Swimming with Sharks at Molokini

One of the most common questions that we receive is “Are there sharks at Molokini Crater?” The answer, of course, is yes because they live in the ocean.  The truth is, if you are snorkeling in the ocean, you may have the rare opportunity to spot a shark regardless of where you are snorkeling. The real question should be “How likely is it that I will see a shark when snorkeling Molokini?” The answer is very rare. Truth is, statistically you are more likely to be injured from a selfie stick than be attacked by a shark.

Sharks tend to shy away from people and the fact there are many others snorkeling at Molokini with you is one of the reasons it is highly unlikely to spot one of these majestic creatures. Another reason you may not have the opportunity to see a shark is the most common species seen at Molokini is the white tip reef shark which hunt at night and spend most of their time during the day dwelling in caves. The whale shark has also been spotted near Molokini but this sighting is very rare as they usually tend to stay north of Kauai Island. Whale sharks are considered the world’s largest living fish and grow up to 60 feet though they are usually between 15-40 feet. These gentle giants only feed on plankton, small fish and squid. All in all, there are approximately 40 species of sharks here in Hawaii and they are all very important to our healthy marine life ecosystems. You can learn more details of all species of sharks in Hawaiian waters here.

Snorkeling at Molokini is an amazing adventure for the entire family and the crystal clear pristine waters of Hawaii are not to be missed. We have been snorkeling at Molokini Crater for years and have yet to see a single shark! Time to  get out there and go have some fun!