Mana Kai Hotel

Walk to the far edge of the lava formation to make your sandy beach entry. The turnoff is easy to find. Parking is ample, and just a short hike to the beach. Swim to your left to explore the formations of the point.

Snorkeled this site on 6/25 before trying to dive it just to check it out. The reef was pretty sparse, mostly a desert floor. Ok for the kids and someone who is not in the water a lot and would be happy seeing just about any fish. I would head towards 5 Graves/caves for a good dive.

I have been snorkeling and diving this site for over 20 years. There have been a lot of changes in this time. As a child I remember there being so much more life in this reef area. In recent years I've noticed that the numbers have dropped dramatically. I suspect spear fishing has had a lot to do with this. The diversity is nice and the conditions are excellent (until trade winds pick up of course). This is probably one of the best beginner spots for snorkel or scuba anywhere on the island. Very very mild surf and perfect for the kiddos. There is also a fantastic array of tide pools during low tide.

Inner Reef: Black basalt outcropping starts on the beach and extends underwater to 13 feet. The rocks are sparsely covered with red pencil urchins, cauliflower coral and wana (black sea urchins). An assortment of small reef fish and juvenile ulua hover over the rocks. We found a really large conger eel that was very curious. Best for snorkeling due to shallow depths. Sand Flats: Sparsely scattered small reefs can be found in the sand flats from 13 feet to 19 feet. We found a really nice flounder in this area. Beyond 19 feet, there really isn't much except sand flats until you hit 40 feet. We did see eyestalks of a buried box crab, though. Second Reef: After swimming a long ways (perhaps a quarter mile), we hit 40 feet, where the second set of reefs begin. The reefs here are in the shape of oblong mounds, with heights of 10 to 15 feet above the white sand sea floor and whose bases extend to past 50 feet. The reefs are comprised entirely of hard corals, with finger corals, rice corals, and lobate corals dominating. Some smallish plate corals could be found at the base of the mounds. The reefs here are home to an assortment of smaller reef fish, with bluestripe snapper and damselfish being most common. We did find one yellowmargin moray eel.