You may be thinking “When is the best time to snorkel at Molokini Crater?” or “What’s the difference between a morning vs afternoon snorkel in Maui?” Here at Maui Snorkeling, we have two options for snorkel tours. This short blog will help you decide what’s right for you.
Morning vs Afternoon Snorkel in Maui
1. 5-Hour Morning Tour: 7 am-12 pm. This tour begins with breakfast and coffee at sunrise. Then a two-location snorkeling adventure with a 25-foot inflatable waterslide included, weather dependent, followed by a delicious deli-style plate lunch. Molokini is one of the best snorkel sites in Hawaii, it boasts nearly perfect underwater visibility.
While Molokini is our number one choice for a snorkel site for both morning and afternoon tours, the morning trip has a higher percentage chance of calm winds for safe snorkeling in Molokini. The morning tour is two hours longer which allows the captain time to find you a second location along the shore where we can encounter the graceful Hawaiian Green sea turtle. The second snorkeling location is often time Turtle Town Maui; however, the morning tours are more popular for those seeking the Molokini destination.
Snorkel Molokini
Come explore with us at Molokini! Enjoy a thrilling ride down the slide, and discover the colorful tropical fish and vibrant coral reefs while snorkeling!
2. 3-Hour Afternoon Tour 1 pm-4 pm. The advantages of this tour are many: the check-in time is a reasonable 12:30 pm, and we also serve our homemade sandwiches and pasta salad. Coral Gardens is our first choice for snorkel location, and when we go in the afternoon we usually have the place all to ourselves for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. On rare occasions, we will go to Molokini Crater, but will not deploy the 25-ft inflatable waterslide. Visiting Molokini is dependent on the weather.
If it’s too windy, for comfortable passage to Molokini, our alternate sites are much closer, offering an extra hour of snorkeling and sliding time. These alternate sites also offer the chance to see the graceful sea turtle, not often found in Molokini. To summarize, the afternoon tour has a slightly lower percentage of going to Molokini, but it has FAR fewer crowds.
Maui Afternoon Tour
Hop aboard our afternoon tour and take a thrilling plunge down our 25-foot slide! Experience snorkeling alongside the elegant Hawaiian green sea turtles!
When is the Best Time to Snorkel at Molokini Crater?
If you will be disappointed by not making it to Molokini, we suggest the morning tour. If you want to roll the dice for a smaller group and you’re happy with more snorkel time at Coral Gardens as an alternative, the afternoon trip is perfect.
