An increasingly popular West Hawaii dive site was named the sixth best spot for diving in North America by the travel website oyster.com.
According to the company’s top 10 list, Keahole Point was awarded the listing, but local divers say the description is really for another site, in Makako Bay, north of the point.
“If you’re a manta lover, there are few better dive sites than Keahole Point on the Big Island of Hawaii,” the blog said. “Night dives are particularly popular where mantas — some with a wingspan of 16 feet — glide eerily through the shadowy waters.”
The site is also sometimes referred to as Garden Eels, because of the presence of the eels.
The manta dives have grown extremely popular in the last few years, prompting some West Hawaii legislators to introduce legislation seeking more management of the site. Rep. Nicole Lowen’s House concurrent resolution on the subject passed out of the Senate’s Water and Land Committee Tuesday unanimously.
Oyster’s blog also recommended hotels for each of the top 10 dive sites. For Kona’s entry, the Royal Kona Resort got the nod “for its convenient downtown location, affordable rooms, and private lagoon access.”
Topping the list was Half Moon Caye in Belize, followed by the Blue Heron Bridge at Riviera Beach, Fla., the RMS Rhone in the British Virgin Islands, Gran Cenote on the Riviera Maya, Mexico and Point Lobos in Carmel, Calif.
Rounding out the top 10 were the Florida Keys, Isla Mujeres in Cancun, Cocos Island in Costa Rica and Ray of Hope, Bahamas.