Scuba Diving Molokini Crater

Overall Rating = 3.75 out of 5

Diving Molokini Crater is among the best dives if not the best dive in Maui County. This dive site can't be accessed from shore is on the remains of an extinct volcano. The remaining curved rim of the volcano "cone" rises above the sea approximately 165 feet. The small island lies in Alalakeiki Channel between Maui and Kahoolawe islands. The open side of the volcano faces the northwest and only a short boat ride from Wailea. In the event you happen to be interested by some history regarding Molokini Crater there is a short article written by Edward L Caum, entitled "Geology of Molokini" and published in 1930. There are a couple of "plate" photos included into the article and it is fascinating to contrast the older images with the crater today. Molokini Crater has been a Marine Preserve(MLCD) since 1977 and contains some of the most unspoiled hard reefs in Hawaii and is a fabulous place for underwater photographs.

The ride coming from Lahina Harbor is roughly forty to fifty minutes in duration and the boat ride may be a little rough so if you are inclined to get sea sick, you should drive approximately forty five minutes or an hour to the Wailea side of Maui where you can take a quite straightforward boat ride to the Molokini Crater Lahina Divers is one of the prefered Dive Operators on Maui but if you opt to go with them you have to take a 45 minute boat ride to the Molokini crater. If you prefer you can use a scuba diving operator that leaves out of the Wailea side of Maui. If you are staying in Wailea this would positively be the recommended tactic, although the boats tend to be smaller and there is one operator on that side which many divers simply refer to as the "Scuba Nazi". The key is to be careful concerning the dive operator that you pick. Make certain you check out the assesments and the gear utilized by each of the dive operators. The boats which leave Wailea can be rather small and crowded if the number of divers is greater than ten on a boat furthermore on most of these boats there is not much if any room to move around.

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 without doubt the finest boat dive on the island of Maui. You need to go to Lanai or Molokai to locate superior deep water dive sites. The clarity of the water is generally quite 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 interior 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

Once scuba diving inside the volcano crater one of the better dive sites is on the eastern rim of the crater - Enenue. On this dive site at roughly 120 feet you will find a series of overhangs which have a tendency to accommodate a few White-tip Reef Sharks. While you are swimming down and back up after visiting the "condos" there is a great number of marine animals. You may discover Butterflyfishes, Wrasses, Damselfishes, Eels, and Crustaceans all around the crater. You may also find sea turtles on a usual basis and on a very rare occasion Humpback whales are witnessed by scuba divers at the crater.

The current can be relatively strong on the exterior sides of the volcano, consequently you should not swim outside the volcano crater for any reason if your group is scuba diving the "inside". The current flowing past the outside edges of the crater can take a scuba diver quite far in a very short time. For this reason you are required to have an emergency flotation device for this dive and be familiar with how to use it. If you happen to be diving inside the crater you will rarely have a great deal if any current and even if the sea is rough the cone of the volcano protects the interior scuba diving sites very well.

In the sand flats of the crater you may often discover Freckled Snake Eels, the key is to take some time on this dive and in addition make certain you "look" into the distance where you can often observe various varieties of sharks and during an particularly astounding dive you might even observe a Humpback Whale. When you happen to be scuba diving in whale season make certain that you listen for the singing of the whales. In February to around April you can listen to literally dozens of whales singing to each other. Listening to Whale Song is undoubtedly a marvelous way to pass the time during your dive.

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