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#1
11-05-2011, 02:34 PM
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OMG! Thank You guys for the incredible information! Great post! I am headed to Maui too and I after reading your posts I am so excited I have tears in my eyes!
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#2
11-05-2011, 03:52 PM
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I was just in Maui earlier this July and I agree with what the others above have stated.
I can also confirm that the "Fishbowl" and the "Aquarium" have been closed to the public due to excessive damage to the reef from tourists. The state has now directed all snorkeling and diving in south Maui to a new area aptly named "The Dumps" which is just north of the Aquarium and Fishbowl with much easier access. I only snorkeled there once but I wish I had gone more times as there were different species of fish and very tall coral mounds present that I didn't see anywhere else around Maui. There was also a large pod of dolphins spotted at the dumps daily. Molokini is definatley worth the money to go check out. Underwater visibility is often greater than 100 feet and it was the only place in Maui that I saw Achilles tangs and blue throat triggers. Probably the healthiest reef there as well but not nearly as much structure as the Dumps or Honolua Bay. If you hit up a "Tickets on the Rock" booth in any one of the towns in Maui (there is at least a half dozen in Lahaina alone) you can get a better price on a trip out to Molokini. Don't believe the signs out front though as the only way you can go to Molokini for the $18 advertised price is to sit through some sort of painful time share. I also snorkeled Honolua bay every day except for one while it was raining. Definately worth checking out, especially if you are staying in the Honokawai area. Don't bother going here if it rained alot the previous day as a creek takes all the runoff out into the bay leaving a 12-18" thick layer of silty and cold fresh water on the surface of the bay reducing visibility to near zero unless you are diving. Parking at black rock is terrible as it resides infront of the Sheraton Hotel. I tried to go there on several occasions and was unable to find a parking spot in the free area (only 6 stalls) or in the mini mall parking lot. Go very early if you plan to snorkel this area. Here's a link to some pics I took while I was there: http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=76942 Enjoy your trip!
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#3
11-05-2011, 05:26 PM
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Definitely check out Ahihi Bay. This was Jacques Cousteau's favourite place to snorkel in the world. It is right by Oprah Winfrey's old vacation home. I stayed with a friend who has lived there for 6 years and is a scuba diver. I was just there 3 weeks ago. Ahihi bay was by far my favourite spot. You won't see tour boats there, but there are people that snorkel there. You just drive up and park. By far the most life/corals other than Molokini. We went snorkelling/scuba diving almost every day we were there (11 days). Ask any local where Ahihi Bay is and they'll know.
Ross mentioned Olowalu. I did a Scuba shore dive off the Olowalu camp ground and we ran into a Hawaiian Monk seal, it was amazing. There are less than 1300 left and are very endangered. If you snorkel there, look to see if you see a dive boat or snorkel boat, you have to swim out probably a football field to get to the good stuff, usually people go by boat, but a shore dive is way cheaper. The locals call it the "maze" because if it's low tide, then you can't swim over the reef, but have to maze your way around it. At first it looked like there was nothing to see cause you can basically wade out for 50 yards waist deep, but if you keep swimming, it's amazing. Like I said, if there is a boat, just swim toward it, that's what we did. Mackena Landing is a good place to snorkel as well. We saw a couple of octopi there and they were changing colours. My friend saw a white tip shark there, but I didn't catch a glimpse of it. Oh, there are tons of turtles there too. Always be on a lookout for a dive or snorkel boat from the shore as your are driving. Where ever there is a boat, it's usually clear and there is stuff to see. Hope this helps. I was there from beginning of October to mid October this year, so this is pretty current info. Oh, and if you want to try spear fishing or lobster hunting, it's a ton of fun and yummy. Just look at the signs as some places restrict you to fish only certain kinds of fish, and some places like Ahihi are a nature reserve, so you can't fish. Hope this helps. Last edited by Dez; 11-05-2011 at 05:34 PM.
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#5
11-05-2011, 05:39 PM
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Here is the information that is in pretty much all the brochures.
Very informative descriptions and useful tips. http://www.maui-vacation.net/snorkelmap.html
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#6
11-05-2011, 05:58 PM
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Great info from the other members posting. Just to add a couple of things. The "Maui Revealed" book has got to be the best. We use the whole series (there's one for each of the major islands) when we go to Hawaii. In particular, read the section on snorkel tours to Molokini. Each of the boats have a designated mooring spot and some tours have better spots than others. If you do get a chance to do an interisland trip to the Big Island, Captain Cook's monument (Kealakekua Bay) is comparable and I dare say actually "nicer" than Molokini (here's a good reason to go back to Hawaii
 ). The other book that we use almost exclusively is the series called "Snorkel (insert name of Island)", by Judy and Mel Malinowski. Their maps and directions are great. Besides that, have a great trip and take lots of pictures to share with the rest of us. 
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#7
11-05-2011, 06:11 PM
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I agree about the Big Island. Went there for the first time earlier this year and I can't wait to go back. I thought I loved Maui, I thought I loved Kauai, and .. while that's still true, it's just that.. holy crap, I ***LOVE*** the Big Island. I spend just about every waking moment scheming up ways to go back or checking for seat sales. Oh well.
But seriously, Maui is pretty much TheAwesome(tm). You guys will have a great time. Get that guide book, Maui Revealed. Seriously. Go get it RIGHT NOW. You'll have an amazing time just reading it before you go and scheming up things "Ok. We're so doing that. Oh, and that. Yup, we're doing that too." I've seen other guide books that were really good too, but this particular series is just hands down the best. (IMHO!!!)
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#8
11-05-2011, 07:14 PM
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Quote:
 Its also got the largest collection of South east Asian and Pacific art in the world, I believe.If the volcano is active as its been off and on for the last few years, its a nice bonus, as well. As far as Maui goes, check out a Magic Show called Warren and Annabelles. Its in Lahaina and although its been a few years since we saw it , the show is amazing and the coconut shrimp for dinner before is great!! (We got the idea from the Maui Revealed book) Just talking about Hawaii makes me want to go!! Anybody found any good seat sales for around Christmas?
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