HAWAIIAN TURKEY FISH: "NOHU PINAO" (Pterois sphex) a.k.a. Hawaiian Lion Fish. This is a venomous fish because of the poison contained in its spines. The name sphex is the Greek word for WASP. The name Pinao is the Hawaiian word for DRAGONFLY.
The color of the body is reddish brown; it is marked with light vertical lines which are more or less in pairs. Their habitat is in quiet water off the shore. During the day these fish remain in caves and under ledges, usually on the ceiling. At night they glide forth with fins extended hunting for small fish, crabs, or shrimps. If you are lucky, daytime divers may see them swimming openly in the late afternoons or early mornings.

(Shot taken by Jim Robinson with a Nikon F4 with 105 mm Macro in Anthis Nexus housing using Fuji 100 Provia film and Nikon SB-104 strobe. Camera settings: fl6 at 125)

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AMPHITHEATER (South of Kailua Pier @ 9.8 miles)

Thousands of years of wave action, pounding the tall lava cliffs just off Red Hill, have created a phenomenal dive site, AMPHITHEATER, with an added bonus for the adventuresome! The lava flow has shaped this cavern, which gives it a cathedral-like appearance. With the sunlight streaming through, it looks like the lights that shine through a stained glass window of a church. The side of the cavern is home to bright orange cup coral and the delicate but dangerous Lion Fish which is waiting to catch his next meal. This is also an excellent site for u/w photographs with another diver appearing as a model. The ambient lighting provides the perfect background for spectacular results.

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