Five Caves
Maui · United States
Five Caves (also called Five Graves) is a network of interconnected lava tubes and arches at Makena that plunges from a shallow shelf into open sand channels, creating one of Maui's most dramatic geological dive environments. Hawaiian monk seals occasionally rest on the ledges inside the arches, and the dim interior light of the tubes supports dense populations of banded spiny lobster and longnose hawkfish sheltering in the overhead structure. The site transitions from easy swim-throughs at 6 metres to a sandy plain at 18 metres where eagle rays and turtles are reliably encountered.
Conditions
Depth
5 to 20 m
Open water and up
Current
Usually still
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
20 to 30 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
22 to 29°C
shorty or 3mm
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 22 |
| Vis (m) | 15 | 15 | 15 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 18 | 18 | 15 | 15 |
| Current | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Still | Still | Still | Still | Still | Still | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle |
Your chances of seeing each animal
Green Sea Turtle
Last confirmed Jul 1, 2026 · 353 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Brown Anole
Last confirmed Jul 7, 2026 · 290 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Black-Necked Stilt
Last confirmed Jul 5, 2026 · 318 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Red-Crested Cardinal
Last confirmed Jul 2, 2026 · 287 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Hawaiian Monk Seal
Last confirmed Jul 3, 2026 · 35 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Spotted Eagle Ray
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Longnose Hawkfish
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Gear