Fish Geek's Pick-O-The-Week: Zebra Moray Eel!

Zebra Moray Face, by Scott Rettig

Zebra Moray Eel

Hawaiian: Puhi

Latin: Gymnomuraena zebra

Kohala Divers' crew of Fish-Geeks usually spots this eel by the distinctive thicker white stripes on a dark brown background of the neck/body/tail of the eel. Sometimes swimming in the open, the zebra moray will then curl in the reef with it's head hidden, making the striped body stand out, and a game of hunt-for-the-eel-head afoot.
The Zebra Moray is the only member of its genus Gymnomuraena. The Hawaiian name "Puhi" is the name for all moray eels, with the zebra having an unknown Hawaiian distinction. Eels were a very popular food for the Hawaiians, and prized by the ali'i. Of the many ways to hunt an eel, perhaps the most notable was  "eel pinching", wherein a fisherman would tempt eels out of the reef by dangling a tasty bit of squid, and then snatch the exposed eels up with a free fist.

Scott says, "Unlike most morays, the zebra moray has molars used to crush up invertebrates; shrimp, crabs, etc..." 

John P. Hoover says, "Although lacking sharp teeth, they are not harmless; a Honolulu aquarist bitten on the finger describes the experience 'painful, like a vice.' "

Kama'aina? Nope.

Size: To 5 feet (usually smaller).

Depth: Variable. In our common experience we see them shallow to 60'... but then that is where we usually dive.

White List? Although the Zebra Moray is not on the whitelist of fish legal to take in West Hawaii, its relative Global commonality does make it a popular aquarium fish. 

Fish Geek's Pick-O-The-Week: The Endemic Hawaiian Fantail FileFish!

The Hawaiian Fantail Filefish! (Gorgeous photo by Robyn Smith).

Hawaiian Fantail Filefish.

Hawaiian: O'ili 'Uwi'uwi.
Latin: Pervagor spilosoma.

John P Hoover says, "... Fantail Filefishes are yellow, marked with black spots, and have bright orange, fanlike tails. Blue markings about the mouth and throat further adorn these beautiful little fishes. They frequently pair off in a head-to-tail position, raising and lowering their spines, and spreading their colorful tails in some sort of territorial or sexual display." -From Hoover's Hawaii's Fishes.

Robyn says, "The Hawaiian Fantail Filefish is one of the rarest fish in the world: Not only does it exclusively exist in Hawaii, but it's population goes through Boom-or-Bust cycles, making it all but absent from the reefs most years. The last time this magnificent fish was seen with any regularity was in the 1980s, but is again being spotted throughout the state this year. How very exciting is that?!"

"O'ili"- meaning "To Appear", "to sprout", or "come up"- probably taken from the single raised dorsal spine, or perhaps their tendency to appear in a sudden bloom and then die en masse and wash to shore. The Hawaiians of old supposedly thought the rare bloom of the Fantail Filefish was an omen of an upcoming death of a member of the royal family.

" 'Uwi'uwi" -meaning "To squeal" and eerily taken from the fish' squealing sound as they are taken from the water.

Kama'aina? Endemic.

Size? To 7 inches. Usually smaller.

Where? Recently spotted in shallow enough water to snorkel. Less than 35'.

White List? NOT legal to take for aquarium collection.

Becoming a Scuba Instructor

Have you ever watched your Scuba Instructor give a boat briefing and thought, "She has the life! Getting paid to dive!" Have you ever thought that this might be the life for you, too? Recently we had two Divemasters make the wonderful transformation to PADI Open Water Scuba Instructors, and I thought I would let you in on some details of the process.

"But wait", you are asking, "Isn't DIVEMASTER the absolute height of Diving coolness?" Well, maybe. They get the coolest-sounding name. But a Divemaster is trained to lead certified divers on underwater tours, handle any problems that occur, and teach refresher courses.






To become an Open Water Scuba Instructor, Divemasters must attend a gruelling 9 day program called an Instructor Development Course with a PADI Course Director. During the class, they learn the PADI curriculum and develop their own teaching style. They are tested on dive theory and skills, and they are taught to develop classroom presentations, pool training, and open water teaching and evaluating techniques. The Course solidifies an Instructor-Candidate's excellent dive skills, and often inspires an enthusiasm and love for teaching that can be carried over into a successful career.

