We docked at the Molokini Crater to rip a quick snorkeling trip. I've never been much of a snorkeler, as I have what is likely the worst case of thalassophobia that any human being has ever contracted. The ocean scares me more than I can put into words. However, if my Mom is going to go snorkeling, what would I look like backing out? We got our snorkel gear on, and I made my Dad jump in first to make sure there were no apex predators waiting to swoop the first thing that came off the boat. Once I saw him chilling there for about 30 seconds, I jumped in hella nonchalant. But when my 5'10.5 176 lb orangutan-like frame submerged in the water, I went straight into fight or flight. When you looked at the ocean floor below, you could see a submerged cliff that dropped straight down. All you could see was the vicious, unknown, and unforgiving deep blue. The most unsettling feeling I have ever had. What is down there? What is coming for me? I'm just floating here like a sitting duck? HELL NAH! I closed my eyes and made a beeline STRAIGHT for the shore about 40 yards away, where there were 30+ other tourists snorkeling peacefully. Once I made sure there were at least 5 other people a shark would take out first, my heart rate started to stabilize. I began to appreciate the bustling life in this crescent shaped volcanic crater that is a protected marine life conservation district. I saw 100s of fish that I didn't know existed. When the rest of my family and local Hawaiian tour guide, Bailey, caught up with us, I began PEPPERING him with questions. 'What fish is that? How about that one? Why is it named trigger fish? What's the coolest thing you've ever seen here? Does it get old doing the same tour over and over again?" Bro HAD to be so annoyed with me, but I just couldn't help it. He was so passionate, engaging, and knowledgeable. Shoutout to Bailey. My favorite fish I saw was this vibrant, multicolored fish that genuinely looked fake. It looked just like that Rainbow Fish from that book. I followed it around for 10 minutes, and asked Bailey what type of fish it was. "That's a Parrot Fish! It actually is one of the few fish that can change its gender as a part of its natural life cycle. They also eat algae off of rocks that smother and kill coral reefs, and then they poop fine sand which is a major reason for many tropical beaches." I asked if Parrot Fish tasted good and he said "OH YEAH... well they are a bit of an acquired taste, but I love them." Bro is an encyclopedia. I arrived at Molokini Island scared to death of the deep blue, and also left the same way, but with a good amount of knowledge on Parrot Fish. This is what life is all about... IG @johnny.novo Tiktok @jnov__ Substack @johnnynovo read more

Molokini Crater - Boating Near Me - Maalaea, Hawaii

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It's a cool spot to see but the snorkeling is very very lackluster. The boat ride there and back affords a lot of nice views and the crater itself is definitely in interesting. The actual snorkeling is pretty bad....there's practically no coral and all you see are like the same 3 types of basic fish over and over... even then there's very little fish in general. I was expecting a huge coral reef with lots of fish. There are so many better snorkeling spots in Maui. read more

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We ll be here in the morning for a snorkel day. A Full size boat to a crescent shaped island with 77 f degree water. We have our own gear. We ll be early. read more

Looking for an adventure you will never forget? Molokini is the #1 snorkeling trip on Maui. Hawaiian green sea turtles, tropical fish of every make & size, rock formations, and the waters are the clearest I've ever seen. You can swim, snorkel, snuba, or scuba dive. A boat ride out to the Molokini Crater off the south side of Maui will leave you with AAA+++ memories for life !! read more

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Molokini Crater is not only home for Maui residents but also for visitors from all over the places looking for the best snorkeling clarity, where is good for scuba, snuba, snorkel and whale watch in season. Inside of the crater is peaceful, and outside of the crater is heavily waved. read more

Molokini Crater - Boating Near Me - Maalaea, Hawaii

The boat ride to Molokini Crater was absolutely perfect, the ocean looked like glass and the sun was shining bright. We arrived to Molokini Crater and when we were ready with our snorkel mask and fins we plopped into the water. The coral reefs weren't as bright and vibrant as I had a imagined. The coral reefs were white and bleached. We saw a variety of colorful fish and enjoyed the experience, though it served as a vivid reminder that climate change is harming beautiful coral reefs. read more

