Maluaka Beach Maui Snorkeling

SNORKELING at Maluaka Beach Overview

Maluaka Beach is located in south Maui just outside of Kihei in Wailea-Makena. It’s another fantastic snorkel site on the island of Maui that is accessed right from the shore. Unlike my favorite (but rocky!) snorkel spot, Ahihi Bay, Maluaka is a sandy-bottom snorkel area with a large, soft-sand beach area to enter in from. The clear waters at Maluaka Beach Maui are filled with vibrant coral, fish, sea turtles, and a huge diversity of marine life; it’s a great option to consider when looking for good shore-snorkeling in Maui.

Maluaka Beach Parking

You can access Maluaka Beach from it’s north end or south end; there are parking lots on both sides. We parked on the south end in this small lot (there is another larger lot slightly further back as well).

From the south parking lot there is a short, paved path that leads to the beach, restrooms and showers:

Facilities at Maluaka Beach MAUi

The south end of Maluaka Beach has restrooms and showers (pictured below). There are also restrooms/showers on the north end in the north parking lot.

Snorkeling at Maluaka Beach : Before you Go

Best time to Snorkel at Maluaka Beach

Snorkeling in Maui is best in the morning when the water is the most calm and clear. When we were in Maui we planned our time so that snorkeling was the first activity of the day. Because our bodies were on Colorado time (three hours ahead), arriving at the beach by 7 AM felt doable and was totally worth the calm, clear water that you get earlier in the day.

You can check snorkel conditions daily here: Boss Frog’s Daily Maui Snorkel Conditions

Getting to Maluaka Beach

Use the map below to get directions from your location to Maluaka Beach Maui. You can park on the north or south ends; both sides have public restrooms and access to the beach.

Snorkeling at Maluaka Beach

Entering the Water at Maluaka Beach

Pick an end, either the north or south, and swim out from there, following the rocks and reef. There isn’t much to see in the middle section of Maluaka Beach but both the north and south ends have lots of marine life to observe. We started from the south end because I had read that it was more interesting (and after snorkeling on both ends I mostly agree. More on that in a bit). Here’s a view from the south end looking towards the north end:

And here’s where we entered the water on the south end:

One great thing about Maluaka Beach is the soft, sandy beach which makes for an easy shore entry:

How We Explored Maluaka Beach

We started on the south end, swimming away from the shore following the rock and coral where the fish and marine life are hanging out. I loved the south end–there were a lot of coral formations and so many great fish to observe.

In my research prior to our trip, I had read that many sea turtles can be found at Maluaka Beach, and one of the best ways to find them is to follow the snorkel tour boats you see off the shore–they have likely found the turtles. After spending some time in the south end without spotting any sea turtles we noticed a boat on the other end, so we decided to swim to the north. There’s not much to see in this middle section, however:

Once we arrived at the rocks and coral formations on the north end, however, we spotted a few sea turtles:

They’re so fun to swim around with for a few minutes:

There seemed to be more coral/fish on the south end of Maluaka Beach, but we only saw sea turtles on the north end (and we found several!), so it’s hard to pick a favorite side. I’m glad we spent two hours at Maluaka Beach exploring the north and south ends; both were worth it. 🙂

Marine Life we Saw at Maluaka Beach

Snorkeling at Maluaka Beach we saw: several sea turtles, needlefish, moorish idol, threadfin butterflyfish, black triggerfish, trumpetfish, yellowfin goatfish, boxfish, lots of urchins, convict surgeonfish, and bluestripe snapper. There was a big school of medium-sized fish (black/dark in color, but not black triggerfish), that seemed to be aggressively chasing other fish out of their territory which was interesting to watch. If anyone knows what types of fish it might be, let me know (my current best guesses are blueline surgeonfish or three-spot chromis, but I’m not sure…).

Black boxfish:

The reef at Maluaka Beach was the only place we spotted any of these guys (Leopard Blenny):

Moorish Idol

Flounder

Needlefish

Look closely towards the center of the image and you’ll see a baby boxfish (to the left of the cauliflower coral), only two inches big:

Threadfin Butterflyfish:

My favorite kind of sea urchin, the red slate pencil urchin. Is it weird to have a favorite sea urchin??? 😂

Anyone know what those dark fish in the background are called? Pretty sure they were the ones chasing all the other fish around:

Maluaka Beach Shore Snorkeling : Overall Thoughts

Snorkeling at Maluaka Beach was one of my favorite activities we did on Maui. Though I just ever-so-slightly preferred snorkeling at Ahihi Bay, I’d rank Maluaka Beach as my second favorite snorkel spot on Maui. Swimming with sea turtles was a highlight, the coral was vibrant and healthy, visibility was great, and there were a good variety of fish. Maluaka Beach wasn’t crowded when we were there, which is definitely a positive. And because it has a nice sandy beach, it’s a great option if you have a variety of interests and ages in your group; those who want to snorkel will not be disappointed, while younger kids and non-snorkelers will enjoy building sandcastles or playing in the shallow water at the beach.