the beach today
Oahu Nature Preserve Guide

Hanauma Bay
Nature Preserve

Aloha

Hawaii's most visited snorkel site and a true marine sanctuary. Crystal-clear water, hundreds of species of tropical fish and green sea turtles — all inside an ancient volcanic crater.

Today on the Sand

loading live data…

Water Temp

84°

warm · gentle surf

UV Index

9

very high · 10am–4pm

Beach Crowd

Busy

holiday weekend

Beach Toolkit

Bay Conditions

Visibility, tides & water temp

Parking & Access

Lot, shuttle & reservation info

Bay Sunset

Lookout sunset & evening light

Dining

Hawaii Kai, food trucks & shave ice

Ocean Tours

Snorkel boats & glass-bottom tours

Events

What's on this week

Beach Rules

Dogs, drinks, fires, drones

Pick Your Sand

north to south

Hanauma Bay Beach

White sand inside the crater · calm inner reef

Main snorkel site

Back Door (outer reef)

Advanced snorkel · beyond the Keyhole channel

Expert swimmers only

Toilet Bowl

Natural lava pool · surge fills and drains it

Rocky south rim

Witches Brew

Rough surf beyond south rim

Experienced only

Sandy Beach

Bodysurf beach · intense shorebreak

5 min east on Hwy 72

Makapu'u Beach

Wide sand, lighthouse trail

10 min east

Dolphin Cruises

Open →

Compare daily sails from the marina — wild dolphins on nearly every trip.

Beyond the Beach

day trips

Diamond Head

15 min west

Crater hike and panoramic summit views

Sandy Beach

5 min east

Hawaii's best bodysurf break — powerful

Makapu'u

12 min east

Lighthouse hike and whale watching in winter

Kailua Beach

25 min north

Windward coast: clear water and trade breezes

see you on the sand

Water temp, surf and UV are live from NOAA & Open-Meteo; sunset is computed locally for Hanauma Bay. Crowd level is a weekday/weekend estimate.

Rough water today. No weather alert for Hanauma Bay, but the forecast has waves to 6 ft. Fine for a walk, not for a swim. Right now at Hanauma Bay, the water is 79°F, surf is running 5–6 ft and the air is 80°F but feels like 84°F. Wind is 14 mph from the ENE and the UV index peaks at 4 (moderate) today. Unprotected fair skin burns in about 35 minutes right now. Today’s tides: High 7:36 AM, Low 3:47 PM, High 7:48 PM.