Swim With More Than 100 Species Of Fish In This Hawaiian Bay
By Megan Shute|Published July 02, 2019
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Megan Shute
Author
With more than 10 years of experience as a professional writer, Megan holds a degree in Mass Media from her home state of Minnesota. After college, she chose to trade in her winter boots for slippahs and moved to the beautiful island of Oahu, where she has been living for more than five years. She lives on the west side but is constantly taking mini-road trips across the island and visits the neighboring islands whenever she can getaway. She loves hiking, snorkeling, locally-grown coffee, and finding the best acai bowl on Oahu.
Snorkeling is perhaps the most popular — and quintessential — Hawaiian water activity, just behind surfing. With warm water and islands surrounded by magnificent reef ecosystems, Hawaii is a snorkeler’s paradise, and this might just be one of the best spots.
Before we begin, we’d like to remind our readers that you are a visitor in the vast Pacific Ocean. You should never disrupt the living coral, or bother sea life. Disturbing endangered animals like the Hawaiian monk seal and the honu is illegal and may result in massive fines. As always, we suggest you check out surf conditions before you make any decisions, and head warnings posted at these popular spots. With that warning out of the way, let’s dive in.
Hawaii Island is undoubtedly home to some mesmerizing, beautiful underwater scenery, but Kahalu’u Ba stands out in a crowd.
Unlike many other locations in Hawaii, the fish here aren’t Kahalu’u is popular among surfers, but on the southern end of the bay is Kahaluʻu Beach County Park, a popular snorkeling destination. of humans swimming. If you hang around long enough, some of these tropical fish will come up to you and swim by your side.
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Despite the rocky shoreline and gray sand, the underwater world you will discover at Kahalu’u is truly remarkable.
Protected by a partially submerged rock wall that keeps strong currents and larger waves out, this calm bay is perfect for novice swimmers and snorkelers.
This means that sunlight can reach all the way to the bay’s bottom, promoting healthy coral and seaweed, which attracts plenty of sea life.
But plentiful marine life isn’t all you’ll find in this jaw-dropping bay: the entire area was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
The area has been populated for approximately 500 years and was an important royal residence in the 18th and 19th centuries. You will find an ancient canoe landing, the remnants of a heiau, and a now-abandoned church within the bay.
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Home to the Kahalu’u Education Center, whose mission is to promote reef etiquette in an attempt to protect the bay’s fragile ecosystem, Kahalu’us calm waters are indeed enticing. So, what are you waiting for?
The parking lot at Kahalu’u Beach Park is open daily from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., and you will find lifeguards on duty during limited hours.
Have you ever experienced the underwater world that exists in this Hawaiian bay? What’s your favorite Aloha State snorkeling destination? Share your opinions and experiences in the comments below!
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