CARGO
PIER (Shore or Boat
Dive) 35
feet Beginner
This is an excellent snorkel
or dive for marine life and wreck enthusiasts. The current pier is built over the wreckage
of another providing a home to an incredible number of schooling, rare, and cryptic
fishes, big Jacks, Whitetip Reef sharks, Green Sea Turtles, and colorful sea slugs.
Visibility is usually less than 25 feet. Five minutes by boat or bike from the dive
shop. Top
TUG
PIER (Shore
Dive) 35
feet Intermediate
The Tug Pier is rarely
dived since visibility within the harbor is rarely greater than 20 feet. It is very
similar to the Cargo Pier but very creepy and dark. The rare Calf Cowry is seen here
during night dives feeding upon sponge. Whitetip Reef sharks, Giant trevally,
Amberjack, Hawaiian Spiny Lobster, Dragon morays, and nudibranchs frequent this area next
to the dive shop. Top
WELLES
HARBOR / LAGOON PATCH REEFS 15 to 50
feet Beginner
Numerous patch reefs
within the lagoon are home to a variety of hard corals and associated fishes, mollusks,
and lobsters. Bottom composition varies from massive coral heads to rubble and sand.
Despite lower water clarity in the lagoon (25 to 50 feet), divers may encounter Spinner
dolphins, Manta rays, Eagle rays, Monk seals, and Tiger Sharks at any time. Rarely dived
since much better can be expected at the Cargo Pier and outside the barrier reef.
Fifteen to thirty minutes from the harbor. Top
WATER
BARGE WRECK 12 to 20
feet Intermediate
A dive around this
partially submerged Ferro-cement water supply barge is only possible during calm
conditions at high tide. It broke free of its towline in 1957 and is a prominent landmark
on Midway's south reef. It is an excellent subject for wide-angle photography, with
sunlight streaming through numerous "windows" in addition to a massive amount of
schooling chubs, goatfishes, and flagtails. Rare fishes include large Barred and Spotted
Knifejaws, and Green Sea Turtles. Five minutes from the harbor and accessed from the
U.S.S.Macaw mooring buoy. Top
U.S.S.
MACAW SHIPWRECK 20 to 60
feet Intermediate
Remnants of a 250 foot
Submarine Tender in the main channel. The scenic bow lays at an angle over sand and
rock in 25 feet of water. A mass of steel plates and pipes extend to the stern at 55 feet.
The ship ran aground in 1944 while salvaging a submarine where the Water Barge now rests.
After a large storm, the Macaw was swept into deeper water 100 meters west of the Water
Barge. It too can only be visited during calm days at high tide. Titan Scorpionfish, Spiny
Lobster, Yellowbar Parrotfish, Hawaiian Morwongs, and Moray Eels are common here. Top
FISH
HOLE 30 to 60
feet Beginner-Intermediate
Midway's biggest and most
popular shallow dive with lots of interesting marine life. This is where most visitors
make their first dive and it's a great location for wide-angle and close-up photography.
Good place to see Hawaiian Groupers, Hawaiian Morwongs, Whiskered Boarfish, Spotted
Knifejaws, Regal Parrotfishes, Manta and Eagle Rays, numerous Galapagos Sharks, and an
occasional Tuna. Visibility is excellent during low tide. Ten minutes from the harbor.
Top
ANGEL
LEDGE 70 to 110
feet Intermediate-Advanced
The best location to
observe rare fishes. A quarter-mile long ledge of finger coral and rubble teeming with
many species of angelfishes, damselfishes, wrasses, scorpionfishes, eels,
Thompson's Anthias, Schlegel's Groupers, and others. The propeller of the Corsair is
located nearby (the bulk of the aircraft is 200 yards offshore). Subject to current. Ten
minutes from the harbor. Top
F4U
CORSAIR AIRPLANE WRECK 116
feet Advanced
Inverted fuselage and
wings of a U.S. Navy fighter that collided in mid-air during a training mission in 1943.
It rests upon a sandy bottom 200 feet west of a mooring and underwater telephone cable,
making this an advanced dive with limited bottom time. The wreck is home to many rare
species including Hawaiian Longfin Anthias, Japanese Angelfish, Psychedelic Wrasse,
Bluespotted Scorpionfish, Schlegel's Grouper, Whitemargined and Dragon Morays, Lobster,
and more. Large Wahoo, or Ono, may be seen above the wreck during safety stops. Subject to
current. Ten minutes from the harbor. Top
PITT
STOP 20 to 80
feet Intermediate
Two dives from a
centrally located mooring. Home to a school of Giant Trevallies weighing 60 to 120 pounds
just beyond the surf zone at 20 feet, a spectacular arch/cavern at 50 feet, and canyons
leading to a deep reef at 80 feet. Other interesting animals include Whitescaled
Squirrelfish, Hawaiian Turkeyfish, many Galapagos Sharks, Thomas's Urchin, and occasional
Hawaiian Monk Seals. Subject to easterly swell and current. Fifteen minutes from the
harbor. Top
DEEP
POCKET 75 to 100
feet Intermediate-Advanced
An unusual reef eight
feet high with a labyrinth of small tunnels and rubble pockets. Home to Hawaiian Longfin
Anthias, Boarfish, Whitescaled Squirrelfish, and Maze Tobies. Subject to strong currents.
