By Maureen
Has anyone snorkeled Kauai in 2025? We haven’t been there since 2021, right after the island reopened after the pandemic. Things were still very squirrely, let’s say. We couldn’t even get up to Hanalei due to road closures. We snorkeled up that way pre-pandemic. But now I’ve heard that those beaches are closed due to regeneration initiatives?
We are going for the last two weeks in September. We are staying near Poipu and of course, will have a rental car. We’ve used Galen’s and Nicole’s eBooks in the past, which we love because they are so helpful and well organized. I’d just like recent opinions and recommendations since there could be bleaching, closures, and climate change stuff that could affect snorkeling experiences.
Last time we were in the islands was November 2023 in Maui and the conditions were very bad–wind, mud in the water, and development impacting former great sites. We went up to the dump area since that was the better option. We used an app, I think it was Windy, to get a vibe on what was going on weather and current wise. We were near Black Rock–but again, poor visibility and a definite drop-off of fish populations. Any other apps to be aware of to use would be welcome advice too!
Thanks so much.
Hello! Fellow Hawai’i snorkeler here! I have not been to Kauai in 2025 but was there in April 2024. We had a great time snorkeling Poipu and Koloa Landing, and did a snorkel boat trip to the crater off Ni’ihau. Unfortunately a rather large multi-day storm came through and we were not able to snorkel the rest of the time. I always consult surf-forecast websites especially going in the fall due to changes of swell between summer and winter. If you want to do Ke’e Beach snorkeling I believe that requires reservations now. We had a bit of a north swell when we were there so did not go to the north snorkeling sites. Hope this helps!
I snorkeled Kauai in November 2024. Like you, we had a rental car and stayed near the beach in Poipu. We snorkeled multiple spots around the island, and to be honest were quite disappointed with the overall poor quality of coral and numbers of fish. The island itself is strikingly beautiful, and we signed up for a Captain J’s Zodiac sightseeing and snorkel tour of the remote Napali Coast. A fun day on the water, but the snorkel opportunity was a disappointing 15-20 min stop on the way back to the marina. To be honest, Poipu Beach was about as good as it got, with a rating of 3/10. Watch some recent YouTube videos on Kauai snorkeling to give you a better perspective.
In fairness, my bar is very high given comparisons to past snorkel trips to the Solomon Islands and Raja Ampat in the Coral Triangle. We are very excited about our upcoming tour to the Misool Eco Resort in Raja Ampat.
Best wishes!
I always recommend Anini for the sea turtle cleaning station not that far out from shore (maybe 150 ft out from the giant tree south of the boat ramp) and the reef past the swim buoy. Most days Anini is calm and clear and the turtles come and go from the cleaning station all day. The reef before the open ocean has some eels and quite a few colorful fish.
Tunnels is also great for parrotfish and the Hawaii state fishes. Not in winter.
I live in Napoopoo right on Kealakekeua Bay so I’m spoiled, but I was visiting a friend on Kauai last week so she took me snorkeling. It was nice to get in the turquoise blue water but not great visibility nor much to see with lack of healthy coral. I can’t imagine why anyone who really loves to snorkel would go anyplace in Hawaii except the Kona coast. With five bays south of Kona town that are just about as good as anyplace I’ve snorkeled in the world (South Pacific, Indonesia, Philippines, Africa, etc.), and 10 times better than any other place in the Hawaiian islands, why go anyplace else; if you’re going to snorkel.
Hi everyone thanks for the comments. All are spot on.
It was windy and ocean was rough. We had two opportunities to snorkel in between wind events.
I too have been to Indonesia and now spoiled with such a high bar. It was sad to see the fish trying to eat dead corals. Everything was grey.
Anini Beach was good for turtles. I felt bad for them grazing on limited food sources. Shallow for most part. Not a lot of fish.
Big Island Kona side is definitely my favorite area for the islands.
First time I went to islands was 1988. It was magical to see all the fish and snorkel before mass tourism and development.
To see it now, it was depressing. I hope with more awareness on sunscreen, water treatment and land stewardship, the islands can rebound. I saw little pieces of coral trying to grow amongst the grey substrate. This gives hope!