Part 1 of this series discuses Snorkeling Gear; Part 2 of this series discusses Snorkeling Technique; Part 3 covers Snorkeling Etiquette; Part 4 covers Snorkeling Safety and Part 5 covers Big Island Snorkel Spots.
Hawaii’s varied landscape and dynamic shoreline provides for an amazing array of snorkeling experiences, from broad, sandy beaches with placid and inviting turquoise water to broken glass-sharp cliffs where the swimmer leaps into surgey dark water. Everywhere I’ve snorkeled on Hawaii, from lazily paddling in calm waters at Kahalu’u to rappelling into the wild surf and open ocean currents at Pau’ekolu, the snorkeling is wonderful, beautiful, exhilarating. But many of the best places to snorkel are difficult or scary for the beginning snorkeler, some could be lethal. Here’s a list of the crown jewel snorkeling spots that are easy for the beginner, tantalizingly fascinating for the experienced.
Westside Beaches
Hapuna Beach (turn off Highway 19 at mile marker 69): Always rated in the top ten of American beaches, Hapuna Beach is long, wide, and phenomenally sandy. The center of the beach is for wave play and boogey boarding; the north and south coves are quieter, for snorkeling or gentle floating. Although most of the shore is relatively free of currents, only experienced snorkelers who are strong swimmers will want to snorkel around the south end of Hapuna, past a sea arch and to the reef and cove of Beach 69—a long, but rewarding swim with some of the most incredible underwater vistas available to the snorkeler in the word.
Aneho’omalu Beach (turn off Highway 19 at mile marker 76): The most photographed sunset view on the Island of Hawaii, Anaeho’omalu Bay is the icon of what most visitors envision Hawaii to be like before they get here. Although the water tends toward being cloudy, this is an excellent beach for beginning snorkelers.
Kekahakai State Park, Kua Bay (turn off Highway 19, between mile markers 88 and 89): Kua Bay has a lovely white sand beach and full facilities, although there is no shade to speak of. Swimming and boogey boarding in the crystalline waters is primo, though strong currents and large waves call for respect here. If the surf is up, don’t go in. Also, sometime in winter the surf removes the sand to offshore, leaving a rocky shelf that is less fun to frolic on than the sandy beach.
Kahalu’u Beach (in Kailua Kona, along Ali’i Drive, between mile markers 4.5 and 5): This is the premiere snorkeling beach of the Island of Hawaii; protected from the open sea by a jetty, the reef is also protected against commercial aquarium fishing. Thus, the snorkeling is in calm, shallow water. Also, there is an abundance of fish of an enormous variety, perhaps the best display on the island. Numerous freshwater springs and shallow water bathers make the near-shore snorkeling unpleasantly cloudy, but about fifty feet offshore the water turns crystal clear and the display of coral is nothing short of amazing. There is a fair current north out of the bay and along the coast. Incredible archeological sites abound in this area and make a fine after-snorkel exploration on foot; ask for details at the concierge desk at the adjacent Keauhou Beach Resort.
Two-Step Beach (adjacent to Pu’u Honua O Hounaunau National Historic Park on Highway 160): Some of the finest protected snorkeling on the Island is located at Two-Step Beach. A wonderland of turtles, coral and fish, with frequent morning visits by dolphins, this snorkeling experience shouldn’t be missed. No swimming is allowed within the Park out of respect for its sacredness; however, Two-Step Beach offers a convenient place to enter Honaunau bay. One can enter the bay either by the boat ramp, or by stepping off the short cliff into the water from near the center edge of the lava beach, where two ledges serve as steps down into the ocean. Getting in is a simple matter of stepping down these steps, “1, 2, OCEAN!”—to get out, reverse the process.
