Smmcdonald
United States
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Nº125
Date: 2018-12-18 - 09:10
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Max Depth: 19.1m Duration: 49mins
Dive Location
- Temp: Surf 28°C Bottom 25°C
- Dive type : Recreational, Reef
- Visibility: Good Water: Salt
Dive reviews
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Dive Shop & Buddies
Dive buddies:
Jennifer McDonald,
Elliott Thomas
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Dive Profile
- 1. Nitrox 30
- 12L Aluminium 211 → 47 bar
- Average depth: 10.4m
Data provided by EOL.org
Species Identified
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SCUBA diving with Kona Honu Divers was definitely a highlight of our family trip to Hawaii. As Elle hadn't logged many dives since 2016, we thought it best to start inshore.
Our dive guide, Nico, lead us on an underwater tour of the Big Arch site, located just off the coast of Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park, near Kailua-Kona.
The water temperatures were warmer than I expected, but I stuck with the 3mm anyway. The water was clearer here than what I remember in Costa Rica and Galapagos: my guess is we had 50+ feet of vis, maybe more.
Our first glimpse of underwater Hawai'i was met with a seabed made of sand, lava boulders and hard corals. A lot of the latter seemed to be in decline. The marine life was not as abundant as I had expected, but I did see a few species of fish I have not seen before, including the invasive peacock grouper (Cephalopholis argus), lei triggerfish (Sufflamen bursa) and the humuhumunukunukuapua'a, the Hawaiian state fish. Though fun to say, most people just refer to it as the reef triggerfish (Rhinecanthus rectangulus).
The first 'new' fish I noticed was the Orange-spine unicornfish (naso lituratus). These fish have a disc-shaped body with a bright orange spot and two nodules on each side at the base of the tail. The caudal fins of the males terminate in a long filament from the tip of each lobe. Next was the orange-band surgeonfish (Acanthurus olivaceus), similar in shape and size but with an olive-green two-toned body. It's easily recognizable by the oblong orange spot on either side above the pectoral fins. Several species of butterflyfish were present, including the ornate (Chaetodon orntissiumus), threadfin (chaetodon auriga), and yellow longnose (Forcipiger flavissimus), or lau wiliwili-nukunuku-oioi! There were Moorish idols and damselfish of many types, damselfish, tangs, and whitemouth moray eels (Gymnothorax meleagris). Two small tropical fish worth noting: unlike its bright blue multi-colored adult phase, the juvenile red coris, or yellow-tail wrasse (Coris gaimard) has the same coloration and similar pattern as a clownfish; the second was a juvenile rockmover wrasse (Novaculichthys taeniourus), a striking fish of about 2 inches in length. The fish is dark green in color, with black vertical bars that extend from the tip of the anal fins into the dorsal fins. between these are white blotches, and the entire fish is fringed in spines, with two very long ones protruding from its head. So different are these from their adult counterparts, they often go by a different common name, the dragon wrasse. Unfortunately, the only image I shot of this fish is very poor in quality, it being so small and fast.
As the site name indicates, the center-of-attention is a big lava archway that has more than enough room for you and your buddy to swim through, side-by-side. The other group from our boat (we were split in two-groups-of-four) saw a green sea turtle enter into the arch shortly after we swam out of the other side.
Nearby, two whitetip reef sharks rested inside the entrance to a lava tube.
Thus was our first underwater encounter with the Island of Hawai'i! The skies were clear and air was warm when we made our way back aboard the Honu One and headed out for our next dive location.