Snorkeling in Maui — A Childhood Dream Beneath the Surface
I had never snorkeled in the ocean. But ever since I was a child flipping through Jacques Cousteau books beside my grandmother’s pool, it had been a dream.
When we planned a trip to Maui, I bought a GoPro and searched for snorkeling spots near our resort. To my surprise, several were within walking distance.
My first attempt was at Hanakaoʻo Beach.
The ocean was more challenging than I expected — waves, rocks, and murky sand-filled water. But once the water deepened, the underwater world appeared. Small fish, coral, and sea urchins surrounded me. It only lasted five minutes, but I was hooked.
Later that day, I tried Black Rock. The water was rougher, but I spotted a Yellow Coronetfish, one of the strangest fish I had ever seen.
A few days later, I headed to Mala Pier — the top adventure of the trip.
Swimming nearly 1,100 feet offshore, we encountered sea turtles, schools of fish, and then White Tip Reef sharks resting beneath the old concrete pier structures. Watching them glide through the water was mesmerizing. Only water separated me from one of my lifelong dreams.
This moment became one of the highlights of my trip, and I later wrote more about Swimming with Sharks in Maui and what it was like encountering them in the wild.
Watching them glide through the water was mesmerizing. Only water separated me from one of my lifelong dreams.
By my final day snorkeling in Maui, I spent nearly 30 minutes in the ocean, spotting sea turtles, Butterflyfish, and a large Unicornfish.
Snorkeling in Maui didn’t just fulfill a childhood dream — it sparked a new goal.
Next stop: scuba certification.
And someday… outer space.
