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| Capt. Cook Monument |
I've been snorkeling and scuba diving all over the Hawaiian Islands in my time living and working here. I have also taught hundreds of people how to snorkel here in different spots around the island. After all of this experience I would rate the snorkel experience at the Big Island's Kealakekua Bay as one the best in the islands for all around snorkeling greatness. The conditions are almost always flat calm here. The reef takes advantage of the geological protection and the political protection by growing into massive coral heads. And the fish are not just plentiful, but also not quite as shy as fish on other reefs. It is almost as if the fish know that no one is going to try and catch them.
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| Lau wiliwili nukunuku oi'oi ele'ele |
The calmness of the bay makes the conditions great for beginner snorkelers. But the clarity of the water makes conditions great for the most experienced of underwater photography enthusiast. Schools of goatfish and yellow tangs hover of the coral reef. Sunlight filters down, lighting up the different colors below. And for a trained eye, some interesting creatures can be found as well. I have seen white tip reef sharks hiding in caves just 5ft below the surface. I have seen
sea turtles and
manta rays give the reef a close swim by. Sometimes a playful pod of spinner dolphins will come over from the Captain Cook area. Some of the rarer butterflyfish can be seen such as the reticulated, oval, and saddle back varieties. And perhaps the rarest butterflyfish of them all, the all black morph of the long nose butterflyfish. The long nosed shadow of a fish holds the record for longest fish name in Hawaiian, the 'lau wiliwili nukunuku oi'oi ele'ele'. (or the butterfly fish that looks like the leaf of a wili wili tree and is black). The black morph is almost always teamed up with a normal yellow variety long nose butterflyfish but is easily passed over by the untrained eye.
But now count yourself as one 'in the know.' And go find that black longnose butterflyfish for yourself. If not then a sea of yellow over a beautiful coral reef will be a nice consolation prize.
If you find yourself on the Big Island and you do the best snorkel, do yourself a favor and do the best hike. Read about it
here. If you are dead set on finding sea turtles and manta rays then click on the links above for my best advice on where to find them in Hawaii.
Happy Adventuring,
Dai Mar Tamarack
The calmness of the bay makes the conditions great for beginner snorkelers. But the clarity of the water makes conditions great for the most experienced of underwater photography enthusiast. Schools of goatfish and yellow tangs hover of the coral reef. Sunlight filters down, lighting up the different colors below. And for a trained eye, some interesting creatures can be found as well. I have seen white tip reef sharks hiding in caves just 5ft below the surface. I have seen sea turtles and manta rays give the reef a close swim by. Sometimes a playful pod of spinner dolphins will come over from the Captain Cook area. Some of the rarer butterflyfish can be seen such as the reticulated, oval, and saddle back varieties. And perhaps the rarest butterflyfish of them all, the all black morph of the long nose butterflyfish. The long nosed shadow of a fish holds the record for longest fish name in Hawaiian, the 'lau wiliwili nukunuku oi'oi ele'ele'. (or the butterfly fish that looks like the leaf of a wili wili tree and is black). The black morph is almost always teamed up with a normal yellow variety long nose butterflyfish but is easily passed over by the untrained eye. 
But now count yourself as one 'in the know.' And go find that black longnose butterflyfish for yourself. If not then a sea of yellow over a beautiful coral reef will be a nice consolation prize.
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