Fifteen minutes from the harbor. Top
CHROMIS
35 to 90 feet Intermediate
Excellent dive within a
large forked canyon with a high overhang frequented by a school of Thicklipped Jacks.
Several caverns and tunnels with Yellowfin, Whitetip, and Murdjan's Soldierfish, Hawaiian
Turkeyfish, Sunset Basslet, Hawaiian Longfin Anthias, and deep-sea Orange Cod. It is a
good location for shark photography, especially during a safety stop. Subject to strong
currents. Fifteen minutes from the harbor. Top
PHOENIX
35 to 80 feet Intermediate
A fun dive with several
geologic features. The mooring is located near the hidden entrance to a large dome
inhabited by rare Black Trevallies, Squirrelfishes, Spotted Burrfish, and Polkadot
Nudibranchs. A tall mushroom-shaped outcrop to the west provides shelter for Bigeye
Trevallies, a Whitemargined Moray, and Hawaiian Turkeyfishes, and a large canyon to the
east is home to Crosshatch Triggerfishes, big Whitesaddle Goatfishes, and Masked
Angelfishes. Subject to strong currents. Fifteen minutes from the harbor. Top
CHUB
HOUSE 25 to 60
feet Intermediate
A stretch of reef with
numerous ledges and tunnels bordered by white sand offshore. Named for the enormous
schools of chubs that frequent the area. Also known for schools of Bluefin Trevallies,
Lined Coris, and Masked Angelfish in relatively shallow water. Occasionally subject to
strong currents. Fifteen minutes from the harbor. Top
PEEK-A-BOO
30 to 60 feet Intermediate
Arches and swim-through's
loaded with chubs, squirrelfishes, goatfishes, knifejaws, and large Bigeye Trevallies.
This is a large shallow reef of many canyons with white sand channels. Subject to strong
currents and ever-present surge. Twenty minutes from the harbor. Top
KEOKI'S
LEDGE 15 to 60
feet Beginner-Intermediate
The most dramatic limestone
formations Midway has to offer. Deep canyons, caverns, swim-through's, arches, walls, and
a large chamber in 20 feet housing a school of Black Trevallies and an occasional Giant
Trevally. This is an excellent location for wide-angle photography. Although less
populated than the south reef, exciting animals pass through here, such as Hawaiian Monk
Seals, Spinner Dolphins, Tiger Sharks, and Tuna. Divers may also witness the great Convict
Tang migration that lasts for hours, starting in the late afternoon. Currents are
generally absent or mild. Twenty-five minutes from the dock after cruising through scenic
Welles Harbor. Top
WEST
REEF 15 to 60
feet Intermediate
The West Reef is a rarely
explored region with rugged canyons that extend from the reef front to sand at 80 feet.
Relatively clear water and mild currents during summer months. Less marine life than the
south reef. Twenty-five minutes from the harbor. Top
NORTH
REEF / EAST REEF 15 to 80
feet Intermediate
The North and East Reefs
are also rarely explored and require a considerable cruise around or through the lagoon.
Broad ridges and canyons that extend from the reef front to sand at 80 feet, with another
ledge at 110 feet. Moderate visibility and less marine life than the south reef. Normally
subject to easterly wind and swell, with moderate current. Top
SNORKELING
WITHIN THE LAGOON 3 to 15
feet Beginner
The majority of Midway's
lagoon shallows are sand and rubble, with large patches of ancient limestone with a few
living corals. The best location for snorkeling is located to the northeast, adjacent to
the emergent barrier reef. The sheltered waters here provide the best conditions for Lobe,
Cauliflower, and Purple Rice Corals to survive the harsh winter surf and low water
temperatures. Along with colorful corals, snorkelers encounter colorful butterflyfishes,
big Spectacled Parrotfishes, Bluespined Unicornfishes, tangs, goatfishes, wrasses, Spotted
Eagle Rays, bright red Slate-Pencil Urchins, and occasional Hawaiian Monk Seals. Top |
