Hanauma Bay

Snorkeling

 

Summer Vacation 2018 - Hawaii

(created Sun. July 29, 2018; updated Sun. Feb. 17, 2018)





Snorkeling in Hanauma Bay






When Ann Marie and I visited in 2000, one of the highlights was spending most of a day snorkeling in Hanauma Bay, seeing the many fish, hearing the parrotfish nibbling on the coral, seeing the sea turtle swimming below us - all awesome.


So, for this trip, snorkeling Hanauma Bay was the one “must do” things on Oahu... and it was worth it.


Hanauma is on the southeast side of the island, just past Diamond Head.



Hanauma is thought to be the remnant of a crater that was likely created in a single volcanic event, and whose outside wall has since eroded.  This shape helps protect the bay, likely helping to attract the many colorful fish.


The snorkeling is amazing.  There is a parking lot there and it typically fills up early.  We were thankful that there were a few spots by time we arrived around 1pm.






Visitors watch an introductory movie before proceeding to the water, to encourage being careful to not harm the fish nor the reefs.


Then it’s a walk down the hillside to the water.








We snorkeled quite a bit, and Matt captured good videos with his GoPro, which  connects to the bottom of his snorkel.  The snorkel box noted that was preferred to atop the mask as being below the snorkel avoids bubbles from breathing - nice!























We did see a humu humu / humuhumunukunukuapua’a, the state fish,



AND we also saw the similar-but-different Picasso triggerfish.  They are similar in shape, but different in coloring... the humu humu (bottom right) more black and gold, the Picasso (top right) with blue stripes.





After a while, Matt and Abby just stayed on the beach, so Ann Marie and I floated  on our own... We saw quite a few fish, ...








... and we floated for several minutes with a school of a hundred or so of these criminal tang / convict tang fish, who do look just like they are locked up behind bars.












There are quite a few cats who live at Hanauma Bay, in the bushes between the trail and the bay / crater wall.  Abby found them first, and all four of us were happy to see them.













Family photos, and the view as we walked back up the hillside to the car.
















Abby, in front of the mural at the gift shop












Links to the rest of this travel journal:


  1. 1)Highlights

  2. 2)Highlights - Big Island

  3. 3)Highlights - Oahu

  4. 4)Highlights - Kauai


  5. 5)Hawaii Geography


  6. 6)Flights - STL / St. Louis to KOA / Kona


  1. 7)Kona - Kailua

  2. 8)Kona - Painted Church and Place of Refuge

  3. 9)Kona - Coffee


  1. 10)Ka Lae / South Point and Punalu’u / Black Beach

  2. 11)Kona - Outrigger Canoe and Snorkeling

  3. 12)Moku Nui Lava Boat Tour

  4. 13)Lava Boat Videos

  5. 14)Drive, Hilo to Kona on Hw 19



  6. 15)Flight - KOA / Kona to HNL / Honolulu

  7. 16)Oahu - Chinatown and Diamond Head

  8. 17)Oahu - Dole Plantation Maze and Polynesian Cultural Center

  9. 18)Oahu - Hanauma Bay

  10. 19)Oahu - Hanauma Bay Videos



  11. 20)Flight - HNL / Honolulu to LIH / Lihue, Kauai

  12. 21)Kauai Churches

  13. 22)Kauai - Na Pali Catamaran

  14. 23)Kauai - Na Pali Videos

  15. 24)Kauai - fun in the resort and at Kalapaki Beach

  16. 25)Flight - LIH / Lihue, Kauai to STL / St. Louis



  17. 26)SLUH in HI



  18. 27)Hawaii Revealed

  19. 28)Postcards

  20. 29)Reviews



  21. 30)Hawaii 2000

  22. 31)Hawaii 2000 - Maui

  23. 32)Hawaii 2000 - Oahu