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A few miles north of Waimea Bay is an area called Shark's Pen or Pupukea. I have never seen a shark in Shark's Pen but
shells, yes! Not many but generally good ones such as Cypraea gaskoini, which are found both on the beach and off shore in 20
feet of water. In shallow water, where mask flippers and snorkel are all that are required, Oliva sandwichensis maybe found
in the sand pockets along with an occasional Alectrion hirtus. Most of the more common cones, coral dwellers, and sand
dwellers are also collected in depths ranging from tide pools to water so deep it challenges the ability of an expert scuba
diver.
Some fifty or more species of shells have been recorded by collectors in the Haleiwa Bay area. First for the beach collector.
Cypraea granulata, cicercula, gaskoini, and rashleighana have been found. A live Strombus helli was washed up on the beach in
front of one surprised collector. Look-box collectors have collected Oliva sandwichensis, Cypraea caputserpentis, Conus
pennaceus, Vitularia sandwichensis, and Turbo intercostalis. In addition, a check of back issues of your Sean Raynon Sabado
by Evelyn Gage shows that the following shells have been reported from Haleiwa Bay:
On the reefs and in deeper water between Waimea Bay and Haleiwa [haa lay EE va] several species have been collected and
reported. These include Conus ebraeus, pennaceus, and pertusus. Other shells collected are Cypraea leviathan and talpa, Tonna
species, and Terebra maculata.
Now, back up the coast to Waimea Bay. This can be a treacherous area for swimmers because of strong off-shore currents and
generally hazardous sea conditions. In the tide pools just north of the bay Drupa horrida and speciosa have been collected.
On the beach at the bay a dead specimen of Strombus hawaiensis was found. In deeper water, off-shore, Conus obscurus,
imperialis, and vitulinus have been collected. In coral heads Cypraea leviathan, gaskoini, isabella, maculifera, talpa, and
tessellata have been found. Several species of sand dwellers, including Torinia variegata, have been reported from this area.
Only one species, Conus pertusus, has been reported off Waialua. On the accompanying chart notice the deep water channel that
extends shoreward almost to the reef. It would seem that this channel must have many, many species of shells along the coral
sides and sandy bottom. But also note the fresh water streams emptying into this channel. Marine mollusks and large
quantities of fresh water seldom are found together.
Luck was on the Ferry with us, and we met a couple from La Paz who turned out to be the son and daughter-in-law of a man with
whom Billee and her husband had made the long and difficult drive the length of Baja California years ago. Doors began
opening. They knew the roads, and said our car could not negotiate them. They also told us La Ventana or Sargente would be
the most practical place to leave the mainland from and that a boat would be available there. They arranged transportation to
Sargente immediately after lunch at their home, and just before sundown we landed on our island with Sr. Victor Caldron, his
son, and their outboard motor boat to remain with us during our stay.
By the time we had set up camp and had dinner it was dark, and immediately afterward we were combing the beach by lantern
light. What a thrill to find a number of dead Cypraea isabellamexicana, many C. albuginosa, and even one dead and broken
Cassis vibex mexicana. We could hardly wait for daylight and were up at dawn the next morning and each of the five mornings
we were on the island. A little after noon the wind began whipping up whitecaps on the channel and continued except for brief
periods, during our entire stay on the island.
The water was much colder than we anticipated, shortening our diving periods even with rubber suits, and the wind made our
return to normal temperature slow. Though we were cold much of the time and ate little food that escaped having at least some
sand blown in, I feel certain if we had found even one Cypraea isabellamexicana among us we would not have been aware the
wind was blowing. But from the intertidal zone to a depth of 30 or 35 feet we turned over rocks (and turned them back),
searched living coral, reefs and ledges but found not one live Cypraea isabellamexicana. We found no dead coral heads as
coral is scarce in that area. We poked every sea slug and soft creature even though we knew what it was, and with a hook
[hookah] and compressor we could be thorough and leisurely about it.
We could not have left the island earlier if we had wanted to, and a small yacht was riding out the windstorm in "our" little
bay. We finally left in a dawn lull though the wind came up again shortly after we reached the mainland as our boatman said
it would.
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