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My husband got home a few hours early from work today so we went to Hanauma Bay to cool off with a quick dip in the ocean. As soon as we started snorkeling we saw this whitemouth moray eel peeking its head out from a rock. Its mouth was wide open which made it easy to identify, the inner part was entirely bright white. Its body and head was a brown color with white dots and the tip of its tail was also white. Another way to distinguish it from other similar looking eels.

Hanauma Bay

What shocked me the most as I observed it was how close some goatfish and papio were swimming to the eel's mouth. After researching online I learned that these fish accompany the eel to catch any of its escaping prey. It seems that when the eel enters a cavity at the base of a rock or coral head, those fish cover the exits. Neat!

Hanauma Bay
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