Best shark dive sites

[Michael Kazma]

I will be in Kona, Hawaii and on Kauai for a few weeks in August and am looking to do some shark diving there. Would love to dive with some tigers and hammerheads but anything other than white-tip reef sharks will do Dont mind if the sites are shore of boat access. Any info would be appreciated.

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

The only ocean "divers" that really get to dive "with" tiger sharks in the Main Hawaiian Islands are free dive hunters who string their catch on their hip.

The only scuba divers I know of that have made dives "with" A tiger shark have been those who made the Maui Aquarium dive; the most expensive recreational dive in the Hawaiian Islands.

There are recreational scuba divers who have briefly seen a tiger shark while diving, but usually the shark flees before anyone even gets a picture, and most of those are solo dives so there is not even a corroborating witness.

The only hammer head diving that I have heard of is off Molokai, and the only operator who schedules that dive claims a 60-70% success rate, but at least in some cases it's just a fleeting glimpse at the edge of human visibility.

 

[WetBoy101]

There is a site just north of the Kona Airport that is supposed to have Grey Reef Sharks. They look like smaller Great Whites. They weren't home when we dove there last week!!

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Are you sure a gray reef shark looks like a small great white?

Here is a picture of a gray reef shark at Molokini, where one can see them pretty much daily.

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[WetBoy101]

Sorry, that's what I was told. But like I said "They weren't home..." Thanks for the Photo. I don't normally pass on second hand info like it's fact!! The way this person described them, that was the impression I got.

 

[baystr]

I have seen plenty of Hammers at Molokai, one of my favorite dives ever.......i will take that trip everytime I am on the island, and I have seen grays in a couple of sites..........no tigers though.......your best bet is to get to Molokai

 

[AquamanKauai]

Aloha! Great inquiry.

While the majority of my experience is from diving Kauai/Niihau I have done numerous dives at Molokini seeing Gray Reef Sharks and a fair amount of dives (22) off Molokai and never missed the Hammerheads (though numbers varied greatly). Someone more up to date or on Maui can confirm - but I think Lahaina Divers and Extended Horizons both run weekly trips there in the summer.

As far as Kauai goes... a summer trip to Niihau is a must for those in search of sharks. I returned 3 days ago from a rare out of season trip across the channel and had 4 different species of sharks. The majority were Gray Reef Sharks with about 1/2 dozen Galapagos Sharks. A handful of whitetips were also encountered while one Hammerhead was seen. This was over the course of 3 dives and spearfishing did factor into the Hammerhead I am sure.

Without spearfishing you can certainly count on numerous Gray and Whitetip sharks on any given trip to Niihau. While not as common, I have been in the water there with Tigers, Sandbars, Hammers, and Blacktip Reefs as well.

Niihau is some of the very best diving in the island chain without debate. You are essentially assured to dive with endangered monk seals as well. Sightings of dolphins, large game fish, and rays are also very common.

Hope this helps!

 

[acooper]

anything other than white-tip reef sharks will do

Of all the dives I have done along the Kona/Kohala shore in the last four years, the only sharks I have seen to date are Whitetips. You don't even hear of anything else very often, except as said above, glimpses at the edge of vis.

I do know several sites for reliable white tip sightings, like the guy below this last Sunday, but that is all I can offer.

 

[grandizer52]

Sweet spot on oahu on EWA (eva) side...never fail to see da kine sharks wink wink

 

[spoolin01]

Go talk to Big Island Divers in Kona when you're there. Probably other outfits could direct you as well. There's a spot where sightings of tigers are apparently common enough that it's worth a try. I think they said they often see sandbar tigers on the bottom there as well. It can be done from shore or boat.