The Ultimate Guide to Snorkeling in Kona, Hawaii

The Kona Coast of Hawaii’s Big Island is home to some of the best snorkel spots I’ve ever experienced, with crystal clear water and an abundance of marine life—hundreds of species of tropical fish, vibrant coral reefs, sea turtles, and the occasional manta ray.

If you’re looking for the best places to snorkel in Kona, you’ve come to the right place! I’m a snorkeling fanatic that frequently visits Hawaii. On my recent trip to Kona, I discovered several incredible snorkel spots that I’m sharing about in this article. I’m also sharing the exact snorkel tours we went on!

Also See: The First Time Visitor’s Guide to Hawaii’s Big Island (Best Areas to Stay, Things to Do & Travel Tips)

👋🏽 Note from the author: Did this article impact the way you planned your trip? Have any questions? Please comment at the end of the article! It helps this blog grow and helps me know what types of articles to write more. 💛

🐢 Best Kona Snorkel Tours 🐠

You don’t need to go on a tour to snorkel in Kona, but there are several specific experiences that are only possible with a tour. My top recommendations:

• ⛵️ Catamaran Kealakekua Bay Snorkeling Adventure: The exact tour we went on. Skip the steep, sweaty hike to Kealakekua Bay and cruise in on a catamaran instead! The crew is amazing, the snorkel gear is excellent, and you get a delicious breakfast and lunch.
• 🌅 Catamaran Sunset & Manta Ray Snorkeling Adventure: The same tour we went on. Swim with wild manta rays on this excellent tour—it’s a MUST if you love snorkeling since you can’t do this on your own!
• 🤿 Kona Kayak & Snorkel Tour: Explore hidden sea caves, blow holes, lava tubes, and lesser known snorkel spots on this guided Kona snorkeling tour.
• Browse the top 40 Big Island snorkel tours.

☀️🌺🌿 Article Outline (Jump Ahead)

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Snorkeling Along the Kona Coast in Hawaii

Tips for Snorkeling in Kona

• 🌅 Snorkel in the morning when possible: The ocean is usually the calmest in the morning, and the water is usually clearer.
• 🤿 Bring your own snorkel gear (and invest in good gear!!) You can’t rent a snorkel at most beaches, and you’ll have such a better time snorkeling with high-quality gear that actually fits you right! I love my Cressi snorkel mask, and use a special neoprene mask strap that protects my hair.
• ❌ Do NOT use full face snorkel masks: Choose a mask that works for you, but I highly urge you to avoid full face snorkels (like this one). They are dangerous (due to CO2 buildup) and linked to snorkeling deaths like this couple who tragically died snorkeling on Maui recently.
• 🏝️ Understand that you can’t snorkel at certain beaches in the winter: The waves tend to be bigger in the winter, and some beaches become dangerous for snorkeling. Thankfully, most of Kona’s snorkel spots are still okay for snorkeling in the winter, but talk to a lifeguard or local if you’re unsure!
• 🪸 Don’t touch or step on coral: Coral is a living organism, and human touch can be damaging.
• 🐢 Stay 10 feet away from turtles: This is a law in Hawaii. Give sea turtles their space in and out of the water. There is nothing wrong with swimming near them as long as you’re at least 10 feet away.
• 🏖️ Watch the ocean before getting in: I know it can de difficult to wait, but I highly recommend assessing the ocean conditions for at least a few minutes before getting in. Notice if the conditions change over time, and try to figure out the best areas to snorkel from the shore.
• 🌊 Understand ocean safety: Regardless of your experience level or swimming skills, be sure to review Hawaii’s official ocean safety guide before your trip.

6 Best Kona Snorkel Spots

1. Kahalu’u Beach Park

Kahalu’u Beach Park is the absolute best place we’ve snorkeled anywhere on the Big Island, and maybe even the best place we’ve snorkeling in the whole state of Hawaii!

Researchers and volunteers have observed over 100 species of fish in the reefs here, and I definitely noticed a wider diversity of fish compared to other Kona snorkel spots. It’s also the only place on the Kona Coast where I saw sea turtles in the water! We also saw humuhumunukunukuapua’a (reef triggerfish), box fish and puffer fish, kihikihi (moorish idol), kīkākapu (butterfly fish), and even an eel!

There are a lot of other reasons why this is such a great snorkeling spot! There’s a rock wall protecting most of the bay, so the water is pretty calm, and there are always volunteers at the park handing out free reef safe sunscreen and mask defogger (definitely get the defogger!)

