Koolau, the photos of Hanauma Bay look beautiful, but apparently tourists have to make an online reservation at 7 am 48 hours before wanting to go, and many are not successful at getting reservations. And it’s $25/pp to enter and parking is a challenge. Is it really so unique as to be worth all of this hassle? Are there not many other beaches with excellent marine life and snorkeling?
Heh, heh, since I can go for free as a Kama'aina, I would have to say "no" - it may not be worth it. (Keep in mind, visiting marine environments is not my thing.) But the price was fairly recently set very high to limit the number of folks who come to the spot.
During Covid, the bay was shut down. There was a DRAMATIC improvement in the reef and the marine flora and fauna. For years, we have known that the heavy traffic at Hanauma Bay has been damaging it. No one thought a "pause" would allow it to return to at least some of its former glory - but it DID!
The high prices, difficult parking (but you can take THE BUS) are actually intended to keep the bay as healthy as possible. It seems to be working though I have not seen it since the pause.
Several years ago, we had a friend who lived with us for a while. EVERY morning she rose early and went to Hanauma Bay. It was her thing, I guess. But it shows that someone fascinated by marine environments thought HB was the best around.
Honestly, I know of no other spot on our Island like it. Sharks Cove (NO Sharks!) on the North Shore is famous for its tide pools. I believe you can snorkel there (don't quote me - but look it up in the book I mentioned) but the draw is the marine life you can observe by walking out among the tide pools. You will see all sorts of crustaceans - very different from HB but quite interesting.
Really good snorkeling can also be done at Captain Cook on Big Island. It's 90 feet deep and you can see the bottom. As far as I know, it's only reachable by boat and there are charters available that supply the equipment. Heh, heh, the fish KNOW they are gonna get fed so they will almost "attack" you as you go into the water. About that time, the "beach boys" on the boat throw bread or other "bait" into the water around you. The fish "boil" up all around you.
I just pulled my copy of "Oahu Revealed" and it lists 11 spots to snorkel on Oahu, near as I can tell. I've only ever been to Sharks Cove and HB.
So, YES, HB is probably worth it. It IS the premier snorkeling spot on Oahu. Be careful, we have drownings there from time to time - hard to believe in 3 feet of water but it happens. There's a technical explanation, but I forget what it is. I'm sure you know to respect the water (and especially the ocean.) YMMV
If you're gonna drive, there are lots of things to see just beyond HB. You can drive all the way around the South East end of the Island and return through any one of 3 tunnels (H3 has the "helicopter ride" feature - but puts you way downtown Honolulu - around the airport.) Coming back via Pali Hwy., (61) you can stop at the Pali Lookout which has an amazing vista over Kaneohe Bay and the Ko'olau range.
Yeah, get the Doughty "book" - I consider it the bible of Oahu books. IIRC, there are Doughty books for the other Islands, though I only have the ones for Big Island and Kauai (slightly different names as I recall - not "reveled" - maybe "Ultimate" or some such.) Feel free to PM me or ask here - I'm no expert but I was a tourist for a long time before I moved so YMMV.
