02/04/09

Rent Gear and Swim with Fishes

by reyrey333

I've been to Hanauma Bay twice now. A great visit each time. My gf and I took her neice snorkeling out here this last trip. We came early in the morning and there were clouds and a few showers at 9a. Then again, its hawaii in the winter for you. We waited it out since we already secured a parking spot. The sun came out sporatically during the day and it got a tad crowded. My gf's neice enjoyed all the snorkeling and sea life she saw. A lot of the coral can be seen without having to go too deep. The gear is only $9 for the upgrade. I don't recommend coming here just to lay out. You can do that up and down the coast without having to pay the $5 to watch the video and $1 for parking. Oh, and when we left about 1230p, the lot was already closed. Bring snacks too since the walk up to the snack bar is time consuming.

• Pros: shallow coral snorkeling, awesome view, cheap rentals
• Cons: long walk up and down, small parking lot

07/17/08

Spend a day snorkeling in the pristine waters of a magnificent half-moon-shaped bay.

by Contributor

In Short
Formed by a volcano that erupted and then collapsed into the sea, the bay is home to a complex crater that hosts a bonanza of marine life. Oahu's best snorkeling is as good as it gets, with hundreds of tropical fish and corals. If you're not too dazzled to come up for air, the large, sandy beach is perfect for sunbathing. For a different perspective, explore one of several nearby hiking trails that lead to breathtaking vistas. A designated landmark since 1967, the marine park is well-equipped with amenities, including outdoor showers, restrooms and picnic tables. Get there early, (by 8am) because the number of visitors is limited and once the parking lot is full, you're out of luck.

• Pros: SnorkelingAmenities
• Cons: Limited ParkingOften Crowded

11/10/07

Free Entry After 4!

by dreammachi

We've been to Hanauma Bay for the last 3 times we visited Hawaii. It's one place that almost guarantee you'll see some fish if the waves' aren't too big. This time, we came late since we were busy doing other things prior and ended up getting there at 4 PM. We were still determined to pay the $5 entrance fee and see some fish. To our surprise, they stopped charging folks money to get in, so we didn't pay the $1 parking, nor the $5 entrance fee. By that time, it was a little dark and cool. The tides were getting a little big again. We still saw some fish, just would have been better if we had gotten there earlier, with big sun and little wave... $5 would have been nothing! Big fun for the family. Arrive early, bring picnic, relax. Go home happy!

• Pros: Awesome Fish Viewing Point!
• Cons: Can be Overfilled with Visitors!

08/02/07

Over Rated

by joeletx

Our kids did not have a good impression when we left the bay. We came to the park on a weekday around 2:00 pm in the afternoon; spent about two hours and left little after four. The park was overly crowded that it closed its door in the morning when we came by at 9:30 am. We spent $50 for renting four snorkling gear sets and ended up returning them 40 minutes later. It was quite a disappointment because we did not find fishes worth seeing. The bay was so crowded and was poluted with white cloud of tanning lotions in the water. Peolple in the park told us that there were fishes in early morning but they quickly disappeared around mid morning. On the possitive side, the beach scence was very nice viewing from the top. The park has clean facilities and hambuger stand that serves all kinds of burgers and hot dogs. The best hidden secret beach, to me, is the Waimanalo Park beach that is 15 minutes further north.

• Pros: Beautiful view of the bay and beach, full service facilities, well kept
• Cons: Overly crowded, limited parking, milky green water, and no fishes

07/05/05

Don't miss

by wxguy

Hanama Bay is a great place to visit. We moved to Hawaii a year ago and we have been to many of the beaches on Oahu and Hanama Bay is by far the best for snorkling. The bay is protected so the water usually doesn't get too rough so it's good for inexperienced snorklers. It does get pretty crowded by late morning and it's not uncommon for the parking lot to close by 11 A.M. on the weekends and holidays because of the crowds.

• Pros: nice water, the underwater views
• Cons: The crowds

10/18/04

Beautiful

by claudimarsh

I was there just last Friday and we took the suggestion of getting there early...we got there by 6:30 and didn't pay to get in. Spent a couple of hours and then went on to Lanakai beach. It was worth renting a car for the day to go to both places!! I recommend to get there early because by the time we were leaving it was begining to get crowded and people were waiting to get in. It was my first snorkeling experience and I can't wait to do it again.

• Pros: Inexpensive, Not far, View

10/04/03

paradise

by jamess

I went there this summer. I did not get there early which is advisable. It was still gorgeous. One of the highlights of my trip to Oahu.

• Pros: inexpensive, gorgeous, beautiful fish

07/03/03

Hanauma Bay

by kelly_dimarcello

I went to Hanauma Bay a few years ago and it was the most amazing place I have ever been to! You are told not to feed the fish, but we held animal crackers and went out into the water and the fish swarmed to us! We used an entire roll of underwater film.

If you walk along the shore you will come to an area where there are tons of rocks and waves just come crashing in. We got some incredible pictures there!!

It's inexpensive and not too crowded. Definitely a place for adults and kids! I highly recommend it to anyone that mentions Hawaii!!

03/27/03

Go early!

by JohnGalt

Pros: Amazingly beautiful bay with a wide spectrum of sealife to be seen. Words can't explain it and pictures don't fully address it either. It's absolutely a must do item on the island.

Cons: This place is the epitome of a tourist attraction. They have a maximum capacity to which they adhere to so if you want to be sure you get in, go early.

• Pros: Beauty, fish variety
• Cons: crowded (usually)

01/31/03

Too many people

by jennifertom_citysearch

I remember coming here as a kid and seeing an amazing array of colorful fish in crystal-clear water. But after visiting in spring '02, I was very disappointed and sad for the park. There were a lot fewer fish, more people, (I actually got kicked in the head a couple times while snorkeling) and people didn't seem very respectful of the natural environment. People were walking on the coral and the water was cloudy from suntan oil and too many people. If something doesn't change, I fear this park won't survive.

• Pros: Beautiful, Safe snorkeling
• Cons: Overcrowded, Not enough rangers, Need to enforce rules