The volunteers also have booklets full of photos of fish observed in the bay so you can identify the ones you spotted! And another perk is that this beach is much less crowded compared to Honaunau and Kealakekua, the most popular snorkel spots in Kona.

The best area to snorkel here is to the left when you’re facing the water. The currents are stronger to the right, and you risk accidentally swimming into the surfing area (lifeguards will tell you to go back if you do). Plus, there are so many more fish and coral formations to the left!

• Parking: It costs $14 to park in the parking lot, but you can easily park on the street nearby! We were staying at the Kona Coast Resort just up the street so we walked.

2. Honaunau Bay (Two Step Beach)

This beautiful bay is another great snorkeling spot, and it’s right next to Pu’uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park, a historic Hawaiian site that’s also worth visiting!

Honaunau is also called Two Step, and gets its nickname from the natural ‘steps’ formed in the lava rock that leads directly into the water. That said, the lava rock is really rough, so you may want to wear water shoes. Also watch out for sea urchins hidden in the lava rock!

We really enjoyed snorkeling here, and saw tons of fish including large schools of lau’ipala (yellow tang), humuhumu ‘ele’ele (black durgon triggerfish), moa (boxfish), needlefish, ornate butterfly fish, and many more. Others report seeing dolphins and sea turtles here, but we didn’t see either during our visit.

Keep in mind that there isn’t really a beach here, just a small bit of sand and a whole lot of lava rock. If you’re looking to relax on the beach, this isn’t the place.

• Parking: There is a parking lot right by the beach, but it costs $5 and fills up really quickly. Alternavitley, you can park on the street near the entrance to Pu’uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park.

I share about more fun things to do near Two Step Beach in my guide to the best things to do in Kealakekua and Captain Cook!

3. Kealakekua Bay (Captain Cook Monument)

This secluded bay is home to the Captain Cook monument, which marks where the infamous explorer was killed. It’s also one of the most popular snorkel spots on the Big Island, and for good reason!

There are shallow, calm areas around the shoreline teeming with vibrant coral and a diversity of tropical fish. From there the water gets deeper gradually, with a drop-off.

When we snorkel here, I really enjoy seeing the brain coral, freediving beside the big drop-off, and snorkeling with fish along the less crowded edges of the bay.

It is a really beautiful place and the snorkeling is great, but you need to expect to be sharing the bay with a lot of other snorkelers and kayakers. It can be difficult to see the kayaks when you’re in the water, so I hit my head on kayaks several times. That said, there are increasingly strict rules for kayaking in the bay, so its possible it could be banned sometime soon.

There are three ways to get to Kealakekua Bay: hike 2 miles (I’ve heard the hike is rough!), kayak a mile to the bay (also sounds a little tricky), or take a boat tour to the bay.

On our most recent trip to the Big Island we splurged on an excellent catamaran boat tour because the hike sounds brutal and I didn’t like the idea of trying to snorkel with a kayak tied to my foot. We had an excellent time on this tour, and I’d definitely recommend it if it’s in your budget! If you decide to do the hike, make sure to leave early, wear good hiking shoes, and pack plenty of drinking water!

4. Keahou Bay (Manta Village)

Keahou Bay is nicknamed Manta Village because its where the majority of night snorkeling tours go to swim with manta rays in the wild!

There are between 200-300 resident manta rays that live along the Kona Coast, and the best way to see with them is to go on a night manta ray tour like this one. It’s my #1 favorite thing to do on the Big Island, so do not miss it!

That said, you definitely cannot swim in this bay at night without a tour guide. It’s very dangerous since there are so many boats and it’s dark.

But, you can try out snorkeling in Keahou Bay during the daytime! Park on the street outside of the Outrigger Resort or in the parking lot near the bay and enter the water by the sandy shore. We tried snorkeling here but the visibility was poor so we ended up heading to another beach instead. I would probably not try to snorkel here unless you have a lot of extra time on your hands, but definitely make time for the sunset catamaran cruise / manta ray snorkel tour that takes place in this bay!

By the way, this beach is where Hawaii’s King Kamehameha III was born! If you visit, check out the small cave and plaques right behind the beach for more information.

More Kona Snorkel Spots:

• South of Magic Sands Beach: Magic Sands is one of the only sandy beach in Kona, and its quite popular! When I visited in the wintertime, the waves were too big for snorkeling, but I’ve heard that there’s some good snorkeling just south of the beach when the conditions are right!
• Honokohau Beach (Kona Dog): This is another great Kona snorkel spot, right next to Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park (home to ancient Hawaiian petroglyphs!)