After this course, an Instructor-Candidate is then eligible to attend a PADI Instructor Examination, where-in a PADI Examiner comes out from Southern California and evaluates and tests the Candidates. By passing this 2-day exam, a Divemaster becomes a newly-minted Instructor. Our Examiner this past September was Gordon Apons, a 20 year veteran of Instructor Examinations. He was thrilled with our whole batch of candidates, which included our amazing new Instructors Oliver and Elizabeth! Examiner Apons was enthusiastic and supportive, and said of our group, "These were some of the best-prepared candidates I have seen in my whole time as Examiner." Right on, guys! So what is next for our new Instructors? At Kohala Divers, the training continues, as we intern the new Instructors with our more seasoned crew. Watching Divemasters make the jump to Instructors is almost as joyful and proud as watching new divers becoming Open Water Certified. We all know that Scuba Diving is life-changing. Please congratulate Oliver and Elizabeth when you next dive with them, as they have joined the ranks of people who make divers. And that is amazing.

Henshaw's Crocodile Eel vs. Scorpionfish Video

Our own Scott Rettig filmed this amazing encounter between a Crocodile Eel and a Scorpionfish. Two fish enter...Only one remains! Can you guess what happens?
We have watched this awesome video over and over and over. Everyone says, Scott! You should be filming for National Geographic!"

Kohala Divers Ltd. Newsletter for May 2014

Kohala Divers News May 2014 Summer will be here soon and we are planning on lots of great dives while we have calm clear water. Summer is a great time to get dive certified as well. If you or someone you know has been waiting to get certified you know where to go. Kohala Divers would love to share our love of the underwater world! We are a PADI 5 star training facility with some of the best instructors around!! Thanks for your continued support of us at Kohala Divers. We look forward to seeing you in and under the water soon!   Aloha,   -Rebekah Kaufmann and the Crew of Kohala Divers   Kohala Divers Has a New Ride our new ride You may see are new ride cruising around the island. Believe me its hard to miss! Photos for our great van wrap were provided mostly by our very own PADI instructor Robyn Smith. Now we can feel like we are diving even while we are driving. Give us a wave if you see the sealife mobile! Annual Dry Dock We have scheduled the Kohala Diver annual dry dock for October 6th-the 11th. Our trusty boat will be getting spruced up and ready for more adventure. We will be available for shore dives and classes during that time. We will also plan our annual big Clear out tent sale at the shop that week so if you are around come visit us in Kawaihae! The Iron man 2014 is scheduled for the 11th so Kohala Divers will be closed that day.   Seattle H20 Show a Success Kohala Divers was a proud exhibitor at the Seattle based h20 Scuba and water sport show. We had a great time meeting other northwest divers and exhibitors. Seattle has some great adventurous folks and I'm not just saying that because it's where I am from. Thanks for making us feel welcome. We hope to see those of you that we met there when you make it to Hawaii next.    Join us on Facebook!! Click turtle to see all of our latest pictures on our facebook page!   In This Issue New Van Annual Dry Dock dates Seattle Dive Show Kohala Divers 61-3665 Akoni Pule Hwy Kawaihae, Hawaii 96743 808-882-7774 godiving@kohaladivers.com

Gear Review: Aeris Jet Pack Travel BCD System

What: Aeris JetPack Travel BCD System: Travel BCD and detachable dry-bag backpack.
Price: $649.00
Why We Wanted To Try It: One-size-fits-all, they say. Rugged and comfortable construction. Can fit all of your divegear, clothes, and personal items into the system and still have it be a 30 lbs or less carry-on size. The system uses the bcd as a basis for the travel backpack (shoulder straps are the straps, the rest folds and zips onto the included Dry-bag). The dry-bag is also a detachable dry backpack with its own fold-away straps and waterproof zippers.
Why We Were Dubious: Can it really fit everyone? Tall, short, busty, big, small... we do have a plethora of variable-sized Divemasters at our disposal. If it fits Robyn will it also fit me? How is this possible? This is higher priced than most travel bcds, but lower priced than a travel bcd plus a dry backpack. Will it really fit all my dive gear, plus clothes and such, enough for say, a week-long trek through the various airplanes and dive sites of the Philippines? (The Aeris website advises 3 days of clothes. Do some laundry on long trips, yes?)

