![]() ![]() The most common shark species at Au Au Crater are hammerheads and oceanic whitetips. Turtles and jacks are commonly sighted and, if your luck is in, this can be a great place for eagle rays and sharks. Also Tinker’s butterflyfish, normally seen at greater depths, are present in large numbers. A variety of butterflyfish flit around the top of the wall including ornate, raccoon and millet-seed. Toward the deeper sections and where the crater gives way to a steep drop-off, the marine life changes. There is also a cleaner shrimp station so you can get some pics of them crawling on your hands or even in your mouth./p> As you cruise around in the shallower sections of the reef at around 30 ft (9m), you can spot myriad nudibranchs, lionfish, frogfish and dwarf eels. It has been described as being like an aquarium, so varied is the marine life. Au Au is a submerged volcanic crater has seen the collapse of its oceanside edge. This is one of the most dramatic dive sites at Big Island, Hawaii. Divers normally watch from the rocky sea floor while snorkelers look down from the cheap seats. Normally there are multiple mantas present, with as many as 12 seen on a single dive. Sometimes they barrel round and round to the delight of the onlookers. Huge mantas swoop elegantly in towards the light, scooping up as many of the tiny organisms as they can. This site is sometimes called ‘Manta Theater’ and when the performance begins the audience observe in awe. Using lights to attract plankton, oceanic manta rays are lured in for a sunset feast. It can take place in at least 2 different dive sites along the northwest coast of Big Island. One of the highlights of any Kona diving trip is the manta night dive. You won’t see them all! What you will see is a beautiful tropical coastline, ever-changing reefscapes, some wonderful photographic opportunities, a mix of large and small marine creatures, and innumerable new species.ĭive Site Descriptions Keahole Point/ Manta Theater However the line-up of possible visitors, depending on your luck is a long one: Galapagos, tiger, sandbar, blacktips, mako and even great whites. Oceanic whitetips, blacktips and hammerheads are more frequently seen. The sight or sound of humpback whales may also be a feature of your Hawaii scuba diving experience. More common larger species to sight are manta rays, eagle rays, turtles, dolphins and barracuda. There are many smaller creatures to spot including frogfish, lobsters, moray eels, octopus and a variety of crustaceans. Many you will not have seen before since over 20% of the fish species are endemic to these islands. Living within this dramatic seascape is a vast array of marine species. Kona means ‘leeward’ in the Hawaiian language so it is no surprise that the surface is often glass-calm along this coastline, making it a delight to roll into its warm, clear water. This relatively young volcanic island offers topography including exposed lava shores, underwater lava tubes, rugged pinnacles and archways. Typically the visibility here is excellent, often in excess of 100 ft (33m), and the reefs are flooded with sunlight. ![]() In the Aloha State the best diving is concentrated around the westcoast of Hawaii’s big island, Kona, the focus of 1 week-long liveaboard diving cruises. The dive sites often feature shallow reefs flats and walls meaning divers of all levels can enjoy the wide variety of habitats. ![]() This means the drop-offs here are close to shore and genuinely abyssal. Hawaii, the most isolated archipelago on the planet, and has no continental shelf. Hawaii's diving environment: healthy reefs, caverns, beginner and advanced divers. Highlights: shark action, manta rays, dolphins, turtles, schooling fish & big pelagics. ![]()
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