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Snorkeling in Hanauma Bay

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dina4
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Editor Pick

Snorkeling in Hanauma Bay

  • January 3, 2008
  • Rated 5 of 5 by travellingdave from Calgary, Alberta
Snorkeling in Hanauma Bay

If you've traveled to Oahu on a nice little getaway, and somehow neglected to visit Hanauma Bay while there, you have pretty much wasted your entire trip. Such sacrilege would be unforgivable. This heavily-touristed-but-thats-okay-because-its-awesome hotspot should be on the top of your to-do list while on the island of Oahu. It deserves a full day, if not two. What is it, you ask? It's the Great Barrier Reef of the USA, for all intents and purposes.

This secluded bay on Oahu's southeastern shore is THE place for scuba diving and snorkeling on the island, and possibly in Hawaii as a whole. The waters here are impossibly clear, the marine life abundant, and the waves calm enough to snorkel without fearing a trip to the emergency room.

I picked up some scuba gear from my hostel and took The Bus (Oahu's excellent cross-island bus service) out to Hanauma Bay. When I arrived, I was told I could either walk down the hill, or take the shuttle down for a $1.00 fee. I decided to walk down the hill, and take the shuttle back up. While the walk down was steep, it wasn't worth the extra $1.00 on top of the $5.00 admission to Hanauma Bay. I was skeptical at first that Hanauma Bay would be worth its $5.00 price tag, but boy was I wrong to be skeptical. The place was amazing, from the very moment my toes crunched into the sand.

I walked onto the beach and set up my beach towel, prepping my snorkeling gear. My partner and I took turns going in the water, as pickpocketing is a problem here. I headed into the "keyhole" - an area in the center of the reef where fish congregate. I put my head under to view the depths, expecting nothing more than seaweed at best. I discovered schools and schools of fish; colorful swarms of tropical species darting back and forth in front of my eyes. I reached out to a huge grouper, which rubbed against my hand as if it were playing. I didn't want to come back to the surface - the views were incredible. It's times like these where you wish you had an underwater camera.

Hanauma Bay is a pretty straightforward place - pay $5.00, head into the water, see thousands of tropical species of fish, be amazed, and then fight the urge to stay your entire trip here. It's well worth the $5.00, if not more. And do pay the $1.00 to get back up the hill - it's not worth straining your legs for weeks to save a buck (though many, many people do exhibit such cheapness - their gasping for air at the top of the hill can be heard for miles).

If you're on Oahu, make haste to Hanauma Bay. This may very well be the most impressive part of your trip - I guarantee it.

From journal Oahu - The Heart of Hawaii

Editor Pick

Hanauma Bay

  • October 22, 2007
  • Rated 5 of 5 by RoBoNC from Indianapolis, Indiana
Hanauma Bay

Oahu is home to some of the top surfing competitions on the Banzai Pipeline located in North Shore. While many people prefer to be on top of the water riding the waves, there are others who wish to be under it and Oahu has many great places to go scuba diving. However, I am neither scuba certified nor have I ever been able to master the surf board, so what else is there to do except for swimming. I found out there is plenty to do and all you need are a mask, snorkel, and water fins. Snorkeling is a great way to enjoy the water and catching a great view of all the marine life that calls the waters of Hawaii home.

While you can snorkel anywhere there is water, the marine life that you may be able to see differs greatly from area to area. In Oahu, the best snorkeling spot is Hanauma Bay located on the southeastern side of the island. Hanauma Bay is a marine preserve situated in a volcanic crater which leads to its name. “Hanauma” means “curved bay.”

Hanauma Bay is located ten miles east of Waikiki off Route 72. The bay is open from 6am to 6pm seven days a week except for Tuesday when it is closed all day. Hanauma Bay attracts millions of visitors every year and the parking lots cannot accommodate all of the vehicles. The best time to go is very early in the morning to make sure that you can get a spot to park or you can take the #22 bus that has a stop right in front of the entrance to the bay. Parking costs $1 per vehicle and $5 a person to enter the Bay.

All snorkel equipment can be rented at the bay; however, most hotels have snorkel equipment for rent for its guests which may be cheaper than renting at Hanauma Bay. There is a brief introduction by the staff at the welcome center to explain the rules of Hanauma Bay such as not harming the marine life and damaging the coral. After the introduction, you walk down a steep hill to the rental center where you acquire your snorkel gear.

