Richardson Ocean Park is a rocky Hilo cove whose calm bay is protected by lava rock, with a hard coral reef and a shallow shore entry from steps or black sand. Most dives stay between 5 and 11 m (15 and 36 ft) in mild current, which makes it one of the town's beginner-friendly sites, though the water deepens outside the wall and channel.
Also known as Richardson Beach Park, Richardson's.
Where it is and how deep
19.7354° N, 155.0133° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
Divers enter at the steps or from the black sand, then make a surface swim out over the shallow bay before descending. Inside the cove the water is calm, with mild currents, and the reef can be explored at depths of 5 to 9 m (15 to 30 ft). The bottom is a rocky cove of hard coral and fish, and visibility is usually medium rather than clear.
Octopus and moray eels hide in the lava crevices, and green sea turtles are a common sighting over the reef. Beyond the bay the dive changes: depending on direction outside the wall and channel, it can run from 9 to 37 m (30 to 120 ft), and tide shifts push currents through the channel. The dive ends with the same surface swim back to the steps or the sand.
Marine life and season
- Sea turtles
- Octopus & cuttlefish
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Hilo: Northwest swells from November to March can make the lava-rock shore entry at Leleiwi dangerous, and the entry is awkward in any month.
Know before you go
- Tide shifts drive currents through the channel, and the surface swim out and back is long at any time.
- Northwest swells from November to March can make the swim and the shore exit dangerous.
Dive videos
Richardson Ocean Park, Hawaii (by Snorkeling Quest) · Snorkeling Quest on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is Richardson Ocean Park for diving?+
Most dives stay between 5 and 11 m (15 and 36 ft) in the bay. Outside the wall and channel the water drops to about 37 m (120 ft).
Where is the entry at Richardson Ocean Park?+
Divers enter and exit at the steps or on the black sand beach, then swim out on the surface to the reef.
Sources
- Richardson Beach Park dive site — PADI
- Top Dive Sites in Hilo You Can Access Without a Boat — Hilo Scuba Diving
- Hilo liveaboards and diving — Divebooker
Photo credits
- Black lava rocks and breaking waves at Richardson Beach Park, with Mauna Kea faint on the horizon by Kaleodu, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
More dive sites in Hilo
Six lava arches and turtles resting on lava shelves
Similar dives elsewhere
Double horseshoe reef, nothing below 12 m
Five to ten green turtles on a dive, in 11 m off the beach
Protected since 1967, about 400 fish species
Green and hawksbill turtles at a shallow cleaning station