Kauai Snorkel Report - South Shore,
I dont see many snorkeling reports - so I hope Im not breaking some unwritten rules! - - - but - I will hold that at least at the area I was at on Kauai - - The reef fishies are every bit as good, perhaps better, in the shallows - AND - you can do this virtually any time you want - AND - its free!
In addition - I have an ulterior motive here - my sweetheart doesnt dive, or even swim very well - so after a number of years working up to it - shes getting pretty good at snorkeling around with me!
25 May - Lydgate Park [East Shore]
A very protected area - the snorkeling area is totally closed off by a breakwater - I would guess it gets up to about 8 feet deep at the most. Mostly sand with a few lava/coral heads scattered in the deeper portion. We primarily cruised up and down the inside of the breakwater - Brigid loved it - saw lots of fish.
Hawaii Sergeant, many different butterflyfish, goatfish, white spotted Toby, Yellow fin .....
26 May - Lawai Beach - - - This is right outside our resort, so I was particularly interested in getting out there. The beach is open to the sea, but the breakers are on an outer reef thats about 100 yds out. - more lava at the beach & shallows - then to scattered lava/coral heads - then more sand as it gets deep. One of the more interesting parts of those lava/coral heads is that it seemed there were little urchins in nearly every hole & crevice!
Fish: Pennant Butterflyfish, pipefish, orangespine unicornfish, Scribbled Filefish !!, more goatfish, ....
Disaster! - - Brigids headache gets really bad in the wave action - looses breakfast & half a day :-(
29 May AM - Poipu Beach - conditions sort of halfway between the other two - technically open to the ocean, but the outer lava is high enough that its fairly protected. [The boys are into surfing now - so we were waiting for them!]
Fish: Moorish Idols, Unicornfish, lots of needlefish right at the surface, bluestripe snappers
Brigids happy in the water again!
29 May PM - - a quick stop again at Lydgate Park after we cruised to the far North end of the island.
Fish: Blue Tangs & Unicornfish - Large ones! - lots of wrasse around the breakwater rocks - schools of mullet - Orangeband Surgeonfish - - - A very nice way to end the day!
30 May AM - One last dip for me before we leave, the packing is near done and the plane takes off at 2PM :-(
Lawai Beach - much more vis than the other 2 - but also more wave action. A highlight for me - this time, I clearly recognized the humuhumunukunukuaapuaa !! - the state fish of Hawaii - Picasso triggerfish for those of you that dont do long words. Also - grey chub - big ones 12-18 and in schools of a couple of dozen, Convict Tang
Too bad we have to go - Im almost getting to recognize some of these!!!!
I dont see many snorkeling reports - so I hope Im not breaking some unwritten rules! - - - but - I will hold that at least at the area I was at on Kauai - - The reef fishies are every bit as good, perhaps better, in the shallows - AND - you can do this virtually any time you want - AND - its free!
In addition - I have an ulterior motive here - my sweetheart doesnt dive, or even swim very well - so after a number of years working up to it - shes getting pretty good at snorkeling around with me!
25 May - Lydgate Park [East Shore]
A very protected area - the snorkeling area is totally closed off by a breakwater - I would guess it gets up to about 8 feet deep at the most. Mostly sand with a few lava/coral heads scattered in the deeper portion. We primarily cruised up and down the inside of the breakwater - Brigid loved it - saw lots of fish.
Hawaii Sergeant, many different butterflyfish, goatfish, white spotted Toby, Yellow fin .....
26 May - Lawai Beach - - - This is right outside our resort, so I was particularly interested in getting out there. The beach is open to the sea, but the breakers are on an outer reef thats about 100 yds out. - more lava at the beach & shallows - then to scattered lava/coral heads - then more sand as it gets deep. One of the more interesting parts of those lava/coral heads is that it seemed there were little urchins in nearly every hole & crevice!
Fish: Pennant Butterflyfish, pipefish, orangespine unicornfish, Scribbled Filefish !!, more goatfish, ....
Disaster! - - Brigids headache gets really bad in the wave action - looses breakfast & half a day :-(
29 May AM - Poipu Beach - conditions sort of halfway between the other two - technically open to the ocean, but the outer lava is high enough that its fairly protected. [The boys are into surfing now - so we were waiting for them!]
Fish: Moorish Idols, Unicornfish, lots of needlefish right at the surface, bluestripe snappers
Brigids happy in the water again!
29 May PM - - a quick stop again at Lydgate Park after we cruised to the far North end of the island.
Fish: Blue Tangs & Unicornfish - Large ones! - lots of wrasse around the breakwater rocks - schools of mullet - Orangeband Surgeonfish - - - A very nice way to end the day!
30 May AM - One last dip for me before we leave, the packing is near done and the plane takes off at 2PM :-(
Lawai Beach - much more vis than the other 2 - but also more wave action. A highlight for me - this time, I clearly recognized the humuhumunukunukuaapuaa !! - the state fish of Hawaii - Picasso triggerfish for those of you that dont do long words. Also - grey chub - big ones 12-18 and in schools of a couple of dozen, Convict Tang
Too bad we have to go - Im almost getting to recognize some of these!!!!
