Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
As an indicator of where the beach is, you will see a short, lone palm tree surrounded by
a grove of kiawe trees springing from the black lava field. Once you've located where the
beach might be, keep a keen eye out for the short spur trail which winds its way down to
the sand. Although rocky, the trail itself is still noticeable, and if you find yourself asking
“Am I still on the trail?,”
then chances are, no, you're no longer on the trail.
What makes this beach special is its rugged remoteness and the way you can listen to
nothing but the wind. On the far left side of the beach there's a small trail which heads
around the point and passes the remnants of an old stone fishing village.
Although you will often see little red dive flags fluttering in the wind off the harbor at
Ma'alaea Bay,
these are local spearfishers who are diving for
tako
(octopus). Don't mis-
take this for a nice snorkeling spot. Although Ma'alaea Bay once had a teeming reef prior
to the 1990s, nearly 100 percent of it has died due to invasive algae species overcrowding
the reef. It has been a case study for what will happen to all the island's reefs if environ-
mental dangers go unmitigated.
MM
Molokini Crater
When it comes to snorkeling, what Ma'alaea is known for is the harbor that serves as the
starting point for boats to
Molokini Crater,
a half-submerged volcanic caldera that rises
from 300 feet of water. The reason Molokini is such a world-renowned dive destination is
the fact that the visibility can stretch more than 100 feet on any day of the year. There isn't
anywhere else in Hawai'i where you can find water this clear. The deep crater isn't affected
by breaking surf in the same way that the beaches along the coastline can be. Since only a
tiny bit of Molokini rises out of the water, the amount of runoff after a period of rain isn't
enough to affect water quality. Whereas the back of Molokini Crater drops off to almost
300 feet, the inside bowl where snorkel boats tie up is only about 40 feet deep, and the best
snorkeling is along the rim of the crater in 15 feet of water. At Molokini you have a great
chance of finding colorful parrotfish, endemic reef species, octopuses, eels, and—if you're
lucky—maybe a harmless whitetip reef shark. One species notably absent from Molokini,
however, are Hawaiian green sea turtles, although most tour operators combine a trip to
