The popular snorkeling and scuba waters surrounding Maui’s Molokini islet will be off limits to tour operators for up to 10 hours on Wednesday, reports The Maui News.

Last Thursday, HAWAII Today posted word that the U.S. Fish & Wildflife Service was planning to temporarily shut down all access to Molokini for a day this month to dispose of unexploded ordnance found on the islet.

In December, Navy personnel surveying Molokini found a 250 lb. bomb, a 105mm projectile and a 5 in. rocket at the islet’s 300-foot elevation. 

The closure of waters a radius of one nautical mile around the partially sunken volcanic crater offshore of Maui’s Wailea resort area will begin at 7 a.m. Wednesday and finish by the afternoon.

Molokini’s waters are an underwater sanctuary for marine life, and the island breeding grounds for a variety of seabirds.
 
 

Molokini will be closed temporarily later this month to dispose of some unexploded ordnance found on the island.

The Maui News reported today that the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service would be shutting down all access to the island for a day to dispose of the materials.

The closure of  Molokini for a radius of one nautical mile will prevent ocean excursion tour operators from taking visitors to the island for an entire day. The crescent-shaped, partially sunken volcanic crater — 2.5 miles offshore of Maui’s Wailea resort area — is a popular destination for snorklers and scuba divers.

The decision to shut down access to the island also means the loss of a day’s earnings for the 40 or so tour operators who escort more than 1,000 visitors a day to Molokini.

A date for the closure has not yet been determined.

Molokini’s waters are an underwater sanctuary for marine life, and the island breeding grounds for a variety of seabirds.