As another sign that Maui is slowly recovering from its devastating 2023 fire, Atlantis Submarines Maui has resumed giving tours.
Three tours are offered daily, five days a week, from Lahaina Harbor with tours closed on Tuesday and Friday to allow for a full day of recharging the submarine battery.
The tours provide views of the ocean, West Maui mountains, and island of Lanai aboard the shuttle boat that ferries guests between Lahaina Harbor and the dive site a mile off the coastline. Once inside the air-conditioned submarine, visitors gradually descend to a depth of 130 feet and, with large viewing ports in front of each seat, are able to marvel at a vibrant underwater paradise featuring natural coral reefs, an abundance of tropical fish, and diversity of marine life, all while enjoying a fun, informative, and educational narration from the onboard tour guide.
A highlight of the undersea journey is seeing the sunken Carthaginian, a 97-foot steel-hulled floating whaling museum that was a popular tourist attraction at Lahaina Harbor for many years before it became too degraded for visitors to safely access the vessel. In December 2005, Atlantis arranged for the Carthaginian to be carefully cleaned, towed and sunk onto a barren sandy area in 95-feet of water, where it has since evolved into a thriving artificial reef that has enhanced the quality and vibrancy of Maui’s undersea environment for fish and other marine life in the area.
Atlantis has made adjustments to its Lahaina operations to comply with the regulations and requirements that are in place while the harbor and surrounding area are being rebuilt. The company towed one of its state-of-the-art, battery-powered, 48-passenger submarines from Oahu to Lahaina to provide the tours. Fifteen employees are operating the Maui submarine tours, all of whom worked for the company before the closure and wanted to return.
The restarting of the tours is a remarkable story of determination and persistence. Atlantis Submarines Maui lost nearly everything in the wildfire, including its 48-passenger submarine, the tugboat that towed the submarine to and from the dive site, the pier slip, offices, ticket booth, maintenance shop, battery chargers, and other essential equipment to support the submarine’s operation.
“We never had any thought of giving up and have always felt that being able to restart the submarine tours at Lahaina Harbor would be viewed as another sign of hope that life is coming back to this iconic community,” said Ronald Williams, president and CEO of Atlantis Submarines Hawaii.
“Lahaina Harbor is a vital economic zone for all of Maui, but especially in West Maui where support for jobs and small businesses are needed for families to stay and thrive on the island,” said Williams. “The harbor gives life back to the land and will help allow Lahaina and West Maui to continue growing and gaining strength in the years to come.”
Parking is in a nearby designated area and people are escorted to the temporary Atlantis pier slip at Lahaina Harbor to board the Holokai shuttle boat to be ferried to the submarine dive site.
Maui Submarine Tours Information & Tickets
- Days of Operation: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. Closed on Tuesday and Friday.
- Dive Times: 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., and 1:00 p.m. Check in at least 30 minutes before.
- Tour Duration: Approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes.
- Cost: Adults $148 | Children $66. NOTE: For safety purposes, children are required to be at least 36-inches tall and able to navigate a vertical ladder.
- Reservations: To book tickets, visit https://www.atlantisadventures.com/maui or call Atlantis Adventures at (800) 381-0237.
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