northwestern archipelago liveaboard

[smw]

I'm looking for info on any liveaboards or charters to go to the northwestern archipelago. Does anyone have experience doing this?
Thanks in advance!
SMW

 

[ryt]

thank god that what you are looking for does not exist, your only chance of getting to the NWHI is either Midway or through scientific diving

 

[friscuba]

Are they diving Midway again these days? It pretty much shut down to tourists in '02 last I heard.

 

[www.scubamazing.com]

thank god that what you are looking for does not exist, your only chance of getting to the NWHI is either Midway or through scientific diving

I'm not too familiar with the archipelago. I'm just wondering why you say this? I'm assuming because we don't need people there tearing up the reef. But just not sure.

Thanks, let me know.

 

[diversteve]

I'm not too familiar with the archipelago. I'm just wondering why you say this? I'm assuming because we don't need people there tearing up the reef. But just not sure.

Thanks, let me know.

I'd assume so, also it's pretty much a federal crime now to dive in the National Monument protected area without proper research permits.

A scattered chain of Hawaiian islands is the largest marine sanctuary in the world.

Surpassing Australia's Great Barrier Reef, the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI) will form part of a 140,000-square-mile (362,580-square-kilometer) protected area nearly the size of California.

From MSN's coverage of the signing:

Administration officials say their intent is to preserve zoned access for native Hawaiian activities, educational and scientific expeditions. Recreational and tourist visits that are no more harmful than scuba diving or photography also will be allowed. Permits, however, will be required for all activities.

The Bush administration said "permits will be required for activities related to research, education, conservation and management, native Hawaiian practices and non-extractive special ocean uses.

"The commercial and recreational harvest of precious coral, crustaceans and coral reef species will be prohibited in monument waters and commercial fishing in monument waters will be phased out over a five-year period," it added in a statement. "Oil, gas and mineral exploration and extraction will not be allowed anywhere in the monument."

 

[HarveyO]

My reading of the latest handout in the newspaper (which may be full of it) leads me to believe that you can dive there. As a private party. But there cannot be any commercial activity. So if you can get a non-commercial boat to take you out for a dive you're in business.

 

[Cacia]

I thought you COULD dive it...if you could get there on your own.

Midway is shut down, at least when I called last year and talked to Ranger Rick.

I have been exploring the options. Problem is the scientific diving (I could get on as a volunteer/DM probably) is that they go for loooooong periods of time.

A sailboat on it's way to Japan might work.

 

[justleesa]

Got this out of the thread about the reserve as to what is allowed:

"Recreational Activity means an activity conducted for personal enjoyment that does not result in the extraction of monument resources and that does not involve a fee-for-service transaction. This includes, but is not limited to, wildlife viewing, SCUBA diving, snorkeling, and boating. "

 

[diversteve]

Even Jean-Michael Cousteau had to go out there on a research vessel in order to film there for his latest PBS special. And I think I read that it's also a Monk Seal habitat in a couple of places, so that's probably off-limits to everyone except scientists, Hawaii fiercely protects their monk seals - with good reason imho.

 

[justleesa]

yeah, just some 11-1200 left