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| Shark's Cove - popular snorkelling spot |
I discovered the joy of snorkelling on a recent trip to Hawaii. If you think you can't snorkel just because you can't swim, think again! Because if I - having little swimming skills and quite a lot of anxiety in deep waters, managed to clock in a few snorkelling hours, so can you!
And that's the beauty of these snorkelling spots in Hawaii! They are shallow enough that anyone, regardless of their prowess in the waters, can enjoy. My partner and I went to Hawaii with zero intention to snorkel and ended up pursuing said activity whenever we could.
So do yourselves a favour and get one of those snorkel masks and soon, you will discover a whole new world of fishes, turtles and other marine creatures just a short distance away from the shore!
Here are some of the spots tried and tested by a beginner snorkeller - me!
KAUAI
Having spent only a couple of days in Kauai, we only had time for one beach visit and luckily for us, we chose one of the top spots for snorkelling in Kauai. If like us, you are short on time, try Tunnels Beach. Other good spots to explore includes Anini Beach (North shore) and Poipu Beach (South shore).
1. Tunnels Beach
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| Beautiful Sunset at Tunnels Beach |
Located at the Northern side of Kauai, Tunnels Beach is a vision with its view of the Napali Coast, fine sand and clear water. If, like us, you stay at Princeville, this beach is just a short drive away and totally worth a visit.
Even if you have no intention to snorkel (which I highly recommend you to try), Tunnels Beach has a great view of the sunset. If you do snorkel, you will be treated to coral reef abundant with marine life!
Parking
Parking at Tunnels Beach might be a bit of an issue as it is a popular spot. The free parking lots at Haena Beach Park are a good option and is around 10-15 minutes walk away but there are not many slots to begin with.
You could also park along the Tunnels Beach access roads but it might also be hard to find spots. The key is to get there early!
MAUI
The beaches of Maui is where we had the most turtle sightings! I am not super well-versed in turtle species but I am pretty sure most of the turtles we saw were the green sea turtles. The hawksbill turtles are also quite commonly spotted in Hawaiian waters.
2. Ka'anapali Beach (near Black Rock Beach)
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| Northern End of Ka'anapali Beach (photo credit: expedia.com) |
The Ka'anapali Beach is close to where Whaler's Village (a beachfront mall) is. But to have a good snorkelling experience, you will need to go to the Northern end of Ka'anapali Beach, near where the Black Rock Beach is.
This would require a bit more of a walk from Whaler's Village so if you are driving, you could try to find parking closer to the point where Ka'anapali and Black Rock Beaches merge.
Close to the black rocks was where we spotted many turtles and were up close to them! You could easily stand knee-deep in the waters and see the turtles right beside you. Really a memorable experience.
Parking
We parked at Whaler's Village which had parking fee of USD 8/hour, maxing at USD 50. If you make a purchase from Whaler's Village, you can get a 2 hours waiver on your parking fee. You will need to get your parking ticket validated at the store of your purchase.
3. Kapalua Bay Beach
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| Kapalua Bay Beach (photo credit: Snorkeling-report.com) |
Unfortunately the waves at Kapalua Bay Beach were too strong for me during my visit and I scrapped my hand quite nastily. That's why it's a good idea to get gloves to protect your hands from scapes especially when you are being tossed around in the water by rough waves.
The good spots to snorkel at are near the rocks rather than the sandy parts of the beach (see image above). To ensure you get to snorkel in idea conditions, you could refer to certain resources on wave conditions. I have shared one such resource on wave conditions in Maui at the bottom of this post.
Apparently, the rough conditions during our visit was not common and this beach is one of the highly recommended beaches for snorkelling. You could catch sight of various colourful fishes and sea turtles here.
Parking
For free parking, you can look at street parking along Lower Hanoapiilani Road.
Paid parking options include The Tennis Garden (USD 10), Merriman's (USD 20) and Kapalua Bay Beach Parking (USD 29).
4. Napili Bay
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| Napili Bay |
Napili Bay is a short walk from Kapalua Bay Beach. In fact, we left our car parked at the same spot between the two beaches (along Lower Hanoapiilani Road) and walked between the two beaches.
Because my hand was already injured, I did not snorkel here but my partner did and saw a turtle and diverse fish species and other marine creatures.
Parking
Similar to parking for Kapalua Bay Beach parking (refer above to Kapalua Bay Beach).
OAHU
5. Ala Moana Beach
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| Magic Island Lagoon at Ala Moana Beach (photo credit: alamoanabeach.org) |
There is a small enclave at Ala Moana Beach where the waters are very calm and it's perfect for beginner snorkellers. Look out for the Magic Island Lagoon. We came here to practice snorkelling, trying to get comfortable with our snorkel masks and flippers. While practicing, we saw shoals of fishes.
