Snorkeling

Snorkeling. Photo by Rob Campbell, Big Island Visitor Bureau.

Snorkel from shore or board an excursion boat for a dive cruise. The Big Island’s waters are teaming with brightly colored tropical fish. Marine mammals are protected and should not be approached by boat or swimmers. However, no one has told the dolphins and turtles and it’s perfectly all right if these sometimes-curious creatures decide to approach you.

Snorkeling Spots

Most of the best snorkeling is on the island’s west side. Fish tend to hold court near rocks and reef, but when you explore there make sure you don’t venture too close to breaking waves that will put you between a rock and a hard place. Ask locals about conditions and places to avoid, and note that only some beaches have lifeguards.

East Side

• Leleiwi and Richardson Beach Parks (Hilo): Shallow, protected beach parks good for beginners who stay near shore.
• Kapoho Tidepools (Puna): Very shallow pools sometimes perfect for just sticking your face in — but watch out for sudden larger waves.

West Side

• Kahaluu (Kona): Lots of fish in shallow waters, often calm with very good visibility.
• Hookena Beach Park (Kona): Stay close to shore for best viewing and safety.
• Puuhonua o Haunaunau National Historical Park (Kona): Beautiful living coral formations and lots of fish in these usually clear but deeper waters (20 – 30 feet and more) just outside the park entrance.
• Kealakekua Bay (Kona): Great visibility on calm days, especially on the north side of the bay closer to the Capt. Cook monument.
• Anaehoomalu Beach (South Kohala): Good fish-watching along the rock shores by the resorts in this protected bay.
• Mahukona (North Kohala): A rocky shoreline attracts fish, but waters can by choppy.

Scuba Diving

Scuba Diving. Photo by Bob Abraham, Big Island Visitor Bureau.

Dive shops on the Big Island offer rentals for offshore scuba diving into Hawaii’s clear waters. Explore sea caves or enjoy the coral belt that surrounds the island with all the colorful sea life that dwells there. Introductory “resort courses” will qualifiy you for an introductory scuba dive in hours. You might get hooked and sign up for a certification course.

Scuba Diving Spots

As with snorkeling, most of the best places for divers are on the west side of the island between South Kona and North Kohala. It’s normally best to dive with a local guide who can read changing weather and knows the best spots for shore and boat dives.

East Side

• Leleiwi and Richardson Beach Parks (Hilo): Ask the lifeguards how to get through the reef to deeper waters.

West Side

• Kahaluu (Kona): This popular snorkeling spot also offers good shallow-water diving.
• Puuhonua o Haunaunau National Historical Park (Kona): Beautiful living coral formations and lots of fish in these usually clear waters just outside the park entrance.
• Kealakekua Bay (Kona): Great visibility on calm days, especially on the north side of the bay closer to the Capt. Cook monument.
• Anaehoomalu Beach (South Kohala): Usually good visibility in this protected bay fronted by resorts.

Hawaii Surf Spots

Surfboards. Photo courtesy HVCB Image Library.

Surfing in Hawaii used to be a sport reserved only for the alii (royalty). Fortunately, that is no longer true. Whether you’re already expert at shredding waves or never been on a board, there are lots of surfing opportunities around Hawaii Island. You can take your own board or a rented one to breaks off the beaten path, or sign up with an instructor at popular spots.

There are great places to catch waves around Hawaii Island, but most of them are better suited to experienced surfers. Here’s a short list of more user-friendly breaks. But don’t get in over your head—ask a local or check in with a surf shop for advice about conditions before paddling out. And please, always surf with aloha.

East Side

• Honolii (Hilo): Nice beach park just north of town.
• Pohoiki (Puna): Popular with local families, but conditions vary. Check with the locals before paddling out.

West Side

• Kahaluu (Kona): A popular snorkeling spot near shore, the outer reef is a fun break.
• Pine Trees (Kona): A good place for kids learning to surf.
• Banyans (Kailua-Kona): The main spot in town, popular with local families.
• Lymans (Kailua-Kona): Next to Banyan’s, this is where royalty used to surf, and it’s still popular with longboard riders.
• Hapuna (South Kohala): The beach break is for bodyboarders only, but farther out, Hapuna Point, is an awesome left — for advanced surfers only.
• Sheraton Waikaloa Hotel (South Kohala) – Very accessible rideable waves for intermediate surfers.

