The big island of Hawaii is perfectly set up for snorkeling and scuba diving. Massive volcanoes rise up to nearly 14,000ft, blocking all of the trade winds coming in from the northeast. This creates a huge lee, or protected zone around Kona. Flat calm waters, sunny skies, and great visibility make for some healthy coral reefs and happy marine critters. Not wanting to miss out on my quick visit I made sure to book a snorkel trip to one of my favorite big island spot, Kealakekua Bay. This bay was made famous as the spot where Captain Cook first came and there is a monument to him at the bay. This is also the spot where Capt. Cook returned later only to be killed.
We booked a trip on the Fair Winds catamaran. Breakfast and lunch included for wonderful day, although after running a similar trip in Maui with Pacific Whale Foundation for years I would have to say Maui is by far a better deal. 2 spots instead of 1, open bar, for about 2/3 of the price. But the day was beautiful, dolphins leaping in our wake and bowriding in the morning, and beautiful snorkeling condition at the bay.
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| The Captain Cook monument at Kealakekua Bay |
I brought my wide angle lens to try and take advantage of the clear water. The reef here starts in the shallows right next to land and quickly descends over a hundred feet down. This gives the bay some beautiful colors, full of green and blues. The monument to captain Cook is the only building around on the small peninsula. On one side huge cliffs loom over you while on the other the Pacific Ocean stretches out to the horizon.
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| Snorkel Pro |
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| Turning the camera around on me |
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| Over Under Shot of the Monument |
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| Odd sea life at the Bay |
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| Rare Brown Longnose Butterfly fish |
K Bay is a wonderful place for beginner snorkelers but also for the advanced crowd. Big ladders make entry and exit off the boat nice and easy. Unless you want the express lanes which are slides or a high dive. I thought the reef here was in very good shape. Lots of good hiding places for reef creatures. All the usual suspects were here, yellow tangs, cleaner wrasse, parrot fish, trumpet fish, butterfly fish, and moorish idols. I even spotted a couple of moray eels snaking their way through the coral heads. Many invasive peacock groupers have made the bay home. They are beautiful with their purple bodies and starry spots but deadly to the many baby reef fish as well as any unlucky fishermen trying to eat one infected with ciguatera poison. A big find for me was a lone brown longnose butterflyfish. We don't see these on any of the other Hawaiian islands. And even off Kona where they are found they are still quite rare.
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| Moorish Idol hiding out |
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| Carpet of Yellow Tangs |
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| School of Goat Fish |
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| Looking down the coast at Hanaunau |
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| Big Island Lava Beach View |
The big island of Hawaii is perfectly set up for snorkeling and scuba diving. Massive volcanoes rise up to nearly 14,000ft, blocking all of the trade winds coming in from the northeast. This creates a huge lee, or protected zone around Kona. Flat calm waters, sunny skies, and great visibility make for some healthy coral reefs and happy marine critters. Not wanting to miss out on my quick visit I made sure to book a snorkel trip to one of my favorite big island spot, Kealakekua Bay. This bay was made famous as the spot where Captain Cook first came and there is a monument to him at the bay. This is also the spot where Capt. Cook returned later only to be killed.
K Bay is a wonderful place for beginner snorkelers but also for the advanced crowd. Big ladders make entry and exit off the boat nice and easy. Unless you want the express lanes which are slides or a high dive. I thought the reef here was in very good shape. Lots of good hiding places for reef creatures. All the usual suspects were here, yellow tangs, cleaner wrasse, parrot fish, trumpet fish, butterfly fish, and moorish idols. I even spotted a couple of moray eels snaking their way through the coral heads. Many invasive peacock groupers have made the bay home. They are beautiful with their purple bodies and starry spots but deadly to the many baby reef fish as well as any unlucky fishermen trying to eat one infected with ciguatera poison. A big find for me was a lone brown longnose butterflyfish. We don't see these on any of the other Hawaiian islands. And even off Kona where they are found they are still quite rare.
Check out Wahine charters Manta Ray Snorkel Kona, if you have a desire to get into water in the night and a chit chat with these amazing gentle giants. Don’t miss the chance to see the night life in water.
ReplyDeleteThe best adventure sport it is I imagine and as I can see. One of the best thing to do is to swim with dolphins hawaii big island while you or on your visit to Hawaii.
ReplyDeletemanta ray snorkel kona