Molokini Crater Marine Reserve is the premier snorkeling destination in Maui and one of the most prized snorkeling destinations in the world. As one of only three calderas (underwater volcanic craters) in the world, Molokini Crater is a once in a lifetime dive that shouldn’t be missed. Pride of Maui is famous for our Molokini snorkel tour because we know just how special Molokini Crater is and we’ve left no detail uncovered to make diving it a spectacular experience for people of all ages and all experience levels. You’ll be able to choose from snorkeling, snuba or SCUBA diving, so that you can have a great experience no matter how much or how little you know about diving.

Our morning excursion is our most popular underwater adventure and the one that people return to year after year. It’s a great way to combine a spectacular tour of Molokini Crater and enjoy a great time snorkeling with Maui’s beloved sea turtles. We know you’ll love your day and we have some tips to help you get the most out of every minute.

Come Prepared

Our flagship, the Pride of Maui is a first class, Maxi Powered Catamaran outfitted down to the last detail, with everything from hot fresh water showers to all the sanitized snorkel gear you could want. But, there are some things you’ll want to bring with you.

Naturally, you’ll need a bathing suit, but you may want to bring a fresh change of clothes as well, as it can get cool on the ocean when there’s a good breeze. You should also bring plenty of sunblock, as you don’t want a nasty sunburn to distract you from the spectacular time you’re having. You’ll also want to have an underwater camera (even a disposable one will do) to capture all of the spectacular sights. Molokini Crater is blessed with some of the most awe inspiring and unusual coral formations to be found anywhere in the world, as well as hundreds of species of fish and marine animals.

Don’t worry about bringing something to eat; we’re going to start your day off right with a delicious island breakfast and some freshly brewed Kona coffee. Later, while you’re having the dive of your life, we’ll fire up the grills and have a lunch feast waiting for you when you’re ready.

Prepare Your Kids

We welcome children on our Molokini snorkel trips and we haven’t overlooked anything when it comes to making sure they have a great time. Our expert crew will show them how to use the snorkel gear and we even have an awesome super slide for them to zoom down later. But there are a few things you can do to help your kids prepare for the day.

Be sure to talk to them about all of the sea life they’ll be encountering. They may see manta rays and even some harmless species of shark and it’s a good idea to let them know to expect them ahead of time and that they’re perfectly safe.

Our second destination of the morning will be Turtle Town, where you and the kids will have a once in a lifetime chance to swim among Hawaii’s beloved green sea turtles. It’s a wonderful experience, but let the kids know that the turtles are a protected species and it’s illegal to touch or chase these gentle creatures, even in play.

You’re going to have a great time diving Molokini Crater and we have a great time helping you to do it!

Molokini snorkeling tours are the perfect way to make the most of your Maui vacation. Molokini Crater is considered one of the premier locations for snorkeling and diving in the world, due to the breathtaking coral formations and the abundance of tropical fish and other marine life in the area.

Molokini has been labeled Hawaii’s only Island Marine Sanctuary, so it enjoys special protection to keep it in pristine condition. We have tips to help you find the best Maui Molokini tours to make the most of your visit to this now extinct underwater volcano.

Location

The location of snorkel tours will make a big difference in the success of your trip. First, choose a snorkeling tour that heads to one of the premiere spots for snorkeling, such as Reef’s End or Enenue. Both of these areas boast some lovely coral viewing, as well as a high concentration of tropical fish in the shallower waters. Keep in mind that Molokini tours in Maui are available for both snorkeling and scuba diving, so choose the package that fits your preference and ability best.

Lessons Available?

If you are relatively new to the world of snorkeling, look for tours that provide lessons and hands-on guidance for your trip. This is also helpful if you will be heading out to the crater with kids in tow. Some tours specifically advertise that their trips are “child-friendly” meaning they will have the equipment and supervision to keep your entire family safe while exploring the wonders of Molokini Crater. If you are an experienced snorkeler, you can opt for a snorkel tour that allows more time for you to explore the tropical paradise on your own.

