Big Island Snorkeling Guide
Mahukona Beach County Park
Mahukona Beach County Park is our next Big Island Snorkeling spot. Despite the name, there is no beach here. It is a small bay and abandoned pier that used to be used by the Kohala Sugar Company for shipping it's products. The pier makes it super easy to get in the water, and there is some interesting snorkeling here, including some industrial debris.
Site Snorkeling Details -
Mahukona Beach County Park
Big Island Snorkeling
We did enjoy snorkeling here. The bay was very calm despite there being a strong offshore wind with raging whitecaps outside the bay. The water access is uniquely simple. We drove up and parked on the cement dock, climbed down a ladder, and away we went.
There is not a lot of coral here, but some. The water depth stays a pretty consistent depth, maybe around 20 feet or less, with very good water clarity. We did see a good number of fish, but not as many as farther North at Kapa'a. One reason for less fish may be the local spear fishermen. We met one friendly local who was just getting out of the water with a broken spear that he said he broke on a Parrotfish (that is one tough fish - probably the one you see swimming quickly away in the picture below).
Check out more underwater pictures we took at Mahukona here.
We found the underwater topography kind of flat and uninteresting in the main part of the bay, but more interesting along the left hand side.
One of the attractions to snorkeling this location is that there is supposed to be some interesting pieces of industrial junk lying around the bottom, leftovers from the shipping days. We did not find much. We even heard rumor that there is supposed to be a sunken steamboat wreck. We never found it.
Now here is the funny part....
We found this big chain.
Kind of interesting. But only after we got back home did we read that if you follow that chain about 150 feet out, you will find the boat. The boat is supposed to be almost completely deteriorated, but you can see it's engine, shaft, propeller and boiler.
Oh well, next time we will check out the boat wreck.
Driving Directions -
Mahukona Beach County Park
Big Island Snorkeling
From Kona, take highway 19 (Queen Kaahumanu Hwy) north. Follow it through all of the resort areas until you come to the junction with highway 270 (Akoni Pule Hwy) and veer left onto 270 continuing to head basically north. Following 270, near the Kawaihae boat harbor, 270 veers to the right. (If you go straight you will quickly end up at a dead end at the docks.) Follow 270 past the 14 mile marker until you come to Mahukona Beach Park Road on your left.
Near the end of the road you take a right to go to the dock. Follow the road to it's end to access the park facilities, restrooms, a pavillion, picnic tables, and water, although the water is not potable. There is a shower on the dock for rinsing off after snorkeling.
See our extra underwater pictures at Mahukona
Go to the next Snorkel location - Lapakahi
Return from Kapaa Beach Snorkeling to the Big Island Snorkeling Guide
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