Reefs End at Molokini Crater

Reefs End at Molokini Crater is one of the most dramatic and biologically spectacular dive sites in the entire Hawaiian archipelago—the tip of the crescent-shaped volcanic tuff crater that rises from the 'Alalakeiki Channel between Maui and Kahoolawe, where the crater's structure ends abruptly at depth in the wall that drops into the deep blue Pacific beyond. Molokini is one of Hawaii's most famous marine reserves, a state seabird sanctuary and marine conservation district where fishing has been prohibited since 1977, and the accumulated biological recovery of over four decades of protection has created fish populations and reef communities of exceptional quality. The crescent shape of Molokini's crater creates two distinct diving environments: the sheltered interior bowl, with its calm conditions and gradually sloping sandy bottom, and the dramatic outer wall—of which Reefs End is the most spectacular expression—where the volcanic crater's exterior drops away into the deep Pacific in a vertical wall of extraordinary biological richness. Reefs End is where these two worlds meet at the crater's tip, creating a dive site with both the protected bowl's accessibility and the outer wall's dramatic depth and marine life. The outer wall at Reefs End plunges from the crater's rim into the deep 'Alalakeiki Channel in the vertical face that defines wall diving at its most dramatic. This wall, exposed to the open Pacific currents that deliver nutrient-rich water from the channel, supports the dense communities of encrusting organisms—sponges, black coral, wire coral, and the various soft-bodied organisms that colonize vertical surfaces in productive deep water—that give the outer Molokini wall its global reputation among diving experts. The pelagic life associated with Reefs End reflects the open-water influence of the deep channel location. White tip reef sharks cruise the wall face and appear with regularity at this site, their languid circling in the blue water beyond the wall edge creating the shark encounter quality that draws dedicated shark enthusiasts specifically to Molokini's outer sites. Hammerhead sharks are seasonally reported at depth in the channel, though surface encounters of this species require the deep water beyond recreational diving limits. Manta rays occasionally appear at Reefs End during their feeding circuits of the 'Alalakeiki Channel. Access to Reefs End requires a boat trip from Maalaea Harbor or Kihei—Molokini is located 2.5 miles offshore and has no shore-based access. The numerous dive and snorkel charter operations that make Molokini their primary destination offer Reefs End as a premium dive for certified divers capable of the conditions that the outer wall presents. For divers visiting Maui and willing to invest in the superior charter that provides access to the outer wall rather than the standard snorkel bowl, Reefs End provides a Hawaiian diving experience that stands among the finest available in the Pacific.