Let's put it to the test!

Fit: Yes, it fit every one of our variable-sized crew. There are many ways to adjust the fit of the BCD: Cummerbund can not only shrink or grow, but can be seated higher or lower. Chest strap can slide (quite ingeniously!) over about a 5" long area. Shoulder straps can lengthen or shorten, with any extra webbing folded and secured by velcro into smart tab-sized bundles, keeping anything from dragging through the corals. Weight pockets can even be adjusted on the cummerbund for comfort and trim options. I got this right after it had been sized to the tiniest of our Divemasters, and I was able to size it up pretty fast. It did take some adjustment and fiddling, and it felt unstable on the 1st dive, but by the 2nd dive I had it pretty locked in.Warning: While the shoulders and chest strap can be set and forgotten (and used as-is for the backpack), the cummerbund needs to be removed for the backpack option, meaning you will need to re-set it from packing to diving.There are a bunch of videos on the Aeris Jetpack site to help. Dives great: The back inflate has a bunch of lift, and the adjustable weight pockets mean you can make it trimmed out for your body. There is even a rear-dump valve! I thought I would miss the D-rings, but I loved the looped chain of webbing for organizing my hangers-on all up and down my shoulders.
Conclusion: So many options for adjustment means you will need to find the best arrangement for your body, but once you do, it is stable and comfortable.

Packability: I gathered and packed all dive gear (wetsuit, fins, booties, mask, snorkel, regulator), clothes for 3 days (swimsuits, tee-shirts, shorts, sarong, hat, dress), laptop, towel, and assorted stuff to replicate toiletries or what-have-you. I packed it all without working too hard. The drybag is roomy and can cinch down even smaller. Fins can fit either in the drybag, between the bags, or even strapped to the sides. Success!

Conclusion: If I were going back to visit the Philippines, where one dives, hops on a plane to another island, and dives again, I would buy this right now and be thrilled!

Packed and all set to go...Wait, where is my airline ticket?

10 Reasons Moms Should Go Scuba Diving on the Kohala Diver!

 

 

 

Having recently stepped into the realms of motherhood I have seen my dive days shrink in amount, and the time between dives grow. I have met many moms of little ones who say "I used to dive" with no hope in their tone of ever returning. I get it. Our worlds become so engrossed in raising our children that even taking care of our basic survival often gets put on the back burner. When I do make the effort to have a free morning where someone else drops my daughter off at school and I take the time off to get underwater, I am so happy that I did! I have put together a list for fellow moms to help get you back into the sport that you once fell in love with. Or, if you have never tried diving this list might just make you sign up for our next PADI Open Water course!

The top ten reasons moms should go Scuba Diving on the Kohala Diver

10. To experience 2 hour-long dives where all that is required of you is to breathe.

9.   To get inspiration for some excitement in your bedtime stories. Weave in some underwater mermaids riding sea horses and mystical sea princesses who have pet nudibranchs into your stale stories and your kid will be thrilled. 

8.  Start your next adult conversation with "so last weekend I was diving in a lava tube when this shark went by" instead the latest potty training story.

7.  To blow bubbles through a regulator, instead of a purple wand.

6. To Find your happy place. Remember it well as you gaze at the turtles being cleaned by yellow fish at the turtle cleaning station with bright blue water and whales singing in the back ground.  The next time your little one is melting down because you let the blueberries touch the yogurt and now its ruined..... You can go back there in your mind.

5. Underwater no one can hear them scream.

4. To have a status update on your facebook page that isn't a picture of your kid being adorable for once.

3. To be a hero. Bring a shell back to your kiddo and tell them you brought it for them from the bottom of the ocean and immediately add another notch to your superhero belt.

2. Hour surface interval= 1 hour nap. Worth the price of admission right there. 

1. Because you deserve it!! A happy mom is the key to a happy family.

Hope to see you underwater soon!