Hanauma Bay Snorkeling

I have wanted to go to Hanauma Bay for some time and I finally got up early enough to catch a couple buses and get there before it was to crowed.  The bay was formed when ocean waves eroded away the outer wall  of a volcanic crater. To get to the bay you must go up and back down the crater wall. It has a rich history and is now a popular tourist spot for snorkeling. 

In ancient times it was a place for fishing and as time went on it became the place for Hawaiian Royalty to fish and picnic. In 1928, the City and County of Honolulu bought the land and surrounding area for one dollar from the estate of Bernice Pauahi Bishop. Later in 1950 a road was put in and it because a popular spot for public picnics and fishing. In 1956, the City and County of Honolulu sold the Hawaiian Telephone Company an easement through the bay for the first leg of a new trans-Pacific undersea telephone cable. Barges, trucks, and bulldozers were brought in. The contractor, Hawaiian Dredging, blasted a 200-ft. wide swath through the reef. In a matter of days, the central portion of Hanauma's beautiful fringing reef, and some of the reef beyond, had been destroyed forever. In 1967 the State Division of Fish and Game declared the entire bay a Marine Life Conservation District, prohibiting the taking of marine life, shells, coral, rocks, or sand. And now it is a very popular (although limited) tourist location to snorkel. (If you want to know more, most of this was just copied from the Hanauma Bay web site.)

Here is the view from the top of the crater wall. 

The grounds of the park are just delightful. 

Here is a picture of the cool looking visitor center/museum. 

I made it to the beach!

This mongoose was just running around the park. 

From the beach you can see Koko head crater. 

Finally diving in the water.

I've posted an number of fish pictures already but I can't help posting more.  

These fish are blue. 

This fish has an orange spot.

Hey! This is no fish!

This one has weird looking orange fins sticking off the side. 

More weird side fins.

Time to eat... for the fish, not me.

Fins out.

Fins in.

Humuhumunukunukuapua'a fish.

 

Unicorn fish

It was definitely the most fish I've seen snorkeling and made for a great day. Plus I got out of the water in time to catch the last bus in to the city.