Hanauma Bay sees more than 10,000 visitors a day, nearly all coming to snorkel at the pristine marine sanctuary that\u2019s home to more than 300 species of fish.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not the only place to snorkel around O\u02bbahu, though. And you don\u2019t always need a guide to show you the way.<\/p>\n
Snorkeling is a must-do activity when you visit any of the Hawaiian Islands, simply because there are fish species that can only be seen here. For the best snorkel experience, hop a catamaran snorkel tour from nearby Kewalo Basin (a mile from Waikiki) and set out for Turtle Canyon and other offshore reef spots. <\/p>\n
For those wanting the most memorable experience, a day trip with a dolphin snorkel off the Wai\u2018anae coast is strongly urged. And if you\u2019re a thrill seeker, a shark dive snorkel (snorkelers are in a cage) off the north shore coast can\u2019t be beat. Both are memorable experiences that will last a lifetime.<\/p>\n
Reefs are typically better further out from the shore where the water is clear and the fish plentiful. Wherever you go \u2014 even when shore snorkeling \u2014 know that it is common to see giant honu (green sea turtles), he\u2018e (octopus), moray eels, goatfish, puffer fish, butterfly species of fish and, yes, even the humuhumunukunuku\u0101pua\u2018a (trigger fish).<\/p>\n
Some shoreline snorkel spots can only be reached at certain times of the year. Shark\u2019s Cove, for example, can only be snorkeled during the summer months because the waves get too big during the winter on the North Shore. It is located between world famous surf spots, Waimea Bay and Pipeline.<\/p>\n
Year-round, Lanikai Beach on the windward side is a premier spot for shoreline snorkelers. From the fine, white sand beach, visitors can stare out at the thousands of reefs that dot the sandy bottom in the pristine water. It\u2019s a great place for families to snorkel and swim.<\/p>\n
There is also a kayak and snorkel tour to Coconut Island (from \u201cGilligan\u2019s Island\u201d fame), which entails a three-hour tour \u2014 or more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Hanauma Bay sees more than 10,000 visitors a day, nearly all coming to snorkel at the pristine marine sanctuary that\u2019s home to more than 300 species of fish. It\u2019s not the only place to snorkel around O\u02bbahu, though. And you don\u2019t always need a guide to show you the way. Snorkeling is a must-do activity…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":109,"featured_media":48368,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[262],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-572","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-oahu"],"yoast_head":"\n