Going overboard on the south shore

By Jeffrey Selin

April 13, 2003 12 AM PT

Special to The Times

Wailea, Maui —

Molokini Island, the captain of our catamaran said, is the best snorkel spot in Hawaii. The five-hour morning jaunt, at $75 each, took us to a half-moon-shaped crater two miles off Maui’s southwest shore that met my expectations for paradise. The lava rock reef, a marine and bird sanctuary, was home to thousands of colorful, oddly shaped fish with tongue-twisting names. Flocks of birds chattered atop the island’s promontories. Haleakala Crater rose majestically above the Maui coastline.

But we weren’t alone. My charter boat had 35 passengers. I counted nine more large catamarans and other boats in the tiny bay, all boasting similar hauls of the day’s tourist catch. Looking across a field of 350 blue and yellow snorkels poking out of the ocean like so many plastic reeds, I somehow felt cheated.

Just across the waves I could see the Makena and Wailea beaches where, about two years ago, I enjoyed far more secluded snorkeling spots, swam beside giant sea turtles, discovered octopuses and harmless reef sharks, watched moray eels and followed schools of exotics. These snorkeling spots, suggested by locals, were minutes from my hotel, and mask and fin rental cost just $8.

We returned to Maalaea Harbor around noon on the Paragon, a swift catamaran that used its sails when conditions were right. The wind gained intensity. I sipped my complimentary beer and told my girlfriend, Rachel, I liked the ride and the service. “But I came for the snorkeling,” I said. Then I regaled her with tales of underwater adventures.

“Better than Molokini?” she asked.

“Not better,” I said. “As good, without the cost, the crowds and the time constraints.”

I knew the next few mornings of our vacation would be spent exploring the Wailea and Makena coastline in search of the ultimate snorkeling experience.

Finding the hot spots

Our mission took us to Wailea Alanui Drive, where we investigated 6 1/2 miles of coastline with some of the best snorkeling Hawaii has to offer on a baker’s dozen of soft sand beaches. Nearby are six well-known beach resort hotels: the Grand Wailea, Four Seasons, Renaissance Wailea, Wailea Marriott, Fairmont Kea Lani and Maui Prince -- along with opulent shops, fine dining and five golf courses.

Wherever we found a small blue “beach access” sign and lava rocks along the shore, we discovered superior underwater kingdoms. Four spots were particularly outstanding:

* Ulua Reef: “The earlier the better,” said the concierge at the Wailea Marriott. The winds picked up around 11 a.m. each day, creating chop and poor visibility. The “Makena cloud” also appeared most days around noon, hiding the sunshine, which often affects feeding habits on the reef.

About 7 the next morning, Rachel and I walked down the concrete path -- a 1 1/2-mile beach walkway that connects the Renaissance, Wailea Marriott, Grand Wailea, Four Seasons and Fairmont Kea Lani resorts -- and made our way a few hundred yards north to Mokapu/Ulua Beach. The first beach on the strip of Wailea Alanui Drive, this was the northern terminus of our Wailea underwater adventures.

The morning temperature was in the high 70s, which made Rachel apprehensive about the water, thinking it would be too cold. But the ocean temperatures of the Hawaiian archipelago -- morning, night, winter, summer -- range from about 70 to 80 degrees. We sat in thigh-high water in the soft sand to pull the backs of the fins over our heels. On the beach to the left, Renaissance hotel guests lounged with newspapers and morning beverages.

From the moment our masks hit the water, we could see Maui’s underwater treasures: yellow trumpetfish, moorish idols, yellow tangs, needlefish, blue damselfish and dozens more. Feeding along the edges of the reef, the fish shared space with giant sea turtles, slate pencil urchins, cauliflower coral, dragon moray eels and sea cucumbers.

Ulua Reef continued into the distance and into the depths, stretching toward humpback whale breeding grounds, where snorkeling gives way to deep-sea diving. For a while we followed four scuba divers who were directly below us and watched the expedition leader extract a small octopus from the reef. We were captivated.

