Here are some pictures from that area; before the incident.
This is the end of the reef that is the point between Mokapu Beach and Keawakapu Beach. The sand is ~50' deep, the top of the reef is ~ 35' deep. It is very similar to the middle point of Keawakapu Beach (next point North). This is pretty close to shore so I was not thinking it was where the drop happened, but if the depth of the damage is 45-50' deep just North of the wreck as stated in at least one post in the two threads on this subject, this is the only 45-50' deep finger coral just North of the wreck at that depth. The height of the reef off the sand is greater than the height of the reef in the video in my opinion, and it is continuous to shore, not a small oval as in the video.
The following pictures are the typical bottom in the 40-60' depth; starting ~40' deep off the beaches and starting ~50' deep off the points (reefs). This is typical for nearby points (reefs) and beaches starting just North and moving South; middle of Keawakapu beach, Ulua, the point the Marriott is on, to Wailea Point and past.
At ~55-60' deep the halimeda fills in so the bottom is pretty much covered except for the bare sand halos around the patch reefs. This pic the bottom is 80' deep.
If you drew a line extending ~ directly West from the "Stairways" parking lot off Keawakapu Beach and then another line from Ulua Reef ~ over and past the St. Anthony Wreck, the following pic is the meeting of those two lines at the shore side of the deep reef with the sand ~95' deep and the top of the reef 40-45' deep at the shallowest. This is ~18 minutes by Apollo AV-1 scooter from the "Stairways" entry. The student pictured, who did both Deep Specialty and Scooter Specialty with me from shore two years ago, is the only person I have taken this far off shore. I have scootered 30 minutes straight off shore from various locations along the Wailea coast. :shocked2:
The next picture is the Tire Reef, which was dropped over 30 years ago. It is at ~55-70' depth kind of off the North half of Mokapu Beach and the point in the first pic. The tires are set in a concrete base and have not moved like other failed tire reefs elsewhere. The rubber is too slick for big coral heads to hang onto when big swells happen so it did not get covered as originally theorized.
Back in ~'97 the St. Anthony was scuttled in 60' of water just out from the middle of the Tire Reef (in the Tire Reef).
When I look at the video (over and over) this looks like the decent sized patch of finger coral ~150 yards outside the wreck on a heading just South of West with a sand depth of ~85', just at the edge of the sand halo around the Tire Reef. It may actually be surrounded by halimeda or their respective halos may connect. There is also a slightly smaller but very similar oval patch reef with similar max 10' height off the sand less than 75 yards North.
Like my ex boss Gary was quoted in today's Maui News article, not many divers ever dive there. I found it on one of my first exploration dives to the wreck back when I worked at the Marriott (got to find it before you guide it!); missed just south coming from Ulua and at ~90' depth arced around to the North and back. I have passed by this area about 10 times but never got any exciting pictures although it is a good nursery. I do have pics on a hard drive at home but I am on the mainland through Jan. I certainly hope this is the area the Z-blocks were dropped and I do not think any good would come by removing or moving them.
This is the end of the reef that is the point between Mokapu Beach and Keawakapu Beach. The sand is ~50' deep, the top of the reef is ~ 35' deep. It is very similar to the middle point of Keawakapu Beach (next point North). This is pretty close to shore so I was not thinking it was where the drop happened, but if the depth of the damage is 45-50' deep just North of the wreck as stated in at least one post in the two threads on this subject, this is the only 45-50' deep finger coral just North of the wreck at that depth. The height of the reef off the sand is greater than the height of the reef in the video in my opinion, and it is continuous to shore, not a small oval as in the video.
The following pictures are the typical bottom in the 40-60' depth; starting ~40' deep off the beaches and starting ~50' deep off the points (reefs). This is typical for nearby points (reefs) and beaches starting just North and moving South; middle of Keawakapu beach, Ulua, the point the Marriott is on, to Wailea Point and past.
At ~55-60' deep the halimeda fills in so the bottom is pretty much covered except for the bare sand halos around the patch reefs. This pic the bottom is 80' deep.
If you drew a line extending ~ directly West from the "Stairways" parking lot off Keawakapu Beach and then another line from Ulua Reef ~ over and past the St. Anthony Wreck, the following pic is the meeting of those two lines at the shore side of the deep reef with the sand ~95' deep and the top of the reef 40-45' deep at the shallowest. This is ~18 minutes by Apollo AV-1 scooter from the "Stairways" entry. The student pictured, who did both Deep Specialty and Scooter Specialty with me from shore two years ago, is the only person I have taken this far off shore. I have scootered 30 minutes straight off shore from various locations along the Wailea coast. :shocked2:
The next picture is the Tire Reef, which was dropped over 30 years ago. It is at ~55-70' depth kind of off the North half of Mokapu Beach and the point in the first pic. The tires are set in a concrete base and have not moved like other failed tire reefs elsewhere. The rubber is too slick for big coral heads to hang onto when big swells happen so it did not get covered as originally theorized.
Back in ~'97 the St. Anthony was scuttled in 60' of water just out from the middle of the Tire Reef (in the Tire Reef).
When I look at the video (over and over) this looks like the decent sized patch of finger coral ~150 yards outside the wreck on a heading just South of West with a sand depth of ~85', just at the edge of the sand halo around the Tire Reef. It may actually be surrounded by halimeda or their respective halos may connect. There is also a slightly smaller but very similar oval patch reef with similar max 10' height off the sand less than 75 yards North.
Like my ex boss Gary was quoted in today's Maui News article, not many divers ever dive there. I found it on one of my first exploration dives to the wreck back when I worked at the Marriott (got to find it before you guide it!); missed just south coming from Ulua and at ~90' depth arced around to the North and back. I have passed by this area about 10 times but never got any exciting pictures although it is a good nursery. I do have pics on a hard drive at home but I am on the mainland through Jan. I certainly hope this is the area the Z-blocks were dropped and I do not think any good would come by removing or moving them.
