Amazing Turtle Snorkel Spot in Maui

Today was a big day. I was determined to get my five year old son out snorkeling with a turtle, here in Maui. There are so many beautiful beaches to explore, but I knew I had to find the perfect one. We drove through the cute coastal town of Kihei, filled with homes, restaurants, and sandy beaches. We kept driving south through Wailea, filled with big resorts and more sandy beaches. Finally, just before getting to Makena, aka the end of the road, we pulled into Oneuli Beach.

Just like with every beach in Maui, there is free public beach parking here. It is law in Hawaii that no one can own a private beach. We lugged our boogie boards, snorkel gear, my big underwater camera, and our three kids down to the shore. Luckily my dad and Cheryl were with us to help carry extra chairs and even more bags. We came prepared. We scored a nice shady spot near the southern end of the beach.

Like all beaches here in Maui, the beautiful sand ends where it meets black lava rock coastline. This is usually where the best snorkeling is. You can literally snorkel anywhere that you see a rocky shoreline here in Hawaii. Heidi, Catalina, Fisher and I geared up, while dad and Cheryl played with Dela on the beach. Catalina lasted long enough to see a humuhumunukunukuapua'a and some butterflyfish, but Fisher was in it to win it. He stayed out for a long time, and got to snorkel with a very cute sea turtle. I swam around the other side of the very relaxed turtle to get some beautiful pictures.

Successful mission. Maui is a pretty amazing place, filled with spots to explore.

We always try to grab a meal at the Maui Tropical Plantation when we are here on Maui. The landscaping and artwork are really incredible. Ducks and turtles swim in the ponds, and giant gears from the sugar plantation days provide a very unique feel to this place.

The kids making friends with the local wildlife at the Maui Tropical Plantation.