In general, this is a good spot to get some snorkelling practice but if you are looking for diversity in what you can find underwater, this is not quite the spot.
Parking
We didn't face any issues with parking here. There was more than enough parking spots at Ala Moana Beach carpark which was also free.
6. Lanikai Beach
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| If you can spot these, you are at the correct snorkelling spot |
At Lanikai Beach you will need to search for that sweet snorkelling spot or like us, you will be snorkelling for a long time without seeing anything good. But once you find that sweet spot, you will be impressed with the many coral reefs and even be able to spot a turtle or two.
We saw a lone turtle and even managed to get real close to it! And there were many marine creatures to be spotted just beneath the water surface.
To be honest, I found that the reefs could be in waters a little deeper (for beginners) than the other places in this post. But if you think you are getting more comfortable snorkelling, this is a great visit to add to your itinerary!
Parking
For parking at Lanikai Beach, you will have to make use of the free street parking in the nearby residential areas as there are no designated public parking slots. Do be careful to avoid parking in areas that have been marked with no parking.
7. Turtle's Bay
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| Turtle's Bay |
Turtle's Bay is probably my favourite snorkelling spot of all the places we visited! The reef here is amazingly diverse in its marine creatures. We saw sea urchin of different colours from peach to black, a huge variety of fish and eels.
The waters were really calm and we were lucky the sun was out and kept us warm while in the water. I would highly recommend Turtle's Bay for beginner snorkelers but if sea turtles are a must for you, we did not spot any here though.
Parking
We parked at a designated beach parking spot within the Turtle Bay Resort's parking area. These designated spots are free of charged and there were plenty of spots we didn't face any trouble securing one for ourselves.
8. Shark's Cove
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| Snorkelling at Shark's Cove |
You wouldn't believe how shallow the waters at Shark's Cove can be and how you could still see a variety of fishes. In fact, there were people who didn't snorkel so much as walked around the waters to spot the creature lurking just beneath the surface.
Plus Shark's Cove offers you beautiful photo opportunities. Added bonus!
Parking
Free, street parking is available however there might be limited spots near Shark's Cove. You might have to park a little further and walk over.
Not Great Snorkelling Sport
Ulua Beach (Maui)
Even though this beach came recommended, we did not have a good time snorkelling here. We simply could not find any reefs with the promised abundance of marine life. Maybe we were way off from the idea snorkelling spot, which happens more frequently than you would think.
Before you start your snorkelling journey, these are what you will need...
Recommended Snorkelling Gears
Snorkel Mask (Required)
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| One window face mask with snorkel tube |
You could easily get a snorkel mask from any big stores like Walmart or Target. Even smaller stores all around Hawaii might stock up on it.
We bought the simple masks with one window for the eye and a connecting nose cover. These came with a detachable snorkel tube.
There are also the full face mask kind that covers the entire face, including the nose and mouth in addition to the eyes. For such masks, you won't need a separate snorkel tube.
Flippers (Optional)
We were really lucky our Airbnb hosts loaned us the flippers so we didn't have to purchase a pair but it is highly recommended to get it or at least, loan it from somewhere. Flippers will propel you forward through the water more easily, giving you more time in the water before you start feeling exhausted.
Water Shoes (Optional)
These shoes are great for "snorkelling" in shallow waters where could simply walk around in the clear waters and spot marine creatures. If you plan to walk and not swim in these waters, it's best to get these shoes so as not to slip or get cut walking amongst the rocks and reefs.
Gloves (Optional)
Another optional item but a good-to-have item is for your hand protection. I scrapped my hand on some reefs which took away my pleasure of being in the water. Those fingerless sun protection gloves are a good option for snorkelling.
Reef-Safe Sunblock (Optional)
If you are going to put on sunblock, make sure to source for one that is reef-safe. That meant I had to purchase one from Hawaii itself since mine came from abroad and was definitely not reef-safe. You could easily purchase one from a number of stores like Target, Walmart, etc.
Resource to Help for your Snorkelling Day Out
Whether your snorkelling ends up being enjoyable or a waste of time is highly dependent on the water/waves conditions. Too rough waters will definitely mess up your views of the underwater marine ecosystem.
I would recommend you to check out the water conditions at the specific beaches before heading there. You will be surprised at how widely different the conditions can be from day to day and even within the day itself.
One such resource I used was the morning report from The Snorkel Store. Follow or subscribe to them for daily wave conditions.
** Hope this has helped you plan for your snorkelling adventures in Hawaii. Do check out my other Hawaii post on popular Hawaiian attractions that require passes!
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