Kona-Hawaii Trip report 8-15 thru 8-23-10

[deeper thoughts]

It is a shame to hear about the lack of fish on Kona. Thnx for the heads up

 

[montyb]

I spent a month in Kona this spring - been going to Kona pretty much yearly for the past 20 years. I would have to dissagree with ones that say the diving was not up to par. Maybe it was because you had so many divers in the water. I have been diving with Wanna Dive Kona (6 pack) since he began and saw just as many or more fish compared to past years. Certainly more eagle rays, manta's (not on the night dive). Frog fish, flame angels. Already booked my next month next spring and looking forward to it. Also april was the warmest I've ever been in the water in Kona.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

I began diving on the Big Island in 1976. While I do have more total dives on the Hilo side than the Kona side, it is safe to say that I have "enough" dives on the Kona and Kohala coasts over a 30+ year period to make some "subjective" observations:

Numbers and variety of sealife seem to vary site-to-site, and day-by-day. Some species seem more abundant, and at least in Hilo, sea turtle populations have boomed since the "old" days (when hunting was still going on, and near shore polution was worse).

Some days are just much more "fishy" than others. I live 15 minutes from a dive spot in Hilo.... and some days it is wall-to-wall fishes and turtles, sometimes not so much. Time of day, phase of the moon, tides??? I don't know, but I do see large variation in numbers and type of sealife.

And I saw the same type of variation in the 70's.

Some sites just seem more "fishy" than others to me. I'm not sure if this is from the "pressure" of lots of divers in the water at that site... or some other factor. I don't know if "swim fins and strobes" are causing the fish to move a few hundred yards away from the more common dive spots or not. I do typically see more fish in more remote areas... but I'm not a marine biologist, so I have no idea.

I've recently seen fish that I've rarely or have never seen before both in Hilo and Kona (please don't ask what they were, I'm not positive). I'm sure they were always there, just in lower numbers so I had simply not "spotted" them before.

My last dives in Kona were a couple shore dives at Ke'ei, about 2 weeks apart. On the first dive there were fish, but I would not call it "fishy"; so we enjoyed the swim-throughs and shallow coral formations that are quite different than we have on the Hilo side... Then 2 weeks later, it was very "fishy" at the same site... I saw the largest school of yellow tang I'd seen in ages, a yellow swarm the size of a school bus. It was stunning.

So the fish are there.... but they may not always be where the dive is happening.

Best wishes.

 

[friscuba]

On the fish... I just can't fathom calling flame angels rare, especially compared to just a few years ago. Problem with them is you need to spot them from about 10-20 feet ahead and get your entire group down to the reef, preferrably below the fish, to point them out, much easier with a group of 2-3 divers than a group of 5-6. If any divers get over the top of them you might as well move on, they'll bury themselves in finger coral or rubble. Once you find them, you know where they are, they're very territorial... think of placing a hula hoop there and guaranteeing they'll be there for the next few years. We've got a few at a few dive sites we can practically guarantee. Most I've ever stumbled on by accident on one dive was 8 at Hoover's last fall, it's a collectible area so they well could be gone. Seen 5-6 on one dive around Pawai Bay on several occasions. I had a gal on board that DMs for one of the companies that runs a 6 pack to Niihau, can't recall their name or hers, she asked if we had flame angels, took her to a site listed earlier in this thread that we have 6 stashed and showed her 5 of them. I didn't see many of them prior to 2005, but I consider them to be all over the place right now.

You want rare, let's start talking male Whitley's boxfish, snowflake eels (although we've seen 2 or 3 this month), dragon morays, lionfish (only seen 4-5 this year, but that's up from a few years back), fire dart fish (not collected, just plain rare) and such.

Yellow tangs? We've been seeing lots of young ones this year, but I gotta admit I haven't seen a sizeable school north of Kealakekua Bay in the 11 years I've been diving and working here. South of there you run into sizeable schools at least at some places I've been (Keei mentioned ealier has a wonderful group) with decent frequency.

As mentioned earlier, site to site, day to day, it can change, but on the whole it sure seems better than a decade ago to me.

