Hawai'i Coral Reef Network

Back to the Reefs of Hawai'i
Kealakekua Bay Homepage

 

Kealakekua Bay, Hawai'i 

Special Features

Kealakekua Bay is a spectacular area with sheer cliffs running down into the water forming a narrow, shallow shelf that extend offshore 20-30 m. In this area snorkeling and SCUBA diving is fantastic around the well developed reef. The coral covered bottom slopes steeply away from the shore to over 30 m depths within a relatively short distance providing for great deep-water SCUBA diving.

Looking up towards the surface in the surge zone which is dominated by cauliflower coral (Pocillopora meandrina).

Yellow tangs (Zebrasoma flavescens) and black durgeons (Melichthys niger) swarm over the shallow reef flat.

At 3 m depths finger coral (Porites compressa) forms an almost continuous reef which runs steeply down into the slope and rubble zone.

 


Last update: 1/25/2005