5 best Waikiki snorkeling spots for beginners + map! (mostly free things to do in Oahu Hawaii) Honolulu Hawaii travel blog

ALOHA!

Snorkeling in Waikiki is one of the free things to do on Oahu!

It’s also easy to go to Waikiki if you are arriving by cruise ship to Honolulu cruise port.

I’ve been swimming and snorkeling in many different parts of Waikiki, and I will tell you below what I’ve seen and where! I’ve also included a Waikiki snorkeling map.

 

There are partner websites that are included below.

 

 

 

The best snorkeling beach in Waikiki is Queens Beach, but it’s possible to have some fun swimming experiences at other beaches in Waikiki too… as long as you know where to look!

To be clear, if snorkeling in Waikiki is a top priority, go to Queens Beach!

But if your Waikiki beach of choice is another beach, I will let you know if you might see some little fishies swimming around at other popular beaches in Waikiki too!

Over the several times I’ve been to Oahu, I have gone swimming along a lot of areas of Waikiki Beach. Here’s what you need to know if you want to look for fishies!

 

 

1. Queens Beach

If you’re on a mission to go snorkeling at the best snorkeling beach in Waikiki, then you must go to Queens Beach!

Queens Beach is at the southern end of Waikiki, and it’s a part of the Waikiki Marine Life Conservation District of the State of Hawaii. This means that there’s a good amount of fishies here that they want to protect!

 

 

I’ve seen the Hawaii state fish while snorkeling here, which is called the humuhumunukunukuapuaa. I am quite proud that whenever I see this fish, I literally say in my mind, “There’s humuhumunukunukuapuaa!” 🤣

 

🤓 Challenge for you: Learn how to say the Hawaii state fish before you go to Hawaii so you can say the same when you see it! It is actually not as hard as it looks. You can break up the word and there are repeats! humu-humu / nuku-nuku / apu / a / a. Now say it! 😁

 

Aside from the reef triggerfish (the Hawaii state fish in plain English 🤪) I saw lots of little fishies for a fun snorkeling experience. I also liked seeing the yellow and black striped moorfish idol.

I did much of my snorkeling in front of lifeguard tower 2E.

So for snorkeling at Queens beach, you can look for the walkway that juts out into the ocean at Queens Beach between lifeguard towers 2E and 2F. (map)

 

After you’ve finished up snorkeling, you can go to nearby oceanfront Barefoot Beach Cafe for post-swim food! I had the ahi burger here.

Located directly behind Queens Beach is also Kapiolani Beach Park. There are lots of trees (including banyan trees!) and grassy areas for a shaded area that you can have a rest too.

 

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Watch my video!

Here is my video with some of what I saw snorkeling at Queens Beach. It also gives you a visual of where I was swimming compared to the lifeguard towers.

 

There are 3 marine life conservation districts on Oahu, and along with Queens Beach, you can go to Hanauma Bay or Sharks Cove (Pupukea) to go snorkeling in an area of ocean where the fishies are protected.

 

 

2. Turtle Canyon

For the best chance of swimming with turtles, you need to go snorkeling in Waikiki at Turtle Canyon!

Turtle Canyon is a popular Waikiki snorkeling sport where you have a very good chance to swim with turtles, but it does require a tour to get to since it’s basically in the middle of the ocean. So you’ll want to do a Turtle Canyon snorkeling tour for a guaranteed chance to go swimming with turtles!

 

 

 

3. Duke Kahanamoku Beach

The Duke Kahanamoku Beach is the Hilton Hawaiian Village beach.

You don’t need to be staying at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in order to go snorkeling at Duke Kahanamoku Beach. It’s a public beach, like all beaches in Waikiki.

 

 

I was pretty happy with what I saw while snorkeling at Duke Kahanamoku Beach!

I started off by snorkeling along the seawall that’s off to the right as you’re standing on the beach and facing the ocean. I saw a few little fishies there. Then I swam across to the other side towards the boat pier, and there was a section that seemed to be where lots of fishies like to swim around.

So, for snorkeling at Duke Kahanamoku Beach, go to the seawall, and once you reach the far end of the seawall, start swimming across to the boat pier!

Have a look at things to do near Hilton Hawaiian Village.

 

 

Watch my video!

