Oahu Scuba- Oahu Scuba Diving Hawaii ! Dive Oahu Honolulu, discover scuba with us, shipwreck scuba diving, Hawaii scuba, beginner diving, first time scuba diving Oahu advanced, certification courses and referrals. Scuba dive in Oahu - Waikiki Honolulu Diving ! Going diving just got easier !

Here some interesting information on the favorite marine life of Hawaii. As you know, there are thousands of different kinds of fish in Hawaii and other marine life. Basically we just wanted to touch on the most popular fish and marine life you will most likely encounter in Hawaii while scuba diving. In the future Oahu Diving will add to this list of popular fish. The truth is, it takes time and dedication to list and talk about marine life in Hawaii this is why we leave that to the journalistic professionals. Please enjoy and if you have any comments or think we should add another type of marine life please let us know.

Moray eels in Hawaii

In short yes there are. Eels are not a fish that seeks out human companionship. Therefore extreme caution should be given to these animals when you are in their area. Moray eels are different from other types of eel species being thick, smooth, and without scales like fish. Moray eels' mouths open wide and have strong jaws with very sharp and dangerous teeth. This allows them to hold onto prey firmly. If bitten by a moray eel the most likely are will be in the hand. Eel bites are not to be taken lightly. Muscle damage, tendon damage and even fingers bitten off can be a possibility. Not to mention the moray eels can inflict damage to their enemies should they be attacked. Moray eels are considered to be an aggressive fish and when harassed they can appear unpredictable and territorial. Moray eels are the most dangerous to octopus. Anytime we catch octopus we are extremely careful when handling them so as not to be noticed by moray eels. The moray eels are not considered a threat to divers and will only bite or be aggressive when food is involved OR when accidently placing your hand in their hole. This is why we stress to our divers not to place hands in areas where there are holes and small cracks in the reef. Just innocently reaching down to get a sea shell could be a an unfortunate mistake. They Moray eels in Hawaii have distinct markings and coloration. Some like the dragon moray eel pictured about have a plethora of beautiful red, yellow and orange colors. Others like the yellow margin moray eel have a more traditional dark green color. These moray eels normally do not get larger than 5 feet. Hawaiian moray eels grow from 2 to 3 feet in length and are very thick or fat. Most likely due to the abundance of reef fish and other food moray eels prefer.

Moray Eel, Dragon Moray Eels, Snowflake Moray

Moray eels love a rocky, coral encrusted area habitat and often hide between the smallest of openings. From shallow reefs in Hawaii to shipwreck in 120 ft. of water you can guarantee moray eels will be there. Again, we are only speaking about recreational diving depths here in Hawaii. Sure moray eels do live much deeper. When diving reefs in Hawaii it is very important not to harass eels. Spear fishing does excite eels. Shipwrecks with all those small and hard to get to areas make a great home for moray eels. Be on the lookout for eels while diving shipwrecks. We regularly dive the Corsair Plane Wreck. There, a mean yellow margin moray eel lives in the right wing, waiting for the unsuspecting diving to pull animals out such as the octopus. This is definitely a bad idea, caution should be exercised on this wreck dive.

What do eels eat ?

Since moray eels use its keen sense of smell to locate prey, It eats many different kinds of fish. It will definitely go for any fish that mistakenly swims by his hole. Eels are not finicky eaters and we have seen moray eels eat most reef fish, crabs, lobsters and they love octopus. Since the moray eels do have poor eyesight they rely on their sense of smell to seek out and find prey. Again octopus are their favorite food so to counteract this threat. The octopus relies on it's ink. This think mucus of brown color clogs the eels nasal passages essentially leaving the eel confused and bewildered. Small note, why we have no idea but we have seen moray eels eat each other yet live together in a hole in perfect harmony. There is one fish and one type of crab that receive immunity from the moray eels. These are the cleaner wrasse and the cleaner shrimp. This is a very unique relationship that occurs everyday on the reef and can be easily witnessed.

Thanks for visiting Oahu Diving of Hawaii. Eels in Hawaii, scuba diving with moray eels in Oahu with Oahu Diving- Hawaii.