Extras to Look for

Because there are many boat tours heading out to the crater every morning, companies sometimes try to make their packages more competitive by throwing in a few extras for the trip. For example, some tours will provide a meal or two and ice-cold beverages to enjoy along the way. Other boats might offer kid-friendly features, like a slide and snacks. Look for the snorkel tour that will meet your specific needs best, to ensure a pleasant adventure for your entire group.

Molokini snorkeling tours are a spectacular way to see the breathtaking views that Hawaiian waters offer. When you choose the right tour for your needs, you can rest assured everyone in your group will come away with vacation memories to treasure for a lifetime.

Approximately three miles off the coast of Maui sits an extinct, but no less impressive, volcanic crater known as Molokini. This underwater volcano is now home to a plethora of sea life, as it has been converted to Hawaii’s only Island Marine Sanctuary. Molokini Crater snorkeling offers some of the best underwater viewing around Maui, with a host of tropical fish and marine animals available for your sightseeing pleasure. We have tips to help you make the most of your Molokini snorkeling adventure.

Finding a Location

There are many good locations for snorkeling at Molokini, particularly inside the crater where an abundance of sea life thrives in shallower waters. For example, the interior side of Reef’s End, where the top of the crater is submerged for about 200 yards, is an excellent place to spot Cauliflower coral, as well as a wide variety of tropical fish. Enenue, on the other side of the crater’s interior, is a good place to spot butterfly fish in the shallower waters. The exterior side of the crater is usually reserved for scuba divers, with deeper waters and plenty of ocean treasures to discover in the depths.

When to Snorkel Molokini

Anytime is a great time for Molokini snorkling, but the area is subject to weather conditions from time to time. When the winds become too strong, snorkeling tours often choose an alternative spot to Molokini. However, windy days are few and far between, and most visitors find at least a few days that offer perfect conditions for a Molokini snorkel cruise during their trip. It is also best to visit Molokini Crater in the morning hours, when the fish are most abundant. Many snorkeling tours don’t even offer an afternoon trip to Molokini, so book a morning tour to ensure your cruise includes a visit to the crater.

Marine Life to Look for at Molokini

Molokini Crater offers a glimpse into a huge variety of marine life, including about 250 species of tropical fish, manta rays and a few species of sharks. The crater is also home to some breathtaking coral formations just below the surface of the water. Along the shoreline of the crater, you might spot a monk seal or sea turtle. Because the crater has been labeled a Marine Life Conservation District Seabird Sanctuary, you can also catch a glimpse of a variety of birds flying around the area.

Molokini adventure tours are a wonderful way to make the most of your visit to Maui. With plenty of tours to choose from, you are sure to find the package that best fits your personal needs and skill level. A day of snorkeling is sure to make your tropical vacation complete.

Just a quick note to say thank you for our experience last week on your Molokini snorkel charter. My wife snorkled while went SCUBA with James and you guys did an outstanding job running the boat and managing the divers on board. My special thanks to James as dive master for the SCUBA trip for doing a great job of playing tour guide underwater and to Ryan for the outstanding photos he took. Ryan’s photos are the first thing I bring out when people ask “how was your trip”

Thanks again for running a great tour.

Dwight Gray
Battle Ground, WA

I had the opportunity to go on your Molokini Crater and Turtle Town Snorkel adventure on May 9th, I had never really been snorkeling before so it was a new experience for me. I had a lot of fun snorkeling and I saw some things that I would never see snorkeling in the oceans by my house. The boat ride was really fun and the crew that was on the boat with us were incredibly nice and a lot of fun to interact with. The next time I come to Maui I will be going on the Pride of Maui again because I had so much fun the first time.

Thank you for such a fun trip that I will never forget.

Ashley Wepking
Bonney Lake, WA

When you are planning a trip to Maui, you can’t miss at least one snorkeling expedition to Molokini Crater. This underwater volcano is home to a wealth of ocean life, thanks to its distinction as a marine preserve. The crater features a crescent shaped, rocky rim that rises above the surface of the water, where many bird species also congregate. Check out our overview of Molokini snorkeling tours to help you plan your Maui underwater adventure.

