Big Island Snorkeling Guide
A Bay ('Anaeho'omalu Bay)
A Bay offers some decent Big Island Snorkeling on an absolutely beautiful beach. We have enjoyed hanging out on this beach many times. The sand is wonderful salt and pepper with lots of big green olovine crystals. Pretty much everyone calls it A Bay, which is much easier to say than 'Anaeho'omalu.
We have never found it to be very busy here despite how wonderful it is. There are several catamaran whale and snorkeling tours that land on this beach, and you can also rent smaller boats. There are a couple of resorts close by, including the Outrigger Waikoloa Resort. This is also a very popular wedding spot.
One of the things that makes this beach so picturesque are the two ancient hawaiian fishponds that are fronted by many stunning palm trees. They used to harvest mullet in these brackish ponds.
Site Snorkeling Details - A Bay (Anaehoomalu Bay)
Big Island Snorkeling
We can easily recommend this place because we love the beauty of the beach, and the snorkeling if not great, is ok.
The best place is all the way down the beach to the north side, past the sandy center. We swam straight out and along the rocks to the right. There are some decent coral formations, a good number of fish, and often there are turtles. We have found the water to be a bit cloudy.
Also straight out from the trail and to the left near a small rocky point there are some areas to explore.
The bay is protected by a reef, but it gets pretty deep as you swim out.
We have also found this to be a reliably windy beach in the afternoons. So we get out early.
This location has restrooms, showers, water, picnic tables, and lots of shade.
Have you snorkeled A Bay? Share your experience here.
Check out these underwater pictures at A Bay taken by the head of the flickr community:
Snorkeling Abay (Anaehoomalu) Pictures
Driving Directions - A Bay (Anaehoomalu Bay)
Big Island Snorkeling
Take highway 19 (Queen Kaahumanu Hwy) north out of Kona. Follow it north to Waikoloa Beach Drive on your left at mile marker 76. Turn left and stay on the road to the Kings' Shops and watch for the left turn onto Kuualii Place which you follow to a parking lot and a short walk to the beach.
Go to the next location - Manini'owali (Kua Bay)
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