Snorkeling in Hawaii
- Thread starter KarL
- Start date
Do yourself a favor and get the book The ultimate Hawaii guidebook revealed. Its the best $20 you will spend. It will guide you on everything on the islands. Each island has its own book. Listen to what it says and you will be set. It will give you all the sweet spots for food, snorkelling, tours, beaches, all the hidden spots that are not overrun with tourists.
Hanauma Bay has some nice fishes and a ton of them but is kinda sad since the coral and rock in that bay is picked bare by all the fish. I prefer snorkeling in Kailua when I get the chance. Less fish but more natural and indicative of hawaii's natural waters. Of course its been 15 years since I last snorkeled there and it was raining cats and dogs….lol
Another +1 on what Chris recommended. Generally, when my wife, daughter, and I go to Hawaii (so far Big Island, Maui, and Oahu), we prefer to explore the island on our own. Search the web and find some free snorkeling spots off the beaches. There's a ton of them. On Oahu, I'd check out Hanauma Bay, but get there really early because the parking lot fills up and they'll stop letting people in. Also get there early so you can hopefully score a spot under a tree because it does get hot there and you don't wanna get baked. The snorkeling there is ok, as long as you go out passed the break and into the bay. It'll open up and the clarity gets really good out there. As already mentioned, Shark's cove on the north shore is great as well. Lotsa fish once you get out in the deeper stuff. But I remember it gets kinda crowded and it's not much of a beach. Just a little hike down into a rocky area. But again, the snorkeling was great. I personally don't like those snorkeling boat trips because you're paying for snorkeling, which you can do for free off a bunch of spots from the shore. But that's just me. If you wanna just chill on a nice beach, head out to Lanikai/Kailua. Awesome beaches, good swimming, and alot less people/tourists.
Just my 2 cents. Have a great time and enjoy.
Just my 2 cents. Have a great time and enjoy.
Hawaii is full of spots for snorkeling… just know that if you plan in the winter you have a greater chance of bigger surf which could stop you from getting in the water, depending on your comfort level with surf. Also there has been a lot of shark attacks within the islands lately so keep your eyes peeled, haha ( not like we can do much )… I just got back from maui not to long ago and no shark sightings. Have fun, the islands are beautiful! I would recommend maui over the tropical LA ( Oahu ), but that is just me.
Theres a nice reef next to Lagoon reef. Its 15 miles southwest from Wakiki and about 300' east from the fisherman wharf. Just watch out for locals. If they see you collecting or even have a container with you. They will be very confrontational. I almost got in a fight with one of the locals there. He made me open my igloo lunch pale to make sure there wasn't no fish/coral in there. They take pride in there island.
I ended up going to Haunama Bay. Didn't know what to expect. The shallow end where I'm sure the majority of the tourist hang out, there was a few fish. Was a bit worried I was going to be disappointed. But once you get past the old reef wall, there's a big drop off where all the fish hang out. Lots of tangs and wrasses. Tangs were huge, made the ones in our tanks look like babies. I brought out the underwater camera, so I'll post some pics soon
You need a recreational aquarium permit from Hawaii DAR. I went to oahu last summer and found a ton of Hawaiian zoas but of course I didn't have a tank. This summer I'm going to maui and I've already researched a couple hidden reefs where I can hopefully find some specimens to bring home.
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Honestly, you can't beat Hanauma bay for sea life even though you're crowded with tourists. There are so many species of fish that congregate there and by far the easiest place to see them. The only place in Oahu that was just as good was an area near waianai nick named electric beach. It's right by the power plant and there are these huge shotgun tubes that pump out the coolant water from the power plant. And all the fish go there for the warmer water. Glad you had fun Karl!