The bay is covered with coral and be very careful while snorkeling. When I left Hanauma Bay, I had numerous cuts and bruises from the rough coral, but the experience was well worth it. The place attracts more visitors than anywhere else because of the abundance and variety of marine life. I saw the yellow trumpetfish with its long slender body, the teardrop butterflyfish, and a yellowfin surgeonfish, just to name a few. Hanauma Bay also has an abundance of green sea turtles and parrotfish. The many different types of marine life in the bay are endless.

When it is time to leave the bay, you can either walk back up the steep hill or for a nominal fee you can take the tram back up to the top.

From journal Oahu - The Gathering Place

Editor Pick

Snorkeling in Hanauma Bay

Snorkeling in Hanauma Bay

By far the most crowded beach on Oahu, Hanauma Bay is even more popular than Waikiki because it’s a local favorite. Hanauma Bay requires its guest to pay $5 and watch a film about the beach’s preservation, which not only raises funds to help maintain the pristine beach, but also raises awareness of the fate of marine wildlife.

In the past, Hanauma Bay would have no bare sand on which to lay a beach towel. The crowds have since died down since implementation of the mandatory film. Tour buses can no longer drop off loads of people. Parking costs $1 but arrive before 8am, otherwise the lot fills up and the hike to the beach can be tiring.

In the theatre, a film discussed the fragility of the ecosystem out in the water, as well as our responsibility to maintain the beach as we found it. After the film ended, we proceeded down the steep hill to the beach.

As we trekked down the hill, we saw a shuttle drive by with some beachgoers and their gear. The beach allows a shuttle to charge a small fee to drive people up and down the hill. When we reached the bottom of the hill, we staked out a spot on the beach. Note that there is very little shade and umbrellas or shade tents make for some premium beach space.

Since we had left our swim fins at home, I had to rent some at the snorkel shop at the beach. A set of fins ran me $5. A deposit of a credit card or car keys allows guests to use the equipment all day.

Normally, I can barely use beach restrooms due to the lack of hygiene. However, it seems that the film at Hanauma Bay had generated so much revenue that the restrooms featured some of the most advanced gadgetry I’d ever seen in a beach bathroom. Infra-red flushing toilets, faucets, and hand dryers made for a superbly clean facility. Showers and changing stalls allowed patrons to clean up. Restrooms at the top of the hill were also clean.

The beach itself provided a shallow wading area for kids. Mind the coral since much of it grows in the shallow areas. We camped out at a place called “the horseshoe” which seemed to be a sandy gap in the coral. We found the best snorkeling by swimming around the coral reef. The opening to the right side of the cove led to a large pipe. Follow the pipe out and veer left along the reef to spot turtles and fish. On the way back in, just look for the pipe and swim back toward shore.

If you plan on returning to the beach within seven days, register with the office and skip the film. You also skip the film fee. The shuttle that takes guests down to the beach costs $0.50 and the shuttle back up the steep hill costs $1. Disabled guests ride for free.

From journal A Haole Hanging in Oahu...With Locals

Snorkeling in Hanauma Bay -- Disappointing

  • April 30, 2006
  • Rated 2 of 5 by dina4 from los angeles, California
Hanauma Bay is infamous for crystal clear waters and abundance of beautiful fish. Before our visit, I had several personal recommendations to not miss this place, and every guidebook I read said the same thing.Did it live up to the hype? Yes and no.YES… It is certainly a beautiful bay. The setting is quite picturesque and there is an abundance of coral and fish.NO... You have to sit through a 10 minute film about the bay and the snorkeling safety.They say it's a great place for beginners because it's shallow, but frankly it is TOO shallow. In many places, there is sometimes only 18 inches between your body and the coral. This, to me, is very stressful, as the risk of getting cut by the coral is very high.The whole getting there at the crack of dawn to get into the parking lot before it fills up is sort of a pain if you're not an early riser.All in all, I really would not recommend the place with too much enthusiasm! I would try Shark's Cove on the North Shore instead.

From journal A Week in Kailua, Oahu

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