Small Group Shark and Turtle Dive for Certified Divers (Shore)

Dive into the vibrant underwater world of a condemned pier turned reef. Encounter schools of fish, camouflaged frogfish, and graceful turtles, with a pregnant reef shark as a highlight.

Duration: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • 1223 Front St - Dive with Maui’s resident turtle population (honu), encounter white tip reef sharks, and more on our favorite shore dive at Mala Wharf.

Since being destroyed by Hurricane Iniki in 1992, Mala Wharf has become the best dive site on Maui. A quick walk from our shop, Mala is home to so much life that if you only have time for one dive while you’re on island, this should be it. In addition to turtles and sharks, the sunken pier is home to large schools of fish, octopus, eels, nudibranchs, and the elusive but popular frogfish!
The Dive Maui team loves diving and all of our dives have the potential to be one hour long, air permitting. Unless otherwise requested, all our shore dives are conducted on 80’s (standard size tanks) which means you can expect close to an hour underwater.

All our shore dives are private or in small groups of no more than 4 divers so you’ll get the most out of your experience. Smaller groups, make it easier for your PADI professional to give you individualized attention and point out the cool stuff.

What's Included
  • SCUBA equipment provided
Additional Information

You plunge into the water and, following a brief swim on the surface, you dive towards an abandoned pier that has become a lively reef. Various schools of fish inhabit the wreckage, now adorned with vibrant corals and sponges.

Amidst the orderly disarray of swimming turtles, you play hide-and-seek with stealthy frogfish, casting your gaze in all directions. You trail your guide as they navigate you through the labyrinth of the sunken structure, maneuvering below and within the ancient dock where a gestating reef shark lies underneath a slab of concrete, temporarily halting you with its charm. On your return journey, you’re captivated by the tranquil ballet of numerous turtles elegantly gliding through the transparent waters.

  • This is an activity for certified divers only. You must be able to carry your own SCUBA gear in and out of the water.
  • Need to have dived in the previous 2 years to participate
Location
1223 Front St
Front Street
We meet at our shop which is located in Lahaina close to Baby Beach. There is parking for guests in our front lot and free overflow parking on Front Street. All shore divers must have their own transportation as we may have to drive to an alternate site if the conditions at Mala are not favorable.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(141 Ratings)
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Globetrotting232996
Aug 4, 2024
Turtle and Shark Dive - An amazing dive with DIVE MAUI. Joe was our guide and we were able to see too many turtle to count, sharks and so much more. We will be back to dive with DIVE MAUI again.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nomad37795219428
Aug 2, 2024
Easily one of the best dives of my life. - Dove Mala Pier which is one of the world's densest, richest shore dive environments. My dive consisted of our guide, Joe, plus one other individual. It was a very intimate and safe dive environment with our group of 3. During my 51-minute dive, we saw 20-30 turtles, hundreds to thousands of fish, eels, and 1 monk seal. The dive exceeded all my expectations - it was truly an underwater adventure. I was the first to spot the monk seal and watched it for 2-3 full minutes as it approached us. At one point, the seal came within 5 - 10 feet of me, watching us the entire time. Eventually, I briefly broke eye contact for safety so as not to accidentally show aggression. The rest of the dive was seamless and very well-paced. Joe had a great sense of humor, patiently answered questions, and made our dive experience one for the books.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rafael_c
Jul 9, 2024
Yes, we got to see turtles and sharks! - Great experience! We got to see at least 45 turtles and 5 sharks! our Dive Master Joe did a great job from the moment he greeted us, and he paid special attention to my 10 years old son and helped him with his buoyancy during the dive
Review provided by Viator
Natalieoi4588wi
Jul 9, 2024
Best dive ever! - First time traveling to Maui and found this dive shop online and was so happy I did. We did 2 dives, one at Black Rock and one at Mala Wharf. We were a group of 5 with our amazing guide Joe. It was one of the coolest dives I've ever done. Joe was so knowledgeable of the area and a great guide. We saw over 20 sea turtles in one area, reef sharks, eels and tons of fish. It was so much fun. I can't recommend this dive shop more. I will 100% come back and do this dive again.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kerri_m
Jun 25, 2024
Saw so much - Enjoyed both dive spots. Nice having a small group more personalized dive. Joe was a great guide. I would definitely recommend for the price and the experience.
Review provided by Viator
Paulu_12
Jun 4, 2024
Great Lahaina diving open for business - you will see turtles! - We previously dived with Dive Maui for our Open Water certification 3 years ago so this was a return trip. Joe was our Dive Master this time and he was great. He provided a through briefing on the dive plan for each dive so we were fully prepared. We dived Black Rock and Mala Wharf (which is one of our favorite sites of all time). Both dives were excellent at around an hour each. The rental gear is high quality, BCDs have integrated weight pockets which is always nice (although we have never needed to drop them!). We previously also dived Cathedrals which is a fantastic boat dive and a must do while you are on Maui. This is a great local Lahaina company; take your business to them and you will not regret it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ryangq6751ob
Jun 3, 2024
Black Rock and Mala Ward Shore Dives - Joe was an amazing guide. Had a blast diving Black Rock and Mala Warf. Got lucky and got to see a monk seal on the Black Rock dive plus lots of great fish, eels, octopus, turtles and even a white tip shark at Mala Warf. Will definitely come back to dive here when we come back to visit Maui again 🤙🏽.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Akash
May 30, 2024
Best dive after 6yrs of staying dry. Thank you Joe. - Went for a dive after 6 years since my last dive. Joe did a quick refresher and took us to Black Rock and Mala Wharf. Ultimate experience. My best scuba experience so far. 100+ ft visibility and pristine blue waters with so many kinds of fish. Saw Eagle Rays, Octopus, White tip sharks, many large sea turtles and many more different fishes that I couldn't even recognize. Also swam through a large school of fish. I was initially nervous before booking as I hadn't done an open water dive for 6 years, but I had a phone call with Joe and booked the two dives before flying to hawaii. Both dives were relaxed, small group of 4 ( including Joe), and Joe made sure he walked us through any possible issues and tips to make the dive experience perfect.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Alessandrolj3194qh
May 6, 2024
Diving in lahaina - Really professional and good communication. Even from shore we managed to see dozens of turtles. If we get back to maui we will definitely come back.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Athenap2024
Apr 30, 2024
Fav shore dive I've ever done! - My partner and I did a turtle and shark dive (Mala Wharf) in April with Dive Maui! The booking process was so straightforward and everything and all the info was emailed to us immediately. When we got there, all of our gear was already laid out, Abbi was so efficient and gave us a great brief on what to expect etc. Abbi was enthusiastic, relaxed (in the best way) and made sure we were all accomodated. It was a shore dive so it was not as deep as our usual boat dives but it was such as good time. We saw so so many turtles, tons of fish, sharks, octopus. Abbi was great at checking in on us during the dive and made sure everyone in the group saw all the little creatures in every nook and cranny. We had a blast. Would recommend in a heartbeat!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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