Snorkeling isn’t really considered a death defying sport. I like snorkeling. Hawaii was made for snorkeling. I can spell snorkel. Of all the beaches that ring the islands of Hawaii, where’s the best beach for snorkeling and what’s death defying about it?

I’ll cut right to the chase. Snorkeling is better at Hanauma Bay than anywhere else in Hawaii I can name. There might be places with as many fish. Or fewer tourists. Or lower priced (you have to pay to visit the Bay these days). Few snorkeling places are as accessible, though.

East of Honolulu is a crater. Centuries ago, the ocean crashed through one side of the crater and formed Hanauma Bay. The Bay itself is a typical crescent shape with sand and rocks that ring the shoreline. There’s a long and broad pathway to the beach below (wide enough for a car or small truck) from the cliffs above. Most visitors walk down to reach the beach although a trolley car is available for those who cannot walk down. Walking up is significantly more tiring.

It’s not the walk that’s death defying.

It’s the coral reef—if you don’t walk on it. Coral in Hawaii, particularly in Hanauma Bay, is alive. When you step on coral reef it can die. Slowly, to be sure. But death comes nevertheless.

One of the best ways to enjoy the beach without damaging the natural coral reef is to snorkel. The water is clean, particularly in the early morning before a thousand feet stir up sand and silt.

The Bay has many large rocks which provide both a resting point and a place to conceal fish—more colored fish than you can imagine. From time to time you can snorkel across the rocks and see a large eel poked back into a small cave or hole in the rock.

Walking on coral is dangerous for the coral. As a living creature, it’s very sensitive to the changes in temperature, water pollutants, and other conditions in the Bay.

Locally, there are a number of small tours for the Bay; hiking along the summit of the crater as well as along the rocks (death defying in its own right). Hawaiian Ocean Promotions offers a Snorkel Adventure to Hanauma Bay for as little as $15. You can rent snorkels, masks, and swim fins. There’s also disposable underwater cameras available. The snorkeling tour will pick up visitors from Waikiki hotels—everyday of the week except Tuesday (Hanauma Bay actually closes to give the water time to refresh.

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