Maluaka Beach (aka Turtle Town)

Maluaka Beach (aka Turtle Town)

Wailea, Maui, Hawaii
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Difficulty
beginner
Viz (last reported 28706h ago)
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Unknown

Snorkeling and Scuba Diving at Maluaka Beach (aka Turtle Town)

At the south end of the beach, there is excellent snorkeling, and good diving a bit further out. At the north end of the beach there is decent snorkeling, but it is a bit shallow for diving. As with most beach in the islands, if the surf is crashing, stay out of the water. Rip tides and strong currents pose a genuine threat. There is no full time lifeguard. Parking is just past the Maui Prince Hotel. Do not leave any valuables in your car or unattended on the beach. There is a second parking lot near the Keawala'i Church but it is kind of isolated. The showers and restrooms are at the parking lot across the street from the church.
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Emily Arnold
Emily Arnold
Jul 21, 2021, 11:31 PM
snorkel
We went to this beach several times during our stay on Maui. The beach was not crowded when we went in the afternoon. The water was fun to swim in and my kids didn’t want to leave. Several turtles swam by while there. My daughter was able to snorkel next to the turtle the whole length of the beach for 15 minutes. She said it was an amazing experience and the turtle came up for air twice while she was swimming with it. She knew the rules and did not touch the turtle and kept a good distance calmly following slowly along with it. Snorkeling is not the best here but kids love putting on their snorkeling equipment and swimming around. Beautiful location!!
Barbara Moreno
Barbara Moreno
Jul 21, 2021, 11:30 PM
snorkel
Gorgeous, pleasantly uncrowded beach with lovely sandy entry points for families. Even with the surf- you can snorkel out past the rocks (bring a noodle!) where all the 'turtle arches' boats anchor and find turtles. (We only saw one snorkeling on our own, one with an excursion to the same spot..) There are usually a few others snorkeling who will share their turtle sightings! A few fish, but nothing significant.
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