Diving Maui - Molokini Crater

Overall Rating = 3.75 out of 5

Molokini Crater is on the remnants of an extinct volcano. The crescent of the volcano "cone" rises above the sea approximately 165 feet. The small island is located in Alalakeiki Channel between Maui and Kahoolawe islands. The inner dive sites on the crater face to the north and are only 25 minutes from the Wailea side of Maui. If you happen to be interested in some of the history regarding Molokini Crater there is a short article written by Edward L Caum, entitled "Geology of Molokini" and published in 1930. There happen to be a few "plate" pictures incorporated in the article and it is intriguing to compare with the crater today. Molokini Crater has been a Marine Preserve(MLCD) since 1977 and features some of the most pristine hard coral reefs in Hawaii and is a amazing place for underwater photography.

Getting to the dive site is easiest from Wailea however the boats are small and in many cases the dive operators dive the second dive along the coast of Maui and not on the crater. The boats out of Lahina Harbor are much preferred but it will take almost 50 minutes to get to the dive site So be sensible vis--vis the operator which you select. Make certain that you check out the critiques and the gear utilized by each of the dive operators. The v-hull boats which depart from Wailea are usually quite small and crowded if the number of scuba divers exceeds more than ten on a boat furthermore on many of these boats there is not much if any room to move about.

The Dive

Access - Moderate to Moderately Difficult to reach the site; boat only (You should not take a boat from Lahaina if you get seasick - 45 minute boat ride);
Depth to 125+ft
Visibility - good to excellent
Current - mild to extremely strong at the edges of the crater
Marine Species variety - good; normally White-tip Reef Sharks at about 110 feet on the eastern side of the crater
Reef health - good to very good

Scuba Diving Molokini Crater is definitely the top boat dive on the island of Maui. You have to go to Lanai or Molokai to find better deep water scuba diving sites. The clarity of the water is generally quite good at Molokini and there are a several dive sites on the volcano on the outside of the crescent shape crater and on the interior of the volcano.

Enenue - Inside eastern tip of the crescent, Middle Reef - Inside just to the east of the middle of the crescent and closer to the cone, Tako Flats - Inside on the western side of the crescent, Reef's End - Far western end of the crescent and The Back Side - Outside or on the back of the crescent

When scuba diving inside the crater one of the better locations is towards the eastern rim of the crater - Enenue. On this scuba diving site at about 120 feet you will find a succession of overhangs which tend to accommodate a few White-tip Reef Sharks. While you are swimming down and back up after touring the "condos" there is a good number of marine animals. You may discover Butterflyfishes, Wrasses, Damselfishes, Eels, along with Crustaceans throughout the crater. You should also find sea turtles on a normal basis and on a very extraordinary chance Humpback whales have been seen by divers at Molokini crater.

The current might be quite strong on the outside edges of the crater, consequently you should not swim outside the volcano crater for any cause if your group is diving the "inside". The current at the edges will take a scuba diver quite a distance in an extremely short period of time. For that reason you must have a safety sausage with you on this dive and be familiar with how to operate it. When you are scuba diving inside the volcano you should hardly ever have much if any current and even if the sea is rough the cone of the volcano protects the inner scuba diving sites very well.

In sandy areas around the volcano you can often discover Freckled Snake Eels, the key is to take your time on this dive and in addition make sure you "look" into the vast expanse of the ocean away from the volcano where you can often observe various kinds of sharks and on particularly amazing dive you might even observe a Humpback Whale. When you are diving in whale season (December to April/May) be certain you pay attention for the singing of the whales. In February to around April you can hear literally dozens of whales singing to one another. It undoubtedly makes the dive a great deal more compelling.

Check out other underwater photography on Smeltzer's website or visit his blog or follow him on Twitter @ images2inspire. The pool is open...