Molokini Kayak Adventure

Molokini Crater is hands down one of the best dives out here in Hawaii. And it is big enough to several different dive sites since you can't explore the entire crater all in one dive. Its location has pros and cons. Being about four miles offshore it avoids runoff and suspended sediment that occasionally affects the shoreline of Maui and it is sometime subjected to pretty wild currents which seem to bring in the big fish like sharks. But being that far offshore you have to pay alot to go on a boat dive with one of the many scuba tour companies.

mushroom coral

Unless you feel up to the challenge! Heidi and I had this planned for days. We rented scuba tanks the night before, loaded the kayak on top of the car, and piled up all our snorkel and camera gear. The next morning we woke bright and early, drove to the kayak put in spot and started out on a beautiful calm day towards Molokini off in the distance.

Octopus in old missile shell

dwarf moray eel

About an hour later after some serious paddling we came upon the crater and all the snorkel/dive tour boats. We snagged a mooring for our kayak, got our tanks on in the water, and descended into the clear blue water on the Enenue side of Molokini. This is where the rim of the crater descends into the water and quickly disappears into the blue.

Frogfish at Molokini

The fish life in this corner can be the best anywhere in the crater. Big schools of butterfly fish, triggerfish, and damselfish. Soldierfish hovering under big rocks, and then Heidi spotted the biggest frogfish down around 120ft. Shortly after we found this blue dragon nudibranch which must have been at least 8 inches long! For some reason here on Maui we only find these nudibranchs out at Molokini.
   Molokini is a halfway point between the reef and the open ocean so you get a little more biodiversity there. Fish like this pennant butterflyfish and pyramid butterflyfish can be found here but not on shore dives from Maui that I have been on.

Pennant Butterfly Fish