One Day To Snorkel On The Big Island, Hawaii?

by Stacey
(Bedford, TX)

I have one day to snorkel on the Big Island, Hawaii. I am wondering which you would choose, Two Steps or Captain Cook?

I can see you love the Place of Refuge and Two Steps... it looks like your favorite place to snorkel on the Big Island. But you say the water is not as clear. Curious why this instead of Kealakekua Bay (Captain Cook Monument)?

P.S. Love the website and especially your about us page :-)

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May 15, 2011
 Best Big Island Snorkeling Spot
by: Galen & Nicole

Hi Stacey,

Good questions. We like both Two Steps and Captain Cook. We would not say one is really better than another, just different. Two Steps has easier access which is a big plus. Yes the water clarity is not as clear as at Captain Cook in Kealakekua Bay, but we often see more fish and turtles at Two Steps. If you are going to one, why not do them both?
Jun 11, 2011
 Favorite place on Big Island
by: Kathy

We spent a month in March and April on the Big Island snorkeling. Although the water is clear at Captain Cook, it also gets very crowded and we felt there was a bigger area to explore at Two Steps. We snorkeled Two Steps more than a dozen times and saw new things every time. Lots of turtles, a chance to be out close to the spinner dolphins, a White Tipped Reef Shark, rays, octopus and one or two new fish each time we went. We thought the variety of fish was great.

We also went to Kahalu'u Beach Park a few times for really close up photography. The trick there is to arrive about 7am and be done before the crowds hit by 10am. We usually would have about 1 1/2 hrs of snorkeling all to ourselves!

Of the 7 or 8 different locations we tried, Two Steps was definitely the overall favorite!

Thanks so much for your website - it really helped make our trip special!
Feb 09, 2013
 Two Steps is Spectacular
by: Demi Terceres

While I love Captain Cook, I would pick Two Steps, for two reasons:
1) The access is really direct, so you can maximize your snorkel time. Park and snorkel, it's pretty amazing! And then you can always get out, rest a bit, and snorkel again, without worrying about saving energy for kayaking or walking back.
2) It's free! Captain Cook is lovely, but unless you walk, you'll be spending money on a kayak or boat cruise. We enjoyed the freedom to come when we wanted and felt blessed to enjoy without a huge cash outlay.

Be sure to check out the Place of Refuge once you are done with the water -- it is interesting and peaceful.

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