Could there be a more excellent place for a snorkeling adventure than the exquisite Hawaiian island of Maui? It isn’t unfair to say that Maui boasts some of the most stunning beaches in the world, and combined with the perfect weather, this Hawaiian hotspot is a snorkeling destination not to be missed.
Snorkeling in Maui promises to be an unforgettable experience for you and the whole family to enjoy. Surrounded by exquisite ocean waters, coral reefs, and fascinating marine life, snorkelers will have plenty to enjoy. Some popular snorkeling spots include Molokini and Honolua Bay.
If you are looking for an incredible, unforgettable snorkeling experience in Maui, you won’t be disappointed during your stay on the tropical Hawaiian island. Hundreds of snorkeling and diving opportunities surround Maui. All that you’ll need to decide is where you want to go and what you want to see. Find out why Maui is undoubtedly the perfect snorkeling destination in Hawaii.
Snorkeling In Maui
Maui is widely known as the best Hawaiian island for snorkeling adventures. Its exquisite oceans are perfect for both beginner and highly experienced snorkelers alike. The opportunities to experience underwater adventures where you will see stunning coral reefs and plentiful marine life are seemingly endless.
The Hawaiian island of Maui could easily be considered a hotspot for snorkeling since the entire island is surrounded by world-class snorkeling spots. Maui’s calm shores also undoubtedly make it one of the most reliable locations for a snorkeling experience with almost constant perfect conditions.
Although there are plenty of fantastic snorkeling spots to experience all around Maui, the west coast of the island is typically favored by locals and tourists alike since it often provides better conditions for snorkeling, including calmer seas and increased protection from nearby offshore islands. The west coast of Maui is undoubtedly home to the island’s best snorkeling spots.
All in all, Maui is undoubtedly one of the most worthwhile locations to visit for a snorkeling adventure and experience all of the wonders that this exquisite Hawaiian island has to offer.
Marine Life To See While Snorkeling In Maui
Snorkelers that plan to visit Maui are in for an incredible treat since the Hawaiian island boasts an exquisite, diverse abundance of marine life. The waters around the island are the perfect home for several marine creatures, including Hawaii’s state fish, the Humuhumunukunukuapua’a – try saying that ten times fast.
Other fish that can be spotted while snorkeling includes unicornfish, parrotfish, trumpet fish, as well as a few other fascinating creatures like octopus and eels swimming in and around the corals.
For more memorable marine life encounters, Maui snorkelers will always likely see a few more giant sea creatures like the beautiful spotted eagle and manta rays, white-tip reef sharks (which are thankfully harmless), and even endangered species like the Hawaiian monk seal.
Snorkelers are guaranteed to come away with lifelong memories and thrilling stories of the exquisite marine life that they encountered on their underwater adventure in Maui. It really is that great!
The Best Time To Go Snorkeling In Maui
Overall, an ideal time to make a trip to Maui is between the months of April to May and September to October. It is during these months that you will experience the island’s most ideal weather conditions, and since it is just outside some of the peak tourist seasons, you will also experience fewer crowds and lower costs.
In all fairness, snorkeling can be enjoyed at any time of the year. You will need to keep watch for factors that could hinder your snorkeling experience, like storms and large swells that will affect the visibility underwater.
Summer is considered to be the best time for snorkeling in Maui, primarily due to far fewer storms and much smaller waves, which ultimately promises several consistent days of perfect conditions for snorkeling.
It is not recommended to plan a snorkeling trip in Maui during the winter months. Although there may be a few decent days, the winter months in Maui typically see much larger swells and harsher weather, which could make snorkeling somewhat dangerous.
Much of the marine life will also remain hidden if there is harsh wind and rain, so you will not have much to see compared to the prime summer months.
The Best Snorkeling Spots In Maui
Alright, let us go ahead and dive right in to discover some of the best snorkeling spots in all of Maui to help you plan for your next snorkeling adventure by narrowing it down to the must-visit locations.
Molokini
Molokini is a volcanic crater about two miles off Maui’s west coast, and its coral reefs attract roughly half a million people each year. This mostly buried volcano crater is home to some of Hawaii’s most spectacular sea life, with its crystal blue seas and bright coral.
There’s a reason why this site is so popular with snorkelers and scuba divers. From the minute you dip your head into the water, it appears to be an aquarium. The Humuhumunukunukuapua’a fish, as well as a variety of tropical fish, barracuda, eels, sea turtles, and other locals, can be found in Molokini Crater’s protected reef.
The boat ride out to the island is also one of the highlights of the excursion, as it offers breathtaking views of Maui and the surrounding islands. Molokini, however, is only accessible by scheduled snorkeling tours unless you are lucky enough to have your own boat.
There is often a relatively strong current in this area, so it is preferable to go with guides that have a lot of experience in snorkeling at Molokini. They’ll also be able to educate you on all of the marine life that you will be able to observe on your snorkeling trip, including some species native to Hawaii.
Olowalu Beach
Olowalu is a 450-acre coral reef with relatively calm seas, making it an excellent snorkeling spot. Some of the corals are thought to be more than 500 years old. It is also commonly known as “Coral Gardens” and is a beautiful snorkeling destination not to be missed.
Olowalu Beach Park in Maui is an excellent place for beginners to spend some time because of the calm waves, shallow water, and easy access to the beach area and exquisite coral. More tropical fish and corals can be found farther down the reef regions of Olowalu if you snorkel further out in the deeper part.
