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Seeing turtles in Honolulu certainly is an attraction that we also didn’t want to miss on a spring break trip to the Hawaiian islands. And the beauty is that you can see turtles in Honolulu in the wild in the Pacific Ocean in a variety of ways.
Let me share the different ways to see turtles in Honolulu.
1. Take a snorkeling boat trip
Several operators offer snorkeling trips a ways out into the ocean off the beaches to allow you to see turtles. We booked a 2-hour trip with Living Ocean. They take you on a 12-minute trip to where the turtles hang out to be cleaned by fish. Snorkeling gear – including an inflatable lifevest – is provided. And they support different levels of swimmers.
I wouldn’t call myself the strongest swimmer and have never snorkeled before, but the 50-foot swim to the area where the turtles likely would be was not that bad. From there, you just kind of float around mostly looking for them underwater.
I saw two turtles while swimming around for about 40 minutes (you can stay out for about 60 minutes), and it was a great experience. Of course, that includes the swim and the snorkeling part.
If you don’t want to jump in, you can also stay on board and watch for turtles from there. Several swam up right into the area.
2. Head out in a kayak
My daughter and I also saw a turtle right near Waikiki Beach while out on a Kayak. A giant turtle swam right up to us and then dove. It was quite an incredible scene. We were near the Hilton Lagoon, but when we saw the turtle in the Pacific Ocean.
The most significant potential disadvantage to this method to see turtles might be that rental companies restrict where you can take the kayak. We were in a spot where there was a chance for turtles, but it’s something to be aware of if that’s the point of the kayak rental.
3. Snorkeling along the shoreline
This might be the cheapest option – even if you have to buy some cheap snorkeling gear. (Affiliate link). You can order some for under $30 on Amazon. It’s still under $60 if you add fins, which I would recommend. I saw plenty of people snorkeling just up and down the same area that we were kayaking in. So it’s an option.
Turtles in Honolulu conclusion
Keep in mind that you can’t touch the turtles and have to get out of their way if they are swimming toward you. As the boat captain on our trip said: “You can’t blame it on the turtle.”
Overall, I thought it was a great experience and would recommend each option.
The map below shows where we saw turtles in Honolulu.
