Kona Coast
United States · Hawaii
Kona on the Big Island of Hawai'i is one of the world's best manta dives — the Kona manta night dive, where mantas feed on plankton attracted by divers' lights — plus pelagic blackwater diving and reef sites along the leeward coast.
How this reef is doing
ⓘ How we measure thisReef state
Manta night dive and blackwater are both unchanged — those don't depend on coral. Day diving over reef shows recovery in patches. Worth going for the pelagic experiences alone.
Coral cover
Fish life
Heat
No unusual heat right now.
Fishing
Some fishing is allowed here, in marked zones.
Sources · Reef survey · NOAA Coral Reef Watch · Global Fishing Watch and reef gravity
Coral cover over time
Live coral cover, by survey year
Across surveys in 2014 and 2024, live coral cover here has fallen from 36% to 29%. Every point is a real survey reading, never a projection.
Live coral cover, percent by year
| Year | Coral cover |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 36% |
| 2024 | 29% |
What you will see
33 species across the dive sites here
Raccoon butterflyfish
Seen 21 days ago
at Molokini Crater
Least concern
Yellow tang
Seen 21 days ago
at Molokini Crater
Least concern
Red pencil urchin
Seen 23 days ago
at Molokini Crater
Black durgon
Seen 24 days ago
at Molokini Crater
Least concern
Bluefin trevally
Seen 24 days ago
at Molokini Crater
Least concern
Green Sea Turtle
Seen 24 days ago
at Manta Heaven Night Dive
Least concern
Hawaiian green sea turtle
Seen 24 days ago
at Turtle Pinnacle
Least concern
Hawaiian green turtle
Seen 24 days ago
at Pinnacle Au Au Crater
Least concern
Yellow-Billed Cardinal
Seen 24 days ago
at Manta Heaven Night Dive
Least concern
Moorish idol
Seen 25 days ago
at Molokini Crater
Least concern
Spinner dolphin
Seen 28 days ago
at Pinnacle Au Au Crater
Least concern
Pacific Golden-Plover
Seen 29 days ago
at Manta Heaven Night Dive
Least concern
Reef manta ray
Seen 1 month ago
at Turtle Pinnacle
Vulnerable
Thin-Shelled Rock Crab
Seen 1 month ago
at Manta Heaven Night Dive
Hawaiian spinner dolphin
Seen 1 month ago
at First Cathedral
Least concern
Pilot whale
Seen 2 months ago
at Pinnacle Au Au Crater
Least concern
Reef manta
Seen 2 months ago
at Manta Heaven Night Dive
Vulnerable
Whitetip reef shark
Seen 2 months ago
at Molokini Crater
Vulnerable
Pyramid butterflyfish
Seen 2 months ago
at Pyramid Pinnacle
Least concern
Hawaiian cleaner wrasse
Seen 3 months ago
at Turtle Pinnacle
Least concern
Humpback whale
Seen 3 months ago
at Molokini Crater
Least concern
Peacock flounder
Seen 3 months ago
at Pyramid Pinnacle
Least concern
Undulated moray
Seen 4 months ago
at Manta Ray Night Dive (Garden Eel Cove)
Least concern
Whitemouth moray
Seen 4 months ago
at Turtle Pinnacle
Least concern
Hawaiian flagtail
Seen 4 months ago
at Pyramid Pinnacle
Hawaiian whitetip reef shark
Seen 4 months ago
at Manta Heaven Night Dive
Vulnerable
Bluestripe snapper
Seen 8 months ago
at First Cathedral
Least concern
Conger eel
Seen May 2025
at Pyramid Pinnacle
Hawaiian garden eel
Seen May 2025
at Manta Ray Night Dive (Garden Eel Cove)
Least concern
Garden eel
Seen year round
at Pinnacle Au Au Crater
Least concern
Hawaiian spiny lobster
Seen year round
at First Cathedral
Spotted eagle ray
Seen year round
at Molokini Crater
Endangered
Whale shark
Rare sighting
at Molokini Crater
Endangered
Dive sites
Manta Heaven Night Dive
reef manta ray · hawaiian whitetip reef shark · green sea turtle · yellow-billed cardinal
Pinnacle Au Au Crater
spinner dolphin · pilot whale · garden eel · hawaiian green turtle
Turtle Pinnacle
hawaiian green sea turtle · hawaiian cleaner wrasse · yellow tang · whitemouth moray
Pyramid Pinnacle
pyramid butterflyfish · hawaiian green sea turtle · conger eel · hawaiian flagtail
Molokini Crater
bluefin trevally · yellow tang · black durgon · moorish idol
Manta Ray Night Dive (Garden Eel Cove)
reef manta ray · hawaiian garden eel · undulated moray · green sea turtle
What divers say
A manta with a 4m wingspan barrel rolling six inches from my mask in a halo of light — the Kona night dive is on the bucket list for a reason.
Good to know
Blackwater
Offshore drift in 3,000m of water at night, looking at planktonic critters. Once-in-a-life experience.