Swim with Turtles (for free!)
Three snorkel adventures that bring you face-to-face with turtles.
Interested in swimming with turtles in the open ocean?
You’re in luck as Maui has plenty of turtle inhabited snorkeling spots with easy shore access. No tour required.
Grab your underwater camera and head to one of these amazing locations.
We have personally snorkeled at this spots and regularly see turtles.
Snorkeling conditions are always best in the morning before the winds pickup later in the afternoon and can create waves and cloudy water.
Please do not feed or touch the turtles.
Black Rock - Kaanapali Beach (west Maui)
This is one of the most beautiful spots in Maui and is a popular location with swimmers and snorkelers.
Although the beach can be busy and the parking situation isn’t perfect, The crowds are worth it here, and we guarantee you’ll see a turtle -or two- or three.
The waters here very calm water and good for beginners, as you only need to swim out a few feet to start seeing sea life along the Black Rock formation. Although this location does have a good selection of fish; it’s claim to fame is definitely the turtles.
Honolua Bay (west Maui)
This is one of our favorite spots as there is a beautiful hike through a rain forest that gets you to the snorkeling spot. It’s a flat hike that is only about five minutes long – but you’ll stop along the way to grab photos. The trail and the water’s edge is inhabited by resident chickens, who will investigate and peck at any bags that you leave on shore. The entry point is rocky and slippery – there is no beach, water shoes are a good idea. Plenty of colorful fish and turtles in these waters. As with many other snorkeling locations, it’s best to stop at this spot early in the morning when conditions are best. If you’re here during prime-time hours, and don’t see any snorkelers in the water, it might be because the water is a little rough, stirring up the bottom and obscuring your view. Depending on the time of year, there is also a small creek that feeds into the bay. The more water flowing from the creek, the poorer the visibility will be.
(How to find Honolua Bay)
Napili Bay (west Maui)
Although there are many resort properties along this bay; we’ve found that the beach is so long, that it’s never been too crowded to find a good spot to setup on the beach. In our experience, this isn’t a showstopper location like Black Rock or Honolua bay; however you don’t have to swim too far to see the coral formations and we have definitely seen turtles here. This could be a good compromise location if you have a split group of people where some want to snorkel, and some just want to relax on the beach.
Where do you find these spots? Check out this online map.