Things to do / Travel Guide
The Big Island contains some of the world's premier diving sites, as they are easily accessible and available year-round. As most of the diving spots are on the island's Leeward coast, the dive operators are mainly concentrated in the Kailua-Kona area.
In the clear and calm waters, coral, sea turtles, colorful fish, game fish, and rays can be seen up close. The diving experience at many of the Big Island's top sites is enhanced greatly as lava tubes, cliffs, craters, lava cones, skylights, and caves provide exotic and exciting backgrounds for droves of dazzled divers. Another unique experience is night diving with Manta Rays near Kailua Bay and Honokahau Bay.
Some of the most popular diving sites are located in North Kohala, North Kona, and South Kona. In North Kohala's Ulua Cave, divers can swim through caves with excellent visibility of the exotic surroundings. North Kona offers divers Kaiwi Point, which is located south of Honokohau Harbor. Three popular sites in South Kona are Long Lava Tube (north of Kealakekua Bay), the easily accessible Two Step at Honaunau Bay (north of Puuhonua O Honaunau), and Red Hill, where divers can check out lava tubes and cinder cones.
Some other popular dive areas on the Leeward coast are listed below, in no particular order. A description of the features you can expect to see and experience is also included for most of the diving sites.
- Kalokos Arches - natural lava arches
- Turtle Pinnacle
- Old Airport - eels and Manta Rays
- Shark Fin Rock - schools of sturgeons and puffers
- Manta Ray Village - night diving with Manta Rays
- Meadows - lava tubes and arches, variety of marine life
- 3-Room Cave - 200-foot-long lava tube
- Au Au Crater - almost intact volcanic crater
- The Maze - a maze at 55' below sea level
- Tubastrea Tunnel - tunnels, canyons, and ridges
- Okoe Bay
- Thompson's Reef
- Oz - lava ridge covered in yellow coral (the “Yellow Brick Road”)
- Catacombs - tunnels, arches, and sky lights
- Manuka Bay - night dives and dolphins
- Pohoe Bay - reef and a cave
- Wall's Wall - vertical wall dropping to 100-150' below sea level
- Black Coral Forest
- Rainbow Reef (located at South Point)
Hilo, Kona, Volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii
Scuba-Diving
Mauna Kea Beach - Big Island, Hawaii
Napoopoo Beach - Big Island, Hawaii
|
|
|