Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Not So Close! They Hardly Know You
In the excitement of seeing a whale or a school of dolphins, don't forget
that they're protected under the Marine Mammals Protection Act. You
must stay at least 300 feet (the length of a football field) away from all
whales, dolphins, and other marine mammals. This applies to swimmers,
kayakers, and windsurfers. And yes, visitors have been prosecuted for
swimming with dolphins! If you have any questions, call the
National
Marine Fisheries Service
(
&
808/541-2727
) or the
Hawaiian Islands Hump-
back Whale National Marine Sanctuary
(
&
800/831-4888
).
Tip:
It's usually worth the extra
bucks to go with a good dive operator.
Check “For the Active Family” in the
island chapters; I've listed the opera-
tors that'll give you the most for your
money.
SNORKELING
Snorkeling is one
of Hawaii's main attractions, and
almost anyone can do it. All you need
are a mask, a snorkel, fins, and some
basic swimming skills. In many places,
all you have to do is wade into the
water and look down at the magical
underwater world.
If you or your kids have never
snorkeled before, most resorts and
excursion boats offer snorkeling equip-
ment and lessons. You don't really need
lessons, however; it's plenty easy to fig-
ure out for yourself, especially once
you're at the beach, where everybody
around you will be doing it. If you
don't have your own gear, you can rent
it from dozens of dive shops and activ-
ity booths, discussed in the individual
island chapters that follow.
While everyone heads for Oahu's
Hanauma Bay—the perfect spot for
first-timers—other favorite snorkel
spots include Kee Beach on Kauai,
Kahaluu Beach on the Big Island,
Hulopoe Bay on Lanai, and Kapalua
Bay on Maui. Although snorkeling is
excellent on all the islands, the Big
Island, with its recent lava formations
and abrupt drop-offs, offers particu-
larly spectacular opportunities. Some
of the best snorkel spots in the
islands—notably, the Big Island's
Kealakekua Bay and Molokini Crater
just off Maui—are accessible only by
boat; for tips on the islands' top
snorkel boats, see “For the Active
Family” in the island chapters.
Some snorkel tips:
Don't snorkel
alone. Look up every once in a while
to see where you are and if there's any
boat traffic. Don't touch anything; not
only can you damage coral, but cam-
ouflaged fish and shells with poison-
ous spines may surprise you. Always
check with a dive shop, lifeguards, or
others on the beach about the area in
which you plan to snorkel and ask if
there are any dangerous conditions
you should know about.
SURFING
The ancient Hawaiian
practice of
hee nalu
(wave sliding) is
probably the sport most people pic-
ture when they think of Hawaii.
Believe it or not, you, too, can do
some wave sliding—just sign up at
any one of the numerous surfing
schools located throughout the
islands; see “For the Active Family” in
the island chapters. On world-famous
Waikiki Beach, just head over to one
of the surf stands that line the sand;
these guys say they can get anybody
up and standing on a board. If you're
already a big kahuna in surfing, check
the island chapters for the best deals
on rental equipment and the best
places to hang ten.
TENNIS
Tennis is a popular sport
in the islands. Each island chapter lists
details on free municipal courts as well
as the best deals on private courts. The
etiquette at the free county courts is to
