Coral Gardens

Coral Gardens is one of Maui's most aptly named and consistently beautiful dive sites — a lush, intricate coral reef area off the south coast near Olowalu where exceptional coral growth density and species diversity have created an underwater garden of genuine magnificence that captivates intermediate divers with its visual richness and marine life variety. The site is accessible by boat from Ma'alaea Harbor or from Kihei-based operators, typically as part of a morning two-tank trip that might also include neighboring Olowalu or the south Maui reef corridor. Depths range from the shallows to a maximum of approximately 18 meters (60 feet), with the most spectacular coral growth in the 6-to-15-meter zone where light levels are optimal for photosynthetic coral tissue. The name Coral Gardens is used at several Hawaiian locations, but the Olowalu-area site justifies its title emphatically: coral cover here is among the highest recorded in West Maui, with diverse growth forms including massive lobe coral formations reaching impressive dimensions, finger coral complexes of extraordinary intricacy, and recovered stands of branching coral that add three-dimensional structure to the reef surface. The gardens are home to the characteristic community of Hawaiian reef fish in impressive numbers and diversity. Yellow tang schools drift over the reef surface in clouds of gold. Parrotfish — bullethead, palenose, and spectacled species — graze loudly on coral surfaces, their beak-like mouths producing audible crunching sounds. Hawaiian triggerfish (humuhumunukunukuapua'a, the state fish) hunt invertebrates along the reef edges. Moorish idols sweep through the water in pairs. Hawaiian green sea turtles are regularly encountered throughout the site, grazing and resting among the coral formations. The exceptional coral health at this site is partly attributable to its position within a relatively protected bay that moderates wave action and maintains sediment conditions favorable to coral growth.