Dive· Hawaii (Big Island)· Hawaii
Kona Blackwater Night Dive (Pelagic Magic)
19° 40.1′ N · 156° 2.4′ W · approximate
Tethered to a lit downline a few miles off Kona over thousands of feet of water, divers watch the nightly vertical migration rise around them: siphonophores, comb jellies, larval fish and squid, many glowing with their own light.
Practical
Coordinate is approx: about 0.7 nm offshore of the Honokohau Harbor entrance, used only to anchor the entry on the map; the boats actually drift a few miles out where the bottom drops to 2,000 to 10,000 ft (operators differ). Divers hover around 40 to 50 ft on a 6 to 10 ft tether clipped to a weighted downline, for about an hour; boats leave around sunset. Kona Honu Divers require Advanced Open Water and at least 50 logged dives; strong buoyancy control is essential. Jack's Diving Locker brands it 'Pelagic Magic' and pioneered the tether system. Book with a Kona operator; this is not a dive to do from your own boat. Prices not verified.
Best for
Experienced divers after something truly otherworldly
Season
Year-round, sea state permitting
Nearby
- Turtle Pinnacle and Honokohau Dive Moorings0.6 NM away
- Honokohau Anchorage (north of the entrance)0.7 NM away
- Honokohau Harbor0.7 NM away
- Honokohau Harbor Port of Entry (CBP)0.7 NM away
- Kona Storms (Winter Southwesterlies)0.7 NM away
- Honokohau Harbor Fuel Dock0.8 NM away
- Honokohau Chandleries and Marine Supply1 NM away
- Kona Sportfishing Fleet (Honokohau Harbor)1 NM away