The Kona Snorkeling Blog

    As I begin this blog, I want to alert my readers that I have been snorkeling the waters of the Kona Coast and elsewhere around the Pacific and the Caribbean for about 30 years.   I am an unabashed promoter for Kona snorkeling and for many years I have written a small handbook of snorkeling sites for my friends.   I will begin the blog with information about my favorite snorkeling spots and the associated beaches.
    I am a reformed birdwatcher.  Watching the fish is so much more intimate and, lucky for you, the fish are far more easily photographed than birds.  But like a good birdwatcher, I believe in using books, keeping lists and seeking the rare sighting singlemindedly.  This will come through in the blog.  I am also a watcher of other critters, including our fellow man, and I hope you will enjoy those observations as well.

Snowflake Moray Eel, Kahaluu 2011

    For now, I am going to leave you with the first delightful paragraph of my snorkeling guide.  I hope it wets your appetite for what is to come.
  Jeff   11/14/2011

           Jeff Hill’s Guide to Snorkeling on the Kona Coast
    The leeward coast of the Big Island of Hawaii,  commonly known as the Kona Coast, is one of my favorite places, both for snorkeling and just hanging out.  Together the Kona and Kohala Coasts are one of the best areas in the world to observe marine wildlife following a shore entry.  This is to say, you enjoy spectacular fish watching with out paying  exorbitant fees for a boat or a guide.  This blog will lead you to a myriad of spots that produce a huge list of marine species year after year.   The entries for these swims will be well described.  Avoid injury!  Do not follow tourists experimenting with alternative entries.  Additionally at these spots you should feel safe from the depredations of your fellow human beings.  I have included comments for areas where special precautions may be advisable.
    The ocean is always deserving of our respect.  Common sense and a knowledge of your limits is essential.  I can not protect you from these inherent risks.  A good mask (one that stays on your face without a strap) and fins are mandatory.  If you need to rent, I recommend Snorkel Bob’s in front of the Royal Polynesian Resort and Huggos.   We now defog with dilute soap (diluted dish detergent or shampoo works great)  A clean mask will fog less…clean with toothpaste and your toothbrush.  Cheap gloves can be helpful in rocky spots.

Pearl Wrasse King Kam south of the pier, November 2011

    I believe in using a field guide and keeping track of what you see.  This way you will learn the names of the fish and the invertebrates and in the process see many more species.  The Ultimate Guide to Hawaiian Reef Fishes  , as is his Hawaii's Sea Creatures, if you would like to identify the invertebrates.  Shore Fishes of Hawaii  by John Randall is also very good.  They can be purchased anywhere around Kailua.  I am including a Fish Checklist with these notes.
    This guide is meant to be used with the drive guide you received when you rented your car.  There are also maps in throw away magazines where ever you go.  These sites are not obscure and you will find them easily.
I trust that my site descriptions are sufficiently explicit and you have many safe and successful outings.
See a fish for me,
Jeff
                            ©  Jeffrey Hill 2011