Rimmed by the craggy remains of ancient lava flows, Hawaii's coastline is not always a user-friendly environment. On my way out of the water one day, I paused to shoot a few clips showing how deftly reef fish negotiate the strong currents and churning surf. The movie opens with Yellow tangs, an Orangespine Unicornfish, and Yellowfin Goatfish riding the current. Sometimes, they used the upsurge of a wave to glean as much food as they could before the current dragged them out again. Other times, they simply rode the surf up to a ledge and back down again without a practical reason that I could discern. I've seen again and again that rather than fight the current, marine animals give themselves over to the ocean's mercurial push and pull while they're conducting their life's work. The crackling cadence of snapping shrimp can be heard in the background.
At dusk when the waves began to subside, I paused to shoot a quick segment of the Threadfin Butterflyfish you'll see toward the end of the movie. Beyond this fish I caught sight of a school of Racoon Butterflyfish that had stilled to the point where they looked like ornaments strung on invisible wires. With a subtle stirring of tails and fins, they exerted just enough energy to stay in the same loose formation. After the commotion of being tossed around by the surf for the better part of an hour, I floated there and enjoyed the sight of them until the sun began to disappear. Maybe instead of counting sheep, I'll think of the Racoonfish of Hawaii hovering in the current next time I'm trying to fall asleep.