Molokini is a crescent-shaped, partially submerged volcanic crater which forms a small, uninhabited islet located in ʻAlalākeiki Channel between the islands of

Maui The island of Maui (; Hawaiian: ) is the second-largest of the islands of the state of Hawaii at 727.2 square miles (1,883 km2) and is the 17th largest island in the United States. Maui is the largest of Maui County's four islands, which ...

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 The Quaternary ( ) is the current and most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS). It follows the Neogene Period and spans from 2.58 million years ...

Period of the Cenozoic Era. The islet has an area of , a diameter of about , is at its highest point, and is located about west of Makena State Park and south of

Maalaea Bay Maalaea ( haw, Māalaea) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Maui County, Hawaii, United States. The population was 310 at the 2020 census. Maalaea is the site of a small boat harbor, as well as the Maui Ocean Center, and a Shinto shrine, as w ...

. The islet is a Hawaii State Seabird Sanctuary.

Recreation

Molokini is a destination for scuba diving, snuba, and snorkeling. Its crescent shape protects divers inside it from waves and the channel's powerful currents, though diving also takes place off the 300-foot (91.5-meter) sheer outer wall. In the morning, when winds are calmer, smaller tour boats also bring guests to snorkel off the outer wall. The crater houses a reef with visibility as deep as . Molokini is home to about 250 species of fish, many endemic (see ''Ecology'' below). The best conditions occur in early morning. The water depth is 20–50 feet in the majority of the allowed dive spots. Because Molokini attracts many boats, the Hawaii State Division of Boating and Recreation established mooring

buoy A buoy () is a floating device that can have many purposes. It can be anchored (stationary) or allowed to drift with ocean currents. Types Navigational buoys * Race course marker buoys are used for buoy racing, the most prevalent form of yac ...

s and "Day Use Mooring Rules" for Molokini to protect against damage from dropped anchors.

Mythology

In Hawaiian legend, Molokini was a beautiful woman. She and Pele, the fire goddess, were in love with the same man. The jealous Pele cut her rival in two and transformed her into stone. The woman's head is supposedly

Puu Olai Mākena State Park comprises in Makena, south of Wailea on the island of Maui, Hawaii. It contains three separate beaches and a dormant volcanic cinder cone. Big Beach, also known as "Oneloa Beach" and "Mākena Beach", is a popular spot fo ...

, the

cinder cone A cinder cone (or scoria cone) is a steep conical hill of loose pyroclastic fragments, such as volcanic clinkers, volcanic ash, or scoria that has been built around a volcanic vent. The pyroclastic fragments are formed by explosive eruptions o ...

by Makena Beach.

History

Potassium-argon dating indicates that Molokini erupted approximately 230,000 years ago. Archaeological evidence, primarily in the form of stone sinkers and lures, show that early Hawaiians visited Molokini to fish. They also likely harvested seabirds, eggs and feathers. During World War II, the United States Navy used Molokini for target practice, as its shape is somewhat similar to a battleship. In 1975 and 1984, the Navy detonated in-place unexploded munitions found within the crater, resulting in the destruction of large areas of coral. This resulted in a public outcry. A thorough search and manual removal of unexploded munitions to deep water was carried out by volunteer divers as a result. A 2006 survey found no evidence of unexploded munitions on the islet. As a result of the extensive target practice, the southwest rim of the islet is damaged. From the 1950s through the 1970s, commercial harvesting of black coral occurred in Molokini. In 1977 Molokini islet, the crater, and the surrounding of underwater terrain were declared a Marine Life Conservation District (MLCD).

Ecology

Molokini crater is home to approximately 250 to 260 marine species. Most commonly observed among these are the black triggerfish, yellow tang, Moorish idol, parrotfish,

raccoon butterflyfish The raccoon butterflyfish (''Chaetodon lunula''), also known as the crescent-masked butterflyfish, lunule butterflyfish, halfmoon butterflyfish, moon butterflyfish, raccoon butterfly, raccoon, raccoon coralfish, and redstriped butterflyfish, is ...

and bluefin trevally. Due to constant exposure to park visitors and the long history as a conservation district, the fish of Molokini are comfortable with the presence of nearby divers. Small whitetip reef sharks and moray eels are occasionally seen in the crater, and red pencil urchins can be seen quite frequently. The waters of Molokini contain 38 hard coral species and approximately 100 species of algae. Although quite dense on the seafloor, they are not as densely packed as they had historically been due to the constant tourism and activity there. The islet is home to at least two species of nesting seabirds — Bulwer's petrels and wedge-tailed shearwaters. Additionally

great frigatebird The great frigatebird (''Fregata minor'') is a large seabird in the frigatebird family. There are major nesting populations in the tropical Pacific (including the Galapagos Islands) and Indian Oceans, as well as a tiny population in the South At ...

s have been observed on Molokini islet.

Restrictions on access and activities

Molokini islet is federally owned and is a state seabird sanctuary. Thus, unauthorized landing is prohibited. Permission to land must be obtained both from the U.S. Coast Guard and the Hawaii Division of Forestry and Wildlife. Regulations covering the Molokini Shoal MLCD (see ''History'' above) prohibit fishing, collection or removal of specimens, and fish feeding within its bounds. Additionally, dropping anchor within the MLCD is not permitted due to the potential of damage to the coral reef. Tour boat operators have been allocated fixed mooring points instead. Snorkeling and scuba diving are by far the most popular activities at the crater. Visibility at Molokini regularly exceeds 50 feet (16 meters), and the inside of the crater is generally sheltered from strong winds and waves. The back wall of the island has been named one of the top 100 diving destinations in the world by scubadiving.com. This drift dive offers steep drop-offs 360 feet (110 meters) to the ocean floor's reef and underwater life.

Moorings

Molokini Crater requires permits for commercial vessels to moor within the crater. A study showed that over 300,000 visitors visited Molokini crater annually. This number of visitors is thought to have affected marine life inside the crater. A proposed bill in 2019, if put into effect, will decrease the number of moorings in the crater from over 20 to 12 total moorings.https://www.letsgotomaui.net/da-kine/best-molokini-crater-guide
Archived
on 26 September 2020 This will limit the number of visitors to the crater and help to preserve marine wildlife.

Gallery

File:Molikini back side.jpg, South (or "back") side of Molokini File:North Molokini.jpg, East side of crater File:Aerial-Makena-Molokini-Kahoolawe.jpg, alt=Photo showing large island (Kahoʻolawe) mostly covered by cloud, and the smaller islet of Molokini with the South Maui coast in the foreground, Aerial view of Kahoolawe (in the distance), Molokini, and the Makena side of

References

{{authority control Islands of Hawaii Geography of Maui County, Hawaii Volcanic cones Volcanoes of Maui Nui Nature reserves in Hawaii Protected areas of Maui County, Hawaii Pleistocene volcanoes Pleistocene Oceania Cenozoic Hawaii Protected areas established in 1977 1977 establishments in Hawaii Underwater diving sites in the United States Uninhabited islands of Hawaii