* Five Graves: We headed out the next day from our hotel, south on Wailea Alanui Drive past the Shops at Wailea -- a new mall with Fendi, Montblanc, Tiffany’s and the like. We saw a family of nenes, the Hawaiian state bird (a type of goose), cross the wide sidewalk, waddling into the street. Around a curve, the ocean and Kahoolawe Island came into full view. A blue sign marked the right turn onto Honoiki Street, which took us to Makena Landing, with parking, restrooms and outdoor showers. “Five Caves,” said a spear fisherman, pointing out to sea, “where those boats are moored.” We nodded in appreciation, but we had inquired about Five Graves, the original name for this popular site.

We entered the water at Makena Landing and swam out to the point to the north, following the coast. Visibility was poor in the beginning but improved as we made our way out to sea. We earned the payoff with our quarter-mile swim.

Scuba divers had the real advantage here, as the lava tube caves reach depths of 20-plus feet. But snorkelers who don’t mind diving can enjoy the caves. We swam beside a giant sea turtle and waited to discover the reef sharks that are said to live in the area. I swam toward a ladder on the Pride of Maui catamaran and asked if anyone had seen them. “Construction scared the sharks away,” hollered a deckhand on the glass-bottom charter, pointing toward land at still-unfinished multimillion-dollar homes.

* Turtle Town: Three “secret knowledge” guidebooks, two boat captains and four self-proclaimed snorkel experts didn’t agree on the precise location of Turtle Town, despite the barrage of marketing pamphlets selling charter tours to the area. Rachel and I were discussing it over dinner at Sansei, a seafood and sushi joint in Kihei, north of Wailea -- well worth the $75 for the two of us -- when a Brazilian waiter overheard us.

He drew a map on a napkin and noted our apprehension. “You’ll know it’s the real Turtle Town for two reasons,” he explained. “There’ll be charter boats anchored nearby with dozens of tourists swimming around. Also, as soon as you stick your head in the water, you’ll see dozens of turtles.”

Our napkin instructions brought us to the first right-hand turn past the Maui Prince Hotel. “Look for the road with the dead-end sign,” we were told. There was a small parking lot at the back of the Maui Prince, where a walkway led to its pool and a large white sand beach.

Our snorkel gear in tow, we ignored the small “no trespassing” signs and walked over the 16th green of the Makena South Golf Course to the shore, where a few black-necked stilts guarded the coastline. Several boats were moored not 50 yards from our grassy knoll.

Entering the water from the rocks here might be hazardous for children unfamiliar with the tides. (This, and the no-trespassing signs, will encourage some divers to enter the water from the beach at the Maui Prince Hotel and swim the short distance south to the reef.)

Nonetheless, we encountered several other divers, including a woman with four small children.

The moment we submerged we were swimming with dozens of brilliantly colored fish. Within minutes we saw the first of eight giant sea turtles, an adolescent with a shell the size of a garbage-pail lid. The large, docile creatures glided through the depths, seemingly unaware of the surrounding masked swimmers blocking the morning sunshine.

On the way back to the rental car by way of a stretch of fairway, an irate golfer recommended that we stay clear of flying balls and heed the no-trespassing signs. We turned toward a golf course employee who was just passing in a cart. “It is a wonderful snorkel spot,” she said, siding with us.

Back on the main drag, we stopped at the roadside Island Style Fish Tacos, a truck dressed like a shack covered with wood shingles. We shared a delicious mahi-mahi burrito for $4 and a fresh fruit smoothie for $5.

* Fishbowl: Beyond the turnoff for Big Beach and neighboring Little Beach (for beachcombers in the buff), Wailea Alanui Drive became a narrow dirt and gravel road canopied with white plumeria. There were numerous impressive homes, most hidden by tall concrete walls and gates, where the ocean was visible now and again down a driveway. To the east, the lower slopes of Haleakala showed dry brown with tall cactuses.

Soon the route smacked the shore and surf rolled over black lava rocks in little C-shaped coves. Signs announced Ahihi-Kinau Natural Area Reserve, a great spot for snorkeling, judging by the dozen or so cars parked in pull-off areas and the folks gathered in the water and along the roadside.

