Dive· Mokuhooniki· Hawaii
Mokuhooniki Island Dive
21° 8.0′ N · 156° 42.3′ W · approximate
A sheer-sided 198 ft volcanic tuff islet a mile off Molokai's East End, bombed by the military until 1958 and now one of Hawaii's great advanced dives: walls, a pinnacle and a pocket where schooling scalloped hammerheads cruise past.
Practical
Coordinate is approx, just off the southwest side of the islet toward Kanaha Rock, derived from the GNIS islet position (21.1335, -156.7031) and Coast Pilot. Coast Pilot 10: 0.9 mile offshore and 1.6 miles south of Cape Halawa; Kanaha Rock (95 ft) lies about 50 yards southwest, and the pair are locally called Turtle Rock; about 15 fathoms between the rocks and Molokai. Molokai Fish and Dive (2026) runs two-tank trips departing 6:30am, one to two hours each way from Kaunakakai, minimum four divers, $389. Sites: The Cove and The Corner (easy), The Canyon (easy+), The Pinnacle (top about 30 ft, about 100 ft on the deep side) and The Pocket (sit near 85 ft and wait for hammerheads; the operator estimates a roughly 30 percent chance), and the Backside (advanced+, about three times a year). Grey reef, whitetip and Galapagos sharks are common. Currents are the main difficulty: dive with a live boat. Old bombs, bullets and shrapnel litter the bottom; do not touch ordnance. In winter the islet sits in the middle of humpback whale country. Landing on the islet is not part of the trip and the seabird colony should not be disturbed.
Best for
Experienced divers chasing hammerheads and big pelagics
Season
Calm-weather windows; most reliable in settled summer trades