Jaunted

Kaunaoa Beach
Sitting in front of the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel is Kaunaoa Beach. The hotel is currently closed due to earthquake damage, but it should be back by early 2009. Meanwhile, the beach is fantastic. With fins and mask ready to go, we spent a lot of time on the northern side near the rock formations. We saw many more larger fish here than we had elsewhere, including many parrot fish.

The water gets deep somewhat quickly, so you'll be able to see schools of fish rather than just single guys hanging out by themselves. If you’re really adventurous--and we weren't--there's a mini-cave that you can swim right through. Since this spot is part of the hotel grounds there weren't too many public parking spots, so start your day here.

'Anaeho'omalu Bay
Further down the Kohala coast from Kaunaoa Beach is 'Anaeho'omalu Bay, or A-Bay to those of you--that like us--won't even be able to try to pronounce it correctly. It's situated within the Waikoloa Beach Resort, home to both the Marriott and Hilton Big Island properties. Large coconut palm trees frame this beach and guard the unique salt-and-pepper sand shore.

Large rock formations protect the bay, so the waves here should be fairly calm throughout the year. We ventured along the northern side in search of the best snorkeling and weren’t disappointed. Things started out a little cloudy, especially in comparison to some of the other spots we've mentioned this week, but quickly cleared up as we swam offshore. We even had a close encounter with a sea turtle enjoying its morning.

Kahalu’u Beach Park
We stopped at this beach while on a snorkeling high from the waters near the Place of Refuge. The Kahalu'u Beach fed our addiction. Unfortunately, during our visit, a cruise ship was in port at Kailua-Kona and apparently the entire ship heard that this beach was the best in the world--although we did enjoy a few parents yelling at their children.

You’ll have to swim a little bit offshore to get to the great reef formations here. We saw many turtles, all sorts of fish and different corals than we saw elsewhere on the islands. There's so much to see here that it was almost disorienting: Make sure to look up now and then so you know where you are in relation to the beach.

Related Stories:
· Mauna Kea Report [Official Site]
· 'Anaeho'omalu Bay Reviews [Yelp]
· Kahalu'u Beach Park [Official Site]
· Big Island Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo of Kaunaoa Beach: kjb]