Specific Beaches

We have white sand beaches of course, but also black sand and a beach with green sand made from olivine crystals. Some of our beaches are finely manicured and packed with activities, backed by world-class resorts. Others are beautifully wild and remote.

Every beach in Hawaii is open to the public, and Big Island state and county beach parks are highly rated by national travel magazines like Conde Nast, Travel & Leisure and “Dr. Beach,” Stephen Leatherman from the University of Maryland.

So come dive in!

Kolekole Beach Park

Kolekole Beach Park. Photo courtesy Big Island Visitor's Bureau

About 12 miles north of Hilo you’ll find this jungle garden by the ocean. A nearby stream is lined with smooth lava rocks, and a waterfall. Gorgeous on a sunny day and a unique tropical experience when its raining!

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Onekahakaha Beach Park

Onekahakaha Beach Park. Courtesy Big Island Visitor Bureau.

A favorite with local residents, this small, shallow, sand-bottomed ocean pool is one of the safest swimming areas along the Hilo coast, with tidepools and inlets, so there are lots of families and small kids. Although there’s no actual beach, this park is a perfect place to play, picnic and people-watch, with pavilions, restrooms and lovely views of Hilo Bay.

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Richardson Ocean Center/Leleiwi Beach Park

Richardson's Ocean Center. Photo courtesy Big Island Visitor's Bureau.

The shallow bay fronting Richardson Ocean Center is the most popular snorkeling site on the east side of the island. Surfers and body boarders ride the break next to the southern point of the bay. The center features a marine life display, and the beach park has picnic pavilions, restrooms, parking and showers.

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Punaluu Beach Park

Black Sand Beach. Photo courtesy Big Island Visitor Bureau.

This beautiful black-sand beach is a great place to see green sea turtles close to shore. If you jump in the water, you’ll want to stay close to shore too to avoid sometimes tricky currents. The adjacent campground and pavilion are popular with local families and fishermen, though this exposed grassy area can be blustery.

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Spencer Park at Ohaiulu Beach

Spencer Beach Park. Photo courtesy Big Island Visitor's Bureau

This normally calm little white sand beach contrasts with its dramatic backdrop: the imposing rock walls of Puukohola Heiau, one of the most historic temples in Hawaiian history. The mana (spiritual power) of this place notwithstanding, it’s a great spot for kids to splash in the shallow water, and for snorkeling, fishing, picnicking and camping.

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Hapuna Beach State Park

Hapuna Beach. Photo courtesy Big Island Visitor Bureau.

On the Big Island’s spectacular Kohala coast, Hapuna’s white sands have earned it a reputation as one of Hawaii’s finest beaches, being consistently rated on the numerous international Top Ten lists. The largest of our island’s white sand beaches, it offers consistently good conditions for swimming, body-boarding, sunbathing, strolling and snorkeling. Located adjacent to the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel, there is ample parking, along with food vendors, picnic areas, restrooms and showers.

Holoholokai Beach Park & Puako Petroglyph Preserve

Petroglyphs. Photo courtesy Big Island Visitor's Bureau

This small, well-manicured beach park near the Fairmont Orchid Hawaii, has parking, restrooms, showers and barbecue grills. Although it’s not a sandy beach, it’s a beautiful place to explore tidepools, look for shells and go snorkeling. A short walk away is the extraordinary Puako Petroglyph Archaeological Preserve, where hundreds of ancient carvings in the lava rock open a window into yesterday.

Sport Fishing

Sportfishing. Photo Kirk Lee Aeder, Big Island Visitor Bureau.

Sport fishing is big on the Big Island. Although we’re famous for marlin, fishermen also regularly hook mahimahi, ono and ahi. Most charter fishing boats put to sea from Honokohau Harbor outside Kailua-Kona. You can also fish from piers, jetties and shore, or along streams.

For the latest news on catches off the island of Hawaii, click here .

