Maui: Enjoy Snorkeling in the Molokini Crater

You immediately notice the clarity of the water as you enter the ocean from the back of the dive boat. The fish are beautiful and it seems as though you can reach out and touch them, even though some of them are cruising as much as 180 feet below you. What an invigorating sight!

Snorkeling is one of the main attractions on the island of Maui. You can snorkel from the beach, from a "sea kayak", from a large group tour boat, or aboard a privately chartered dive boat. We chose the dive boat option because we had 8 scuba divers and 3 snorkelers in our group. I will say this after witnessing one of the large boats coming in with what seem liked hundreds of snorkelers, I am glad we chose the dive boat option. The primary destination for snorkeling in Maui is the Molokini crater just off the island of Maui. Molokini can be seen from most of the south side of the island. Molokini is an extinct volcano that is now designated as a State Marine Life and Bird Conservation district. You can explore your options for snorkeling and diving Molokini here Scuba Diving Tours on the island of Maui - CLICK HERE!

Our chartered boat left the dock about 6:30 am and we were the first boat to Molokini that morning. It seemed as if we had the place to ourselves until we prepared to board the boat and move to our next site. Then we noticed that 2 or 3 other boats had arrived.

It is important that you listen to the dive master and boat captain when preparing to go out, especially if you are new to the area. There are area's to avoid because of current or shallow reef. The area where we were at was approximately 180 feet deep. We could easily see the divers in our group below us. They were ate approximately 120 feet. We saw many of the small reef fish indigenous to the area as well as a barracuda. My son saw a reef shark, which the boat captain said was unusual for the area we were in. It was confirmed by the divers when they came back on board as they not only saw it but were able to snap some pictures of it as well.

Overall the snorkel trip was a success. You do need to remember when you leave the dock that you will be on a boat for a few hours and if you tend to get seasick you may want to take something for it. Also, again, heed the instructions from the captain and the dive master and you will have a fantastic time.