saw something and yelled, "What the heck is THAT?!?" They immediately knew what it was, what sort of stuff it ate, and how it adapted. A sea hare (one of the ugliest creatures I'd ever seen) squirting pink ink and a crazy prehistoric-looking mantis shrimp were the highlights for me, my husband was totally excited about the 5" octopus he found, along w/ the 1" nudibranch, and the kids loved, well, everything. They were excited to be able to spot things we couldn't, catch stuff and touch a few (even that sea hare, yuck).

I'm glad we went on the walk b/c we learned a lot and I felt better having someone along who could tell us which critters would bite half our finger off, which had venomous spines (the totally cool rock cod), etc.

The time flew by, and we could have stayed another hour happily. After rinses and goodbyes we rushed over to try the Gogi Taco truck on Kapiolani for dinner--bi bim burrito, spicy pork taco, kimchi fries. Really yum, and a perfect ending for a really fun night. Thanks, LAMC!

Uploaded by the McCabe Family

Nudibranchs and flatworms

Have you ever seen a nudibranch? Have you ever seen them swim in the water column or move along the rocks? Do you know the difference between a flatworm and a nudibranch? Nudibranchs are commonly confused with flatworms, which are just as colorful and awing.
While exploring the reef during the two reef walks this month, we saw two different types of flatworms! The first flatworm looked like a piece of black algae until we placed it into the bucket. It fluttered its mantle and started swimming around. It was a beautiful and graceful sight. The second flatworm we discovered was hidden under a rock and it displayed a dazzling array of yellows and blacks. This was a first for me while exploring the tide pools.
There are so many other amazing animals to be discovered and I would love to have your help in finding them with me on a reef walk. I hope to see you out there soon!
A hui hou!

Yellow-headed Moray Eel

Another reef walk has gone by and of course there are more exciting stories to tell! This walk was a little different than the others we have participated in, in that we started much later. The low tide on the 2nd was at 8:08pm and when we started it was pitch black.
We had 15 adults and children join us in Honolulu to search for our nocturnal friends that venture out at night. This was the first time I had ever seen an eel feed in the wild! We found a Yellow-headed moray eel and while Ms. Kiesha and I were attempting to capture the moray, it saw a Rock Crab scurry on the rock next to it and lunged out of the water and ate it! It was amazing how quick and accurate the eel was!
Along with the moray eel, we found our resident juvenile octopus, several Squirrelfish, a Unicornfish, Sea Cucumbers, Ghost Shrimp, Red shrimp, and several Marbled Shrimp. Because it was so dark, we were able to see how the shrimp eyes appear iridescent when you shine a flashlight on them. Wow! I recommend that anyone who has not yet signed up for a reef walk with the Living Art Marine Center should do it soon! You never know what you will learn, find, and experience.