Snorkeling here will almost guarantee that you see a wide variety of marine life, including black triggerfish, parrotfish, goatfish, sergeant majors, and ornate butterflyfish, among several others. You may even get the lucky opportunity to spot turtles swimming and resting along the Olowalu reef, including the uncommon hawksbill turtle.
Eels and octopuses have been spotted here by snorkelers that have a keen eye, as well as some breathtaking manta rays. The reef system at Olowalu Beach is so large that you will be able to snorkel all along the coastline from left to right and even branch farther out into the slightly deeper parts of the ocean.
Honolua Bay
In Maui, Honolua Bay is an excellent snorkeling spot. Located on the northwest part of Maui, Honolua Bay is set in a cove that helps shield it from high winds. The sea is frequently calmer than on other nearby beaches, which ultimately makes swimming more manageable and the waters clearer for increased visibility.
During the winter months, Honolua Bay is a big-wave surfing hotspot and is utterly unsuitable for snorkeling. Summer, on the other hand, provides clear, calmer weather that is perfect for a snorkeling adventure, so make sure to plan your snorkeling trip here accordingly.
Both sides of the bay contain a well-formed coral reef with abundant Hawaiian marine life. Snorkelers will be able to spot several species like butterflyfish, yellow tang, and the occasional manta ray or octopus. Additionally, sea turtles have been spotted by snorkelers here on a few occasions, so hopefully, you will get to spot one too!
Because Honolua Bay is part of a Marine Life Conservation District, taking any natural resources from the beach is prohibited – this even includes taking a small rock as some memorabilia. However, all of the restrictions are actually to your snorkeling benefit since the bay is abundant with fish, which is part of what makes it such a great place for marine life sightings.
Black Rock Beach
Black Rock is one of Maui’s most well-known snorkeling locations. It quite literally boasts a massive black rock that protrudes out of the water like a little peninsula and is located at the far north end of the popular Ka’anapali Beach.
The water is usually calm here, and the black rock provides a stunning contrast to the brightly colored fish that are ready to be spotted. It has an exquisite coral reef to explore, which is guaranteed to be a lot of fun. Black Rock is also an excellent site to hear the beautiful whale songs underwater – during whale season, of course.
At Black Beach, snorkelers are pretty much guaranteed to see various marine life like the state fish of Hawaii (enjoy another moment to pronounce it), brown surgeonfish, trumpetfish, and various butterflyfish species. Large schools of goatfish can also be found half-asleep along the bottom of the nearby cove.
You might even have the opportunity to spot some Hawaiian green sea turtles, the harmless blacktip reef shark, or a magnificent formation of spotted eagle rays if all of the perfect conditions and variables are on your side.
Five Graves
Do not be intimidated by its somewhat ominous name because the Five Graves snorkeling spot in Maui is undoubtedly not to be missed by experienced snorkelers. With steep rocks, deep waters, and rougher-than-usual conditions, it’s exclusively for specialists.
Even though it can be a rather challenging snorkeling spot, with massive boulders, big schools of fish, coral reefs, and a high population of sea turtles, it is undoubtedly an enriching experience.
Getting in and out can be relatively complex, and getting to experience the notable parts of Five Graves requires a long swim. However, if you are up for a snorkeling challenge, the time you spend here will be well worth it. Do your best to arrive as early in the day as possible to ensure that you experience the best that Five Graves has to offer.
There are a lot of turtles, plenty of species of fish, and some pretty fantastic rock formations and coral reefs to explore. There are even various caves to explore if you choose to scuba dive the site; however, snorkelers cannot safely enter the caves because they are far too deep for basic snorkeling equipment to handle.
Snorkeling Tours In Maui
Mainly if you are new to the world of snorkeling, going on a snorkeling tour can be an incredible way to get the most out of Maui’s snorkeling opportunities. Because Maui is such a snorkeling hotspot, there are seemingly countless options when it comes to snorkeling tours.
We will show you some of the best value for money snorkel tours in Maui to help you plan for your next snorkeling adventure.
Four Winds II
Four Winds II offers some of the most luxurious snorkeling tours that cater to individuals and families and promise to be a whole day of fun. They provide a five-hour snorkel cruise to the Molokini Crater to explore all of its underwater beauty.
The entire tour will cost you $125 per adult and $95 for those aged 3 to 12, while all children under three can come along for free. The price includes the following:
- A five-hour cruise
- A tropical breakfast
- A hot grilled barbeque lunch
- All beverages
- All of the snorkeling gear needed is provided as well as other flotation devices
- Snorkeling instruction for those with less experience
This is a snorkeling tour not to be missed! You can find out more about it here.
Maui Pacific Tours
One of the exciting things about Maui Pacific Tours is that they pride themselves on providing their clients tours on canoe boats, just like the ancient Hawaiians did. They have many different tour options available.
One of their tour packages is the Snorkel Outrigger Canoe Tour Maui, which is a two-hour canoe cruise along the waters. Once a suitable spot has been found, everyone will put on their snorkeling gear provided by the company and have the opportunity to swim with Maui’s sea turtles. A fee of $139 includes snorkeling equipment, bottled water, and photos of your experience.
Conclusion
All in all, it is easy to see why Maui is considered to be such a hotspot snorkeling destination. Offering some of the most incredible ocean experiences – under the right weather conditions – exquisite coral reefs and some of the fascinating marine life, a snorkeling adventure in Maui is undoubtedly not to be missed!
