It was another typically beautiful morning today in Hawaii Kai, 70 degrees with party cloudy skies and variable winds. The surface conditions were also prime for diving since the swell was minimal. This morning on the Enzo, we were joined by several fun divers and divemaster candidates who are currently enrolled in Hawaii SCUBA University. Today’s adventure would start at the Kahala Barge.

KAHALA BARGE
93ft – 33min

With a dead current, divers were able to free descend onto wreck amid 100 ft. visibility. Once at the bottom a few intrepid adventurers penetrated and examined the guts of the old barge. The top of the wreck was host to many budding corals and typical juvenile reef fish. There were also several Crown of Thorns starfish creeping about devouring unlucky coral heads. Upon surfacing and returning to the boat, several mother humpback whales and their calves swam around the boat. They put on quite a show with some breaches, pectoral and tail fin slapping, and air spouts.

FANTASY REEF (drift)
53ft – 40min

With whales fresh in their minds, the divers entered negatively into more 100 ft visibility and a mild Diamond Head current. Although whales weren’t spotted, almost everything else was! A white tip reef shark napping under a coral shelf started this dive on the right foot. Shortly after an octopus was found and a couple of huge turtles and green moray eels kept divers company as they went through an archway swim through. Honorable mentions were a banded shrimp, slipper lobster, and reef crab.

A special thanks goes out to the crew of the Enzo. For without, today’s adventure would not be possible. Thank you Captain Kellan, Liz, and Bradree.

well we did see lots of turtles today, but each head had its own body!  But we saw so many today!  and they are so funny!  some of them are kind of like cute,  near-sighted old men, peeking over at you as you swim by, and then going back to napping.  i can say this because i am a near-sighted old man.  i think near-sighted is right, i always mix it up with far-sighted?  i any case, i can’t read without glasses, which ever one that is.  First dive at Baby barge had an usually large number of the old boys floating around today and our Florida divers remarked that they had thought Florida was the kingdom of the turtle, but after today they are naming hawaii the new turtle kingdom. and that was after the first dive!  just to really blow their minds, we took them to Fantasy Reef, home of the Whopper Turtles!  they could barely speak after seeing our monster turtles (even with only one head each!).  lots of other cool stuff today -sharks, big eels, octopus, lobster, slipper lobster, tons of fish!  thanks to all for safe diving,  larry, capt sheila

baby barge 80 ft  40 min  150 viz

fantasy reef 52 ft  50 min   150 viz

The wind and rain finally passed as typical Hawaii Kai conditions resumed this morning. Party cloudy skies accompanied by light and variable winds and a small swell were a vast improvement over the weather the past few days. This morning on the boat, we had a plethora of students (wreck, deep, nitrox, & advanced open water) along side certified divers.

KAHALA BARGE
92FT – 34MIN
73 Degrees

With a very mild Diamond Head current, the divers entered into 90 foot visibility. The wreck was easily discernible from the surface. The wreck diver laid line and penetrated the wreck, the rest of the divers frolicked among an assortment of juvenile fish. Hawaiian Damsel fish, box fish, trigger fish, and file fish hovered over the top of the wreck and its young budding coral. If you paid attention, you may have also seen a couple spiny stars and crabs hiding in the cracks and crevasses.

FANTASY REEF (DRIFT)
54FT – 42MIN
73 Degrees

This time the current shifted towards Koko Head and began to increase in strength. Entering negatively into more 90 foot visibility, the reef unfurled below the divers. Huge turtles cruised and posed with divers and a couple of massive crown of thorns starfish cruised along the bottom. A viper eel was also thrown into the mix along with more trigger fish.

A special thanks to the crew! Captain Brian, Hayley, and Whitey