5 Best Snorkel Spots (and swim with turtles) in Maui, Hawaii - Video included!
/5 Best Places to Snorkel in Maui, HI
My friends from Outside Pursuits help me put this article together, check out their site with great travel advice for the outdoors! The warm, crystal-clear ocean surrounding Maui provides perfect conditions for snorkeling all year round. If you enjoy slipping under the waves, Maui is an ideal destination for a snorkeling tour. The only decision you must make is which snorkel spots to visit.
Don’t forget to check out our video at the bottom of the post to see these reefs in action!
These are my 5 favorites!:
Black Rock on Kaanapali Beach
#1. Black Rock
Black Rock is a rocky outcrop to the north of Kaanapali Beach on the west coast. Like all the rock on Maui, Black Rock was formed by a lava flow. It is a popular place for cliff diving and sunset torch lighting. If you get there early, you can find free parking on the ground level at the Sheraton Maui Resort.
The locals call the outcrop Pu’u Keka’a. Hawaiian tradition holds this is where souls come to join their ancestors. If they cannot find their way, lost souls attach themselves to rocks. It is considered bad luck to take away rock from the beach.
The water near the beach is around 8 feet deep but deepens to around 25 feet around the point. The seabed is mostly sand, but you can follow an underwater basalt ledge. Where overhangs occur along the ledge, watch out for turtles.
The fish you can expect to see here include boxfish, butterflyfish, cardinalfish, chub, cornetfish, damselfish, goatfish, hawkfish, humuhumumukunukuapua’a (reef triggerfish), jacks, mackerel, Moorish idol, needlefish, parrotfish, perch, porcupine fish, snapper, surgeonfish, tang, triggerfish, and wrasse. You can also expect to see crustaceans, invertebrates, and, of course, turtles.
VIDEO: Scroll down to our video to see the octopus and other sea creatures we found at Black Rock!
Kapalua Bay at Sunset
#2. Kapalua Bay
A little north of Black Rock on the western coast you’ll find Kapalua Bay, a sheltered sandy beach. The two reefs that extend out from both ends of the bay form a C-shaped cove. The calm water and reefs make this a perfect destination for novice snorkelers. This is the best place in Maui to teach your kids how to snorkel.
Note that the water in the center of the bay can be a little cloudy from the soft sand. But if you set off from the north end of the beach and swim along the ledge, the visibility is better. The depth there is 10 feet.
Expect to see boxfish, butterfly fish, chub, cornet fish, damselfish, goatfish, hawk fish, humuhumumukunukuapua’a, jacks, Moorish idol, parrot fish, perch, porcupine fish, scorpion fish, surgeonfish, tang, triggerfish, and wrasse. You’ll also find invertebrates and crustaceans.
You’ll find parking for the beach near the public restrooms and showers. However, it’s a popular beach, so get there early.
Honolua Bay
#3. Honolua Bay
This is a more challenging snorkeling spot a little further north than Kapalua Bay on the north coast of West Maui. The best snorkeling locations are a half-mile swim from shore. Also, you must take a 700-feet or 1,500-feet hike to reach the ocean. Locals recommend you study the layout of the bay from the cliffs above before snorkeling.
If there has been a lot of rain in the past few days, don’t come. A stream flows into the bay, and silt can cloud the bay when its output increases. However, Honolua Bay can be calmer than other bays around Maui, making it a good place to come when the conditions are bad for snorkeling elsewhere. But check the swell forecast. If the surf is up, you’ll find the beach crowded with surfers.
You can either enter the water from the sandy part of the beach to the left or over the boulders to the right. Head for the boulders to the right and pass the boat ramp before entering the water. The water is clearer there because the stream enters the bay to the left near the sand. Also, the coral and abundant marine life is focused toward the north end of the bay. You’ll need shoes to reach the water, and please be careful on the slippery rocks.
Honolua Bay is a Marine Life Conservation District and boasts vibrant and interesting corals that are fun to explore. Expect to see big eyes, boxfish, butterflyfish, cardinalfish, chub, damselfish, flag tails, goatfish, hawkfish, humuhumumukunukuapua’a, jacks, Moorish idol, mullet, parrotfish, peacock bass, snapper, soldierfish, squirrelfish, surgeonfish, tang, triggerfish, and wrasse. You might also encounter eels, turtles, and barracudas.
Scroll down for video footage of what we found under the sea at Honolua Bay!
#4. Turtle Town
Turtle Town is found near Makena on the southern shore of Maui, specifically near Maluaka Beach. You don’t need to be a genius to figure out that this is the best place in Maui to see Hawaiian green sea turtles. Maluaka Beach is also a popular destination for families with kids. The soft sand is great for relaxing and volleyball. And Makena is a popular destination for whale watching tours over the winter months.
When you come to Maluaka Beach, walk south until you reach the rocks. The coral reef stretches out from there, and that’s where you’ll find the vast majority of the turtles. Also watch out for angelfish, butterflyfish, triggerfish, and trumpetfish. You may also see octopus and moray eels. Maluaka Beach is adjacent to the Makena Beach and Golf Resort. Note that there is no sign for Maluaka Beach. This keeps down the number of visitors.
Molokini Crater
#5. Molokini Crater
Molokini Island is located 3 miles southwest of Maui. It is the best snorkeling destination in Hawaii. The water inside the crater is a Marine Life Conservation District and the surrounding rim is a State Bird Sanctuary. If you love nature, this is the best snorkeling spot to visit.
One of Molokini’s biggest advantages over other snorkeling spots is that it suffers no silt from stream wash, so here you’ll find the clearest water in Maui. Underwater visibility can exceed 200 feet. Another feature of Molokini is that the crater rim protects the interior from ocean swells, meaning that it’s a safe place for snorkelers of all ages and abilities.
Expect to see big eye scad, butterflyfish, chub, cornetfish, damselfish, emperor fish, goatfish, hawkfish, humuhumumukunukuapua’a, jacks, Moorish idol, needlefish, perch parrotfish, snapper, soldierfish, squirrelfish, surgeonfish, tang, triggerfish, and wrasse. You might also encounter eels and reef sharks.
You can always rent a boat from our friends at GetMyBoat, it’s like Airbnb for boats!
Watch our video of our snorkel trips!
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