Review: Snorkel Day in Hanauma Bay
We happened upon Hanauma Bay on one of our first days on Oahu. We rented a car to take in the sites around the island and noticed a “Scenic Point” sign heading East away from Honolulu. We saw that a lot of vehicles were stopped along the side of the road and in the parking lot, so we decided to pull over to see what all the fuss was about. This is what we saw.
So we had no idea what this place was, but we knew we had to go down and check it out.
We donned our bathing suits, grabbed our towels and headed down to the ticket booth. We learned that Hanauma Bay is a Nature Preserve and a Marine Life Conservation District known for its crystal clear waters and coral reef bursting with colorful sea life. Native Hawaiians enjoyed Hanauma Bay for thousands of years before colonization. The beach and surrounding area get their name from two Hawaiian words “hana” which means bay, and “uma” which means curved.
We learned that Hanauma Bay has a long history of public use and overuse over the last century that has led to devastating environmental degradation. Crowds of tourists stirred up sediment, trampled the reef and dumped trash, causing the death of a large portion of the reef.
In the early 2000s there was a massive push to protect the Bay and sweeping changes in regulation altered human use of the area with an aim to conserve the area’s natural beauty. The Marine Education Center opened at the entrance to Hanauma Bay. In order to access the Bay, all visitors are required to watch a film and receive instruction about conservation of the Bay’s resources. After watching the film, visitors may sign a form to skip this process if they return to Hanauma Bay within one year.
The 9-minute film describes a brief history of Hanuama Bay, including geologic, human, and biological elements that shape that history. The film describes the marine life, preservation and safety rules for the park. We actually enjoyed getting to watch the film as it provided some history of the area. The film made us glad to know that we had the information we needed to reduce our impact on the Bay, and were glad that the fee went toward continuing to protect it.
Before we went down the hill to begin snorkeling, we spent some time deciding whether to bring our cell phones down to the beach. We didn’t know if there were lockers down there to store our keys and phones, so we actually purchased a waterproof bag to bring with us in case there weren’t lockers.
Once we made it down to the beach, we learned that there are lockers as well as snorkel rentals.
Next, it was time for us to jump in and enjoy. The water was a stunning fluorescent teal yet entirely clear. The schools of indigo, lemon, and tangerine coloured fish raced around the towering castles of patchy purple and powdery white coral. Razer thin tangs, elegant butterflyfish and massive teams of striped snappers streamed across the undersea landscape, largely oblivious to us as we snorkeled above.
The snorkels were fairly good quality and we did not have too many issues with water leakage. Still, we felt that having our own, perfectly fitting snorkel masks would have really helped improve the experience as we would have been able to more clearly see the underwater view.
We spent a couple of hours traversing the Bay, half-submerged as we kicked along, following the marine life and being pushed by the waves and gentle currents.
When we return, we plan to make a whole day of it. We plan to bring our own snorkels, extra towels, and a few bottles of water. We hope to bring our own lunch so as to not rely on the snack shack. Read our article on What to Bring to Hanauma Bay if you’re planning to make the trip yourself.