Join the Malolo Molokini Snorkeling Tour to experience awesome Turtle Town and Molokini like never before with your tour departing Wailuku, HI, Maalaea Boat Harbor Road. This immersive experience is unlike the typical snorkeling adventure, as this lasts approximately five hours and covers two breathtaking locations, all guided by an experienced captain and crew. When it comes to this particular snorkeling tour, you get a few options in terms of departure times. There is the morning option which includes two stops along with the afternoon departure, which only differs from the morning variety in that breakfast isn’t served and there are different fare options.
The Malolo Molokini Snorkeling Tour morning departure begins with a continental breakfast, which is served as part of your tour cost in addition to lunch and your snorkeling gear. There are also flotation devices like float vests, body boards, and noodles that you can utilize to enhance your experience if you so desire. You do have the option of a wetsuit as well, which you can rent along with a 16-megapixel Olympus underwater digital camera.
Your tour will visit both Turtle Town and Molokini as mentioned above, with around an hour of snorkeling being provided at each site. At each location, you will see a great deal of marine life and create lasting memories to be sure. Aboard the 55-foot comfortable, stable catamaran the Malolo, there are trampolines on which to lay, and the vessel is equipped with two easy access stairways into the water on both the rear and front of the boat. There are also two restrooms available, which is a big asset when spending hours on the water, as well as a freshwater shower.
If you aren’t familiar with the Molokini site, you will be after your snorkeling tour as your crew will explain all the interesting historical facts. Molokini is located just three miles from the southwest coast of Maui. It is a crescent moon-shaped island that spans over 18 acres and rises over 160 feet. The kaleidoscope of coral that is found in the area provides a safe haven for over 250 species of tropical fish, creating a truly unique snorkeling experience.
Molokini’s history involves the arrival of the first Polynesians to the area at around 500 BC. Molokini for Hawaiians is part of life. For Europeans, it was an inlet that remained uncharted prior to the efforts of French explorer Jean-Francsoise de Galoup in 1786. King Kalakaua hired two U.S. engineers in 1883 to survey the area, which led to the establishment of the Alexander and Baldwin Company.
Before the conservation efforts put forth by Hawaii in 1977, Molokini was used as a target practice for the United States Navy, with some signs of the damage it endured still visible today. Its beautiful black coral was also sadly overharvested between the 1950s and 1977. Thanks to the Molokini Shoal Marine Life Conservation District, the area is now a protected space. In fact, the only activities allowed in the crater’s inner reef today are snorkeling and scuba. The reef surrounding the crescent-shaped island is currently monitored by the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology. It is home to many tropical fish species as mentioned above as well as being the home to 38 species of hard coral and 100 species of algae.
Turtle Town, the other stop in the Molo Molokini Snorkeling Tour, is a snorkeling site located off the coast of Maui near Makena. It is so named because it is a frequent stop for green sea turtles who spend time resting on rocks and eating seaweed in the area. You can only access the site via boat. Underwater, several lava formations were developed by submarine volcanoes. The coral reef at Turtle Town is also abundant and breathtaking, making Turtle Town among the most popular snorkeling destinations in all of Maui.
Insider Tips:
-The number one request of guests on the Malolo Molokini Snorkeling Tour as far as drinks are the Mai Tai.
-Be sure to book in advance to ensure your tour availability.