Snorkeling Koloa Landing
Kauai Snorkel Guide
Snorkeling Koloa Landing is not from a beach. It is an old boat ramp that is not used for motorboat launching anymore, just for the Hawaiian outrigger canoes. Koloa Landing is an extremely popular diving location, and the snorkeling can be great too. This is one of the few locations on Kauai where you can easily see large healthy coral heads, so if the conditions are good, we highly recommend it.
Being on the south shore, snorkeling Koloa Landing is generally better in the winter season. In the summer Hawaii can get a south swell that makes the snorkeling dangerous. It is always variable though, so check a conditions report before you go.
If it has been raining a lot lately, consider another location. The visibility on the surface here can be really affected by the stream that enters the inlet to the right of the ramp. High stream flow can cause very low visibility, making snorkeling Koloa Landing much less fun.
Because boats used to come in and out of here, it gets deep fairly quickly, so you snorkel the rock wall edges along a deep drop off. If this kind of snorkeling makes you nervous, skip this spot.
Water Entrance for Snorkeling Koloa Landing
You enter the water from the old boat ramp. It is an uneven and slippery surface, so footwear is a good idea.
Where To Snorkel
Once in the water you can choose to snorkel along one side or the other. We recommend you snorkel out one side, not far past the rocky point, then back the way you came. The swim across the bay is fairly long and boring because it drops off to a deep sandy bottom. The area isn’t so big that it would be too much of a swim to explore both sides in one snorkel. Keep in mind as you swim farther out that you are in more exposed ocean. So waves, surge, wind, and current are things to keep a watch on.
There is a small area in the center near the ramp and along the shoreline particularly to the right side that stays relatively shallow, 5-15 feet. But as you swim farther out, or follow the shoreline further, the ocean floor drops steeply away to 30 or more feet. The area is made up of boulders, small to large, with some covered in colorful coral heads. The right side seems to have better corals than the left. Turtles are common and there are usually good numbers of fish.
If you enjoy to freedive, this is a great spot. Freediving down the side of the wall around the big coral encrusted boulders is a great experience.
As stated above, the visibility for snorkeling Koloa Landing is dependent on the stream flow, but waves, wind and surge are factors too, but if it is a calm day and it hasn’t been raining, you should have good visibility.
What We Saw Snorkeling
Koloa Landing
We have seen turtles every time we have snorkeled here and there are the vibrant Red Pencil Urchins in residence. We also saw good numbers of fish, but not a huge variety. Here is what we saw:
Chromis, Blackfin
Hawkfish, Stocky
Surgeonfish: Orangeband, Whitebar
Tang: Convict - massive school, Lavender
Triggerfish, Pinktail
Trumpetfish - brown phase and yellow phase
Full Koloa Landing Snorkeling Details
To see our full description of the snorkeling at Koloa Landing, with driving directions, maps, plus all of our favorite snorkel spots around Kauai, see our Kauai Snorkeling Guide eBook.
Now check out Poipu Beach Park
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