Honolua Bay, Maui

When all things are considered, Honolua Bay (north of Kaanapali) is often ranked as the best snorkeling spot on Maui. Regardless of unpredictable weather in the winter months which can bring high surf, clouds and/or rain, the usually well-protected Honolua Bay is the top place when conditions are right. Though, if it has rained overnight at this location, the water will be murky due to run-off from the surrounding cliffs. Otherwise, the fun begins even before you get to the bay as you descend through the jungle paths that are teeming with fierce…roosters and chickens. Okay, maybe not so fierce but they can be loud, making the walk down to the bay amusing.

When you do reach the bay, you’ll notice there is a little bit of sandy beach to your left and the rest of the bay is lined with boulders. Since most people snatch up the sandy spot right away, prepare to boulder hop until you find your own little niche. (I hope you have good balance; I’ve twisted my ankle a few times here.) Personally, I always find a spot to camp on the boulders to the right of the bay (if you’re facing out to sea) since the middle of the bay is where the concrete ramp is and tends to crowd. Surely the concrete ramp makes it easy to get in and out of the water; getting in from either side of the bay off the boulders can be quite slippery, to say nothing of the sea urchins that like to hide between the rocks. At least you won’t have people sitting on top of you, though. Moreover, if you enter the water from either side of the bay, you will not have to go as far to get to the coral and you will see fish the second you put your head in the water. You can rest assured that the fish count at Honolua Bay is almost always high.

While the fish count is high, you’ll see a better variety of fish to the right side of the bay where there is also more colorful coral (although the coral has been taking a beating in the past few years due to the snorkel cruises using this spot more often). The coral to the left of the bay is not quite as good but the fish tend to be much bigger on the left side of the bay. There’s really nothing quite like being surrounded by a school of fish half your size; it’s pretty amazing. You will also see larger turtles on the left side of the bay as they eat algae off the rocks. The middle of the bay is sandy and there’s usually not much to see unless you run into the large school of small silver and green fish that are being corralled by some larger blue fish. But in addition to the fish and turtles, eels and octopi are also common here. (Octopi can be hard to spot as the blend in with the rocks.) I have also seen squid and “crown-of-thorn” starfish (rare) here. Yes, further out in the bay are white tip reef sharks but they are docile unless you actively bother them. Even then, they are more likely to run away than fight. I have even seen pods of dolphins come into the bay in the afternoons, but not while people are in the water. Note that it is also possible to swim around the left side of the bay to Slaughterhouse Beach, but keep in mind that the currents can be unpredictable, especially in the winter.

Honolua Bay is also good for beginning divers and even surfers when the waves kick up near the outer edge of the bay’s right side. Mind where you are; the surfers will run you down if you get careless and stray into their territory. There is no lifeguard but there are portable potties at the parking area. The parking spaces fill up quickly during most of the year so it is best to get to the bay before nine in the morning. If the weather is good, people always snatch up the best parking spots so you may have to park on the side of the road. I personally hate doing that since I don’t want to entice any of the smash-and-grabbers common to the area. This is to say, please don’t leave anything remotely valuable in sight when you leave your car.

Directions

Honolua Bay is in Kapalua, northwest Maui, on Honoapiilani Hwy between the 32 and 33 mile marker. There are two main parking areas, one right past Slaughterhouse Beach (this is the beach with a staircase down to it) and one right past the one lane bridge which is the bigger of the two parking areas. Otherwise, parking is on the road. From there, take whatever obvious trail leads towards the water. When you reach the water, a gentleman sitting at a table will ask to talk to you and ask you not to wear sunscreen in the water since Honolua Bay is a fragile marine preserve.