Snorkeling in Hanauma Bay

Tonight is my last night in Hawaii. How did the week pass so quickly! We really took advantage of the day and got up early to head back out to Hanauma Bay. We got there around 9:00AM and had to sit through a little information video that told us about the history of the bay and the rules we should follow to help preserve the natural life.

Hanauma Bay is perfect for snorkeling. The water is really clear and there’s a ton of fish. We brought our own snorkels and goggles but next time, I’d recommend just renting the whole set of snorkel, goggles, and fins. It’s cheap and if you don’t plan on snorkeling a whole lot in your future, you might as well just rent for the day. The set was only $12 for the day.

The strange thing about Hanauma Bay is that it’s pretty shallow. When I went snorkeling a few years ago, we took a little boat into the middle of the ocean and then dived in there so the water was pretty deep. At Hanauma Bay, the reef is close to the water so you’re swimming on top of it and all the fish are diving in and out of the rocks.

To be honest, I was a little hesitant to swim over the reef. I have a terrible history with coral reefs because I end to flail and kick and cut up my feet. I got a few scrapes here and today but swimming with the rented fins really helped. Also, it took a little bit of time to get used to the snorkel and breathing through it. I was doing this weird thing where I just held my breath when I put my face in the water but after a few minutes, I got the hang of it and was happily swimming along looking at the fish. It was a wonderful way to end our trip and we even had a nice Italian dinner altogether!

On another note, tomorrow is “National Best Friend Day!” What an appropriate way to end our trip to Hawaii.