April 13, 2014 – Remarkable Russ’s Scuba Diving

Another windy day in glorious Maunalua Bay, Oahu.  Russ’s exclusive group of divers loaded up the Sea Hound for some underwater exploration. After fresh takes on the giant stride entry, cautious swimming along side the rolling Hound,  and finally descending with ease onto Turtle Canyons Reef we began our dive.  Turtle Canyons  is one of my favorite shallow reefs on Oahu due to the wide, long plateaus of colorful coral and fish. The plateaus are followed by a sandy bottom valley filled with nooks, crannies, and crevices. To my surprise we founds numerous different species of Nudibranchs including Gold Lace, Red-Spotted, White-Margin, and Imperial, another reason Turtle Canyons  is one of my favorite reef dives.
On our second reef dive at Koko Craters, it was thrilling to find a pair of Harlequin Shrimp since they can be tough to find.  Harlequin Shrimp have creamy colored bodies with large purplish spots and banded legs. They look like they belong at the circus but are considered lethal by many starfish when the shrimp flip them over and eat them alive over a span. Luckily, they’re only about two inches tall.

Safe diving,

Davy

 

Weather: Rainy, Sunny, and Windy
Dive Sites: Turtle Canyon and Koko Craters
Dive Conditions: 60 ft viz, temp. 75 F
Marine Life Observed: Harlequin Shrimp
Staff: Captain John, Russ, Davy, Bodhi