Snorkeling the Molokini Crater

Snorkeling is definitely one of my favorite things to do in Hawaii, and according to some sources, the best snorkeling on the planet can be found right here on the Islands. Most of our excursions consisted of packing a picnic lunch, loading the car up with a beach umbrella, towels, and chairs, and tracking down the beach parks most noted for good snorkeling. Some were better than others, but there is no such thing as a bad beach day in Hawaii, even if the snorkeling turns out to be a bust. But for our last snorkeling adventure before coming back home, we decided to splurge and take a chartered boat trip to the Molokini Crater, a popular destination for scuba diving, snuba, and snorkeling. We signed on with The Pride of Maui for the 5-hour morning trip which included snorkeling gear, stops at two diving locations (Turtle Town and Molokini Crater), continental breakfast, full lunch, and unlimited beverages, included the ever popular Island favorite Mai Tai. Molokini, the highlight of the trip, is a crescent-shaped partially submerged volcanic crater which forms a small islet filled with coral reef and tropical fish. The water here is crystal clear, even at 30-foot depths, with no sand from the waves to murk up the view. We saw yellow tangs, trumpet fish, surgeon fish, parrot fish, and Moorish idols, swimming in and out of the coral, as well as sea urchin and a couple of turtles. On the way back into harbor, eight spinner dolphins swam with the boat for a while, jumping out of the water, diving under and around the boat, and seemingly just enjoying swimming along with us. That was a real treat! With picture perfect weather and calm waters, the first class accommodations and staff on The Pride of Maui, and of course the awesome sea life, this was the perfect "last snorkel on the Islands" (at least for this time!).