Snorkling at Molokini
 

Does anyone know the best company to go with to the island of molokini to snorkle?

We took Trilogy when we went and it was a lot of fun. They provide breakfast and lunch on their trip and the people were great. Molokini snokeling was actually a little disappointing but most outfits make a second stop at another point near Makena (I believe) and there you run into sea turtles, etc. <BR> <BR>Have fun...

We took the Four Winds. It's a great boat with a glass bottom portal. The captain and crew are fun and professional. I agree that Molokini is not the best snorkeling around. It is a much more worthwile trip if you snuba (tankless scuba dive using an air tube to surface). It also is great to go off Ahihi Reserve or off Olowalu Beach and see turtles as mentioned above. Four Winds also does this. For great snorkeling, go to Olowalu Beach and find your way through the reefs that reach to the surface. You snorkel in underwater trails that are just cool! Also, Kapalua Bay is like diving into and aquarium and the beach is one of Maui's finest. <BR>

On what island is Olowalu beach? We like to snorkel from the beach and it sounds as if you can move from reef to reef there. Are there any condos or hotels nearby that you would recommend? We would take a boat to dive but love to just snorkel around on our own.

Olowalu Beach is on the way to Lahaina, past Ma'alaea on Maui. It is just off the highway at the 14 mile marker. Look for all the cars on the side of the road!

Olowalu is at mile marker 14 on the Western side of the island. It's a few minutes drive from Lahaina. I live here and in my opinion snorkeling is so-so. I highly recommend Honolua Bay past Kapalua. If you snorkel- please don't feed the fish!!!

Sarah (above) is right that the snorkeling is better up toward Kapalua, the sea life was more abundant and colorful. My recommendation for Olawalu was for the unique reef formation that creates water trails. I didn't see that anywhere else. Don't make this your only snorkel location though! <BR>

I have been to Maui before, and I note that people are mentioning a snorkeling place called Olowalu Beach. Is this area shallow enough for non-swimmers to enjoy the snorkeling trails? <BR> <BR>Thanks

We did the Molokini trip with the Pacific Whale Foundation on "Ocean Spirit." It was a nice outing (June), but having spent the week snorkeling at Kapalua, Molokini was no comparison. The second stop to see the turtles was good, but by this time my wife and daughter were so sick from the choppy waters of the boat ride, we were glad when that trip ended.

Just returned from a Tahiti/Hawaii cruise on the Crown Princess and did the Molokini snorkeling trip while on Maui. The waters at Molokini are very clear and the visibility is great, but there wasn't a whole lot of fish. I would say I saw about 15 different types of fish altogether. Ironically, the cruise line used a company by the name of Princess something(? for this excursion. Don't remember the exact name for sure, but they are right at the pier across from the Best Western. It was pretty good service, the boat guides were very friendly, they served a continental breakfast as soon as we got on, and served a BBQ lunch that was just fair (burgers, chix, hot dogs, pasta & potato salad, chips--which they ran out of), they served us cookies, and drinks en route to the pier. We also made the stop at Olowalu to see the turtles on the return but very few people saw them. I spoke to a couple on the boat ride who were staying in Maui. They did a similar trip the day prior with another company (didn't get the name), but they said that trip was better than the one we were on with the Princess company. <BR>