5 Reasons You Need to Go Snorkeling in South Maui This Summer
If you’ve never experienced the relaxing Maui sunshine overhead while exploring the clear, beautiful surrounding waters for aquatic life, then you’re missing out on the experience of a lifetime! Snorkeling is an activity anyone can enjoy with the opportunity to see real ocean life up close like you’ve never seen before!
Snorkeling vs. Scuba Diving
When you hear the word snorkel, it may make you chuckle a little, but it will also make you think of scuba diving. The two water sport activities are very similar, but the key difference between the two is that scuba diving entails actually diving, as the name might suggest, and you are equipped with an oxygen tank.
Snorkeling allows you to view under the water while remaining on the surface, requiring very little effort in comparison to scuba diving. When snorkeling, you also wear a funny looking mask and use a snorkel, which is the name for the curved tube that will stick out above the surface of the water, allowing you to breathe.
Hawaii is already a hotspot for snorkeling, but not everyone knows that the best sights can be found in South Maui! Now that you know the difference between snorkeling and scuba diving, we’ll be focusing on snorkeling and why you need to visit South Maui to enjoy one of the best snorkeling locations in the entire world!
1. South Maui has several bays that keep any powerful waves and wind out, leaving water life undisturbed.
With the way the island of Maui is situated, heavy winds come from the north side of the island. The southern and western sides of the island feature several bays that become protected from the northern winds by the island physically blocking them.
Without the wind, heavy waves won’t swell into the bays and disturb currents and life living within. This allows for several locations in South Maui to have clear, calm waters to see ocean life in their natural, undisturbed habitat!
2. The water is brilliantly clear and blue with more beaches than anywhere else in Hawaii.
Maui is one of the most popular islands in Hawaii and for good reason! This is because the island has access to more beaches in which to swim than any other island in Hawaii!
The more opportunities you have to see aquatic life, the more you’ll end up seeing! Add in the fact that Hawaii’s waters are so clean, pristine, clear, and blue, and you truly have a vivid underwater view of turtles, tropical fish, and coral reefs!
3. Home to Molokini Crater, a Marine Life Conservation District due to the sheer volume of ocean life (and turtles)!
One of the bigger attractions of Maui is a volcanic crater just west of the island. It is known for the distinct crescent shape, easily visible from the air. The crater boasts the clearest water in all of Hawaii, allowing for some of the best sightings in the entire area.
Molokini Crater is so well-renowned for having an abundance of ocean life that it was named a Marine Life Conservation District! If you’re interested in seeing sea turtles gracefully swimming around, Molokini Crater is the best place to do it!
4. Boasting an annual average temperature of around 80°F, the water will always be inviting!
When people think of Hawaii, the two things that come to mind are beaches and sunshine. Yes, Hawaii is quite a tropical location, featuring an annual average temperature right around 80°F!
The temperature does fluctuate between years, but you can always expect something between the range of 75°F-80°F year-round. Summertime is best for seeing the most ocean life, but you can always come during the winter, as it won’t be freezing!
5. Anyone who can swim has the ability to snorkel, and everyone will absolutely love the experience of snorkeling!
Part of the magic of snorkeling is how accessible it is for anyone! With a very minimal requirement of knowing how to swim (which, if you’re doing anything in the water, you should know how to swim!), it sets the barrier to entry very low.
A key difference between snorkeling and scuba diving is that scuba diving requires you to maintain a certain level of fitness. For the average person wanting to view underwater life, they aren’t focusing on maintaining a specific fitness level to scuba dive.
That’s why snorkeling is so great! No matter how you choose to spend your daily life, you can still take a vacation and enjoy the gorgeous sights of snorkeling without having to worry about making sure you meet the requirements!
We’re positive that everyone will have a blast snorkeling! Not many get the chance to view bright, tropical fish and elegant sea turtles in real life. Sure, anyone has seen them online or in videos, but it is truly a breathtaking experience to see them up close!
Plan Your Snorkeling Trip!
By now, you know what snorkeling is, and why South Maui sports some of the best locations for snorkeling in the world! Located in tropical Hawaii, the weather is always warm and the water is bluer than you’ve ever seen! Maui features stunning clear water, allowing for a perfect view of underwater life in their natural environment!
If you’re planning on snorkeling in Maui, make sure to visit South Maui and Molokini Crater! The southern part of the Maui island has bays that aren’t bothered by northern winds limiting any waves in the water. This allows calm waters, making sighting sea creatures as easy as just looking! Molokini Crater is one of the best locations in the world for snorkeling just for the sheer abundance of underwater critters! This is also one of the best places to catch a glimpse of sea turtles!
With anyone having the ability to snorkel, there’s no reason to not give it a try! If you enjoy sunshine, swimming, and nature, then snorkeling is a dream come true. Book a tour today to see what’s living under the crisp waters of South Maui – it just might change your life!