Snorkeling in Molokini

Before heading to Hawaii, I had never so much as put a snorkel mask on before. During my time in Hawaii, I ended up snorkeling one time per week, and it was the perfect progression. The first time was with the same company that did our Oahu Sunset Cruise. We snorkeled off of Waikiki Beach in really deep water and had to wear life jackets. It was a good way to learn what to do. The second time was at Hanauma Bay which is considered one of the best places to snorkel in Hawaii. Now I enjoyed my time there, but I have to say that it is somewhat crowded and there is garbage floating in the water in some areas. On the plus side, you are really close to the fish and turtles, but the coral is really drab and frankly is too close. For our third and final snorkeling adventure we took a boat out to the Molokini Crater in between Maui and Kaho'olawe. It is one of only a couple of volcanic craters in the world that one can snorkel in. It turned out to be my favorite activity during my three weeks. The water is so amazingly clear and the coral has to be seen to be believed. I took a few pictures with my underwater camcorder, but they do not do justice to the vibrant colors. I will admit that you can see more fish which are closer to the surface of the water in Hanauma Bay, but I'll take Molokini over Hanauma. There is something about the beauty of the crescent crater combined with the underwater world that captured my imagination. Plus the buoyancy of the salt water there is amazing. I was worried about having to swim and use my camcorder, but all you do is float effortlessly. After about an hour of snorkeling in Molokini, the boat took us to a place where sea turtles hang out. We snorkeled for about an hour there, and then returned to the harbor along Maui's posh west coast and towns like Wailea.