Maui: Mala Wharf Shark & Turtle Dive for Certified Divers

A Sunken Pier Turned Reef: Maui's Best Single Dive

You descend on a sunken pier transformed into a thriving reef, swimming through schools of fish and past resting reef sharks while sea turtles glide around you. Your small group (max 4) gets personalized attention from your PADI guide as you explore the wreck for close to an hour. All SCUBA gear is provided, and the dive launches from a shop just steps from the shore.

Step-by-step itinerary

Shore dive at Mala Wharf reef

• Walk to Mala Wharf dive site
• Enter water and surface swim
• Descend on condemned pier reef
• Observe schools of fish and corals
• Spot camouflaged frogfish
• Follow instructor through wreck obstacle course
• See pregnant white tip reef shark
• Watch turtles swimming gracefully
• Return to starting point

The experience

The moment your fins touch the sandy bottom at Mala Wharf, you hear it: the low hum of a thousand small movements. Fish scatter in silver clouds around the collapsed pier pilings, their fins catching what little light filters down. The wreck itself is barely recognizable as what it was before Hurricane Iniki tore it apart in 1992. Now it's a maze of concrete and steel draped in coral and sponges, and it's teeming. Your instructor signals you forward, and you realize you're not looking at a dive site. You're looking at a living thing.

The turtles (honu, your guide will tell you) move through the water like they own it, which they do. They glide past you in ones and twos, sometimes more, their shells catching the filtered sunlight as they graze on the reef or just drift through the wreck. You'll find yourself torn between watching them and scanning the shadows for the frogfish: the one everyone wants to spot but almost nobody does on their first try. Then there's the pregnant reef shark resting under a section of cement. Your instructor pauses the group, and you hang there in the water, just watching her breathe. She's not aggressive. She's resting. The moment holds.

Because groups stay small, no more than four divers, your PADI professional can actually point out what matters instead of herding you through. The dive runs close to an hour if your air holds, and the shop is a short walk from the water, which means less gear-hauling before you even get wet. You'll see large schools of fish, octopus tucked into crevices, eels, nudibranchs, and if you're patient, that frogfish. Most divers who come to Maui for one dive pick this one.

What’s included

Your dive includes all SCUBA equipment (tanks, BCD, regulator, wetsuit if needed), a PADI-certified guide leading a group of no more than 4 divers, and approximately one hour of bottom time at Mala Wharf exploring the wreck, reef life, and resident turtle population.

Options for this experience

2 options

Single-tank dive for certified diversGuide in English · 07:30

Dive with two tanks, certified divers onlyGuide in English · 07:30Lasts 5 hours

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Information

Lasts 2h 30m, runs every day at 07:30, from US$ 135.80 per person, with a live guide in English, in groups of up to 4 and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 07:30Another time? ›

GroupUp to 4

Live guideEnglishOther languages ›

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Book up to18h before

AgesAdult (10 to 75 years) · Under 10: can't be booked

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortPets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Dive Maui

Is this one for you?Book this if you're a certified diver who wants to see Maui's most prolific marine life in a single dive without arranging your own gear or navigating a crowded group: the small-group format and shore-based location mean you maximize time underwater and minimize logistics.

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Top questions

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

Do I need to be a certified diver to do this?

Yes. This is for certified divers only. You'll need to have dived within the previous 2 years and be able to carry your own SCUBA gear in and out of the water.

How long is the dive?

Close to one hour underwater, depending on your air consumption. Standard 80-cubic-foot tanks are used.

How many people dive in a group?

Small groups of no more than 4 divers, so your instructor can give you individualized attention.

What's included?

All SCUBA equipment is provided. The dive departs from the shop, which is a short walk from Mala Wharf.

Will I see turtles and sharks?

Turtles are resident at Mala Wharf and you'll see them regularly. White-tip reef sharks are also present. You may encounter one resting under the wreck.

Is this a beginner dive?

No. You need to be certified and have dived recently. The site involves navigating a wreck with obstacles, so moderate fitness and comfort underwater are expected.

How do I get to the dive shop?

Public transportation options are available nearby. The shop is located close to Mala Wharf on Maui's west side.