Yesterday I went over to Kona for a mini-vacation. It is fun how driving just two hours puts you in another state of mind. That is one of the great things about living on the big island of Hawai'i, it is large, you really do not get island fever here. It is so diverse and has so many great things to do with various scenery, weather and opportunities. Yesterday it was rainy and cool (76 degrees instead of the usual 80) in Hilo, so driving across the island to the dry (also warmer and sunnier) side was a "no brainer". We have lots of great snorkeling places in and around Hilo, but I must admit, my favorite places to snorkel are on the other side of the island.
This post is going to be mostly photos from my dive, but first let me tell you about one of my favorite snorkeling locations. I have snorkeled all over the world, Fiji, Bonaire, Belize, Cozumel and many other locales. I have also snorkeled all around the big island. But consistently, some of the best snorkeling adventures have been at Kahalu'u Beach Park, just south of downtown Kona. The thing about Kahalu'u is that it has an easy entry, places for people of all levels to snorkel, the water is protected by a sea wall supposedly built by the
Menehune. Though it was built in ancient times and has deteriorated somewhat, it still provides protection and makes an excellent home for corals and reef fish. I see more variety of both of those here.
There are an abundance of parrot fish, convict tang, a few types of butterfly fish, porcupine fish, needle fish, puffers, needle fish, wrasses, hawk fish, Moorish idols, several kinds of angel fish, occasional interesting box fish and a few eels. I did see a small "Nemo" (clown fish) yesterday, but that is rather rare there. Yesterday, I encountered a Honu, a sea turtle. She was a juvenile and swam with me for about 100 feet. The corals here are in good shape considering the amount of people that visit this location. On some occasions that I have been there, volunteers educate visitors about how to navigate the bay without damaging the coral.
The really good snorkeling is about 100 feet off shore and beyond. There are some freshwater springs that make the water a little murky at the shore line. This is not a white sand beach, but a salt and pepper beach. There is quite a lot of natural shade on the south point of the beach. It is also close enough to the surfing side of the bay to get quite a show from shore. If the surf is not high, you can also venture out to the other side of the breakfront and find some larger fish.
The beach has good parking (especially if you get there early in the day or mid-day when the first round of people are leaving. Avoid it on Wednesdays that is when the regular cruise ship is in town. There are a full range of facilities here. Showers, restrooms, picnic tables with grills, a lunch truck with shave ice and rentals of all kinds of equipment. There is even a locker service for you to check your valuables and keys, though I have found this beach to be extremely safe. The water is calm enough for children and beginners. This is where I usually take people who have never snorkeled because you do not face the surf issues that usually instill fear in first timers and yet they are guaranteed a great show of fish.
Here is another post I made about snorkeling at
Mauna Lani and Richardson's Beach. This one was from a previous trip to
Kahalu'u. And this one is about our
dive club which meets on the first sunday of every month at Richardson's.
In the picture below, see the honu (turtle resting on the bottom by the rock) In the next picture you will see her swimming along with me. It was great fun.
Are you planning a visit to the big island? If so, drop me an
e-mail and I would be glad to give you some other suggestions for what to see and do and where to dine!
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