With so many fantastic Hawaiian destinations to choose from, it can be difficult to decide where to go first, or what to see once you get there. Unless you can move to the islands, you’ve got some weighty decisions to make! Kauai is a place that is perfect for everyone, including those who prefer to stay dry. For those of us who count the hours until we can make our next dive, Kauai has some outstanding dive sites to offer. So, lean back, relax, and enjoy a little daydream. Soon enough, you’ll be able to experience these incredible sites for yourself!
Sheraton Caverns
Named for the Sheraton Kauai Resort on shore, this is a fantastic site for all divers to explore. Three partial lava tubes, as well as archways and overhangs decorated in wonderful swathes of elegant black coral await, at depths between just 35 and 70 feet.
Like swimming in a magnificent aquarium, Sheraton Caverns is home to a multitude of Hawaiian reef fish, including parrotfish and Picasso triggerfish, butterfly fish and angel fish, and all sorts of wrasse and damsels. In addition, the site is a playground for green sea turtles, which fly through the tunnels and beneath the arches, putting on a fantastic show.
Even though this site is located fairly close to shore, it is hard to find without a guide, and many who attempt to make it here from the beach end up stranded and need to be rescued – not a great way to end your dive! Stick with one of Kauai’s many wonderful dive operators, enjoy the relaxing ride out and back, and you’ll be sure to enjoy yourself.
Three Fingers
Another dive that is perfect for everyone from novice to expert, Three Fingers is located about 100 feet to the outside of the harbor. The site gets its name from the three fingers of lava which extend from 25 to 75 feet below the surface, and with clear, calm water and all kinds of life to see, it is a fantastic place to relax and become better acquainted with your underwater camera.
You’ll encounter schooling blue striped grunts here, as well as surgeon fish, a few different species of angel fish, plenty of wrasse and damsels, and lots of little anthias. Visibility is usually between 50 and 60 feet; however, if there are swells coming in from the south, it can be greatly reduced.
Watch for moray eels, including the rare Dragon Moray, in the rocks, and keep an eye out for conchs, some of which are very large. Although there are fewer turtles here than at other Kauai dive sites, many divers encounter at least one or two.
General Store
With an incredible array of marine life, as well as the wreck of the Pele, a freighter that sank in the late 1800’s, it is easy to understand how this great dive site got its name! Here, you’ll find beautiful stands of black coral trees, as well as lemon butterfly fish, brilliantly colored parrotfish, and all kinds of wrasse, damsels, groupers, and others.
Depths vary from 65 to 100 feet, and while there is not much left of the Pele but her deck plates, boilers, anchors, and some machinery, the old wreck does shelter moray eels and it is a favorite napping spot for turtles and reef sharks. The nearby inlet is shaped like a horseshoe, and features small lava tubes that act as small caves, where even more fish and other creatures hide. This is a great place to encounter Helmet Conch, lobsters, and some big crabs and octopus.
The General Store is subject to a bit of current, particularly near the inlet, but that serves to attract some larger game fish, and even dolphins, to the site. There are plenty of spots to find shelter from the current if it does pick up, and on some days, the current is steady enough so you can drift if you want to. The area is off limits to beginning divers but it’s great for everyone else.
Brennekes Ledge
This site is reserved for those with plenty of experience, though some dive operators will bring intermediate-level divers out on calm days. Most of the time though, there is a swift current that provides for an exciting drift dive.
With a magnificent underwater cliff that leads to an overhang at a depth of about 75 feet, this site has a little less geological interest than some of Kauai’s other dive sites, but this ledge is home to an amazing array of marine life. You’ll find nudibranchs, arrow and hermit crabs, spider crabs and lobsters, conchs and plenty of other critters here, plus moray eels gaping up at you from the rocks. Fish of every size, shape, and color can be found hiding and schooling around the ledge, including knife jaws and even giant tuna.
Underneath, a lovely stand of black coral marks the ocean floor at 100 feet, and shelters even more tiny creatures. There is plenty of larger life here, too – you might encounter some larger gray reef sharks or white tip reef sharks as you drift, and be sure to keep an eye on the blue beyond, as it is not unusual to spot whales and dolphins passing. During December through May, the ledge acts as an echo chamber, so divers will often hear the songs of humpback whales as they pass.
Turtles Bluff
This little underwater hill starts at 45 feet below the surface and meets up with the ocean floor at 90 feet. It is best known for its’ turtle cleaning station, and is surrounded by ledges on three sides. Besides the turtles that inhabit the ledges and which sometimes line up to be tended to by the cleaner wrasse and shrimp, the site is a favorite hangout for white tip reef sharks and schools of blue striped snappers, and even some larger pelagic fish can be found here on occasion.
Turtle Bluffs is located in open water and is subject to a current, so it’s off limits to new divers, but it is a fantastic site for everyone else. Visibility is sometimes better than 50 feet, depending on the season and other environmental factors.
Needless to say, it is important to plan your dive itinerary in advance, particularly during busier times of year. There are some very nice shore dives to keep you busy between boat dives, so it’s possible to spend as much time on the bottom as you want to!