Slippery eagle ray slithered over my head, stroking my hair with her satiny wings. I held forth a clam. She sucked it right out of my hand. Glancing over at a hovering tiger shark, I glimpsed butterfly fish flitting around coral. We all ignored the humans gathered on the other side of the glass.

Like the creatures swirling around me, I was on exhibit at the Maui Ocean Center. Three mornings each week, certified Scuba divers are allowed to glide past coral gardens in the center’s 750,000-gallon saltwater aquarium. The opportunity to swim with more than 2,000 fishes, sharks and other denizens of the sea was one I couldn’t resist.

Hawaii offers countless water adventures for every type of explorer — whatever your skill and comfort level. Each of the islands has distinct attractions — from the black sand beaches of the Big Island to the cascading waterfalls of Kauai. Here are some of them.

Kayaking

Sea caves, grottos, secluded coves and rushing waterfalls reward paddlers who sometimes struggle with rough surf along Kauai’s wild Na Pali Coast. Easier open-water kayaking is available from Kailua Beach on Oahu to the small Mokulua Islands bird sanctuary, and along Maui’s shores, where kayakers often mingle with sea turtles. Even calmer is the kayak trip along Kauai’s Wailua River (one of Hawaii’s few navigable rivers) to a waterfall tucked amid ferns and flowers. For a pure Hawaiian experience, there’s Molokai, where kayakers paddle through dense jungle on the shoreline at Palaau to explore ancient stone fishponds buried in mangroves.

Snorkeling

The fish are so tame at Oahu’s Hanauma Bay that they nibble at snorkelers’ fingers and toes. One of the world’s finest marine parks, Hanauma is a natural aquarium in the remains of a volcano crater, enclosed by a long reef about 100 feet offshore. Aquamarine parrotfish, yellow and blue tangs, comical puffer fish and regal angelfish swarm about snorkelers, while green turtles, moray eels and eagle rays tempt divers into deeper waters.

Beginners are comfortable here and within the exposed rim of a submerged volcano at Molokini, off Maui. Tour guides also take neophytes to Kauai’s south shore near Poipu to hang out above a 10-foot deep reef, teeming with wrasses, puffers and tangs.

Diving

Divers accustomed to swimming deep beneath the sea’s surface find lobster, octopus and eels in abundance among the volcanic formations off Lanai. At the Cathedrals, divers swim through lava tubes 60 to 100 feet high to spot squirrel fish, trumpet fish and the occasional white-tipped shark. Rare tropical fish hang around shark fin rock, while spinner dolphins play close to shore.

The channel between Maui and Molokai is one of Hawaii’s most pristine dive sites, favored by manta rays, sharks, whales and whale sharks. Divers often report hearing whales singing underwater here and sometimes spot friendly humpbacks as the whales approach from the deep.

Whale watching

Waterspouts flash in the air. The whomp of tails hitting the water echoes across the ocean. A huge creature goes airborne, breaching the water. Humpback whales migrate from the Arctic Ocean to Hawaii from December to April to both conceive and give birth to their calves; whale watchers quickly follow.

The whales congregate in calm waters off all the islands, although whale watching is best from the Big Island, Maui, Lanai and Molokai. Residents and visitors head out to sea with diving equipment or snorkels or aboard kayaks or other boats to get near the humpbacks and listen for their baleful song.

The whales are often heard singing as they approach boats and divers. The eerie sound reverberates in the water and air. Whale-watching tours abound and can be arranged through hotels and tour desks on all islands.

Windsurfing

An experienced windsurfer soars high above the waves. Ron Dahlquist/HVCB

Red, yellow and white sails fly above the surf as windsurfers tackle 10-foot swells off Maui’s Hookipa Beach. On clear days the ocean is alive with myriad colored sails and tanned bodies soaring high over the lips of the waves.

Windsurfers pack the offbeat north Maui community of Paia during the world-class summer winds, and traffic literally stops on the Hana Highway as drivers witness the scene. Newbies are better off in the calmer waters off Kihei (also on Maui). Windsurfers also dance on the waves off Oahu’s Diamond Head and Anini Beach on Kauai.

Fishing

Marlin glisten and gleam as they leap from the waters off the Big Island’s Kona Coast, one of the world’s top sport-fishing destinations. Pacific blue marlin weighing up to 1,000 pounds lure competitive anglers for big-money tournaments. Anyone fishing off Kona hopes to set a record catch.

Sport fishing is good off all the islands, however. The typical catch of the day might be a blue-gold dolphin fish (mahi-mahi), bullet-shaped yellowfin tuna (ahi) or sleek wahoo (ono).

Sailing

Entire fleets of catamarans and yachts set out to sea for snorkeling, diving and whale-watching and sightseeing tours from all the islands. At times, the water can seem as populated as land, but that doesn’t deter dolphins from performing in the boats’ wake or whales from breaching nearby.

A daytime catamaran cruise from Maui to Lanai includes just about everything a guest could want, from home-style cinnamon buns and Hawaiian coffee in the morning to leisure time at Lanai’s Hulopoe Beach. Snorkeling, a barbecue lunch and a tour of Lanai’s small town are followed by an afternoon sail back to Maui, where one can recuperate with a mai tai, while watching yet another fleet sail out toward the sunset.

Canoeing

Hawaiians have long raced outrigger canoes, paddling for miles in the open sea. Experts say about 10,000 island residents are active paddlers; most consider outrigger racing the national sport of Hawaii. Highly organized canoe clubs compete every September in races off Molokai, Oahu, the Big Island and Kauai. Racing days are like national holidays, with canoes draped with orchid and plumeria leis streaking through the sea as fans cheer from the shore.

Visitors can test their paddling skills on double-hull sailing canoes off the Big Island or hire someone to teach them how to paddle an outrigger through gentle surf.

Maribeth Mellin is a freelance writer based in San Diego.

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