DESTINATION #06

HAWAII

USA

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SHARM EL-SHEIKHA

27°54'44 " N 34°19'47 " E

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“HAWAII’S VOLCANIC
ORIGINS MAKE FOR
GREAT UNDERWATER
TOPOGRAPHY.”

HAWAII

Hawaii is an archipelago of 137 islands in the middle of the North Pacific. The main island is home to five active volcanoes, including one of the world’s most active. Hawaii’s volcanic origins make for very interesting underwater topography, while the isolated location means an abundance of often endemic marine life.

Diving in Hawaii centers on a relatively small number of islands. A night dive off the west coast of the Big Island gives the opportunity to watch the giant manta rays filter-feeding overhead. The wrecks of the YO-527 and the San Pedro, ships deliberately scuttled off Oahu to create artificial reefs, teem with marine life.

Forty species of shark can be found in Hawaii. People who want to swim with sharks often head to Oahu’s north shore. For those who prefer a more docile swimming companion, Kauai is the place to swim with sea turtles. Lanai’s ‘cathedral’ lava tubes—dark caverns punctuated by beams of light—present an interesting underwater landscape.

Hawaii introduced the first of its eleven Marine Life Conservation District (MLCD) in 1967. These MLCDs are protected areas where fishing and other forms of extraction are restricted or prohibited in order to replenish marine life populations and protect marine ecosystems.

* Sources include Hawaii Tourism Authority, Tripadvisor, National Institute for Environmental Studies etc.

TRIPADVISOR