Turtle Town
Snorkeling Tour

Molokini and Turtle Town are home to a multitude of more amazing snorkeling locations to explore; interesting reef formations and lava fingers boast remarkable ocean wildlife. Surrounding the Valley Isle, we have a host of tropical fish species, Maui marine life varieties, and colorful reef configurations surrounded by some of the clearest tropical waters you have ever seen.

Snorkeling in Maui is most definitely a world-class experience. You will surely enjoy observing the behaviors of tri-colored Moorish idols, rainbow, and countless other varieties of butterflyfish, ornate angelfish, saddle wrasse, triggerfish, and more marine beauties while exploring your Maui vacation underway.

Green sea turtles are the largest hard-shell turtles in the world. In Turtle Town, you’ll have the opportunity to closely observe them in their natural habitat while snorkeling.

Curious by nature, these wonderful marine animals will gently approach a slowly moving snorkeler, providing outstanding photo opportunities.

The sea turtles are a protected species. This is why Maui snorkelers are reminded to always respect their space. The law prohibits touching, chasing or riding the turtles. Calmly observing and allowing the turtles to swim close, makes for a relaxing and unforgettable Hawaiian green sea turtle experience.

Turtle Town Information

There are only three volcanic calderas, including Molokini, in the entire world. In this offshore marine sanctuary aboard the Pride of Maui, sparkling waters are just the beginning of a truly rare experience you will not soon forget.

The Pride of Maui has the best mooring location at Molokini, away from the nest of other vessels and off to the South end of the Crater. The shallow coral reef is teeming with a vast array of colorful and fascinating fish and other marine animals. Familiar with divers and snorkelers, the friendly marine life on your Molokini snorkel provides a perfect opportunity to observe their behaviors closely.

More about Molokini

The turtles position themselves at strategic locations on the reef, where the cleaner wrasses swim all around them, literally removing unwanted build up from their shells and appendages. Cleaning stations are found in shallow waters on the coral reef, which creates the opportunity for you to enjoy the beauty of the natural reef and interesting underwater lava formations while observing this natural relationship between sea turtles and cleaner fish. Olowalu is also home to a wide variety of colorful tropical fish and other unique marine animals.

Olowalu is frequently calm and protected by the West Maui Mountains, from the afternoon trade winds. This sheltering effect creates visibility often more than 50 feet, and since the reef offers a gently sloping bottom to about 50 feet of depth, it is the ideal location for all experience levels.

Olowalu Info

When Turtle Town, Molokini, and Olowalu are blown out by wind and waves, Coral Gardens often provides calm conditions and the best location for relaxed and enjoyable snorkeling. The underwater visibility at Coral Gardens is second only to Molokini Crater, which of course features the best clarity. The shallow waters of Coral Gardens allow the sunlight to penetrate and brighten up the reef, bringing out the vibrant colors and textures.

Coral Gardens is teeming with fish and offers excellent water clarity. Turtle sightings are possible at Coral Gardens, though not as plentiful as Turtle Town. Many of our guests want to visit Molokini Crater and Turtle Town, and we often do just that on our Turtle Watch Snorkel Adventure.

Coral Gardens More Info