What? I Don’t See It

A few years ago there was an ad campaign that ran in several national level magazines.

image of a US Navy Seals recruiting ad
Navy Recruiting Ad

The ad was designed to promote recruitment to the US Navy Seals.  It had a picture of a swamp and a caption underneath that said “Pictured from left to right . . .”  I’m guessing that there really were soldiers hidden in the picture but the only thing I know for sure is I never could see them.

I think of that ad when I consider the unique characteristics of a Commersons Frogfish.  Like a special forces soldier, the frogfish is aggressive and fearsome.  Unlike a special forces soldier, though, only fish need to fear a frogfish.

The Waikiki Aquarium says on its frogfish page that “The frogfish is superbly adapted for its habit of ambushing prey.”  The article explains some of the adaptations which make that statement true.  First, the fish’s head is mostly mouth which enables it to swallow other fish as large as itself.  Second, the fish’s small gill openings are tucked away behind the pectoral fins so that exhaled water will not reveal the fish’s presence to potential prey.  Third, and this is the part that reminds me of the Navy recruiting ad, is that frogfish are so good at camouflage that they can be difficult to distinguish from the section of reef they are situated upon.  They sometimes even have real algae growing on their skin!

image of a frogfish
Yellow Commersons Frogfish

When we scuba dive Kauai, we have the opportunity to view a number of creatures that are skilled at camouflage but frogfishes are among the most specialized of ambush predators; their camouflage is so effective that biologists call it “aggressive mimicry”.

image of a frogfish
Hiding in Coral

As members of the same family as the deep sea Anglerfish, frogfish have a special spine that they can use as a sort of “fishing pole” to lure in a potential meal that needs to get just a little bit closer to be food.  When an unlucky creature gets to within about the distance of the frogfish’s body length, the frogfish will open its cavernous mouth so quickly that the rapid suction will draw the prey into its mouth.  This whole process takes place in just six to ten thousandths of a second, making this one of the fastest capture mechanisms in the animal kingdom.

image of a frogfish
Commersons Frogfish

We have several resident frogfish living at Koloa Landing – one of Kauai’s best dives.  It is a virtual certainty that we pass by at least one of them on any given dive tour.  The trick is to actually see one.  For your best chance at coming face to face with a frogfish while scuba diving Kauai, book a tour with Garden Isle Divers today!

To Boldly Go. . .

It would be fair to say that scuba diving is not for everybody.  Some people don’t really want to while others can’t do it even if they want to.  One of my best friends from California wants to be a diver but he has a problem with his left ear which prevents him from being able to equalize the pressure as he descends.  Because of this he can’t get deeper than about 7 feet so diving will never be a part of his life regardless of his desire.  He loves to snorkel, though, and has told me that he really wishes he could have the experience of being down below where the fish are.

Well it’s time to get excited!  Being physically unable to dive or being afraid no longer means you can’t enjoy the incredible experience of exploring the underwater world.

image of the power ray underwater drone
Power Ray Drone

That, my friends, is a Power Ray underwater drone.  It is made by the Power Vision company and it is the first underwater drone you can afford that is capable of shooting 4K video.  It is also capable of shooting lower resolution video, of course, but with it’s huge onboard memory there is just no reason to record lower quality.  It also takes still shots at 12 megapixels.

I’m going to skip the detailed description of it’s full capabilities because I like to keep my posts short.  If I really got started then I’m not sure I’d know where to stop.  So, I’m going to just post a link to the Power Vision site so you can go and learn more about this super cool new tool.

P.S.  All underwater footage shown in the video above was filmed using the Power Ray drone.  I can verify this since I was there and did most of the filming myself!

Save Yourself – Go Dive!

I dive here on Kauai with a lot of people who are new to scuba.  Many of the same questions get asked, including the inevitable “What about sharks?”  My standard answer is “Let’s cross our fingers and hope we get to see one today.”

image of a white tip reef shark

The real motivation behind a question like that is the same as with several of the other standard questions: Is it safe to scuba dive?  Yes! In fact, not only is it safe, it is safer to be diving than to not be diving!!!  Let me explain.