Whale Watches, Boats & Submarines

Photo courtesy Fair Wind Cruises., by CJ Kale

The sight of a 40-ton humpback whale leaping out of the water and pirouetting like a ballet dancer, apparently just for fun, is one of those things that gives you a whole new perspective on our little blue planet. Likewise when you dive beneath the sea and hear the squeals of a whale that might be a mile away but sounds as though she is about to appear before your eyes. The humpbacks migrate to Hawaii waters every winter (usually from about November through April) to give birth and mate, and the sight of these amazing animals—the largest mammals on Earth—never gets old. Other whale species—pilot, sperm, false killer, orcas, melon headed, dolphins—live in Hawaiian waters year-round, which is why you can have a whale watch tour any time of year with outfits like Captain Dan McSweeney’s Whale Watch.

The Hawaiian word for the humpback is “kohola.” The best way to get up close and personal (within the limits of federal laws that protect this endangered species) is to take a whale-watching cruise out of Kailua-Kona.

Photo courtesy Captain Dan's

From mid-November through May, the great humpback whales make their annual visit to Hawaii’s Big Island. Measuring an average of 45 feet, and weighing about a ton per foot, the sight of a breaching humpback whale from shore or just over the bow of your whale-watching boat will stay with you forever. Keep your camera handy; these gentle giants can take to the air at any moment.

Boat at Kawaihae Harbor. Photo courtesy Big Island Visitor Bureau.

Submarines, catamarans, other boats
Hawaii Island takes on a whole new perspective when you gaze upon it from the deck of a boat offshore. Bobbing on a catamaran while munching fruit and sipping a cold drink, still wet from snorkeling off the side—that also gives you a new perspective. And gazing out the big window of a tour submarine? Wow!

Kayaking, Paddling & Canoes

Family paddling fun.

Outrigger canoes were the first boats to come ashore in Hawaii, and they are still commonly used for sport and recreation. A number of outrigger excursions around the island offer you the chance to paddle in a six-person canoe, cruising the coast and riding a wave into shore.

Captain Cook monument. Photo by Aloha Kayak Co., Big Island Visitor's Bureau.

Paddle at your own pace along the shores in Hilo Bay or the numerous coves that dot the Kohala Coast. You can rent a kayak or canoe and head off on your own, or take lessons and a guided tour with someone who knows the best views along the coast.

Resort Beach Tip

All Hawaii beaches have public access, whether they’re in front of exclusive resorts or public parks. And the public beach parks are just as nice. Really. If resorts are busy or the parking lot is full, don’t despair, just drive a little farther and find your place in the sun.

If on resort property, please respect their parking and other policies. Some facilities and equipment are provided for resort guests only (towels, chairs, etc.) Please leave these for the folks who pay for the privilege.

Beachside restaurants and bars welcome anyone. The views are priceless, particularly at sunset. (Swimsuit coverups are generally required).

Ocean Safety Tip

Please take care in and around the water. From shore, the clear, tropical waters of the Pacific look very inviting, and for the most part they are. But the ocean also commands respect. Strong, hidden currents can easily overpower even the most seasoned swimmer. Diving can be dangerous due to hidden rocks below the surface. Avoid walking on coral—it could cut your feet and damage the coral. Check for jellyfish before entering the water. You’re more likely to spot them eight to ten days after a full moon.

Always pay attention to water safety signs! Photo courtesy Big Island Visitor Bureau.

Standing on rock outcroppings can also be dangerous because of the risk of a sudden, rogue wave. Never turn your back on the ocean, and always keep an eye on the keiki (kids) whenever they’re near the water. Even if lifeguards are nearby, use the buddy system. Have fun, but please don’t take chances.

Malama Kai - Care of the Ocean

Paddling Kailua Bay. Photo by John Kitchen, Big Island Visitor Bureau.

The ocean is our island state’s most important resource. More than a quarter of the sealife here is found nowhere else on the planet. So it’s important for all of us to practice an ancient Hawaiian tradition: Malama kai. That means we take care of our fragile ocean environment. So please, when enjoying the sea, here or anywhere on the planet: Swim and see, don’t touch. A coral reef is a complex living community supporting countless species. So please don’t touch the coral, or touch the animals and plants surrounding it. Green sea turtles are an endangered species. Just because they swim near you doesn’t mean you should touch them. With all sea creatures, keep a respectful distance—for their safety and yours.

For more great guidelines for protecting the ocean while you explore it, see these Marine Wildlife Viewing Tips published by The Big Island Reef Fund. And we encourage you to increase your reef knowledge by watching a short video, “Hawaii Reef Etiquette” before entering the water.