Molokini

Molokini is a crescent-shaped, partially submerged volcanic crater which forms a small, uninhabited islet located in Alalakeiki Channel between the islands of Maui and Kahoolawe, within Maui County in Hawaii.It is the remains of one of the seven Pleistocene epoch volcanoes that formed the prehistoric Maui Nui island, during the Quaternary Period of the Cenozoic Era.The islet has an area of 23acre, a diameter of about 0.4mi, is 161ft at its highest point and is located about 2.5mi west of Makena State Park and south of Maalaea Bay.The islet is a Hawaii State Seabird Sanctuary.RecreationMolokini is a popular tourist destination for scuba diving and snorkeling. Its crescent shape protects divers from waves and the channel's powerful currents. However, experienced scuba divers will also drift dive off the 300-foot (91.5-meter) sheer outer wall, using the channel currents to carry them along. In the morning, when winds are calmer, smaller tour boats can also bring guests to safely snorkel the backwall of Molokini as well.The crater houses a lush reef with excellent visibility as deep as 150ft. Molokini is home to about 250 species of fish, many endemic (see Ecology below). The best conditions occur in early morning. The water depth ranges from a single foot near the shore to 20–50 feet in the majority of the allowed dive spots.