 

[Travelnsj]

On the fish... I just can't fathom calling flame angels rare, especially compared to just a few years ago. Problem with them is you need to spot them from about 10-20 feet ahead and get your entire group down to the reef, preferrably below the fish, to point them out, much easier with a group of 2-3 divers than a group of 5-6. If any divers get over the top of them you might as well move on, they'll bury themselves in finger coral or rubble. Once you find them, you know where they are, they're very territorial... think of placing a hula hoop there and guaranteeing they'll be there for the next few years. We've got a few at a few dive sites we can practically guarantee. Most I've ever stumbled on by accident on one dive was 8 at Hoover's last fall, it's a collectible area so they well could be gone. Seen 5-6 on one dive around Pawai Bay on several occasions. I had a gal on board that DMs for one of the companies that runs a 6 pack to Niihau, can't recall their name or hers, she asked if we had flame angels, took her to a site listed earlier in this thread that we have 6 stashed and showed her 5 of them. I didn't see many of them prior to 2005, but I consider them to be all over the place right now.

You want rare, let's start talking male Whitley's boxfish, snowflake eels (although we've seen 2 or 3 this month), dragon morays, lionfish (only seen 4-5 this year, but that's up from a few years back), fire dart fish (not collected, just plain rare) and such.

Yellow tangs? We've been seeing lots of young ones this year, but I gotta admit I haven't seen a sizeable school north of Kealakekua Bay in the 11 years I've been diving and working here. South of there you run into sizeable schools at least at some places I've been (Keei mentioned ealier has a wonderful group) with decent frequency.

As mentioned earlier, site to site, day to day, it can change, but on the whole it sure seems better than a decade ago to me.

Perhaps you should and the other people on this thread that thinks the diving around the Big Island is great, have a meeting with the Kona Honu, Aggressor and the Big Island Dive Masters and tell them they are spreading big fibs or taking us to the Bad Dive Sites. Educate them, show them where the good dive sites are and then they can take us there! I have approximately 150 dives between Maui and the Big Island over the last 10 years. I quit diving Maui years ago as I was falling asleep underwater. The diving and the sites I dove around Kona last week were not comparable to the years past. My point was the lack of conservation/preservation of the Hawaiian waters which could be a jewel of USA diving. Not to slam Hawaii and chase people away which this thread is turning into. As I said before I did not go to the Big Island for great diving but good diving. It was not!

May I suggest go to places (not far from you) with similar reef systems as Hawaii i.e. Kiribati 3 hours south of you or to places like Rangiora or Fakarava (again south of Hawaii). You will see the large schools of Marine life whether they be Pelagic or Damsel fish. You do not see that in Hawaii! I’m assured once upon a time you could. Will I be in Hawaii again? of course they are some of the nicest Islands in the world but not for diving or as I stop over on my way to Palau or Kiribati.

 

[friscuba]

Perhaps you should and the other people on this thread that thinks the diving around the Big Island is great, have a meeting with the Kona Honu, Aggressor and the Big Island Dive Masters and tell them they are spreading big fibs or taking us to the Bad Dive Sites. Educate them, show them where the good dive sites are and then they can take us there! I have approximately 150 dives between Maui and the Big Island over the last 10 years. I quit diving Maui years ago as I was falling asleep underwater. The diving and the sites I dove around Kona last week were not comparable to the years past. My point was the lack of conservation/preservation of the Hawaiian waters which could be a jewel of USA diving. Not to slam Hawaii and chase people away which this thread is turning into. As I said before I did not go to the Big Island for great diving but good diving. It was not!

May I suggest go to places (not far from you) with similar reef systems as Hawaii i.e. Kiribati 3 hours south of you or to places like Rangiora or Fakarava (again south of Hawaii). You will see the large schools of Marine life whether they be Pelagic or Damsel fish. You do not see that in Hawaii! I’m assured once upon a time you could. Will I be in Hawaii again? of course they are some of the nicest Islands in the world but not for diving or as I stop over on my way to Palau or Kiribati.

I've never said Hawaii compares to Micronesia, Tahiti or anywhere south. I'd love to go to Fakarava, the moment I heard about it, it made my list of places to go. Geologically, the island of Hawaii and the State are very young in comparison, and haven't had the time to develop the ecosystem other areas have. The Big Island has it's own charm, and offers nice reef... nicest in the US likely. It has work to be done on the conservation front, but it's not anywere near as bad as some would lead people to believe, and they ARE working on it.

My response isn't about companies, I have a very good relationship with at least one of those you mentioned and recommend all when I can't be of help, but when people do a handful of dives here and make blanket statements that it's gone downhill in recent years, I tend to have a reaction, as it flies in the face of everything I've seen and heard. Over a decade of leading dives and diving for fun here in my off time tells my eyes otherwise. I really think you've had some poor luck, at least on flame angels, this last trip, the reef life here has done nothing but improve in my opinion over the last several years.

