Dive
Site: The Mahi
Depth: 94 feet (Majority of dive spent 70-85 ft)
Location: West Shore
Visibility: 100 feet
Level: Intermediate
Sea Life: Spotted Eagle Rays, White tip Reef Sharks ("George"
and "Martha"), Large Yellow Head Moray ("Howser"),
Snowflake Coral, Red and Yellow encrusting sponge, Hydroids Spiny
Puffer fish, schools of milletseed butterfly fish, Trumpetfish, Humpback
and Whale sharks (in season) |
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The
Mahi is Oahu's most popular dive site and originally sunk in 1982
as an artificial reef project, it is located 1/2 mile offshore and
a 15-minute boat ride from Waianae Boat Harbor. It is believed that
the Mahi was originally built as a minesweeper, but the Navy instead
used the 800-ton ship in the Bahamas for laying cable. The Dillingham
Corporation purchased the vessel in March 1968, and leased it to
the University of Hawaii as a research vessel. Although originally
sunk facing shoreward, it now lies upright on a sand bottom, facing
seaward. In 1982, Hurricane Iwa repositioned the ship 180 degrees
to its present bearing. Conditions vary from 50 to 100 feet of visibility,
with light to seasonally heavy surge. There are moorings on the
bow, amidships, and stern to protect it from anchor damage. It is
immediately apparent how successful it has been in attracting marine
life. Schools of 20 spiny puffer fish have been spotted in mid water,
facing into the current beside the ship's mast. At 60 feet, the
wheelhouse provides a great photographic set-up, with a large porthole
ringed with snowflake coral, red and yellow encrusting sponge, and
hydroids. On the Main Deck, the most insistent of the resident fish
are the large school of milletseed Butterflyfish, and ta'ape waiting
for handouts. If you don't feed them, they swarm you until either
you relent, or another diver enters the scene. (Photo Tip: To keep
them out of the setup, take a small mesh bag with fish food and
tie it off on the main deck, then do your shoot somewhere else)
A couple of Whitetips, named "George" and "Martha"
are sometimes spotted here, as well as up to four eagle rays. Sometimes,
if you are lucky, you might encounter a whale shark here. Check
out the log to see if one has been spotted recently!
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