Corals and Zombies and Octopi...Oh My!

Wow. Interesting evening. Went out for the Montipora spawn, but today was a holiday, Hawaii Statehood Day, so the island was really empty. Mary was busy and planned to come out on the 9:00 boat, presumably just as the coral would start to spawn. JJ, Mary and I's new fish room manager/assistant (who rocks, by the way!) was going to come out but had been busy with her son's birthday all day and when I talked to her on the phone we decided she would just come help tomorrow. Jackie is studying for her comps, so she stayed home too.

So, I ended up waiting for the spawn by myself. Normally this wouldn't have bothered me, but being out at the point lab during the new moon, it's really dark. On top of that, it was really windy so everything was creaking and rattling. And then, of course, the coral looked like they really could care less that it was time to spawn. So I sat and waited in the point lab. Inside was nice, there were lights and whatnot, but the wind kept rattling the door. In my mind, I knew it was the wind, but they way it rattled, it definitely could have been zombies. Really. Zombies. Regular human intruders would have jiggled the door and then opened it, so I was assured it wasn't a human. But zombies, they might just stand outside and jiggle the door like that. Was creepy. Halfway fun though, reasoning with myself about the wind and the door.

In any case, the coral did not spawn again tonight. I think JJ and I will watch again tomorrow night, but I have a feeling that we're about to call it a season for this year's Montipora capitata spawning. Sigh.

On a better note. Stopped by the octopus tanks again and this time two of them were out swimming around. Woot! One even splashed water up and almost made me drop my iphone. :) Few pics below...