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Dolphins and You
Waianae Boat Harbor · 35+ years operating
Ethical dolphin watching and turtle snorkel with a waterslide and hula performance. Free transport from Waikiki or Ko Olina.
Book this tourThe Waianae Coast has some of Oahu's least crowded beaches, partly because it's a 45-minute-plus drive from Waikiki and most visitors never make it out here. Three are worth knowing: Makaha Beach, a big, sandy bay known for winter surf and calmer summer swimming. Yokohama Bay (also called Keawaula), the last beach before the road ends and Kaena Point's wild coastline takes over. And Electric Beach (Kahe Point), named for the power plant next to it, oddly enough one of the better easy snorkel spots on this side of the island thanks to warm water discharge that draws fish and the occasional sea turtle.
Ethical dolphin watching and turtle snorkel with a waterslide and hula performance. Free transport from Waikiki or Ko Olina.
Book this tourSemi-private (max 6–8), led by marine biologists. Dolphins, turtle snorkel, whales in season. Nat Geo & Condé Nast recommended.
Book this tourA wide, sandy bay that's genuinely calm in summer and a serious winter surf break, the kind locals actually surf, not visitors. Summer swimming and bodyboarding are good here, winter is for watching, not swimming, unless you're experienced.
The most remote of the three, at the very end of Farrington Highway where the pavement stops. There aren't lifeguard facilities like the more developed beaches, so conditions matter more here, check surf reports before swimming. It's also the trailhead for Kaena Point, Oahu's wildest coastal hike.
Named for the power plant next door, whose warm water discharge draws fish and turtles close to shore, making it one of the more reliable easy snorkel spots on this coast without needing a boat.
Makaha in summer. Winter surf makes it more of a watching beach than a swimming one.
Yes, it's a shore-entry snorkel spot with generally calm conditions, one of the easier ones on this coast.
It's more remote with fewer facilities than Makaha or Electric Beach. Check current surf and conditions before swimming, especially in winter.
Yes, they're along Farrington Highway on the west side, not reachable by the standard tourist shuttle routes.
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