Molokini Crater might, or might not be, on your personal top ten “Bucket List” of dive sites to visit. The crescent moon shaped ridge that rises above the gentle blue waters of the Pacific at Hawaii’s Molokini Crater creates a sheltered cove that is popular with divers and snorkelers alike. Located in the Alalakeiki Channel, between the islands of Kaho’olawe and Maui , this islet is only 0.4 miles across and is a Hawaiian seabird sanctuary. Since the area was designated as a Marine Life Conservation District in 1977, the islet itself, the inner crater, and all seventy-seven acres of underwater paradise are pristine diving territory.
Popular Dive Sites Within the Crater
Enenue, Middle Reef, Tako Flats, and Reef’s End are four popular dive sites within the crater. Here, you will find numerous White Tipped Reef Sharks, inquisitive Octopi, thousands of beautifully colored tropical fish, and beautiful coral reefs teeming with smaller life forms. Moray eels make their homes inside nooks and crannies. Turtles come into the sheltered waters, and the occasional whale shark often visits as well.
Enenue
At Enenue, butterfly fish make their way through the shallows. A gentle slope goes all the way to a sixty foot depth, followed by a deep drop into the crater.
Middle Reef
Middle reef, out in the center of the crater, is less crowded than the edges of the reefs that are further inland. Here, there is an abundance of gorgeous white coral and plenty of brilliantly colored fish.
Tako Flats
Tako Flats is a sandy channel that nestles beside middle reef. The octopus love hiding in the coral and rocks in this area, and many divers see Manta Rays here as well.
Reef’s End
At Reef’s End, Molokini Crater slips below the surface of the water, and continues its circular path for about two hundred yards. Outside the drop off, eels and sharks make their homes in the terraces that lead to less-frequented depths. Inside the crater, there is plenty of Cauliflower coral, plus an abundance of colorful fish. Beginners enjoy the inner area, but are discouraged from leaving the protection of the crater.
Shark Condos
As you descend past the entry level dive sites, toward deeper levels, you can enjoy some of the more unique creatures that dwell inside Molokini Crater. At 130 feet, sharks make their homes inside small caves, which also host lobsters and boar fish.
Advanced Dives: Molokini Crater’s Back Side
Only advanced divers may take advantage of the outer edge, or back side of Molokini Crater, and at that, may do so only during ideal weather conditions. At a depth of fifty feet, the Flying Sea Ledges are visible. These shelves line the crater’s back side, and their undersides are coated with tube coral and sponges – you need a light to see them.
At the Edge of the World, you can explore a sharp, two hundred foot drop off and see some larger, more unusual specimens. Here, sharks hunt for larger fish in the cooler, shaded depths.
It is not unusual to encounter dolphins, large schools of fish, and manta rays outside the confines of the crater, nor is it unusual to see a variety of well-fed sharks and turtles swimming alongside you. In November through May, it is not uncommon to see Humpback whales, including newborn calves, in the area.