Here is my video with some of what I saw snorkeling at Duke Kahanamoku Beach. It also gives you a visual of where I was swimming near the seawall.

Here is another video of something that scared me when I first spotted it! Afterwards when I looked it up, and it seems to be a zebra moray eel. This also shows the visual of where I was swimming, which was in a different area, closer to the pier near the Hilton Hawaiian Village.

 

 

4. Kuhio Beach

Kuhio Beach is one of the centrally located Waikiki beaches that is easily accessible if you’re not staying at a beachfront hotel. It is located just a few steps away from a main road that runs through Waikiki.

The swimming area in front of Kuhio Beach has a seawall that runs parallel to the shoreline.

And it is along this seawall that you have the best chance of spotting some little fishies if you want to go snorkeling at Kuhio Beach. At least, this is where I saw some!

 

 

This is where I saw the cute little Hawaiian whitespotted toby.

So for the best snorkeling at Kuhio Beach, swim along the seawall!

 

For your post-swim food here, you can walk across the street to an ABC Store for easy grab-and-go food! (There are several ABC Stores nearby.)

If you are there earlier in the day, Kai Coffee (reviews) may be set up at the Kuhio Beach shelter to sell acai bowls. I’ve gotten an acai bowl at the beach shelter. Otherwise, you can also walk to their storefront across the street! (map)

 

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Watch my video!

Here is my video with the cute little Hawaiian pufferfish that I saw snorkeling at Kuhio Beach! This also gives you a visual of where I was swimming and the seawall I recommend you swim near to look for cute little fishies!

 

 

5. Fort DeRussy Beach

Whether you want to snorkel or stay out of the water, I think you should head to Fort DeRussy Beach if you want a chance to see turtles!

At the southern end of Fort DeRussy Beach, there’s a rock jetty in front of the Outrigger Reef Hotel. If you walk out onto the jetty, you might be able to see some turtles swimming in the water!

And since you can often see turtles while walking out onto the rock jetty at Fort DeRussy Beach, you can try snorkeling around it too for a chance to go swimming with turtles!

 

 

When I went snorkeling at Fort DeRussy Beach, I didn’t see a ton of fishies, but I did see a few. But if I wanted a better chance to see turtles, then I would try snorkeling here!

Afterwards, you can go to Steak Shack (reviews) or Tropical Tribe (reviews), which are practically at the beach right by the Outrigger Reef hotel! (map)

 

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👆 I like to have my bright yellow open water swimming safety float so I can be seen, and so I can rest on it when snorkeling in deeper water! It also has space to be able to put stuff in, acting as a dry bag. On this day, I basically swam from the northern end of Duke Kahanamoku Beach (Hilton Hawaiian Village) to the southern end of Fort DeRussy Beach (Outrigger Reef Hotel). I did get out of the water around the spot that these 2 beaches intersect, since there’s a boat pier there and I didn’t want to be swimming in the path of the boat.

 

Waikiki snorkeling map

Now, here is the interactive google map of Waikiki snorkeling spots that I created!

This includes the snorkeling spots in Waikiki that I mentioned above.

 

👆 How to use this map: Click on the top left icon for a list of what’s on the map! Or, just start clicking the icons on the map! Each icon has more details, so click to expand! If the map isn’t loading well for you, you can also open it directly in google maps. See below for the quick list of what’s on the map.

 

 

What snorkeling spots are on the Waikiki map?

• Queens Beach snorkeling
  • Nearby food: Barefoot Beach Cafe
• Turtle Canyon snorkeling
  • You need a snorkeling tour for this one
• Duke Kahanamoku Beach snorkeling
  • Hilton Hawaiian Village snorkeling spot
• Kuhio Beach snorkeling
  • Nearby food: Kai Coffee (acai bowl)
• Fort DeRussy Beach snorkeling
  • Nearby food: Steak Shack or Tropical Tribe

 

Snorkeling in Waikiki from a cruise ship

If you are arriving to Honolulu by cruise ship, it’s easy to go snorkeling in Waikiki! There are several ways to get to Waikiki snorkeling spots from Honolulu cruise port. Be sure to also see my post about how to get from Honolulu cruise port to Waikiki. (I’ve been on cruises that had a stop in Honolulu!)

 

HAPPY SNORKELING IN HAWAII AT WAIKIKI BEACH!