Friday's (11/21) Maui dive photo

[Gilligan]

I haven't been out diving in a few days due to a howling cold wind out of the North. The ocean here looks like a margarita in a blender :wacko:
With all the scuba diving I do in the Makena area of South Maui I wasn't there this past Wednesday due to the conditions, but this LUCKY TOURIST was for an experience and photo op of a lifetime.
I hate her ut:

 

[Dee]

I'm usually not wimpy but what if that thing decided to bite?!?

 

[scuba_star]

I wonder is this is the same one I saw back in March. We saw this one aroung Molokini. Our guide called him humpy.

 

[scuba_star]

 

[Tortuga Roja]

No, Humpy hasn't been around for a while. This is one that, like Humpy, has learned to socialize with humans rather than other monk seals. He is 3 yrs old and just starting puberty so he is doing the same thing that gave Humpy his name.

And yes, he has been biting - in a playful, mating sort of way.

He was captured on the Big Island and left at Kahoolawe, where they hoped he would meet up with some females of his own kind but he chose to swim over to Maui and play with the tourists instead. They are trying to capture him again but even tho he has an attached transmitter, he keeps outsmarting them.

I'm hoping to run into him for a photo op before turning him in. I should be so lucky!

 

[DivemasterSteve]

WOW, i would give just about anything to be that lucky. as always sir, thanks for sharing that pic with us.

steve

 

[scuba_star]

I was very lucky. We saw Humpy on Molokini and another Monk Seal around Black Rock back in March.

Here are 2 pictures that I was able to get of Humpy.

 

[Gilligan]

I dug This Photo out of my archive. It is a scanned 35mm pic of "Humpy" at Molokini Crater a few years back. I did not take the original.
:wacko:

 

[scuba_katt]

:nono: I hope Humpy at least bought that person dinner first!!!

Great photo, even if you didn't take the original!

 

[Seadiver5]

looks slimy...