Hanauma Bay is a popular tourist attraction located in Oahu. One of the main activities that you can do here is snorkeling. On most days, the water is calm and clear so you can really see the fishes, coral and whatever else you may come across.
Contents
Hours
The park is open from 6AM to 6PM everyday except for Tuesdays.
Directions
Admission
Admission to the park costs $7.50 per person.
There are also fees for other things like snorkel equipment or locker rentals. Our friend rented snorkel gear for $20. We also got a small locker for $8 to put the rest of our things.
There are a variety of different snorkel equipment, full face and a normal snorkel mask. It cost more to rent a full face mask.
Parking
There is a big parking lot located in Hanauma Bay (and its free too!). The parking lot can be closed off if it gets full so we would suggest going early to secure that spot. When we arrived around 10:30am on a weekday (October 24, 2018), there was a security guard turning people away since the lot was full. So we visited Lanai Lookout for 30 minutes. By the time we came back to Hanauma Bay, the lot was open again, luckily.
Restrooms
There are restrooms located next to the food stands. There are also restrooms located next to the gear and locker rental.
Hanauma Bay
We just got off the plane from California, rented a car, and drove here to go snorkeling. However, we didn’t get there early enough and the parking lot was already full. Good thing there was something nearby that occupied us because after that, the parking lot opened up again! Since we didn’t have time to check in to our hotel yet, we had to get changed in the car (one person got changed in the car while the rest of us waited outside). We also didn’t have time to eat but luckily, there was a food stand inside where we bought hot dogs.
There are restrooms at the food stand so you can change there as well and drop things off at the car. It is a short walk depending how far you parked.
This food stand is the only place to get food.
It was kind of hot when we visited. I wish we had taken the tram but what can you do when you don’t have cash. I did not see an ATM either, but I could be mistaken since it seemed like a lot of effort.
Once you purchase your admission tickets, you have to watch a short educational orientation video. They go over the importance of preserving the bay and some security signals to be aware of. Make sure to pay attention as it is very important for your safety.
They stress to make sure to not touch the coral because it will cause them to die. Honestly, I don’t know how you won’t touch them. The water was shallow up to a very long point.
After you watch the video, you have to go down to the bay. To get to the bay is a long walk, so make sure to eat at the food stand before you go to the bay or you will have to go back up and get a stamp. The parking lot and food stand is at the top of the cliff. The bay is below.
There is an incline going down. If you are unable to walk or have any issues doing a short walk, there is a tram that can take you for a fee. I think the fee was a dollar or so but we don’t carry cash so we just walked.
Once you get down to the bay, it will look like an ordinary beach. It stretches quite a bit but I’m sure it can get really packed. Some spots were more populated than others, particularly near the entrance.
When you first get there, make sure to go straight to the rental shop. It will be a short walk from the entrance. Just head straight and you should see it as you follow the sidewalk.
Key tip: when you get your snorkel mask, make sure to put some soap/shampoo that they have available so it does not fog when you are using it underwater. That is a common mistake people have when they go snorkeling.
I thought that the water would be calm and it was be easy for me to swim, but I was wrong. I only recently learned to swim so it was actually really difficult for me. Brea and our friend went on ahead while I stayed closer to the shore. I did manage to see fishes though which was pretty cool.
If you don’t see fishes right away, don’t get discouraged. Just try different areas along the bay and you should see something for sure. The amount of fish that we saw was disappointing. We were able to see a variety of fishes. We were not able to see any sea turtles. But there was a seal on the beach. They ask that you do not get near the seals as they are trying to rest.
Brea got to try out her new underwater housing and camera. They also tried out the GoPro 6 on a selfie stick and was able to get some decent shots. The visibility was poor so it affected the photo quality.
When leaving, you have to walk up the incline or you can use the tram. You need to pay again if you want to use the tram. So if you are able to walk down, you should save the tram money for walking up. Walking down gives you a chance to take a picture of the whole bay.
Overall Hanauma Bay is a must do when visiting Hawaii! Even if you don’t want to go into the water or go snorkeling, you can just sit and relax on the beach. The only thing was that we wished was for the water to be more calm and clear. But this was a great way for us to start our Hawaii trip!
If you’re a photographer, go with an open mind. Brea has learned to never expect anything so you can never be disappointed. We saw a lot of posts that people were able to see lots of marine life, just know the opposite can always happen as well.
Places Nearby
Click here for other things to do during your trip to Hawaii.
[…] highlight was that compared to other locations (like Hanauma Bay), the water was very clear and blue! The water was very […]