Hanauma Bay

Hanauma Bay is one of the world's premier snorkeling destinations — a stunning crescent of white coral-blend sand nestled inside the collapsed crater of a 32,000-year-old volcanic cone, 15 km east of Honolulu. The bay was designated a Marine Life Conservation District in 1967 and is managed today as a Nature Preserve by the City and County of Honolulu. The volcanic crater walls create a perfectly sheltered lagoon with exceptionally calm, clear water, and the living coral reef inside supports over 400 species of tropical fish — many of which are endemic to Hawaii and found nowhere else on earth.

The most common residents are the humuhumunukunukuapua'a (Hawaii's state fish, the rectangular triggerfish), moorish idols, parrotfish, needlefish, and the Hawaiian green sea turtle (honu). Spinner dolphins have been recorded in the outer bay. The snorkeling is accessible directly from the beach — the reef begins just metres from shore and the water is shallow enough to stand in at the Keyhole, an inner lagoon area. No experience whatsoever is required and snorkel equipment is available for hire on site.

Hanauma Bay operates under a strict conservation management plan. All visitors are required to watch a mandatory marine education video at the Nature Center before entering the beach. Visitor numbers are capped at 1,200 per day, and online reservations ($25 non-resident entry fee) are strongly recommended as daily slots sell out weeks in advance. The bay is closed on Tuesdays (and some Monday evenings) to allow the marine ecosystem to recover. No food, sunscreen (other than reef-safe), or touching of marine life is permitted inside the preserve.