Kauna’oa Beach

Kauna’oa Beach on the Big Island snorkeling is one of the best places to swim with dolphins and turtles. The beach has a wildlife sanctuary with lava rocks that attract tourists from all over the world. It has pearl and nurse sharks in the shallow waters and sea turtle nests from last year. The beach is surrounded by a lava cliff with overhanging trees and bushes, making the beach one of the most beautiful places in America. It was designated as an International Marine Protected Area in 1988 to protect its deepwater coral reef. 

The beach is one of the most popular tourist attractions on the Big Island and is frequently mentioned in travel guides. Nearby Wai’pio Point has visitor services with restrooms, fresh drinking water, showers, and picnic tables. Lifeguards are also on the beach from mid-March to mid-October during the summer.
Kauna’oa Beach is located on the west coast of Big Island, south of Kailua-Kona. The Kona International Airport is to the east of the beach, and many tour buses pass by the hotel while driving tourists to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park or Mauna Kea. Tourists generally stay in a nearby hotel or campground and visit Kauna’oa Beach on their way to other attractions.

The first people who lived in the area were the Ancient Hawaiians. Their settlement was mainly located along the island coast, and they relied heavily on fishing for food. In the 16th century, when Captain James Cook landed near Kauna’oa Beach in his second voyage to Hawaii, he brought cattle to take advantage of intact gardens. The first European settlers arrived from Europe in 1820, when Captain George Dixon arrived with his ship “Loyalty.” His group brought cattle, horses, and chickens to the area, which destroyed the native environment.

The area became a tourist attraction in 1956 when two canoeists from the mainland discovered that there were sharks in the waters of Kauna’oa. The beach gained popularity after a 1967 article written by Steve Crane, which described it as an “idyllic place for swimming.” Tourism multiplied after that, and in 1978 a group of locals joined together to protect the beach from over-development.

Kauna’oa Beach snorkeling has many benefits, not the least of which is the fact that it is a protected marine life habitat offering clear, clean water and a wide variety of Hawaiian reef fish right offshore. It also has a lovely sandy beach for sunbathing and playing in the surf, plus an abandoned fishing area. Hawaii’s Kauna’oa Beach is located in the South Kona District of Hawaii’s Big Island.

Kauna’oa Beach has been a popular snorkeling destination for a long time. It’s also an excellent spot for lobster fishing. The waters surrounding the beach are protected, and there are no fishnets allowed in this area of Kahaluu Bay. Because of this, it is one of the best snorkel spots on the Big Island.

The fish readily seen in the waters around Kauna’oa Beach include small reef fish, parrotfish, rays, moray eels, and turtles. This clear water also provides excellent visibility. The beach itself is white sand with a narrow strip of grass in one place. You can play in the water up to your waist while standing in the surf because there are no high waves here.

The most exciting feature of Kauna’oa Beach is its caves (the most striking of which is the Cave of Cortez). Some people have attempted to explore them, but they have yet to find a way through. It is also speculated that the Native Hawaiians may have used them as fishing traps, of which there are still several large ones at the entrance to the caves. These tide pools are home to sea cucumbers, spiny urchins, and sea anemones. Also abounding in the clear water at Kauna’oa is ogo, large pinkish-red algae. The rocks on the bottom of the beach area are a mass of coral heads, where you can pick up free live coral as well as finished pieces. The soft coral is home to anemones, shrimps, and fish.

Kauna’oa Beach is also a great place for shore fishing. The reef extends well out from the beach so that you can catch a variety of fish right off of the shoreline.

The predominant weather at Kauna’oa Beach is trade winds with large swells. It is not uncommon to have waves break directly onshore and surfers out in the water. Surfers can be seen taking advantage of the waves throughout the year, especially during summer months when Hawaiian trade winds are usually substantial.

Kauna’oa Beach is a beautiful place to snorkel and explore. 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!