We don't want to snorkel - Hanauma Bay still worth visiting?

Travelling in June with my partner (who can%26#39;t swim!!)

I don%26#39;t want to be unfair on him and jump into the water without him.

Is Hanauma Bay still worth visiting in this situation?

We don't want to snorkel - Hanauma Bay still worth visiting?

If you have the time and do not mind spending time at Hanauma Bay you may find it worth your while. I assume you will be staying near or in Waikiki.

Hanauma Bay is very different from Waikiki. You go down to the H Bay from quite a height. It is an old (ancient) sunken volcano.

You will have to view an educational video of H Bay to know what to do and not to do, this is really for people who will be swimming there, but I am sure you will have to view it whether you swim or not. (I think...) I guess you can ask if you can skip it but it is educational and not long.

H Bay is well, a bay, a bay with a very large coral formation. This coral formation is a haven for fish so that is why people love snorkeling there. But because of this coral formation the water is very calm near the beach so it would be good for your non-swimming partner to get his feet wet. The view, the natural formation of the bay is unique and I think its worth going to see. If you have a car you can drive further east to the Halona Blowhole and there are several scenic points where the view is quite amazing. If you drive to Makapuu beach park you will get a great view of the lighthouse and Rabbit Island. The island looks like a head of a rabbit. The waves at Makapuu are really strong, not near as strong as the North Shore. Its a popular boogie boarding beach.

If you are interested in beautiful scenic views, then it will be worth your while.

But H Bay may be more than 30 minutes from Waikiki. If you are taking the Bus it will probably be twice that so it will depend on if you want to spend that time.

If you want to get away from Waikiki and explore it could be a fun trip.

We don't want to snorkel - Hanauma Bay still worth visiting?

Surely your partner could relax on the beach while you go in for a while? If that is not likely, then I%26#39;d say not to go because you will be frustrated.

He can walk out (on the sandy bottom) on the water and still can see fish even if he does not swim. Actually if he can float, he can float near shore and see plenty of fish. Stay at the middle of the bay and don%26#39;t venture too far out, he should be fine.

Otherwise it might not be worth going down to the beach area, but the lookout on top is very scenic and worth a stop for photo.

I would still go, it is a beautiful place even if you just lie on the beach and take in the scenery. The day we were there, don%26#39;t know if it was low tide or something, you could just walk out in the sandy areas, (DON%26#39;T WALK ON THE CORAL!) and stick you head in the water and see a ton of fish, you would not have had to swim or even float to get in some great snorkeling.

Watching the educational video is required even if you don%26#39;t plan on getting in the water. The only way to skip it is if you%26#39;ve seen it in the past year and signed the log book so they can verify it the next time you visit. Its short though - only about 5 minutes and it is interesting.

If you are driving or taking a bus around the island, make it one of your stops. Beautiful.

Because most of Hanauma Bay is shallow, you don%26#39;t need to know how to swim to snorkel there or to go in the water if you don%26#39;t snorkel.

So it is worth visiting.

As others mentioned, you will have to pay the $5 %26amp; watch the video. Plus $1 for parking.

Or if you are driving %26amp; just want to see what the bay looks like, you can stay above at the lookouts %26amp; won%26#39;t have to pay the $5 or see the video. It will still be $1 for parking but you will get that back if you leave within 15 minutes.

No....and even if you wanted to snorkel its not......

This poor littel bay was protected about 20 years too late and is a good example of a bay killed off by massive overuse..... Stick to the beach in Honolulu

Hawaiidan -- Why don%26#39;t they close it for a few years? Or only open it for a couple days a week with reservations? It%26#39;s being loved to death.

Last time I was there, I didn%26#39;t snorkel, but my cousin did.

I still enjoyed laying out in the sun (especially since I%26#39;d just arrived from snowy Canada) and it really is a beautiful area. I also like it because part of Blue Hawaii was filmed there. It is cool to share the same beach as Elvis did.

It is quite a shame that more isn%26#39;t done to protect the area. I think it should be closed 3 times a week, and have a limit on the amount of people.

I went snorkelling in Xel-Ha in Mexico, and they required that all sunscreen be biodegradable, whereas that wasn%26#39;t a requirement at Hanauma Bay. I think its a really shame, and a bit surprising that Mexico is more environmentally responsible than the US (in that aspect, anyways).