Molokai Scuba Diving

Overall Rating = 4.1 out of 5

Fish Rain is an excellent scuba diving site and probably features one of the highest densities of marine animals that you will discover whilst scuba diving in Maui County. The scuba diving site would rank even higher if it was less difficult to access. Don't try this dive unless you don't have issues with motion sickness, you will not be intimidated by means of irregular seas, and you aren't apprehensive about exiting or reentering the dive boat whilst it is in motion. Seas of 4 to 6 ft can be thought of as calm water and it takes about 45 minutes to arrive at the dive site. But.... what an amazing dive.


Access - Difficult to reach the site; Complex entry and exit; Advanced level only
Depth to 120ft
Visibility - very good to excellent
Current - variable - moderate to quite strong
Marine Species variety - Wonderful diversity and high number of species; large pelagic species
Reef health - Very good

There are not any buoys on the north east side of Molokai, no place for a dive boat to tie up and the high seas mean the boats must stay in constant movement when dropping or picking up divers. There will be rigid instructions given for entry and reentry into the boat and these must be followed. It can be rough and nauseating and even the dive masters and captains frequently take ginger prior to making this journey. So once more, this trip seriously isn't for beginning divers.

Dive, Dive, Dive Fish Rain

You will come across a good quantity of coral on the lava slopes of the pinnacle and such a amazing number of fish surrounding you that it might make you think it is literally "raining" fish, consequently the name of this dive site. If the conditions are decent and there is ample sunlight this dive site is a truly pleasant area for underwater photography and the chance to see large pelagic species is an unbelievable bonus. If you fail to encounter sharks or other pelagic species, do not worry Fish Rain won't disappoint it is a really cool scuba diving site. It is on the far eastern side of Molokai close to Mokuhooniki Rock. You go to this dive site for Hammerheads and you get the bonus of excellent diversity and quantity of marine life. The site depth is to about 110 feet close to the pinnacle / Mokuhooniki Rock and there are sea grass beds along the bottom.


You will need to leave the dive boat as it is in motion. The seas are usually two to four ft as you enter the water. You will be given precise instructions on how to get into a ready position for entering into the water and you have to follow these closely. You will generally gear up and wait at your station until signaled by your dive master. You may then line up in groups and once the dive master says "Dive, Dive, Dive" you enter the water, with your camera or other gear and swim swiftly away from the boat as all scuba divers in your group will be entering one right after the other. Your inner "navy seal" should appreciate this. So enjoy.


As soon as you enter the water you will descend as a group rapidly because you don't desire to remain on the surface in this location for an extended period of time. As you descend you will see right away the great quantity of fish encircling you and the pinnacle. You will observe hundreds of fish including various Butterflyfishes such as the Pennant Butterflyfish and Milletseed Butterflyfish. You can also spot Eels, Unicornfishes, all kinds of Wrasses, and much more. A camera of some type is a necessity for this dive site if possible. The lava pinnacle has lots of extremely healthy hard corals covering the slope down to the sea floor that will be covered in sea grass. You may probably go to about 100 to 115 ft just off the pinnacle on your initial dive and "hang out" looking forward to the Hammerhead sharks. You should probably at least get a view of the sharks in the distance and if you are patient and do not frighten them away they might come in to investigate your dive group. The Hammerheads are easily frightened or chased away so do not swim after them as soon as you see them. Be enduring and wait for them to come near your group, they are basically curious and you might be rewarded to see them up close.


This is roughly a drift dive and you should follow your dive guide and then surface as a group and remain together until the boat picks you up. You must have a safety sausage or signaling apparatus when on this dive. It is particularly difficult to make out a diver in calm waters from even a short distance away and in these waters without a signaling device you can readily be missed. When you surface, have one or two of the scuba divers in your group blow up their safety sausage and then wait until the dive boat locates you. You possibly will be on the surface for fifteen minutes or more before you happen to be picked up, particularly if you have more than a single group in the water. The boat should typically have a line in the water and all divers will need to use the rope for reentering the boat. As the boat arrives just seize and hold onto the line and then wait your turn to approach and enter the dive boat. Be ready and be patient. This is certainly one of the top scuba diving sites in Maui County and highly recommended to very experienced divers.

View other underwater photography images by Steven Smeltzer on his website or visit his blog or follow him on Twitter @ images2inspire. The pool is open...