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Boat entry

Turtle Canyon Reef

Hawaii, United States
Open Water suggested3–15 m depthBoat entryRash guard or 2mm shorty typical

Boat dive — see Entry & access.

Turtle Canyon Reef at a glance

Turtle Canyon Reef is a boat dive site in Hawaii, United States with depths of 3–15.2 m (10–50 ft). Typically most favorable Jul · from 3 years of archive data. Divers commonly see goldring surgeonfish, Hawaiian cleaner wrasse, and Flame angelfish. Recent reports put the water around 27°C (81°F). Check the latest conditions and entry details before you go.

Marine model · graded 1h ago
1.2 mwaves — about a meter expected

Tap a factor for its source and model point · Forecast 27°C · seasonal avg 27°C

Site hazards: Boat and canoe traffic, turtle harassment laws, surge/swell on shallow reef, eels/urchins in holes, and accidental ascent away from the boat.

Read the full hazards ↓

Dive windows this week

Best: Sat
Fri8:00–19:00
Sat7:00–19:00
Sun7:00–19:00
Mon7:00–10:00
Tue7:00–12:00
Wed7:00–11:00
Thu7:00–12:00

Favorable windowModerate window— no window

First light 5:55 · Sunrise 6:17 · Sunset 18:38

Source: Open-Meteo marine · model point 5.4 km from site · graded 1h ago

Forecast only — always assess conditions on site.

Forecast · NOAA tide model

Tide & slack timing

Loading tide predictions

Recent diver reports

Dated firsthand observations from divers — not current conditions.

No diver reports for this site yet. — one dated observation helps every diver after you.

Dived here today — did the forecast match?

What Divers Say

Known for: goldring surgeonfish, Hawaiian cleaner wrasse, Green sea turtle
Best time: Year-round with operator-selected calm conditions; summer often improves visibility.

Based on community reviews and site data. Conditions vary — always verify before diving.

Best months, historically

What conditions have historically been typical at this site, month by month — not a forecast.

  1. Jan16%25°C2.2 m
  2. Feb40%25°C1.8 m
  3. Mar66%25°C1.6 m
  4. Apr77%25°C1.5 m
  5. May89%26°C1.3 m
  6. Jun99%26°C1.1 m
  7. Jul99%27°C1.1 m
  8. Aug92%27°C1.2 m
  9. Sep99%27°C1.2 m
  10. Oct78%27°C1.4 m
  11. Nov57%27°C1.6 m
  12. Dec30%26°C2.0 m

July hastypically had the largest share of favorable days here. Conditions vary year to year — this is historical context, not a forecast.

Based on 3 years of archive data. Bar height shows the share of days each month whose conditions have historically scored favorably.

Marine life recorded at this site, by month

Recorded observations — evidence of past sightings, not a promise of what you’ll encounter.

Species seen here

  • Chelonia mydas recorded here Jul, Sep–Oct (5 records)

    most recent 2018

  • Chelonia Brongniart, 1800 recorded here Sep (2 records)

    most recent 2002

  • Caranx melampygus recorded here Jul (1 record)

    most recent 2018

  • Echidna nebulosa recorded here Jul (1 record)

    most recent 2012

  • Gymnothorax meleagris recorded here Jul (1 record)

    most recent 2018

  • Melichthys vidua recorded here Jul (1 record)

    most recent 2012

  • Mulloidichthys vanicolensis recorded here Jul (1 record)

    most recent 2018

  • Rhinecanthus rectangulus recorded here Oct (1 record)

    most recent 2014

Counts are occurrence records near this site from public biodiversity datasets (GBIF), grouped by calendar month across all sampled years. Sightings vary — past records are context, not a prediction.

The underwater calendar

When these animals are most recorded around Hawaiʻi — from open sighting data, not a promise.

Watch the whole year animate on the Migrations map

Fills & rentals nearby

Facts from OpenStreetMap, corrected by the community — listed by distance only. Details change; confirm with the shop.

Shop facts come from OpenStreetMap and community corrections, shown nearest first. PickADive lists facts and contacts only — no listing is sponsored or ranked.

Data updated July 2026

Site details

Boat reef off Waikiki/Honolulu known for Hawaiian green sea turtle cleaning stations on lava finger reefs and coral heads. It works for beginner scuba and is also used by snorkel/freedive boats in calm conditions. The main safety issue is surfacing/ascending around heavy boat, catamaran, canoe, and tour traffic.

boatreef

Boat and canoe traffic, turtle harassment laws, surge/swell on shallow reef, eels/urchins in holes, and accidental ascent away from the boat.

Reviews

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