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Came here to go snorkeling with some friends. The crater was beautiful. The water was so clear and there were tons of fish. Highly recommended sight to see. read more

Molokini Crater - Swimmin wit da fishes - Boating Near Me - Maalaea, Hawaii

A fantastic partially submerged volcano crater that provides a lot of sea life and reef life area to grow and where tourists come on the various boats to snorkel. It can be crowded so pick your tour(s) wisely. The smaller groups are easier. Saw a ray, turtle and plenty of fish here. Also a lot of seabirds nesting on the crater walls. Water is crystal clear this far from shore (no sand to stir up) and on a sunny day you can see 100+ feet down. Some tours will also take experienced snorkelers/scuba divers to the backside where more reefs and fish reside in less disturbed waters. read more

Went to Molokini Crater through Four Winds II Maui and it's definitely an awesome sight and great place to snorkel and see some of the great sea life, tropical fish and coral reefs underwater! Because this is a protected sanctuary, you cannot physically go onto the island itself, but you'll definitely be amazed to see it up close! The weather conditions and ocean currents can get rough at times, so again, I would recommend coming with a tour company and group! read more

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Pride of Maui tours, crew were so friendly to my wife and I! They also provided great food! read more

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I booked a tour with a boat that takes you from the Maalaea harbor to molokini crater. It was a great afternoon. We saw tons of humpback whales jumping all around us and when we arrived to the crater, there was only one other tourist boat. I snorkeled around and the water is amazingly blue. The boat had a glass bottom and I managed to have the staff take a picture of me diving down so that's how I got my great blue water shot;) no filter:) Tons of fish and great experience. I was lucky I did it in January when the humpback whales are around. read more

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Molokini Crater, an extinct and partially submerged volcanic cinder cone, located roughly three miles off the southwestern coast of the island of Maui. This crescent moon shaped island is just under a half mile wide and peaks about 160 feet above sea level. Believed to have been formed about 150 years ago, Molokini Crater today is designated as a Marine Life Conservation District and bird sanctuary. With unmatched clarity, the Hawaiian waters surrounding this inhabited islet makes for a highly desired snorkeling and diving mecca, where many travel to to see such a glass-like translucency as deep as 150 feet. A destination designed to mesmerize you, only to see it in person will ever give you the truest experience and appreciation. read more

Maybe my expectations were too high, but I thought there would be more fish and more coral to see. We were grateful we tagged along with friends who chose Four Winds to take us out there - I'll do a separate review for them, but they were great all around. read more

Molokini Crater - Molokini Crater - Boating Near Me - Maalaea, Hawaii

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If you have a chance to do snorkeling in Maui, this is the place! There are all kinds of beautiful tropical fish that you must see.

From our resort, we were able to see the Molokini Crater and so I thought it'd be a great idea to snorkel here. We booked our snorkel tour at 6am to beat the crowd and I liked it a lot more. There were two stops, the second stop was Turtle Town where we got to swim with the turtles, it was a great time and probably the highlight of our trip. However, snorkeling here is a little rough, the current was high and I felt like I was going to drown at times since the current just kept throwing me around. I had to wear the banana around my waist, and others did too, which didn't help much. So the boat threw a bunch of boogie boards for us to hold on to since the current was so high. The water got pretty cold at Turtle Town and I was shivering and my lips were purple. Nonetheless, I had a great experience there and it lost a star due to the current and the temperature of the water. It's not every day you get to say you snorkel around a crater. read more

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I'm torn on this one. I love the idea of swimming with the fishes (ok bad mobster impression) in a crater, but where were they? I have come here for years and this time the crater was rather vacant. Having said that though, the trip was so much fun, the crew was amazing and we watched Humpback whales to and from the crater. That was worth the boat ride alone. Swimming in the glorious water is another positive point. Have to take into consideration that this is real nature at it's best and not a circus act, so each visit is totally different. read more

