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Shark Diving in Maui

Maui shark diving at Mala Wharf in Lahaina.

See Sharks Diving in Lahaina, Maui

All sharks are dinosaurs that have remained relatively unchanged for over 400 million years. Today you can see sharks scuba diving in Maui. There is nothing like putting on a scuba tank to descend into a world of sharks, so during your Hawaiian vacation, make time for this activity. Choose our dive service in Lahaina to go shore diving with White Tip Reef Sharks!

We set up shark encounters at Mala Wharf in Lahaina, the best Maui dive site. Scuba diving here does not require a cage in the ocean, instead, you can walk into the sea, descend, and see sharks. At Mala Wharf, you get to encounter a family of up to seven White Tip Reef Sharks. You might notice different ages too like smaller 1 to 2-year-old juveniles and up to full-sized mom and dad. Adult White Tip Sharks are about the size of a grown human, but females are always the biggest!

Airport Beach in Kaanapali

Chance to see a shark: 1 percent

Diving in Maui means finding at least one shark every day along Lahaina’s coastline. But there are Hawaii beaches where your chances of scuba diving with a shark remain very low. For example, a spot like Airport Beach in Kaanapali, Maui. This sprawling coral reef sits on the north side of Black Rock and does not have a resident shark population.

Mala Wharf in Lahaina

Chance to see a shark: 90 percent

Luckily for scuba divers, Mala Wharf in Lahaina is not a shark-free dive site! The name Mala has become synonymous with cage-free, safe shark encounters. Mala Wharf or Mala Pier remains the total package because visitors here often get to dive close to these apex predators. You should not expect to see a Tiger Shark here, but sometimes you can find a Sandbar Shark!

Sharks reside in this area because the pier protects them during their daily naps. Most of the time, the White Tip Reef Sharks relax on the bottom under fallen concrete posts. When one of the sharks does get active, it often swims around-consuming injured or sick fish. Reducing the number of wounded animals helps the coral reef to thrive with new life. Scuba divers and snorkelers can also find two turtle cleaning stations near depths of 15 and 25 feet. Overall it’s a shallow spot with a maximum depth of 33 feet, affording long bottom times of 45 minutes to 1 hour!

Swim with Sharks

Sharks spotted night diving in Lahaina, Maui.

Sharks spotted night diving in Lahaina, Maui.

Your first shark experience should be fun and memorable. As you get near these potent ocean hunters remember there are over 400 unique shark species, and none purposefully prey on humans. So, swimming off the beaches of any island, including Oahu, Kauai, and Big Island, should make for a fantastic adventure, unlike any other!