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Posts Tagged ‘Lanai’
Harlequin Shrimp
Maui seems to get more popular every year, and for good reason. The number of direct flights from the mainland is on the rise, as is the availability of amenities and comforts on this tiny Hawaiian island. But make no mistake – this green gem’s influx of visitors hasn’t dulled its appeal. This tropical paradise continues to delight with beauty both above, and below the waves.
You may very well find yourself here without a thought to the many underwater opportunities, but now that your husband/wife/significant other/kids/friends/etc. have gotten you to the sandy fringes, why not check out the opportunities in the depths?
Maui diving can loosely be broken out into four related but unique diving experiences: Molokini, Southwest Maui, North Maui and Lanai. You won’t be diving any unchartered territory here, but there’s a good reason divers come back year after year to experience what Maui’s waters have to offer.
Molokini
Molokini is a small islet formed by an extinct volcano lying 3 miles off the south Maui coastline. Molokini Crater, is a marine reserve below water and bird sanctuary above. Molokini consists of several dive sites all around the islet ranging from anchor dives to drift dives.
The visibility on this reef system averages 100+ feet and provides a panoramic view of the marine ecosystem. Frequently, manta rays, white tip reef sharks, amberjacks and moray eels are sighted. Harlequin shrimp take residence around coral heads and Triton’s trumpets and nudibranchs are found nestled in crevices. Hawaiian garden eels, masked angelfish, long-nose hawk fish and many more fish endemic to the Hawaiian Islands can also be found here.
Did I mention that Molokini is also located inside the Maui Whale Sanctuary? Between the end of December and the end of April this trip affords a great opportunity to see humpback whales on the boat ride to and from the dive sites. Molokini has also seen visits from whale sharks, oceanic white tip reef sharks, and tiger sharks. Dive sites include: Reefs End, Reefs End Drift, Enenu’i, and Molokini Backwall.
Reefs End – An excellent dive at multiple depths. The top of the finger lies just below the waterline and drops down in terraces to hundreds of feet of water. If you go inside the crater you can find the Garden Eels and the Center Reef just beyond. The dive can also be done as a drift around to the backside of Molokini.
Molokini Back Wall – An amazing topography consisting of ledges and walls dropping down to over 200 feet of depth. 100+ of visibility is normal here. Currents run along the wall so the dive is done as a drift dive. You can see sharks, jacks, schools of butterflyfish, squirrelfish, and much more on this dive.
Whales, manta rays, and ocean white tip sharks have been seen here passing by.
South & West Maui
Southwest Maui scuba diving includes many different dive sites from La Perouse Bay in the south to Ma’alaea Bay in the North. Many consider Molokini a part of this dive site grouping, but I think the Crater warrants its own discussion, so it has been omitted here. That doesn’t mean, however, that there is nothing else to see in the south as well as the west. Wreck dive sites include: the St Anthonys wreck, the Landing Craft off the Maui Prince, the Tank and Landing Craft off Big Beach, The WWII Helldiver, the PB4Y out in deep water, and as of yet undiscovered WWII wrecks. For reef diving, fantastic options include: La Perouse Bay, Red Hill, White Rock, Wailea Point, 5 Graves, the 85′ and 110′ Pinnacles, the De-Gausing Station and more.
La Perouse Bay – This bay is a recent creation in Maui’s geologic history, formed when the last lava flowed on Maui about 200 years ago. This dive has an amazing variety of fish for its size – perhaps greater than any other site in the south. A lava rock pinnacle provides the basis for this protective habitat. All four species of Hawaii’s common angelfish can be found here, as well as many Hawaiian endemics.
Tank and Landing Craft – Remnants of World War II, these two wrecks are in 60 feet of crystal clear water off the coast of the Makena Golf and Beach Resort. Still recognizable after 60+ years underwater, eels have taken up residency in the pipes and barrels. A strange mix of weaponry and old ammunition are interspersed with a plethora of sea life. Schools of goat fish swim around the wreck, and octopus are regularly found here. The short swim from one wreck to the other over a sandy bottom offers an opportunity to find shells and sea biscuits.
St Anthony Wreck – In 1997 the St. Anthony, a 65 foot longliner fishing boat, was sunk off Mokapu Beach in Wailea, to a depth of 60-70 ft.to become part of Maui’s only official artificial reef. Along with the deposit of hundreds of concrete weighted tires in which over 50 species of fish have taken up residence, the marine animals have taken up residence, the area has become home to over 50 species of fish. A number of Green Sea Turtles also call the St. Anthony their home. They tuck under the hull, inside the holds and rest in all kinds of humorous positions on the cabin, using the vertical and horizontal bars to hang from and wedge themselves between. Two frog fish live on the deck, nicknamed “The Captain” and “Little Buddy”.
