The City of Refuge as locals call it, or more correctly Honaunau Bay, is my favorite snorkeling beach on the Big Island!  Actually, not just my favorite.  The Travel Channel named Honaunau Bay one of “America’s Best Beaches 2004”. The direction the bay faces hides it's inner shoreline from the predominant coastal swells.  That's a fancy way of saying that City of Refuge snorkeling is calm and has exceptional visibilty most of the year. Honaunau Bay is overlooked by Puuhonua O Honaunau National Historic Park.  This 182 acre Federal park preserves the historic site where ancient defeated warriors, non-combatants, and sacred law breakers found sanctuary.  Hence the park's and bay's common name, The City of Refuge.  The grounds around the bay were home to powerful ali’i, or chiefs, of old. Beautiful Honaunau Bay is fronted by large, smooth, lava rock flats.  Talk about ease of entry!  These rock flats are just about the same height as the water line which makes for a perfect shelf to sit on as you don your snorkel gear. Near shore the average depth is only about 10 feet.  Great for you because the abundance of sunlight reaching the bottom grows healthy gardens of coral.  In case you didn’t know… fish LOVE coral.  Parrot fish, tang, surgeon fish, moray eels, jacks, turtles… you name it, they’re here.  Almost every Hawaiian fish you’ve seen in an aquarium and many more you won’t. Out in the center of the bay the depth drops dramatically to well over 100 feet.  If you’re an expert skin diver you’ll love the challenge.  You may even see one of the local skin diving clubs practicing their breath holding skills in the deeper water. Honaunau is also a famed scuba diving location for beginners and experts alike.  On any given day you're likely to see at least one of the local dive shops certifying new divers.  If you scuba, be sure to set aside one day for Honaunau, you can't go wrong. Easy entry, protected from swells, great for the beginner to the expert, teaming with fish and marine life… What more could you ask for? Hmmm... alright, alright, you twisted my arm… how about... Hawaiian spinner dolphins! We aren’t the only creatures that like calm, warm water.  Hawaiian spinner dolphins feed at night then rest and take care of their young in the calm inshore waters like Honaunau Bay during daylight.  Although, it’s hard to predict when they’ll be in the bay, when they are, there's a good chance they'll stay the whole day. Dolphins tend to be a little shy at first but can be quite curious and friendly once they realize you’re not a threat to them.  Believe me, the experience of quietly sharing the ocean with these creatures is nothing short of awe inspiring.  I’ve even had them bring their babies by to show them off to me.  I guess all parents are the same, huh. The Kona snorkeling at Honaunau Bay is magnificent. The actual site is known as “Two Step,” for the two underwater lava steps that you use to get in and out. The coral reef is extensive here, and there are tons of colorful fishes to observe. This bay is right in the middle of Pu’uhonua O Honaunau State Historical Park, which contains several ancient cultural sites. Pu’uhonua translates to “Place of Refuge,” and the region was indeed a sanctuary for any Hawaiian who had been defeated in battle or had broken kapu (sacred law). If you could physically reach the spot, you could stay and live there without retribution. The park is a fascinating, sacred, and generally quiet place. When it comes to Kona snorkeling, Honaunau Bay is not particularly kid friendly, as the amenities are sparse, and there is no beach to speak of. Underwater at Honaunau Bay, you will see loads?of beautiful fishes. Brilliantly colored parrotfish flap their pectoral fins – a bit like like birds flap their wings. Parrotfish use their strong beaks to bite bits of coral from the reef. Bright yellow tang come together to form huge, conspicuous schools, while trumpetfish do their best to blend in (sometimes with the schools of tang). All kinds of other fishes flit and float about at this Kona snorkeling site. There is also a very good chance you will see a sea turtle or two! Remember to give them their 30 feet of space. Occasionally, spinner dolphins will visit Honaunau Bay. These dolphins hunt at night. During daylight hours, these intelligent mammals spend most of their day resting. If you are lucky enough to be nearby when a pod is cruising through, let the dolphins decide whether to approach you – do not swim to them. Doing so could be considered harassment, and in the U.S., harassment of marine mammals is against the law. The dolphins will de”fin”itely appreciate your courtesy. Mahalo nui loa! Kona snorkeling at Two Step, as you might imagine, involves a two-step entry! Before you reach the edge, however, you’ll need to pick your way across rough lava rock. If the tide is high, you’ll also walk around tide pools nestled in the rocks. Once you get to the edge, there is are two slimy (and slippery!) rock steps to the left of center. You can use these steps to slide into the water. Here’s another tip to help you get in at Honaunau Bay. When you are ready to get in, wait until a wave is going away from the rocks, and get in at that time. That way, you can more easily push yourself away from shore. Prepare to float right away. Fish, coral and rocks are living right at your entry point, and the sea floor is just 10 feet below you. The south side of the bay – to the left – is more shallow, at about 10 – 25 feet. The north side, on the right, gradually slopes from a depth of 30 – 100 feet, becoming deeper as you swim toward the center of the bay. When you are pau (finished) enjoying this Kona snorkeling bay, use the same steps you used when you got in, and pay attention to the waves as they hit the shore.

The north (right) and south (left) side of Honaunau Bay have very different snorkeling depths.  I'd make it a point to snorkel on both sides so you don't miss anything but here's a heads up of what to expect.  The left-hand side is the shallower side and tends to be where I see the most turtles.  The depth averages from about 10 to 25 feet.  The right-hand starts out shallow and slowly decends to over 30 feet and then again dramatically to well over 100.  In this deeper water is where the spinner dolphins like to hang out. Honaunau Bay doesn’t have an actual parking lot, so you’ll be parking along the road that runs next to the water.  Parking is limited so get there early.  The skies above Honaunau typically becomes cloudy in the afternoons making for less sunlight in the water, so mornings are the best time to go anyway you look at it.  If I were you, I would try to be there before 10am, 9am is better. There are no concession stands or showers.  Remember to bring your own food and water.  There are port-a-potty restrooms available.

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