Learning how to catch huge ghost crabs from a guy who grew up here on the islands.

After Sam’s uke lesson we went to one of our favorite snorkeling spots – Sam and I took off in a slightly different direction today to check it out. We saw a bunch of juvenile parrotfish, some threadfin butterflyfish and wrasse. Then somebody we hadn’t seen before strolled by – an 18″ long bonefish, most likely Elops Hawaiensis because of the brownish markings. Dave says no way did I see a rare Hawaiian ladyfish, but after careful checking I really think I did. Of course I didn’t have my camera with me to prove it, so I went back in and got it.

When I went back out I started getting this creepy feeling, like I was in the middle of a BBC Wild Pacific shoot. Then I started hearing strange rushing sounds and like sprinkling on the water surface as if something big was splashing around near me. I just started booking it back big-time. When I got into shallow water, I stood straight up to look around. I calmed down a bit but still decided I better get back quick. I told Dave what happened, then pointed out to where I had been. Just as I was pointing, a black fin, then two, broke the surface of the water. I thought it was maybe indeed a shark that had been out there. Sharks are known to inhabit this area so…seemed possible. Dave said it was a snorkeler, but I wasn’t convinced. Then finally a snorkel popped up about a body length from the fins and that explanation became convincing. Then two more snorkelers showed up – a group of Marines had been out spear-fishing so I hadn’t seen them when I went in (they’d been submerged I guess). But this explains feeling like something big was nearby! The first snorkeler was in an all-black wetsuit – I went up to him and said “No scaring girls!” and told him the story. My legs had been totally shaking from my race back to shore. Another guy had seen me book it back in and asked what it was…a 6 ft black snorkel-shark! Dave saw a longspine pufferfish (deadly if eaten – check out the description of the “living death” due to the powerful neurotoxin that they produce).