Where is Molokini

Molokini Crater is located just three miles off the coast of Maui, making it a prime destination for Maui Molokini tours. The calm, crystal clear waters make it easy to see ocean life as far as 100 feet away, and the conditions make it a popular spot for fish and sea creatures of all kinds. Molokini Crater tours are very popular with the Maui crowd, so it is not difficult to find a charter company offering tours to this frequented diving spot. Fortunately, the area is large enough to host a number of boats at one time without guests feeling like they are on top of each other while they are diving and snorkeling.

What to See at Molokini

Because Molokini Crater is a Marine Life Conservation District Seabird Sanctuary, you are pretty much guaranteed to witness some fairly spectacular ocean life while snorkeling in these waters. In addition to a wealth of colorful tropical fish, you may also catch a glimpse of spotted eagle rays and manta rays gliding gracefully nearby. Monk seals also frequent these waters, as do a number of shark species, including whale sharks and white tip reef sharks. You may also find some breathtaking coral formations and underwater scenery. Molokini snorkel tours will help you locate and identify ocean creatures along the way, so you get the most of your Molokini snorkeling experience.

What’s Included on a Molokini snorkel tour

Because there are a number of Molokini tours that head to the crater every day, each tour company does its best to stand out from the rest and make your day truly special. Many of the Maui Molokini tours begin with breakfast onboard your boat, complete with freshly ground Kona coffee. While you enjoy your snorkeling adventure, the boat’s crew may be busy whipping up a tantalizing lunch on the boat deck. Molokini Crater tours may run anywhere from a few hours to most of the day, depending on the tour company and the types of excursions they offer.

Molokini snorkel tours are a must on your visit to Maui, so check out what is currently available and book your tour as soon as possible. Because Molokini Crater is a hot spot for divers and snorkelers alike, Maui Molokini tours tend to fill up fast and you’ll want to act quickly to get your first pick of snorkeling adventures.

If you are planning a trip to Maui, Molokini Crater is a must see for your Hawaiian adventure. This underwater volcano offers a wealth of water fun, from scuba diving and snorkeling to a champagne cruise through the crater to enjoy one of the island’s spectacular sunsets. Molokini Crater may not look like much from the air, but below the surface, this crater is teeming with a variety of sea life and some of the most breathtaking underwater scenery Hawaii has to offer. We’ve got the best of Molokini Crater to help you plan your trip accordingly.

Snorkeling and Scuba Diving Options

Molokini Crater is best known for some of the best scuba diving and snorkeling opportunities in the world. The crater is actually a marine life park, offering a huge array of tropical fish as well as larger, more unusual sea life species. This area is sectioned off into a number of locations, so you can choose your dives based on your level of experience and the sea life you hope to spot during your trip. Some of the Molokini dive spots include:

• Reef’s End – Offers options for both beginning and advanced divers with sharks, eels and Cauliflower coral taking up residency here
• Tako Flats – A lovely sampling of coral heads and manta rays, and if you are really lucky, you might discover one of the shy octopus that lives in the area as well
• Middle Reef – If vibrant tropical fish are your passion, Middle Reef will not disappoint
• Shark Condos – You may have already guessed that shark are the daily fare in this popular dive location, but you can also find boar fish and lobster here
• The Back Side – This area is only accessible to experienced divers, who enjoy sightings of sharks, dolphins and manta rays

Many who travel to Maui think of Molokini Crater as strictly some of the best diving they will ever experience. however, there are a number of other activities that can be enjoyed in Molokini as well.

Cruises and Whale Watching

For those who like to keep their heads above water, Molokini Crater offers a number of fun and exciting activities. Those who want to enjoy the beauty of the region in high style will enjoy one of the many cruises that set sail to this crater every day. You can find a sunset dinner cruise on a luxury yacht or take part in a family Molokini snorkel cruise that allows you some water play as well as some fabulous cuisine and views. For those who enjoy seeing the marine life without donning a wet suit, whale watching is a popular activity around Molokini Crater between the months of December and April.

Molokini Crater is definitely a Maui hot spot that you don’t want to miss on your Hawaiian vacation. Whether you choose to get up close and personal with a variety of sharks on a dive, or enjoy the view from the deck of a luxury yacht, Molokini has something to offer every tourist that visits the island of Maui.