Big Island Snorkeling Guide
Captain Cook Monument (Kealakekua Bay)
The coral, fish and super clear water off Captain Cook Monument make this possibly the best Big Island snorkeling we have experienced.
Part of the joy of this location is that it is always an adventure getting here. We have tried pretty much every way to get here, kayaking, boat tour, and hiking, and we talk about the benefits and draw backs of each below.
This monument is the location of where Captain Cook was killed by the local Hawaiians. And surprisingly the land around this Monument is still British soil. All of Kealakekua Bay is a protected marine life conservation district. And for good reason. The underwater life is spectacular.
Site Snorkeling Details - Captain Cook Monument (Kealakekua Bay) Big Island Snorkeling
The Captain Cook Monument is on the north shore of the Bay. There is a shelf of coral all along shore to the left and right where the snorkeling is fantastic.
And as you swim out away from shore the ocean floor drops away very quickly into the depths. We have found the coral to be abundant in each direction, and the water is some of the clearest in all of the Hawaiian Islands. You can often see down to around 100ft, and there are tons of fish.
The video below shows me diving down through the super clear water in front of a big coral head.
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We often see Teardrop Butterflyfish, Orangespine Surgeonfish, Saddle Wrasse, big Whitespotted Surgeonfish, Turtles, and even a big Crocodile Needlefish, to just name a few. That is not to mention the spinner dolphins that are commonly playing out in the bay.
From the Monument if you snorkel towards the ocean, it stays shallow for awhile and then gets pretty deep. We don't tend to enjoy it as much in this direction. We prefer to swim in the other direction, all the way around the little rocky point, until we are under the steep cliffs. It is a bit deeper here, but the topography and coral life is fantastic. We have found big pods of fish right up along shore. Not too far past the rocky point the coral starts to look less alive. We turn back at this point.
Check out more of our
underwater pictures and videos at Captain Cook here.
Choose Your Mode of Travel - Captain Cook Monument (Kealakekua Bay) Big Island Snorkeling
There are a number of different ways to get to Captain Cook Monument. And depending on what type of adventure you want, and how in shape you are, it should be pretty easy to decide.
Here are the options:
- Take a boat tour by catamaran or inflatable
- Hike down the mountain
- Rent a kayak and paddle across Kealakekua Bay
Boat to Captain Cook - Our preferred way to do it
This is our favorite way to go snorkeling at Captain Cook. There are a variety of different boat tour companies that leave from either Keauhou Bay or Kailua Kona Harbor. They break down into two basic types, big comfortable but slow catamaran sailboats, or fast small inflatable speedboats (or rafts as they call them in Hawaii). The catamaran trips are often more relaxing and comfortable, and the inflatables are more adventurous and physically trying and offer no shade.
Most of the companies offer a morning or afternoon trip. The water is calmer and there is more sea life in the mornings, so that is the best time to go. With the catamaran trips there is plenty of shade, comfortable seating, music, and great food. Most have wonderful BBQ lunches. These trips tend to cost a little more than the inflatable boat trips, and take more time. The inflatable trips take less of your day and tend to cost a little less. With both you get snorkel gear.
Read about our most recent Kealakekua snorkel boat trip to Captain Cook here.
Hike Down The Mountain - For the more adventurous and buff
High up above the cliffs over the bay is the beginnings of a trail. It used to be a rough 4x4 road that came down to the monument, but is now closed to vehicles. We have hiked down this two mile trail before, and it was fun, but that is because we are avid hikers. Not only is it four miles round trip, but there is about 1500 feet of elevation drop that you have to come back up. Combine this difficult hike with a couple of hours of snorkeling in the middle, and you have two very worn out people. Oh, did I mention we also had to carry down all of our snorkel gear, lunch and plenty of water? Plus we found a mango tree and definitely had to haul up a few pounds of those on the way back!
You can just see the trail/road in the picture below, cutting from the center top to the left, and back down to the right.
We still consider this a great way to get to Captain Cook to snorkel, but we would only suggest this if you are already a hiker in great shape. And take more water than you want to. And don't forget mosquito spray - one year it was really bad.
Kayak to Captain Cook - Our least favorite
One popular method is to rent a kayak and paddle across Kealakekua Bay. You can rent a boat at a variety of shops, and sometimes down at Kealakekua. You launch your boat at a pier at the end of Napoopoo Drive, and paddle for about thirty minutes across the bay. If you leave in the morning you will often find yourself surrounded by pods of Spinner Dolphins.
Note that new in 2010 the State of Hawaii has made it so that you must have a permit to land a kayak at the monument. And apparently they are only going to allow ten a day (an amazingly low number compared to the traffic in the past). They are doing this to reduce the damage caused by kayakers (we have seen it). And we think this is great because of all the problems we describe below.
Kayaking across sounds great, yes? Well, in our experience the boating part of it is great, but there has repeatedly been a bad vibe around the pier where we launch the kayak. There are some locals that make the experience less than stellar.
Back in 2004 we housesat close to the pier for two months and so witnessed first hand the scene. Basically the pier had the reputation of being home to a handful of drug addicts that, whether you asked for it or not, would "help" you get your kayak off your car and into the water for a "tip". And if you don't think you need help, like us, and refuse this service, you were made to feel pretty uncomfortable, and you start to wonder about leaving your car in the area.
And on a more recent 2007 trip we were happy to hear the drug addicts were gone, but sad to hear they were replaced with competing kayak rental companies that are no less annoying. When we checked out the dock situation kayak companies had kind of commandeered the public dock, posting what feels like guards on both sides of the entrance. They even had sales people pretending to be environmental educators trying to get you to rent their equipment. It might be a safer situation, but it still does not feel good.
And in 2009 the state seized more than a dozen kayaks, made several arrests and issued numerous citations to illegal kayak vendors.
Finally, there is the issue of the kayak traffic damaging the coral near the shore at the monument.
So, we don't really know what to say. The dock launching has a negative energy around it. But we are a bit sensitive, even wimps about that kind of stuff. We just want to enjoy ourselves, without having other people press their junk on us. But if you have a thicker skin then us, go for it.
Has this situation changed?
What is your experience kayaking to Captain Cook?
If you do decide to rent a kayak keep in mind that it is a physically demanding sport. You do need to kayak across the bay, land the boat on shore, with sometimes less than perfect footing. Then you snorkel for an hour or two and then kayak back. Wind, waves and currents are all possible things to encounter.
Driving/Boating/Hiking Directions - Captain Cook Monument (Kealakekua Bay) Big Island Snorkeling
Directions to Captain Cook Monument Trailhead from Kailua Kona
Drive south on Hwy 11 (Hawaii Belt Rd/Kuakini Hwy) out of Kailua-Kona more than 10 miles until you pass the 111 mile marker and see Napoopoo Road on the right side. Turn right and about 1/10th of a mile from the highway on the right across from 3 large palm trees is the trailhead. When we were there it was marked by a road closed sign and a couple of barricades. Best parking is before you reach the trailhead on either side of the road.
Directions to the kayak launching pier from Kailua Kona
Drive south on Hwy 11 (Hawaii Belt Rd/Kuakini Hwy) out of Kailua-Kona more than 10 miles until you pass the 111 mile marker and see Napoopoo Road on the right side. Turn right and follow the winding road down toward the ocean. You will come to an intersection with Middle Keei Rd. Turn right here, staying on Napoopoo Rd. and follow it until it ends at the pier.
For boat tours, follow the driving instructions of the company you make your reservation with.
We love hearing about your Captain Cook Adventures.
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See More Underwater Pictures From Captain Cook Here
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