Kahaluʻu Bay is a great place for people that are new to snorkeling. An unremarkable beach park close to Kona hides one of the best places to snorkel on the Big Island. The easily accessible, sheltered, and shallow bay is home to one of the highest concentrations of fishes on Hawaii. At low tide there are plenty of tide pools to explore that are teeming with tropical fish and Sea Turtles.
Kealakekua bay is an underwater marine sanctuary where you often can find dolphins and sea turtles. To get here you have to drive approximately 17 miles south of Kona along Highway 11. The bay is also known as “Captain Cook” after 27-foot tall monument commemorating the death of Capt. Cook at this bay on February 14th, 1779.The center of the bay is deep, and you can often find a pod of spinner dolphins playing around here. There are plenty of good spots for snorkeling in the bay, but the best snorkeling spot is on the opposite side of the bay from the parking area, close to the captain Cook monument.
The famous snorkeling spot at Honaunau bay is called Pae’a, and is also known as “Two Step”.This beach is often referred to as the “City of Refuge”, after the Puuhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park . The Travel Channel named Honaunau Bay one of “America’s Best Beaches 2004”. A big reason for this is that due to a very advantageous layout of the bay, the water is almost always calm and the waters have exceptional visibility most of the year.This spot is often rated the second best place on the Big Island for snorkeling after Captain Cook. The waters are usually clear and the average depth is about 20ft. There is a very easy place to enter the water called Pae’a or “Two Step”. It is at the end of a finger of lava and easy to find because you will see lots of people getting in the water.
Kailua Bay Resorts
Apt 5-105
75-5669 Kuakini Hwy,
Kailua-Kona, HI – 96740
