Sergeant Major lies off the northwestern side of Lanai about a 40 minute boat ride out of Lahaina harbor. This scuba diving site makes a great second dive after diving on one of the other Lanai dive sites such as First Cathedral. This dive site has a nice variety of marine life, some interesting volcanic features, hard corals and 
a couple of small arches. As with any scuba diving site in Maui county if it is in “whale” season make sure you listen when you are underwater for the song of the Humpback whale. Sergeant Major is visited less often than other “second dive” sites on Lanai due to the amount of current that is type for this dive site. If it is available it is a very nice site and the depth makes for a perfect second dive.
Sergeant Major Rating: 3.19 out of 5
- Visibility – Good to very good when wind and currents are favorable
- Access – Moderate; boat only and 40 minutes from Lahaina Harbor. If you tend to get sea sick take your Bonine or ginger before this trip.
- Current – variable, minimal to strong
- Depth to 50 ft / 15 m
- Reef health Hard / Soft Corals – Good
- Marine species variety – Moderate to good
- Pelagics / Mammals / Turtles / Rays – Rare
Sergeant Major Overview
As you descend from the boat you will notice a couple of small arches which you can swim through. You will see a large number of Starfishes and also nudibranchs. As you are swimming over the hard corals, make sure you look closely. You can also find Commerson 
Frogfish and a variety of endemic fish, such as the Regal Parrotfish. I have seen a Commerson Frogfish several times not too far from the first small archway that you will probably swim through on the center lava ridge. These fish are very difficult to spot as they tend to blend in with their surroundings so 
make sure you keep your eyes open.
The visibility here is usually good to very good depending upon the currents. The depth on the site is up to about 50 feet making it perfect for a second dive. The site has three parallel lava ridges running perpendicular to the shoreline with a sand channel off
to the west. The center lava ridge or finger has two swim throughs that are fairly narrow and a high number of hiding places for various and habitat for a wide variety of marine species.
Current can be an issue here at times, so listen carefully at your dive briefing and to your boat captains instructions as you get ready to enter the water. You will sometimes find pods of dolphin in the area, or sharks but they are fairly rare.
As in all dives I recommend going slowly and take time to appreciate the site. Read other dive site reviews on my blog and see other underwater photographs on my website and follow me on Twitter @ images2inspire. The pool is open…