According to National Geographic, over 17,000 people die from falls each year. That’s a 1 in 218 chance over your lifetime, compared to a 1 in 4,332,817 (updated March, 2024) chance of being killed by a shark. It is a scientific fact that you cannot fall while exploring underwater.

Nat Geo also reports that in 1996, toilets injured 43,000 Americans. Sharks injured 13.  There are two noteworthy things about that statistic. First is that sharks injured – not killed – only 13 people that year.  Second is that it is clearly more dangerous to poop than to swim in the ocean.  Ask yourself, have I ever been afraid to poop?  If the answer is yes then please don’t call Garden Isle Divers because you have issues that we don’t want to be a part of.

Not convinced yet? Okay, I just hope you aren’t sitting under a coconut palm reading this because Falling coconuts cause about 150 deaths annually. You might think “Wow, somebody needs to get those coconuts out of the trees before they fall and kill somebody.”  Sure, except for the fact that falls from ladders cause about 355 deaths annually in the U.S.

image showing common injury rates compared to shark attacks

As you can clearly see, your best chance at living a long and adventurous life is to go scuba diving on a regular basis.  You avoid so many of the true dangers that life likes to throw at us.  So, let’s go explore Kauai’s coral reefs together while your friends, who give in to irrational fears, get bit by Malaria-carrying mosquitoes which kill about 800,000 people every year.

Turtles Rule!

I have yet to meet the person who is not excited for a chance to come face to face with a Green Sea Turtle.  The day I do, I will probably run for my life because there’s something seriously wrong with that guy.

Let’s be real – how can you not just love such a magnificent creature? Of all the cool and crazy creatures we are privileged to see, the turtle is easily the most graceful and alluring.

image of a Sea Turtle
Green Sea Turtle

Turtles are popular enough that most people know at least one or two basic facts.  For example, you probably already know that sea turtles create a nest on the beach and then lay eggs.  But, did you know that each nest averages about 115 eggs?  With that many eggs, perhaps one day sea turtle populations worldwide will be able to recover to the point that turtles will no longer be listed as an endangered, or even protected, species.

In spite of the large number of eggs produced by a female sea turtle, populations worldwide are showing an overall declining trend.  The exception is Hawaii where the green turtle population is actually increasing in abundance and has increased 53% over the last 25 years. This increasing population is most visible here on Kauai due to the fact that the bulk of the nesting population is found among the uninhabited islands to the north.  As the northern population increases, turtles migrate south with Kauai being their first good chance for a new home.

image of a green sea turtle
A Friendly Green Turtle

Years ago I read that turtles continue to grow throughout their lives.  So, the larger a turtle is, the older it is.  Marine scientists don’t know how long turtles live but believe it to be up to 80 years.  Whatever the true lifespan is, it must be a long time since it is typical for adults to weigh about 300 to 400 pounds!  Some can be as heavy as 440 pounds and the largest green turtle ever found was 5 feet in length and 871 pounds!!!

Come scuba diving on Kauai with Garden Isle Divers and we will take you to a place where you can have your own personal face to face encounter with sea turtles.

There be dragons here

Dragons, as most people understand them, are mythical creatures – huge fire breathing reptiles that can fly and sometimes even speak human language. That idea is nonsense but dragons do exist!

image of A Small Dragon Moray
A Small Dragon Moray

According to the Maui Ocean Center, there are 42 species of eel that can be found in Hawaii. According to everybody who knows their eels, the Dragon is the most exciting. I had a client recently who came here from Zurich, Switzerland hoping to see “the Holy Grail of eels.” Smart move on his part coming to Kauai because our local dive site, Koloa Landing, is famously popular for the great chance of finding one.

image of a dragon moray
Adult Dragon Moray Eel

Dragons can grow up to three feet long and are skilled predators of fish and octopus.  They have nostril tubes at the tip of their snout and a second pair above their eyes that look like horns.  The “horns”, together with a curved mouth and needle sharp teeth make the Dragon Moray appear ferocious.  In reality, if you keep your hands to yourself you are completely safe.  That is a lesson that we, as divers, should apply to all creatures on the reef – keep your hands to yourself.