Have a trip planned to Maui in March. Looking at activities. The Molokini Crater and Turtel Reef tour sounds interesting.
Has anyone been on this tour? Sounds good on the website. Is it worthwhile/fun/good value? Thanks.
Molokini Crater %26amp; Turtle Reef Snorkelling TourIt is one of those love it or hate it kind of activities with not many in between. We like doing it mostly for the boat ride out. You will have people tell you that there are better and free places to snorkle and that is true however you don%26#39;t get a nice boat ride. There are lots of fish to be seen at the crater if you swim away from the boats a bit. It can get crowed there as well.
Turtle town is well, just a spot off the beach where turtles go to get groomed by some little fish.
If you have never gone to Maui and like boat rides then do it. Go in the morning because it can get rough in the afternoon.
Molokini Crater %26amp; Turtle Reef Snorkelling TourLike BB said you will find people who love it and the others who don%26#39;t. My wife, kids and I were ones that liked it. Molokini doesn%26#39;t have high population of fish as some other areas but the ones you see are so vibrant in the crystal clear water. You will be amazed at how far you can see in the water when you are there. There also is a better chance of seeing sharks and rays there also. Our last trip there was a white tip reef shark weaving in and out of the coral heads. One of my biggest fears turned into an amazing experience.
As for turtle reef, turtle arches, turtle town, pretty much the same area around Wailea is an area with high turtle population. Like BB said there is cleaning stations there if you can find one. It is very interesting to watch the interaction of the fish and turtles. And to watch the ';bump'; when another turtle thinks it%26#39;s their turn. The fish population is fairly low but they are there. And it will not be nearly as clear as Molokini.
Of our three times to Molokini we use Aqua Adventure twice and love them. ( www.mauisnorkelsnuba.com ) The boat is big enough to be comfortable ride but only carries about 1/3 of the passengers of cattle boats. The owners and crew are awesome.
We went on this tour in mid january, went in the morning per everyones recommendations. Unfortunately we hit a week in maui that was quite cool and windy. SO the water was VERY choppy and not clear since all the sand had been churned up from windy conditions. It was also quite chilly, air and water temp. I did not spend much time snorkeling since it just was not great. At molokini it was very crowded, there were about a dozen boats there. At turtle town I did see a couple turtles. The tour lasted about 6 hours so we did get a good boat ride out of it. We were also lucky to be there during whale season and we saw a lot of whales. The next week we went to big island and had much better snorkeling there right from the beaches. May be someone who is more familiar with maui can recommend other snorkel sites, since that was my first trip!
sukiOregon, you won%26#39;t find one company that guarantees snorkeling at Molokini because it%26#39;s so fickle. Generally mornings are best but even that is not a given. As for water temp, even in the middle of Summer my wife and I use wetsuits. They help with heat retention, flotation, sunscreen, and reduce fatigue all of which let you stay out longer and enjoy the fish.
There is several good shore snorkel areas. Two of our favorites are Honolua Bay and Kapalua Bay. Kapalua for any skill level because of it%26#39;s generally calm water and gentle slopping beach. Honolua once you have more experience due to the tougher entry. It is also pretty much a Summer snorkel area also due to rough water in the Winter. Kapalua is known to be calm when even Napili Bay right next to it is rough. And it has high fish populations. Others here on the forums can give you ideas for the Southern areas.
I was in Maui the first week of Jan. I went snorkeling at Black Rock and scuba diving at Molokini and Ulua Beach. Black Rock was very nice and I would definitely do it again. Ulua Beach had lots of turtles and eels although you can only see the eels if you scuba. Diving at Molokini was ok. The water was very choppy and since it is pretty deep you don%26#39;t really get to see a lot of fish up close. I wouldn%26#39;t pay the money to snorkel at Molokini although we did get to see some whales up close on our way back to the harbour. Snorkeling off the shore at Ulua would be my choice if the water is calm. Enjoy, Scott
we liked it...we don%26#39;t do it every trip but we have done it a few times and it%26#39;s fun to get out on the water. I think everyone should do some kind of boat excursion at least once.
We have been out with Friendly Charters (2 times) on the Lani Kai and then once with Maui Dive Shop.
It%26#39;s not worth the money, in my opinion. Not terrible, but much better snorkeling can be had for free right from the beach, maybe even in front of where you are staying. Turtles can also be found in many places, not just Turtle Town.
However, in March, I would highly recommend a whale watch tour.
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