 

[stakanak]

Shore diving in Kona is off the hook.
The rental suits in Kona shops are all 3mm.
Booking with a mixed group of snorkelers and scuba is not the way to go (as you stated), so instead of panning Kona diving, maybe you should be panning the trip organizers for.
Just an opinion
Get Wet!

 

[Travelnsj]

I've never said Hawaii compares to Micronesia, Tahiti or anywhere south. I'd love to go to Fakarava, the moment I heard about it, it made my list of places to go. Geologically, the island of Hawaii and the State are very young in comparison, and haven't had the time to develop the ecosystem other areas have. The Big Island has it's own charm, and offers nice reef... nicest in the US likely. It has work to be done on the conservation front, but it's not anywere near as bad as some would lead people to believe, and they ARE working on it.

My response isn't about companies, I have a very good relationship with at least one of those you mentioned and recommend all when I can't be of help, but when people do a handful of dives here and make blanket statements that it's gone downhill in recent years, I tend to have a reaction, as it flies in the face of everything I've seen and heard. Over a decade of leading dives and diving for fun here in my off time tells my eyes otherwise. I really think you've had some poor luck, at least on flame angels, this last trip, the reef life here has done nothing but improve in my opinion over the last several years.

Friscuba….I’ve never said Hawaii compares to Micronesia either. I was comparing similar reef/coral systems in the Tuamotu’s in Tahiti and Kiribati (Christmas Island). But if I were to compare Palau to anywhere I have dove in Hawaii (and I’ve done more than a handful of dives in Hawaii and Palau) well my worst dive day in Palau would not equal my best dive day in Hawaii (except the Manta dive)…..LOL…even the value…the cost is about the same except for the plane ticket to Palau.

I am assured if I could sell my CA real estate and buy something in Kona (I would if I could) and spend a month with you in Kona you could show me some great diving. Kona was a last minute decision this year as I have not been diving since Fiji in April (was not impressed with that diving except for the Bligh waters) and wanted to get some diving in before I headed to Indonesia in November. I did not expect Great diving in Hawaii but Good diving…it was not. For the time and the amount of diving I would have to spend with you to find that good diving….well I’d rather head to warmer waters in the South Pacific, Micronesia or Indonesia that is usually, consistently excellent diving. If I am going to do a quick trip again I’ll probably do North Carolina wreck diving or Cozumel which has warmer waters and more Marine life (especially NC)….Again if the dive sites the dive operators in Kona take us recreational divers to are crappy sites….well you should sell your consultation services to those people and show them the good dive sites. As I refuse to dive sites like Hoover 10 times to get one good dive you talk about.

 

[scangadah]

Hey Travelnsj,
First off thanks for coming to Hawaii and diving with the fine companies that operate here in Kona.
I have dove with several different operators and consider several of the DM's friends. My wife and I are shore diving more and more, both North and South of Kona. We love the area.
I am bummed to hear that you were not happy with the "fish counts". What would make you happy, a frog fish coming up to you and looking eye to eye? How many fish did you see? How many would have been enough?
Come on man, it's nature. I would hate to read a post from you hadyou got skunked on the Manta's.
I hope you come back to see the fine people of Kona. if not, find pleasure looking at the beauty and wonder of nature on any dive, in any dive spot in the world. I hope you have a great time in Micronesia or in NC. Please look for the good things in life and your dive sport. Going thru life looking for the negative gets you no place.
Enjoy and may you find a million fish.
Just my ,02

 

[smellzlikefish]

Well put Scangadah. I think everyone from Hawaii here wishes you more fish on your next trip out. Personally, I am never disappointed by a dive here since, as the saying goes, it sure beats working. I can regularly and reliably find flame angels here on fished out Oahu, yet Kona is where I go when I have a weekend to play. If I can find a pair of flame angels here, I can find five at Crescent Beach. The ichthyofauna at Kona is unmatched in my opinion, not for the enormous diversity, but for the rarities and endemic you can come across. When was the last place (other than Kona) where you saw a black phase long nosed butterflyfish or Tinker's butterfly? Okay, the Tinker's was a little unfair, but you don't come to Hawaii to see the sights you can see elsewhere. One third of our ichthyfauna is endemic, as in found NOWHERE else. You should come to Hawaii to target the things you DON'T see other places, like flame wrasses, Hawaiian longfin anthias and bandit angelfish.