For about 30 years, no Cypraea semiplota were found alive in Hawaii to
the best of anyone's knowledge in HMS.  At one time they were reported
to have been very common very close to the shore.
 
We were still able to find dead shells, particularly on the remote
western islands, but no live shells.  Then one day a collector reported
finding a live shell on the North shore of Oahu.  After that there were
sparse reports of finding them on the South shore, and increasing
numbers of deadshells.
 
My boat group decided to find where they lived, and started diving in
the general area with most beach shells.  We moved a few hundred yards
down the coast each dive for about a month or so, and then found them in
40 to 90 feet under rubble with black algae on top.  At about the same
time, people also started finding large specimens on the reef flats near
Pearl Harbor entrance.  Since that time they have been found regularly
when looking in the correct places.
 
Aloha,
 
Wes