Big Island shore dive for Tinker's Butterfly

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Brad J

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Heading to the BI next month and would love to shore dive to find Tinker's. Heard there are dive sites around Kona, does anyone have any suggestions on where to see Tinker's?

Thank you
 
A couple of sites say you can see them at 2-step, but I just got back and did 5 dives at 2-step (plus hours of snorkeling) and I couldn't find one. I did, however, get to dive with the spinner dolphins and follow a Indo-Pacific Spotted Eagle Ray as it munched around the sand patches there. I found some bandit angels near Miloli'i, too. Good luck finding one - post a pic if you do.
 
Curious to where you entered the water at Miloli'i.

I did a total of 6 dives in Miloli'i - 4 from the old dock/boat launch off the ladder (Milioli'i Bay) and then 2 from an unmarked site that also had a ladder but was much closer to Papa Bay.

Won't say exactly where the bandits are, since there's a problem with collectors raiding the sites. The dives were great!

milo-1.jpg
milo-2.jpg
 
I did a total of 6 dives in Miloli'i - 4 from the old dock/boat launch off the ladder (Milioli'i Bay) and then 2 from an unmarked site that also had a ladder but was much closer to Papa Bay.

Thanks for the reply. Two years ago we did two dives at the site close to Papa Bay (second picture in your post). When we dove the site our guide brought his own ladder (knotted rope). Is there a permant ladder now? On that trip we dove Miloli'i X2, Pebble Beach X4, 2-step X4 and Ke'el X2 . We are headed back this September for a week. Any other sites on the island that you recommend on the Kona side of the island?
 
Thanks for the reply. Two years ago we did two dives at the site close to Papa Bay (second picture in your post). When we dove the site our guide brought his own ladder (knotted rope). Is there a permant ladder now? On that trip we dove Miloli'i X2, Pebble Beach X4, 2-step X4 and Ke'el X2 . We are headed back this September for a week. Any other sites on the island that you recommend on the Kona side of the island?
There's usually a rope there...Garry still brings his rope, too. Best to bring a rope in case the water has destroyed the current one.
 
Thanks for the reply. Two years ago we did two dives at the site close to Papa Bay (second picture in your post). When we dove the site our guide brought his own ladder (knotted rope). Is there a permant ladder now? On that trip we dove Miloli'i X2, Pebble Beach X4, 2-step X4 and Ke'el X2 . We are headed back this September for a week. Any other sites on the island that you recommend on the Kona side of the island?
Those are the usual spots for South Kona. There's several most listed on Scuba Shore Diving Site Listing for: The Big Island, Hawaiian Islands
 
Thanks for the reply. Two years ago we did two dives at the site close to Papa Bay (second picture in your post). When we dove the site our guide brought his own ladder (knotted rope). Is there a permant ladder now? On that trip we dove Miloli'i X2, Pebble Beach X4, 2-step X4 and Ke'el X2 . We are headed back this September for a week. Any other sites on the island that you recommend on the Kona side of the island?

It was Garry, as I suspect it was for you, too. There's not a permanent ladder, but there is a permanent handrail. We hit Pebbles a couple times and I did 2-step, Kona Mile Marker 4, and Puako on my own. Don't want to hijack the thread. Working on pics now. Wish I was back there.

P6213775-Edit.jpg
 
Any of those sites good chance to spot a Tinker's?? I watched an episode from Expedition Drenched and they shore dived around Kona somewhere and filmed a Tinker's.
 

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