Scuba Dive The Crater - Maui

Overall Rating = 3.75 out of 5

Molokini Crater is at the remains of an extinct volcano. The crescent rim of the volcano "cone" rises above the sea some 165 feet. The small island lies in Alalakeiki Channel between the islands of Kahoolawe and Maui. The inner scuba diving sites on the crater face to the north and are only 25 minutes from the Wailea side of Maui. For those who happen to be interested in some history around 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 couple of "plate" photographs included into the article and it is fascinating to compare with the crater today. Molokini Crater has been a Marine Preserve(MLCD) since 1977 and contains probably the most unspoiled hard reefs in Hawaii and is a great place for underwater photographs.

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 The key is to be cautious vis--vis the operator that you pick. Be sure you read the opinions and the equipment used by each of the dive operators. The v-hull boats that depart from The Wailea side of Maui can be rather cramped if the number of scuba divers is greater than 10 on a boat and on many of these 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 finest boat dive on the island of Maui. You will have to go to Lanai or Molokai to locate better deep water dive sites. The clarity of the water all around you is more often than not very good at Molokini and there are a a number of dive sites on the volcano on the exterior of the crescent-shaped crater and on the inside of the volcano.

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

When scuba diving within the crater one of the better dive sites is towards the eastern edge of the volcano - Enenue. On this scuba diving site at approximately 120 feet you will find a succession of overhangs that have a tendency to accommodate a few White-tip Reef Sharks. As you are swimming down to "shark condos" and back up after visiting the "condos" there is an excellent number of marine animals. You can find Butterflyfishes, Wrasses, Damselfishes, Eels, and Crustaceans all around the crater. You may also see sea turtles on a normal basis and on a very uncommon occasion Humpback whales are witnessed by scuba divers at Molokini crater.

The current might be relatively strong on the exterior sides of the crater, so do not go outside the volcano crater for any cause if your group is diving the "inside". The current flowing past the outside edges of the crater can take a diver quite a distance in an incredibly short time frame. Because of this you must have a safety sausage with you on this dive site and know how to work it. If you happen to be scuba diving inside the crater you should rarely have much if any current and even if the sea is choppy the cone of the volcano protects the inside scuba diving sites very well.

In the sand flats of the crater you can frequently come across Freckled Snake Eels, the key is to take your time during this dive and also make certain you "look" into the vast expanse of the ocean away from the volcano where you can often observe different kinds of sharks and during an especially awesome dive you might even see a Humpback Whale. When you are diving in whale season make certain you listen for the whale song. In February to early April you can hear many different whales singing to each other. It surely makes the dive much more fascinating.

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