Hawaii - The Big Island - Most Photogenic Sites

If anyone is planning a dive trip to the Big Island of Hawaii, I wanted to pass along my top picks for the Kona and Kohala Coasts most photogenic sites. Seriously - these are must-shoot.

Kona Coast

Place of Refuge (aka "Two-Step")
https://www.divesocial.com/dive-site...au-hawaii.html
Ridiculously easy shore access to a pristine reef with some of the best visibility on the island. The cove also features a pod of spinner dolphins! If you're timing is right, you can get some great shots both above and below the surface.

Mile Marker 4
https://www.divesocial.com/dive-site...na-hawaii.html
This is a personal favorite - visibility is not as good as nearby sites, but the topology to the south of the entry point features fissures and caves with "skylights" opening to the reef-top. You can get some surreal photographic effects with the shafts of light filtering through the suspended particles in the water. Give it a try and you won't regret it.

Site of the Kona Manta Ray Night Dive
https://www.divesocial.com/dive-site...na-hawaii.html
If the Mantas show up, which they usually do, it is impossible to NOT take some awesome pictures or video. This is a must-do dive, mentioned in the top 10 lists of every major scuba magazine


Kohala Coast

Village End - Puako
https://www.divesocial.com/dive-site...ko-hawaii.html
An amazing shore accessible site - one of many in the Puako area. Two words sum it up: Garden Eels. Out on the sand at about 80 feet are very large fields of garden eels. Very difficult to get close to, probably easier with video than with still, but these shy little guys make for some epic shots if you have patience.

Blackwater Dive
https://www.divesocial.com/dive-log/...-in-space.html
Also available out of Kona Harbors. You go out about 3 miles, its black night, you clip onto a 50 foot line and hang under the boat, just you, your camera and light, and whatever the sea brings you. A macro photographers dream.

Ulua Caverns
https://www.divesocial.com/dive-site...st-hawaii.html
Make this dive at night, and the cave walls come alive with bright orange tube corals, polyps fully extended to feed. Whether macro or wide angle, you're golden.

Thanks for sharing and I just had someone ask me for these types of recommendations on the big Island, I also mentioned the Manta Dive (With Jacks) and the Lava tubes, but that was as far as I got..... So the list is very helpful!