North Shore
Are you the more adventurous type? North Shore is for you. There’s not as much here, but it’s harder to get to so the crowds are absent but the fish are in abundance. There are lots of unnamed sites, but a few warrant citations here:
Turtle Caves – Half a dozen lava pinnacles rise from 70 ft. to about 10 ft. below the surface. Some pinnacles are hollow, some have caves, and some form canyons. They are covered with healthy hard and soft corals and house many sea creatures (including turtles).
Hidden Pinnacle – The Kahakuloa side of Maui has many hard-to-get-to adventure dive sites. This is one of them: a pinnacle that rises from a 120-ft. bottom to the surface. It’s covered with soft corals and sponge seldom seen on the leeward side of Maui. Swarms of plankton-feeding fish rise in the water column as the current, which is sometimes strong, brings new supply of food.
Lanai
The Cathedrals and more than 20 other dive sites at Lanai offer opportunities to enjoy the unique formations made when molten lava cools in the Pacific Ocean. Tubes, caverns, ledges and walls of lava make excellent backdrops for underwater photography and magnificent mazes for exploration. Reticulated butterfly fish, gold rim surgeon fish and flame angelfish are just a few varieties of the rare fish seen in Lanai’s waters. Turtles are found on many dive sites around Lanai and the plankton-rich waters frequently attract manta rays.
As a bonus, it is not uncommon to be escorted to and from the dive sites by spinner dolphins riding the bow wave. In season, roughly from the end of December to the end of April, this trip also offers an excellent opportunity to see Humpback whales.
Below is a listing of dive operators to check out if you are considering diving in Maui and don’t want to go searching all over the internet. I have personally dove with some of them, but not all, so I am not recommending one vs. the other. I also receive no benefit, monetary or otherwise, if you click on their link or dive with them. Happy Diving!
http://www.mauidiveshop.com
http://www.lahainadivers.com
http://www.bbscuba.com/
http://www.prodivermaui.com/
http://mauiunderwater.com Makena Coast Dive Charters
http://www.mauiscuba.com/ Ed Robinson’s Diving Adventures
http://www.scubashack.com/map.php3
http://www.mikesevernsdiving.com/
http://www.mauidiving.com/divespots.html
http://www.scubadivemaui.com/
http://mauidreamsdiveco.com/
http://mauisundivers.com/scuba/index.php
Hawaiian green beauty...
Every diver has favorite things they like to see underwater. For some its sharks, for others rays, but for many people turtles top the list of fun aquatic finds. The Green Turtle (Chelonia Mydas) in particular has been a scuba favorite for years due to its good looks and reef-dweling nature.
Despite their name, Green Turtles are actually a light color all over, with the shell ranging in color from olive green to black, depending on where the turtle lives. Green turtles are migratory animals, traveling thousands of miles each year to nest. In fact, they only nest on the very beach they were born, so in order to lay eggs, they must return to that same beach.
Green turtles are on the endangered species list and therefore protected in most countries around the world. Besides humans, the tiger shark is a Green turtle’s main predator. Adult green turtles can grow to 5 feet long and weigh over 500 pounds, so sharks tend to target younger specimens for snacks.
So if you are determined to dive with these beauties in the wild, where can you go for a guaranteed sighting? The range of the sea turtle extends throughout tropical and subtropical seas around the world, with two distinct populations in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Interestingly, green turtles react differently to scuba divers depending on their location. On one side of Oahu turtles are curious and friendly, while on the opposite shore they jet the moment they see you, so two different dive sites around the same island can produce very different results. When visiting green turtle waters, it’s important to get the input of the locals to find the best locations for healthy, long-lasting viewing. But planning a trip to a locale with a concentration of these green jewels is the first step.
Atlantic
In the Caribbean, major nesting sites have been identified on Aves Island, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and Tortuguero in Costa Rica. Within United States waters, minor nesting sites have been noted in the states of Georgia, North and South Carolina. Florida attracts them in droves especially near Hutchinson Island, Indian River Lagoon, the Florida Keys, Florida Bay, Homosassa, Crystal River and Cedar Key. In South America green turtles enjoy the waters off Surinam and French Guiana as well as around the island of Ascension.
Pacific & the Indian Ocean
In Mexico, green turtles are found in seagrass pastures in the Gulf of California. They are found throughout the Hawaiian Islands, most notably in Oahu and Lanai and west in the waters of the French Frigate Shoals. The Turtle Islands of the Philippines and the Meru Betiri National Reserve in East Java, Indonesia boast healthy populations. Green turtles are scattered throughout the Great Barrier Reef, but exist in high concentrations around Raine Island. The waters around Madagascar support Africa’s population of green turtles. The Arabian Sea also attracts the turtles, especially in Ash Sharqiyah, Oman and Karachi, Pakistan. In the same area, the waters surrounding Astola Island, a large nesting site, have plenty of green turtles to fill your bottom time.