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We went snorkeling here beautiful place and then we went to another one closer to moui to snorkel with the tour.. read more

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The highlight of my trip! I took the morning sail and snorkel trip with Trilogy (I wish I could give them 100 stars). I was so excited to be able to go to Molokini, as I had seen it so many times in photos and on TV. I used to Scuba dive and that is available with Trilogy. We snorkeled. We went on the early sailing because winds can pick up later in the day. As we approached Molokini by boat we could see the green of the island. We anchored inside the protected area. Our snorkeling at Molokini was very nice, the best part was that the current was minimal due to the protection of the island. The people who scuba dove saw a shark. I loved seeing the crater as we sailed away. It's such an interesting small ecosystem. When we go back at Christmas/New Year, I will definitely be heading back to Molokini crater! read more

Molokini Crater - Boating Near Me - Maalaea, Hawaii

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Great snorkeling! Nice crew. Very careful around the cetaceans, but we still got great views. We would choose them again.

As a the Maui Revealed guidebooks mentions, it's best to come here with no preconceived notions. As much as I tried to follow that advice... yeah, it didn't happen. I was told by a colleague that this place was 'meh' and 'not worth it.' However, I couldn't understand - if that's the case, why are so many boats going out here?! We booked a boat trip with Maui Charters and went out to the crater. Umm... where are all the cool fish hiding? Over here? Nope. Over there? Nope. Not on that edge of the crater, either. The sea life here isn't as good as what we saw at Honolua Bay (for free). Yes - the fish come super close to you here at Molokini and that's pretty neat. But really, how many black and white fishies do I really need to see? There wasn't a great 'variety' of sealife - much of the same, really! I personally think that some of these fish have been handfed - they are just too nice. Well, I can confirm that they have been handfed at least once, as I saw a group of people from our boat doing it. My advice - if you have the extra dough to spend and want to go on a boat ride and eat some BBQ, then go to Molokini. If you're into snorkeling and fish... well, there's better places in Maui for that. read more

While the boat ride to the crater was great (at one point we could see five islands, FIVE!), the snorkeling experience was just okay. I understand that each tour each day is different, but for the time I went, I was pretty underwhelmed. For one thing, the water was abundantly clear, which was great. Now I'm not sure if it is because of the popularity of this spot is to blame, but the diversity of fish and wildlife was severely lacking. Although we took an early morning trip out, the captain mentioned that in about an hour, there'd be a thousand people in the area snorkeling. As for the snorkeling, literally all I saw were black triggerfish. They were nice, but it got a bit boring. Additionally, the water became really choppy, which was possibly caused by the number of large tour boats passing by the crater. There are many free beaches that you can visit that has an abundance of wildlife. For now, a trip to Molokini Crater might just be one of those places that you visit to cross off a list. read more

Since I'm on a review roll, I'm going to keep this one a bit short. You like to snorkel and are in Maui? This is a great spot for someone who has never snorkeled. Beautiful clear views and lots of fish. Lots and mean lots of fish. Can't really complain. You can't step on the actual place as it is illegal and you will be shot. (not really, but someone might escort you out in handcuffs on a boat) Cool little place. read more

Amazing snorkel spot. Highly recommend going early in the morning! Super pretty and a great underwater spot.