The homes gave way to a seemingly endless lava field; the road eventually came to a dead end at La Perouse Bay. We parked at a turnoff before a telephone pole marked No. 18, the fourth pole on the left side -- the directions were courtesy of the employee at Snorkel Bob’s, where we had rented gear -- and looked for the path to the ocean.

It was a 20-minute hike, stretched to 40 minutes in our flip-flops on the precarious rocks, to the aptly named “fishbowl.” The little turquoise lagoon is home to hundreds of kinds of fish. The fins of snorkelers have visibly damaged the reef here, but the fish still congregate.

Showing off orange jackets, black stripes, blue dots, elephant noses or flat faces, the fish encircled us, ranging from the length of my thigh to the size of a dime. Rachel and I held hands and followed a glistening parrotfish through the shallows. When we encountered an ornate butterflyfish, I used the last shot of our disposable underwater camera.

Our mission was complete and successful. Rachel agreed that our private snorkel excursions offered a more adventurous and intimate experience than the party boat had. We left the south shore for a quick trip to West Maui, where we had heard there were other top snorkeling locales. We visited Lahaina, Kaanapali and Kapalua. As we admired the view across the Auau Channel to Lanai and Molokai, I knew we’d return soon to explore another of Maui’s coastlines where underwater adventures awaited.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

Getting your feet wet in Maui

GETTING THERE:

From LAX, nonstop service to Kahului, Maui, is available on United, Delta, Hawaiian, American and ATA. Restricted round-trip fares begin at $653.

WHERE TO STAY:

Renaissance Wailea Beach Resort, 3550 Wailea Alanui Drive, Wailea, HI 96753; (800) 992-4532 or (808) 879-4900, fax (808) 891-7086, www.renaissancehotels.com. This 345-room resort offers sizable rooms, pool and spa, excellent restaurant, friendly staff and a well-known evening luau. Doubles start at $269 per night, with buffet breakfast for two.

Grand Wailea Resort Hotel and Spa, 3850 Wailea Alanui Drive, Wailea, HI 96753; (800) 888-6100 or (808) 875-1234, fax (808) 879-4077, www.grandwailea.com. With 780 rooms on 40 acres, this resort is one of Hawaii’s largest. Enormous pool and well-known spa. Doubles begin at $450 per night.

The Maui Prince Hotel, 5400 Makena Alanui Drive, Makena, HI 96753; (800) 321-6248 or (808) 874-1111, fax (808) 879-8763, www.mauiprincehotel.com. Resort offers a friendly experience. Its 329 rooms feature island decor; opulent Asian-style gardens surround the property. Double rooms begin at $310 per night.

WHERE TO EAT:

Sansei at the Kapalua Bay Shops, 115 Bay Drive, Suite 115, Kapalua; (808) 669-6286, fax (808) 669-0667, www.sanseihawaii.com. Superb Japanese cuisine with impressive fresh seafood options and a sensational sushi bar. Relaxed, friendly setting with outstanding service. Reservations recommended. Dinner entrees $16-$24, sushi $3-$10, sashimi $6-$17.

Margarita’s Beach Cantina, 101 N. Kihei Road, Kihei; (808) 879-5275, www.mauimargaritas.com. The mixed Mexican and seafood cuisine is only fair; the beachfront view is spectacular. Popular for $12.99 lobster specials (Tuesday and Saturday) and a huge variety of tequilas. Dinner entrees $11-$19.

Maui Tacos, 2411 S. Kihei Road, Kamaole Beach Center, Kihei; (808) 879-5005, www.mauitacos.com. Inexpensive fast-food restaurant is popular for its fish tacos and fresh spicy salsa bar. Entrees $4-$9.

TO LEARN MORE:

Hawaii Tourism Authority, 1801 Kalakaua Ave., Honolulu, HI 96815; (808) 973-2255, fax (808) 973-2253, www.hawaii.gov/tourism.

Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau, 2250 Kalakaua Ave., Suite 502, Honolulu, HI 96815; (800) GO-HAWAII (464-2924) or (808) 923-1811, fax (808) 440-7924, www.gohawaii.com.

-- Jeffrey SelinGetting your feet wet in Maui