As Kaua’i has the highest percentage of sandy shoreline among the Hawai'ian islands, I’m hard pressed to name my favorite beach on the island. The temptation to race from one beach to another, trying them all out, is great. We’ve been to all but two of the North Shore’s beaches, but the one that we most enjoy is Tunnels, reputed to be the best snorkeling beach on Kaua’i, and deservedly so.
What makes Tunnels a special place is that is has not just one but two reef formations, the inner one nestled inside a larger horseshoe-shaped outer reef. The inner reef, which stretches all the way up to the shore, is thus enclosed in a lagoon of fairly calm water. The fingers of the reef run perpendicular to the shore, forming multiple channels or "tunnels" which comprise a veritable underwater wonderland.
I’ll never forget the morning we saw large schools of tang, surgeonfish, wrasse, and butterfly fish swirling in eddies through the underwater canyons, or the time we came upon a large group of green sea turtles grazing on the far edge of the inner reef. The comings and goings of reef fish are inexplicable, but it’s rare that there aren’t a considerable number of fish at Tunnels, and there are also usually sea turtles here, too.
Like all tropical beaches, the clarity of the water/visibility is largely determined by the wave action. We’ve found that conditions are generally calmer earlier in the day and markedly better in the summer than the winter on the North Shore. But not always. We had several blissfully calm days this last trip, over Christmas, and were wise enough to get in several snorkeling "fixes" at Tunnels before high surf characteristically recurred.
The tides are the other factor to consider. Consult a tide chart in the local paper, for tides can make or break a trip to Tunnels. At low tide, it can be tricky to navigate over the exposed coral, as there’s little clearance. We’ve done it, but inexperienced snorkelers might find it rather claustrophobic and perhaps painful if they scrape themselves on coral. High tide raises the water level a mere two feet, but this then provides ample clearance for cruising over the reef.
Parking can be problematic. There is a narrow lane leading directly down to Tunnels that is invariably crammed with tightly packed cars by midday. We prefer to park at nearby Ha’ena Beach (an excellent swimming beach) and just stroll the pleasant quarter mile down the beach to Tunnels.
My favorite snorkel here involves entering at the far right end of the beach (facing the water) and letting the gentle leftward current carry me down along the fringes of the inner reef. It’s easy to imagine, if only for an hour or two, that this underwater realm is the real world and that everything else is a delusion.