Another Hawaii Holy Grail - Harlequin

[MauiScubaSteve]

I go to Keoki & Yuko Stender's Marinelife Photography web site on a nearly daily basis. There are very few sites on the web with better Hawaii underwater images. Currently his home page highlights his most recent rare critter pics; the Harlequin Shrimp.

After 25 years of diving in Hawaii, July 1, 2008 the Stender's saw one in the wild for the first time. I saw a couple at Ulua last year, but had no camera and a little white mouth moray ate one of them right before my eyes, probably with an inadvertent assist by me

This past month I have seen a pair at the same site as my other recent Grail photo's, but I have not had a camera when they were in photographic positions. That is what I call collecting the Grail; when you bring back a good image on your camera!

Yesterday I had to return to my current rare critter site, because I left my wide angle lens on the bottom the day before. This time one of the Harlequin's was in a very nice position

 

[ScubaAndDreams]

nice...

 

[friscuba]

Very nice shots!

Steve

 

[scottitheduck]

One of the most amazing critters I have seen here in Hawaii. There was one on the Corsair for a bit.... I believe NudiHunters has the photos to prove????

Great shots Halemano...

G

 

[NudiHuntrs]

One of the most amazing critters I have seen here in Hawaii. There was one on the Corsair for a bit.... I believe NudiHunters has the photos to prove????

Great shots Halemano...

G

Scottie the duck is correct. We had some great dives with him when my sister came out here. Thanks again

Here is the link to the original post:
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ha...ir-wreck-report-kaimana-divers-6-20-08-a.html

ALOHA

NH

 

[diversteve]

Nice shots...that is an amazing looking animal. I've never even heard of them before now.

I find it equally amazing that the lens was still there...lol

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

I find it equally amazing that the lens was still there...lol

Luckily that dive site is not an easy site to dive. Charter boats probably visit it less than monthly and I may be the only shore diver!

I left the camera and lens on the bottom overnight once, after a scooter guest probably had Air 2 free flow and showed me 500 psi at 70 fsw. Another time scootering with my small dual strobe rig I had bad batteries in the strobes, so I left the tray and strobes on the bottom and changed the dive plan.

Both those times someone else would have had to be lost to find it. I was pretty happy to see the lens this time!

 

[aascubagirl]

Absolutely beautiful shots. I get to encounter them occasionally here in Kauai but rarely have I seen one pictured so perfectly. I'm envious!

 

[rgbmatt]

Now is a great time to be diving if you want to see harlequin shrimp. They're going through a population bloom right now and it's been a long time since there have been this many around. It's no coincidence that there have been several posts in this forum in the last few months.

Harlequin shrimp are one of those animals that's seldom spotted, but isn't as rare as most people think. They're very brightly colored and easy to spot when they're out in the open, but they spend most of their time hiding under rocks or in holes where divers usually don't look. If you want to find one, you'll have to spend a lot of time looking at the bottom. They're often found in small cauliflower coral heads, so if you spend a dive looking in these (especially around the base), chances are you'll find a pair.

You sort of wonder how these shrimp are able to survive in the wild - they're slow moving, stick out like a sore thumb, and don't have much in the way of claws. You'd think they'd be toxic or something but, as Halemano mentioned, eels don't seem to mind munching on them when given the chance.

 

[blesi varney]

No wonder we've been seeing a lot of these shrimps, lately.