Literally Queen Lucia, we went snorkeling at the Molokini Crater, and Captain Courtney was Lucia's best friend. Took her out in the open water while Dada and Mami were snorkeling, and she was able to see TWO turtles!!!! the whole crew was amazing, Jamie, Captain Mikey, everyone!!!! Very attentive , helpful, and all seine amazing!!!!! The drinks and food were great !! I would definitely recommend this to everyone, not only are they non profit but they are also very knowledgeable about where you are at in the water, and marine life, and in the impact of everything in the environment .. we are saying goodbye to straws!!!! MAHALO forever for the great experience!!! read more

Molokini Crater - Boating Near Me - Maalaea, Hawaii

Everyone warned us NOT to come here. However, when we booked our snorkeling trip this was one of the stops. Honestly, there was not much to see. There were a few fish. The tour also brings you to an area with a lot of turtles. It was decent, but overall very underwhelming. read more

Eating, drinking and relaxing on a charter cruise in the morning, then scuba and snorkel in the afternoon? What a great plan that was! Seeing all the fish were cool, but the highlight for me as swimming within yards of a White Tip Reef shark. I've always been a shark lover, and to finally see on this close was something I'll never forget. They are such majestic creatures, it really is a shame they get such a bad rap. After exploring the crater, our charter put out some fishing lines for the cruise back into the harbor and one the people aboard hooked a Blue Marlin and it was awesome seeing the battle of man v. fish! (Yes, it was released after it was caught and photographed.) Just before we hit the harbor we saw a group of Sea Turtles cruising by, and I jumped in the water to swim with them. They looked to be of a decent size from the boat, but I got to see just how gigantic they are after I broke the water's surface. Such graceful swimmers! It was a once in a lifetime experience, and I can't wait to dive again! read more

This place is one of the most beautiful natural creations of the world. If you're in maui it is absolutely worth the trip to this crater. (Not to mention most of the trips will take you to a turtle town as well). The tours include open bar, breakfast and lunch. I would highly recommend doing the morning round because waking up very early is better than dying in the heat. PUT LOTS OF SUN SCREEN DURING SNORKELING BECAUSE YOUR BACK WILL BE NICE AND CRISP FROM THE SUN WHILE YOUR FRONT IS NICE AND COOL IN THE WATER. LEARN FROM MY MISTAKES. read more

Molokini Crater - Unbelievably blue waters with lost of social fish who want to get to know you better - Boating Near Me - Maalaea, Hawaii

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Once vibrant, this place is almost dead with the coral bleached and greyed from sunscreen and overuse. What a pity to recall this place teeming with life and color twenty years ago and then to see it again... read more

Through Expedia's concierge services at the Hyatt Regency, we booked the Pacific Whale Foundation's Snorkeling Tour of Molokini and Turtle Town. We booked the morning excursion, as our taxi driver told us the seas can be rough in the afternoon. We had a terrific time, the staff was so personable, helpful, friendly, accommodating and professional. They made the trip fun, insightful, informative, and we had a great day out on the ocean. read more

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We took a charter out here to go snorkeling in the morning and it was just fabulous! My kids loved it! We even saw many whales despite it not being a whale tour that we went on. We saw a few baby sharks so if that is not your thing beware but overall an amazing experience! read more

The crowning jewel of my trip to Maui this past weekend was the expedition to Molokini Crater. I have always seen this in the tourist guidebooks, but never had the inclination to take action on it, until this year. I thought this would be a meaningful expediture of my money, so my friend and I decided to book a boat trip with Maui Charters on a Sunday. The ride out there was excellent and I thought it was cool to be doing this. The price was steep, but I felt it was neccessary to just enjoy the experience. Happiness counts in this life, right? And so, the salt in the sea and the wind blowing around me was just the experience I needed to really unwind from the marathon in the morning. I subsequently stayed on the boat, while watching others swim and have a good time. I was never a swimmer and never will be. I just liked to see Molokini crater up close in personal and I did that weekend. The water was nice and clear, although there was not much fish I thought roamed through here. This was certainly well worth the money I paid for. There are mixed reviews to this place, but I thoroughly enjoyed myself. I would recommend it to anyone, including kama'aina who wants to have a good time. I'm sure that there are more budget friendly ways to go snorkeling on Maui, this place can be the alternative while having fun too. It's pretty awesome! Support local! B+ read more

