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Dive Brenneckeâ€™s Ledges in Kauai

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Jackie Haeger

Harlequin Shrimp

Location: Makahuena Point, Kauai, Hawaii
Depth: 60-90 ft
Visibility: 15-30’
Who it’s For: Intermediate Divers

What Makes it Special:

If kicking past volcanic rock and massive lava formations make you smile, Brennecke’s Ledges is your next destination dive site. A huge lava shelf gives this site its name, running parallel to Kauai’s southeastern shore for several miles until it finally drops off a 90-foot wall. The ledge is peppered with pink and white cauliflower coral—homes for several hermit crabs and other small crustaceans. Pincushion sea stars and Triton’s trumpet shells also stud the shelf.

Matthew Haeger

Divers at Brennecke’s Ledge.

The real fun begins when you drop down the wall. Black coral trees wave from the rock face. The shelf’s many overhangs are spackled with vibrant orange cup coral (be sure to bring a flashlight!). Numerous species of nudibranchs, and even the rare orange-banded cowry, nibble on the corals and polyps. Other residents include reef crabs, lobsters, banded angelfish, bluestripe snapper and snoozing reef sharks.

Visit the Brennecke’s Ledges with Seasport Divers, who charters two custom-built, Coast Guard-certified dive boats to this site and others near Kauai.

Visit www.seasportdivers.com to book your dive today.

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Lanaiâ€™s Most Popular Site: First Cathedral

Hawaiian Rafting Adventures Inc. / Dive Maui, Rebreathers, Scuba_News, standards, Teach First Aid/CPR, Tec, Tec Diving, Technology, TecRec, TecRec IT Crossover, UW Photography, Wrecks / Scuba Admin

Dive Maui

First Cathedral dive site.

Location: Southeast of Hulopoe Bay, Lanai, Hawaii
Depth: 25-60 ft
Visibility: 80-100’
Who it’s for: Beginner to Intermediate Divers

What makes it special:
First Cathedral features a huge, two-story tall underwater cavern – or lava tube – consisting of tunnels, ridges and passageways. A portion of the roof collapsed, leaving a large hole in the top. On a sunny day, rays of light enter the opening and create a spotlight affect inside the cavern on the fallen lava rock that’s appropriately called, the Altar. Rays of light also enter through tiny holes in the back of the cavern, creating a stained glass effect reminiscent of windows in a cathedral.

Dive Maui

Bandit Angelfish

The site can be entered through an archway and tunnel leading into the cavern. Depths are 50’ at the bottom of the archway and 25’ at the top. Exiting is done through a small opening at the back of the cavern, called the shotgun or torpedo tube, but you have to time it just right to exit with the surge.

Turtles, sharks, lobsters and an array of fish, including the endemic Bandit Angel Fish are seen inside the cavern and along the wall in front.

To book a dive on First Cathedral, visit www.goscubadivemaui.com.

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Dive Second Cathedrals in Lanai

Hawaiian Rafting Adventures Inc. / Dive Maui, Rebreathers, Scuba_News, standards, Teach First Aid/CPR, Tec, Tec Diving, Technology, TecRec, TecRec IT Crossover, UW Photography, Wrecks / Scuba Admin

Dive Maui

Blue Striped Snapper at Second Cathedral

Location: Southeast of Hulopoe Bay, Lanai, Hawaii
Depth:15-50 ft
Visibility: 80-100’
Who it’s for: Intermediate Divers

What Makes it Special:
Second Cathedrals is huge underwater cavern outside Lanai. Like it’s sister site, First Cathedrals, Second Cathedrals features numerous swim throughs, multiple archways and a 6’ long black coral fan growing downward from the roof of the cavern.

Dive Maui

Harlequin shrimp and baby.

The site is best reached with Hawaiian Rafting Adventures, who recommends diving it second on a two tank morning dive. This gives divers a chance to get comfortable with their divemaster before finning through the caverns and swim throughs.

Timing your dive well — entering the site around 11:00 am, for instance — is crucial to getting the best experience. On a sunny day just before noon, the sun radiates down through the cavern washing the sea floor with dazzling rays of light. But Second Cathedrals is more than just caverns and light shows. The dive is packed with all sorts of marine life like harlequin shrimp, frogfish, and incredible schools of bluestripe snapper. Several hundred yards long and thousands of fish strong, these schools wind through the caverns and over the reef like giant yellow ribbons.

To book a dive on Second Cathedrals, visit www.goscubadivemaui.com.

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World’s Best Cave, Cavern and Grotto Dive Sites

Asia and Indian Ocean, Australia and Pacific, Caribbean And Atlantic, Central America, Rebreathers, Scuba_News, standards, Teach First Aid/CPR, Tec, Tec Diving, Technology, TecRec, TecRec IT Crossover, Top 100, United States And Canada, UW Photography, Wrecks / Scuba Admin

Why do the Top 100 Readers Choice Awards, now in their 23rd year, still matter to divers? Because these are your picks, based on thousands of votes from the most experienced dive travelers on the planet. Why do they matter to us? Because every month you hear from our editors on what we think matters in the world of dive travel. For the January/February issue of Scuba Diving we get to listen to you, and we’re taking notes.

Here, we proudly present the No. 1 ranking destinations in the Best Cave/Cavern/Grotto Diving category of the awards. The full list of winning destinations is below.

Laurent Benoit

Mexico

Best Cave, Cavern and Grotto Diving in the Caribbean and Atlantic

An explosion in eco-adventure tourism has made the Mayan frontier an attractive destination for avid cave divers. Caverns as measureless as the imagination offer unique opportunities for novices, and miles of fresh exploration line present new adventures for seasoned explorers. Glass factories of intricate calcite ornaments fill passages with eye candy. Massive speleothems are stacked like wedding cakes left melting in the tropical heat. Swimming through nature’s time capsule, you’ll spot the exploration-line arrows of diving legends, and perhaps a few artifacts of cultures lost. Refreshing water and endless tunnels present hours of soak time every day. Accessible adventure, extraordinary beauty and a warm culture of colorful hospitality make Mexico the top of the list for cave divers. — Jill Heinerth

Caribbean and Atlantic

1. Mexico

2. Cayman Islands

3. Bay Islands

4. Belize

5. Bonaire

Aaron Wong

Palau

Best Cave, Cavern and Grotto Diving in the Pacific and Indian Oceans

Adventurous (and properly trained) divers know that Palau harbors dark secrets ripe for exploration. Over the eons, salt-water erosion carved caverns, tunnels and other exciting structures into the Micronesian archipelago’s limestone geography. At such world-famous sites as Chandelier Cave, Siaes Tunnel and Blue Holes, those brave enough to enter will find thrills and mysteries galore.
— Eric Michael

Pacific and Indian Oceans

Wes C Skiles/National Geographic Creative

Florida

Best Cave, Cavern and Grotto Diving in North America

With crystal-clear water, Florida’s springs offer alluring portals that beckon divers into labyrinthine museums of natural history. Cathedral-size galleries, pristine fossilized remains and a playground of the natural variety make Florida’s caves a seductive attraction for cave divers. The freshening flow, tepid water and easy dive access make a return visit mandatory.
— Jill Heinerth

North America

1. Florida

World’s Best Cave, Cavern and Grotto Dive Sites Read More »

World’s Best Cave, Cavern and Grotto Dive Sites

Here, we proudly present the No. 1 ranking destinations in the Best Cave/Cavern/Grotto Diving category of the awards. The full list of winning destinations is below.

Laurent Benoit