Best Snorkeling Sites On Maui
Written: Jul 19 '01 (Updated Jul 19 '01)
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Pros: Some of the best snorkeling is near the best hotels in Wailea
Cons: Molokini is overrated and overcrowded
The Bottom Line: Some of the best snorkeling anywhere
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| realtraveller's Full Review: Maui |
For the last two weeks, I've been underwater in Maui. Here are the snorkeling sites I liked best:
1) Keawakapu Beach-This beach is in the northern part of Wailea. The beach is directly in front of the Wailea Ekahi condominiums. Public access is just off S. Kihei Road. This is a beautiful stretch of sandy beach, primarily fronted by private luxury homes. (But that's probably redundant when talking about beachfront homes on Maui). For the best snorkeling, head for the rocks on the southern tip of Keawakapu. The reef curves around these rocks to the south. Here we woke up a sleeping sea turtle two mornings in a row. (Don't touch. It's a federal offense with a hefty fine and the turtles can bite.) There are huge coral cliffs and canyons, a good variety of fish and an easy, sandy entry. Best snorkeling time, as in all places on Maui, is early in the morning, before the winds kick up making the water rougher and silting up the view. Usually by noon the snorkeling conditions had deteriorated due to wind and wave action. I'd advise grabbing a quick cup of coffee and heading out at 7 or 8am. for best snorkeling.
2)Ulua Beach-A short walk south of Keawakapu Beach is Ulua Beach, situated in front of the Wailea Elua condominiums. The public access road can be found between the Renaissance Hotel and the Wailea Elua. This is an absolutely spectacular snorkeling site and is very popular. Every morning there were diving groups, lots of snorkelers and people on the beach. Most of the snorkelers were beginners and stayed close to shore. The reef is huge and varied. Huge mounds of multi-colored coral stretch along the northern portion of Ulua Beach. The variety of sea life was amazing. We saw an octopus, moray eels, goat fish, humuhumus, yellow tangs, parrotfish, trumpetfish, pufferfish and my favorites, Moorish idols. The coral cliffs and canyons are full of yellows, greens, blues and oranges. Again, for those with tender feet or for children, entry is easy due to the sandy bottom in the shallows.
3)Lanai's 13-mile Reef-I know this is about Maui, but find a snorkel boat tour that takes you to this wonderful reef area off Lanai. It may also be called Club Lanai. We took a trip offered by the Pacific Whale Foundation. Not only were we the only boat at this reef, but the Pacific Whale Foundation took children FREE! The 13-mile reef offered huge mounds of coral, sea turtles, clear water and no crowds.
A few words about some spots we found not to be optimum (despite guidebooks and other opinions to the contrary):
1)Molokini-I know that Molokini (the crescent shaped island a 45-minute boat trip from Ma'alaea Harbor) is the most popular spot for a snorkel trip by boat. Unfortunately, that's just the problem. There are simply too many people there to make it an enjoyable snorkel. We went twice (it was included in most snorkel trips which combined two snorkel sites). Both times, I had to swim off far away from the boat to avoid getting kicked by kids and adults who were doing more splashing around on their noodles than observing fish. Each boat company stakes out a spot and they try to herd their people into a pie shaped wedge to keep from losing any customers. I found this to be too restraining especially for an experienced snorkeler who has little fear in the ocean. On the plus side, the water in Molokini crater is clear. But the proliferation of mooring sites has damaged the bottom and now the best viewing of marine life is in the shallower water near the cliffs.
2)Ahi'hi Cove-This area south of Makena was touted as a great snorkel spot in our guidebooks. But is has a very rocky entry, is extremely shallow and was very silty the day we tried snorkeling there. Entry is on a slippery boat ramp. Parking along the road can be a problem.
I also want to mention three great spots to view marine life for those of you who don't like to snorkel or are not comfortable in the ocean:
1)The Maui Ocean Center-at Ma'alaea Harbor, this facility is a wonderful aquarium concentrating on the life of the Hawaiian reef. They have rays, sea turtles, a gorgeous display of reef fish, unusual creatures of the deep and a walk through tunnel where you can watch the sharks and rays swimming above you. Entry for a family of four was around $64. Allow several hours to view this relatively new aquarium opened in 1998.
2)Makena Black Sand Beach-How am I not going to get wet here, you ask? Because the turtles come so close to shore that it is easy to see them from the beach. To get there, head south on Wailea Alanui Road. About 1/4 mile south of the Maui Prince Hotel, you will see a red dirt road leading to a large red hill. Turning into that road you will see a sign reading "Makena Black Sand Beach". There is a dirt parking area at the end of the short road. This lava sand beach is near one of the snorkel boats "Turtle Town" areas. It was a great place to see the green Hawaiian sea turtles. My husband tried snorkeling there but said the water was too silty and the entry and exit difficult. He got a rather bad cut on his shin from rocks and coral trying to get out of the water. Snorkeling to see the sea turtles wasn't necessary. They were three or four feet from shore surfing in the waves. Every now and then they'd stick their heads above water to breathe and to look at us. Another advantage of this beach--you will have the whole place to yourself.
3)Want to see fish while you eat? Check out the Humuhumunukanukapuaa restaurant at the Grand Wailea Hotel. The restaurant is built out over a manufactured and stocked reef filled with Hawaiian reef fish. They even have a huge pufferfish they call "King Kong". They also have a tank of Hawaiian lobsters. Of course, this is sort of bittersweet. The lobsters are up for grabs to any hungry (and wealthy) customers.
General advice for snorkeling:
1) Go first thing in the morning for best viewing.
2) Wear fins or flippers. Friends of mine who tried to get by without them just couldn't swim far enough and wore out faster. Believe me, it's much easier to snorkel with flippers.
3) Have good equipment. If you have no gear, I'd recommend the Maui Dive Shops Outlet store in Kihei. They had excellent new and used equipment at reasonable prices.
4) Relax and enjoy. I didn't see a single shark in the ocean.
Recommended:
Yes
Best Suited For: Families
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Member: Kathryn
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