Booked a tour with Pride of Maui. Snorkeling was good fun and great experience despite the rain. I'd do it again! Staff was friendly, continental breakfast yummy and so was the BBQ for lunch! Well worth the money I spent for sure! Try it! You won't be disappointed. read more

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We spent mucho money to take a boat out to Molokini with our kids to do some snorkeling. The snorkeling was very disappointing and it is pretty obvious that visitors who don't respect the ecosystem are responsible for that. We were advised by the crew that the fish we saw around the boat could get aggressive because they're accustomed to being fed by visitors. Even though we visited right away in the morning and enjoyed the warm water, it just didn't meet our expectations. We have enjoyed much better snorkeling at many public beaches in Maui and I would recommend doing some research before heading out to Molokini. read more

This is proof that guides like Frommer's or Fodor's can't be fully trusted. This place was advertised as the crown of Maui snorkeling experience. NOT SO! The operator Friendly Charters, boat called Lani Kai, that was booked through Tom Barefoot's Tours agency, loaded us on the boat and then mostly killed the time trying to make this ordeal into a 5-hour-long adventure. The wildlife presence was mediocre. Tons of boats, you will get your tiny square bumping into everyone and few maybe 3 types of fish. It gets old very quickly. On the way back the boat usually goes to so-called Turtle Town where you are lucky if you see one turtle. The biggest BS is that TurtleTown can be visited for free from the shore and most people on the boat had no idea about it. Also watch out, many operators/boats, "reserve the right" to change the course at any moment due to "unfavorable water conditions". Do ask in advance before getting on the boat whether you will actually make it to Molokini. Check the weather report as if it's windy your chances are not so great. I did ask our captain and he said that he didn't know until we were 3 miles into the ocean. OK, that's very convenient. If you have time to kill and money is not an issue then go on this tour. If you are on a budget then don't. read more

The guidebook made it sound like this place was going to be the mecca of snorkeling. A transcendental experience beyond any other you've experienced. Under water, that is. So... uh... where are the fish? I was disappointed by the lack of pescadores and other critters whole snorkeling. It was still a nice trip and I got to see whales and turtles on the ride there and back. We saw: Moorish idols, trumpetfish, butterflyfish, parrotfish, unicornfish... hold on, why is every fish named after another animal? I just realized that. weird. read more

While on Maui, we booked a trip with trilogy for some snorkeling. Molokini crater was our first stop. Going to the place was really nice. But the place itself was a little disappointment. I thought we'd see more fish. But we didn't. Water was calm, slightly cool. The coral reef looked really sad :( But I guess that's what happens when you have so many people come in, day in and day out. I don't think I would not recommend this place for snorkeling. But I thought it was pretty cool to just be "there". read more

A local told me the day before I took a cruise to Molokini that there are more people snorkeling than fish. I know and experienced what he said today. I've seen better snorkeling locations with more variety and quantity of fish in Hawaii. read more

Go here, i don't care how. Best to show up in the morning when the wind is down. Apply massive amounts of sun tan lotion because you will burn, and that would be sad. Especially if you are planning on getting Married the next day. Seriously cool fish and coral, i saw eels, fish of all kinds, sea turtles and dolphins (on the trip back), and a octopus rooting around the coral. Don't be worried about the idea of too many people there. The crater is big, and there will be room for you and your tour boat. Make sure you hit this place up if you are spending any time in maui. read more

We've been three times. Since last we came, the crater has gotten even more murky with less species to see. We won't go back, truly you can beach snorkel and see more. First timers, just do it, at least once! read more

If you never snorkeled and do not know what to expect, this would be a great start. If you did snorkel in the red sea for example, you might be somewhat disappointed. We had clear water, great crew (Trilogy), and a very fun ride to the location, so it was a fun day overall although I expected more fish based on the hype around it, we did however get to seek a tiny shark which was awesome! Great for kids as well as seniors, although I do feel it is somewhat over rated. read more