Skip to content
Map of Turtle Canyon Reef
Add the first photo
Boat entry

Turtle Canyon Reef

Hawaii, United States
Open Water suggested3–15 m depthBoat entry3mm wetsuit 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 Hawaiian green sea turtles, butterflyfish, and flame angelfish. Recent reports put the water around 27°C (80°F). Check the latest conditions and entry details before you go.

Marine model · graded 14h ago
1.6 mwaves — about a meter and a half 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: Thu
Sun7:00–20:00
Mon7:00–20:00
Tue7:00–20:00
Wed7:00–20:00
Thu7:00–20:00
Fri7:00–13:00
Sat—

Favorable windowModerate window— no window

First light 5:38 · Sunrise 6:02 · Sunset 19:13

Source: Open-Meteo marine · model point 5.4 km from site · graded 14h 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.

What Divers Say

Known for: Hawaiian green sea turtles, butterflyfish, goldring surgeonfish
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

  • Hawaiian green sea turtlesCommonly seen
  • butterflyfishCommonly seen
  • flame angelfishOccasionally seen
  • goldring surgeonfishCommonly seen
  • moray eelsOccasionally seen
  • whitetip reef sharksRarely seen
  • Green sea turtleCommonly seen
  • Hawaiian cleaner wrasseCommonly seen
  • Spotted eagle rayOccasionally seen
  • OctopusOccasionally seen
  • Convict tangCommonly seen

  • 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.

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.

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

No reviews yet — this site is waiting for its first. Dived here? Your rating and a few lines help the next diver.

Spot something off?

Help keep this listing accurate for the next diver.