Honokaope Bay

Honokaope Bay on the Big Island is one of our favorite snorkeling spots because of the abundance of fish, coral, and sponges. It’s a beautiful bay that is hard to beat for snorkeling. However, this can be a dangerous place as there are many sharp rocks on the floor, resulting in cuts and even injuries if you’re not careful. That is why it is always recommended to go with an experienced snorkeling guide to help you stay safe.

Honokaope Bay snorkeling will allow you to see some interesting types of fish and coral species.

Some of the fish you’ll see include butterflyfish, ponyfish, parrotfish, and triggerfishes. If you’re lucky, you may even see the elusive manta ray or something else even more exotic.

You’ll see other marine life, including squid, cuttlefish, and octopus.

Honokaope is also a snorkeling site where you can see a variety of corals.

If you’ve got the time, you can go further into Honokaope Bay and take a look at the sub-surface volcanic structure – it’s pretty exciting and worth taking some time to look around.

Exploring Honokaope Bay via snorkeling will give you the chance to see some marine life that isn’t as common as other sites.

You’ll be able to observe many varieties of coral along the snorkeling trail as well. You can observe the popular soft corals, sea anemones, and brain corals. After a while, you’ll come across more dazzling varieties like the moon or “starry” coral, which is a colony of tiny stony corals with an intricate star pattern on their surface.

You may have some difficulty finding this snorkeling spot from the road. Park at the Honokohau Harbor on the ocean side of the main road. Walk to your left, and you’ll come to a small, rocky point that juts out into the sea. From there, you’ll be able to locate some other snorkelers who are swimming away from shore in deeper waters.

Also, at Honokaope Bay, you’ll be able to appreciate the rays, sea turtles, sea snakes, and many other types of exotic life that utilize tranquil waters as their home.

Honokaope Bay is a perfect place for beginning snorkelers, especially since there are great beaches to laze on after your swim.

If you feel competent enough, try taking a scuba dive in the clear waters of Honokaope Bay or relax and watch all the other people enjoying the outstanding recreational opportunities that this spot has to offer.

Another good thing about Honokaope Bay snorkeling is that it’s free for everyone, so no matter what your age or level of experience, you can do it! You can easily find free parking at Honokohau Harbor. There are some more enjoyable and less known spots to see snorkeling here that our guides will be happy to show you, and they will also make your entire process very fluid so that you can spend the maximum amount of time enjoying this location instead of trying to figure out where to go and how to do it.

Overall it is an excellent place for beginner snorkelers or families with children. It is a top-rated tour for many of our customers.

If you are interested in booking a snorkeling tour at this location, please let us know in the contact form.

We look forward to snorkeling with you!