The Depths of Lanai: A Scuba Diver's Bucket List

The Lanai Cathedrals: Diving in a Submerged Sanctuary

Descending into First Cathedral for the first time is a spiritual experience. The moment you pass through the dark archway and the cavern opens up, pierced by brilliant sunlight beams, absolute silence takes over.

It's not just a dive. It's an audience with nature's architecture. I always tell students to pause on the "Altar" and take it all in. For photographers, this is your Sistine Chapel.

These magnificent structures are massive underwater lava tubes, or pyroducts. They formed when great rivers of molten lava flowed toward the sea. Outer edges cooled and hardened, creating a crust that insulated still-flowing lava within. When eruption ceased, lava drained out, leaving behind these immense, hollow caverns.

First Cathedral

This two-story cavern is entered through a wide archway at about 50 feet deep. Magic happens when sunlight pours through a large collapsed hole in the ceiling. It creates a brilliant spotlight on a lava boulder known as the "Altar."

Smaller holes throughout the cavern create a "stained glass" effect. They illuminate water with ethereal blue light. The dive often concludes with an exit through a small opening called the "shotgun." It's a lava tube where ocean surge can propel you out. A thrilling finish!

Second Cathedral

The larger of the two, Second Cathedral is a labyrinth of smaller chambers and passages branching off a vast, vaulted central room. It offers more exploration opportunities and is famous for a stunning black coral "chandelier." This rare sight grows upside down from the ceiling at such a diveable depth.