snorkeling in hawaii

[Minoushka]

where is tjhe best spot on hawaiian islands for from beach snorkeling in maui kona hilo lahaina honolulu

also where should we go if we want to get on a boat to a special reef

we need 'cheap excursions ' regal princess outings too expensive

please advise

michele

[jeffbrig]

In Maui, the area called Black Rock in Kanaapali probably is the best beach snorkeling. If you're game for a boat ride, get on one of the boats that goes out to Molokini - the reef there is simply amazing and well worth the cost of the boat ride. It was that much better than anywhere I snorkeled on our 2 week land vacation in Maui and Kauai.

 

We rode out to Molokini on Paragon 2, a sailing catamaran. It was a lot of fun, and under wind power our boat was faster than most of the diesel burners that make up the charter fleet.

[T90girl]

If you go to Oahu, do not miss Hanauma Bay. You just snorkel from the beach, and you will be so surprised at the variety of the fish you will see. We were there late in the day and we just walked out to the water from the beach area.

[T90girl]

If you go to Oahu, do not miss Hanauma Bay. You just snorkel from the beach, and you will be so surprised at the variety of the fish you will see. We were there late in the day and we just walked out to the water from the beach area.

[HookedOnCruisin'2]

I was going to suggest Hanauma Bay as well. The snorkeling is fantastic. An abundance of beautiful fish and corals. They close it periodically to help save it from damage so I would check before you go.

[jaguarprincess]

MAUI -- I'd go along with Kanaapali Beach, and I believe the best snorkeling there is in front of the Sheraton. We preferred a little beach by the side of the road a few miles away, however. (Check some guide books for mile signs, and look for parked cars.) Both are close to Lahaina.

 

HILO -- I'm not sure there is any good snorkeling on that side of the island. Volcanoes National Park is a "must see", I guess, but I enjoyed the Hawaii Botanical Gardens more.

 

KONA -- Head for Kahaluu Beach Park, app. 5 miles south of Kailua Kona. We were fortunate to stay near by, and we snorkeled there almost every day for two weeks and never got bored. More species of butterfly fish than I've ever seen in one place, plus sea turtles that bask on the rocks, seemingly unafraid. Food is available. There are also two outfits that run snorkeling tours to the bay around the Cook monument. The Fair Isle (?) trip was fantastic and could possibly be arranged independently. For "cheap snorkeling", however, I don't think you could beat Kahaluu Beach .

 

Enjoy

[DREAMER7]

The best snorkeling I've read about from CC is Kealakekua Bay and the tour people that provide that is called Fair Wind. Their website is Fair-wind.com

 

We're going to book an AM Deluxe snorkel cruise that includes a continental breakfast and a BBQ lunch. We're going on the POH 9/24/2007 with several family members and this will be a highlight for our vacation. The snorkeling at this K-Bay is the BEST I hear.

Check out their website.

[jaguarprincess]

The Fair Wind snorkel trip to Kealakekua Bay is the one I was referring to (Fair Isle - Cook Monument, above) only Dreamer7 got the name right. This is a fun trip and well worth the money if you can arrange it independently (or through the ship). It is not snorkeling from the beach, however. The boat has an easy access ramp that's very user friendly, and the water is calm (at least it was the day we were there), but it is too deep to stand up. There's a very engaging guy who goes around the ship (and through the water) with a video camera, and you can buy a copy of the video at the end of the trip. Sounds kind of hokey, but it really was fun. If you decide it's too pricey, again, get yourselves to Kahaluu Beach.

[simonv]

Kealakakua Bay in Kona is the only boat snorkeling worth paying for in my opinion. Fairwind is a very good operation, however it might be too expensive. They run an afternoon tour that is cheaper, but sea tends to be choppier in the afternoon. There are zodiacs going out to Kealakakua Bay and I believe they are cheaper than Fairwind. Check them out. If you go to the Place of Refuge, you'll be snorkeling on the same reef as Kealakakua Bay, so it is a good option. It's a park and there are some facilities. Long sand beach and it's pretty there. Honolua Bay in Maui is a marine reserve and very good, and it's shore snorkeling.

[MsJ]

hi....we have snorkeled at all the places mentioned above and we found the zodiac trip to Cook Monument by far the best ...you can only get to it by boat as far as I know but it is well worth it....I dont remember the name of the company that took us but it was on a zodiac....

[Hawaiifrank]

The zodiac boats are called Sea Quest. I'm not sure I'm allowed to give the URL but you can Google for it. I took my brother on this tour when he came to visit in May 2006. He and his wife loved it. I've been on Fair Winds as well but Sea Quest is less expensive. We did the longer tour where you dive at both City of Refuge and Capt. Cook Monument (Kealakokua Bay).

 

You CAN drive to both places if you get a car. For a group of several people this would probably save $$, but Capt. Cook Monument is about 1/2 mile swim from the only place to park and parking is very limited. City of Refuge is a Natl. Park and there is an entry fee, something like $5/pp. I don't see why you couldn't swin from shore there in the same place the boat takes you, though you might want to check with the rangers before you drive down there. They may frown on you swiming from shore. I didn't see any one doing it but there are no signs posted other than the one that says not to harass the sea turtles. It's maybe 40 mi. south of Kailua-Kona.

 

I live on Oahu. If you want more info, post a reply and I'll get back to you.

 

Frank

[simonv]

FYI: Snorkel boats go to the Cook's Monument in Kealakakua Bay. They are one and the same. You can rent kayaks in Napoopoo, and kayak a half mile to the Monument. You probably need to reserve kayaks and parking in Napoopoo is extremely limitted.

I believe there are two roads at the Place of Refuge, one going to the beach and another for the Park itself. My recollection is the second left turn goes to the beach but I'm not sure. Park Ranger will tell you. Place of Refuge itself is worth a visit.