Pearl Harbor is located on the island of Oahu in Hawaii and is the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. It became famous in 1941 when the Japanese surprised attacked Pearl Harbor which brings the United States into the second world war. Can you scuba dive in Pearl Harbor?
No, as Pearl Harbor is an active military base and wrecks such as USS Arizona from the attack on Pearl Harbor is a war grave and memorial site. And the wreck is in bad decay. The only way to scuba dive in Pearl Harbor is to work for the US Navy.
In today’s post, we will go through in more detail if you can scuba dive in Pearl Harbor, so let’s get started!
Read more on common questions asked by divers
Can You Scuba Dive In Pearl Harbor?
The short answer is no. The reason is that Pearl Harbor is an active military base therefore there are obvious security restrictions. Also, the shipwrecks from the attack in 1941 are war graves and memorial sites.
The wrecks today are in bad decay. Properly the only way to scuba dive in Pearl Harbor is to work for the US Navy.
Other Dive Sites On Oahu Hawaii
With Pearl Harbor more or less off-limits to go scuba diving, there are other locations on Oahu where you can go scuba diving. Where you can see green sea turtles, moray eels, and wrecks.
- YO-257 Wreck.
- Sea Tiger Wreck.
- Turtle Canyon.
- Kewalo Pipe.
- Shark’s Cove.
- Hanauma Bay.
YO-257 Wreck
The USS YO-257 was a Yard Oiler that was built in the early 1940s which saw action in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. In 1996 it was purposely sunk to create an artificial reef off Waikiki.
Today there are schools of colorful fish, moray eels, and even the green sea turtles that can be seen around the wreck. And the wreck itself is covered with corals and sponges. The wreck is between 26 to 30 meters deep with the top deck of the ship is roughly 26 meters deep.
Sea Tiger Wreck
The Tiger Wreck was a Chinese trading vessel that was purposely sunk in 1999. It was sunk to try and create an artificial reef. The ship itself has very little decay and can be explored.
The wreck attracts a good range of marine life such as reef fish, morays eels, and occasional reef sharks. The wreck is between 24 to 30 meters deep and does requires the diver to have some experience and have the necessary scuba diving certs.
Turtle Canyon
This dive site is near the Sea Tiger wreck. As the name suggests you can expect to see turtles on your dive.
You will also have the chance to see other marine life like reef fish, eels, and maybe a whitetip shark.
Kewalo Pipe
This is another artificial reef that is made from an underwater steel pipeline that is broken up into smaller pieces. diving at this site you will also have the chance to see other marine life like Lizardfish, Scorpionfish, and Wrasses.
Shark's Cove
Shark’s Cove has a lot of arches, reefs with caves, and open-ended lava tubes. With plenty of reef fish to be seen. This may be called sharks’ cove but they are no more likely here than elsewhere.
Hanauma Bay
This is a very popular scuba diving site and it simply is a flooded volcano crater. This dive site has an abundance of fish that even will swim right up to your face mask.
Hanauma Bay has been declared a conservation district, that includes all of the marine life in the bay.
Wrapping Up
Finally, Pearl Harbor is a war grave and memorial site and today is an active military base. As a result you are not allowed to dive at the wrecks in Pearl Harbor. The only way to scuba dive in Pearl Harbor is to work for the US Navy.
And that’s it for now! I’d love to know if this guide on can you scuba dive in Pearl Harbor has helped you. Let me know if you have any questions and let me know if there is more to add.
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