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This site is almost around the point at Kamaiki and so is exposed to strong currents quite often, making it one of the more difficult spots to access frequently however, when it can be done it rivals all the other sites on the South east corner because of the beauty of the coral, the swim-through, the presence of many species of fish both common and rare (like the flame angel) and ...a turtle cleaning station. The only station I know of on the SE side. While the presence of turtle cleaning stations is a well known phenomena to Hawaiian dive guides it is not well documented in the mainstream nature publications and most divers tend to move to fast to see this unusual behavior which , as far as I know is limited to Hawaii. I have yet to hear of turtles congregating to get their shells picked clean by grazing tang fish elsewhere on the globe, but this could be a well kept secret. The cleaning action is best observed by swimming quietly and slowly up to visual range and watching the turtles hover with their necks craning and fins in a vertically held position. If you are fortunate you will see cleaning occur. You may also see turtles feeding on vegetation or small crustaceans while here. When the turtles are not found here the abundance of fish and variety of inverts found in the ledges make this a great dive. This site was named by our former dive leader Robin Simon who had a special relationship with a turtle he called Oscar that was resident here for years.
All photos and intellectual property © Erik Stein
Oscar's Reef description By Erik Stein
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