Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve

The water was muggy and you couldn't really see any fishes. It gets crowded fast. If you get there before 7am (inside the park/down the ramp), you will get in for free. If you get there at 7:01am you will have to pay the entrance fee and watch their videothe older lady in charge is no joke and she will make you payget there before 7am!

The snorkeling was amazing, so many fish and the coral is thriving after the park was closed for several months during 2020. Make sure you bring snacks and water with you! They have a vending machine with drinks but the snack shack is closed due to Covid and the little gift shop does not sell food. They are running the tram again so while you may have to walk up and down steps from the main gate (if you arrive before the parking lot is open), you do not have to walk up and down the path from the bay.

Hanauma Bay is operating at a limited capacity and only allowing 30 people into the park every 15-30 minutes starting at 8am. I arrived just after 6am on a Wednesday at the gate and was already 10th in line. Arrivals slowed down after I got in line until just after 7am when more and more people started arriving. It’s important to note that you cannot park at Hanauma Bay itself until AFTER 8am, if you arrive before then, there is a park across the way that lots of people would park at then walk up to the Hanauma Bay entrance from. The people who work there are very nice unless you don’t follow the rules. Don’t use the closed entrance as a drop off point and make sure your face mask is on and covering both your mouth and nose when you walk up to the line.

We read other reviews about getting there early due to parking. We were in line before they opened the gates at 6 AM on a Saturday. Little did we know, we didn't have to pay for parking or entry fee or watch the informative video since we were there before they opened at 7 AM. Another benefit of arriving early is the crowd hasn't arrived yet. We left around 9:30 AM and it was just starting to fill up. We saw several species of fish, including a black starfish. Snorkeling gear is available for rent there for no more than you would pay in town, but they don't open until 7 AM. They do not have flotation devices. The park is beautiful, including the landscaping and the welcome area before you head down the mountain to the beach. There is a shuttle that will take you up and down if you choose, for $1.25 each way. A truly amazing place. Be sure to have your reef safe sunscreen to protect the reef.

Great Snorkeling. Water is shallow in most parts and deeper in some areas. So it is fun for entire family. We were able to see lots of Variety of fish. Stunning colors. Only catch is the beach closes at 5pm. So be there around noon atleast so that you can spend some time. You park and attend a brief video of what to do and what not to do, then you can take a trolley service down (if you want for $.150 each way) or walk down the .25 mile paved road.

Snorkeling rentals available down there. If you plan to snorkel few times in Hawaii, buy it for $30 or so rather than renting it for $15 everytime.

Excellent experience overall for all family members. Entrance fee is $7.50/person and totally worth it. As long as they are not scared of water/waves, this might be a nice place to do snorkeling.

So many colorful fish! Great snorkeling, from what I can tell. I think there's a lot of variety and colorful fish, I even saw a turtle! It's also a great beach area for the folks that prefer to stay on land. Do check the Hanauma Bay website for latest entrance processes, as things can change quickly due to covid. When I went, you get a time slot for entrance and can leave and come back at your allotted time. I recommend getting there right when they open the parking lot (7:45am for me) to ensure you can maximize your day at Hanauma Bay!

They no longer sell food or drinks (covid) but have a gift shop, restrooms, shower, water fountain, and info booth.

A visit to Hanaumu Bay is currently a long and frustrating experience. We arrived at 7:10 AM and were about the 20th car in line for the 8 AM opening. We have been told that they let in 60 cars when in fact they let in about 10 and then put up the closed sign. We thought they would open it again but instead the cars in line - including us were waived on and forced to drive away ! There were also long lines of people waiting who walked up the hill. I have heard that some walkers wait 2 to 3 hours to get in. All of this causes traffic nightmares in this area and until a reservation system is implemented you are likely to waste a beautiful day in Hawaii.

The key to getting tickets is have several people on computers together and just be ready to click reserve exactly at 7am HST (or whatever that is in your time zone). We had 4 of us trying to get tickets and succeeded. I wondered if it was worth the hassle, but it truly is! The beauty is stunning and swimming with turtles, fish and other sea life is priceless. One thing to note is that there is no bus running here right now, so you need to drive yourself or taxi. Just make sure you have a return ride figured out before you are ready to leave as there are no taxis/ubers allowed into the park without a specific request. So we lined up our return with our driver prior to getting out at the bay. Saved us a lot of hassle!

It was beautiful! We got there at 1130a, walked right into the orientation and in the water by noon. I've snorkeled a lot and saw fish here I've never seen before. I could have spent all day searching the reef.
The park needs to implement a fine for touching the reef and have staff to inforce it. The video everyone must watch goes over why not to touch but not enough. In 10 minutes I saw/told 8 people to not touch. Two guys where crawling around on all 4s grabbing and jumping off the reef It made me very sad.
My boyfriend visited this bay as a kid 20 years ago, says he had never seen soo much color and life. now it's all grey rock..

Please visit this bay. It's great. Do NOT touch the reef. It's very important.

Requires reservations to enter and the earliest time we could get in there was 10 am. Orderly lines, Quick video and then entry into the bay. Enjoyed sunbathing, snorkeling there and we even got to catch a monk seal taking a quick nap on the sand

Hanauma Bay is a unique and beautiful snorkeling spot and state park. It is under conservation, so the state lets in 1000 or so people per day. Currently, tickets become available at 7 am two days before a visit. They sell out in 2 minutes. I tried for 3 days in a row unsuccessfully. So I brought my son and arrived at 6:15 am to line up for admission. It was worth the effort! The snorkeling is not the best I’ve ever done in terms of numbers of fish. However, the unique environment, the fish with apparently no fear for close up pictures, and the overall gorgeous landscape is a “must see” on Oahu.