Meet turtles in Hawaii – island tour with snorkeling

Aliʻi Beach consists of a main western section and a small eastern section that is wedged inside the Haleʻiwa Harbor breakwater. The beaches receive generally small waves, but there are several larger surf breaks located offshore. The small, eastern section of beach is protected by the harbor breakwater, making it a better location for inexperienced swimmers. There is a lifeguard tower as well as parking and bathroom facilities.

In 1899, a young Massachusetts native named James Dole used his savings and moved to Honolulu. He eventually purchased a 64-acre homestead in Oahu’s central plains and experimented with several crops, finally choosing to grow pineapple. The business grew rapidly as Dole launched ad campaigns in magazines (the first consumer ad campaign in the US), invested in modern machinery to process the crops, and obtained significant financial backing in order to purchase more land to farm. He also began to ship the pineapples great distances, thanks to the budding trans-Atlantic aviation industry. By 1950, a small fruit stand was erected so that everyone could savor the plantation’s tasty fruit. Then, in 1989, a plantation-style home was built to serve as a living museum to James Dole’s work and to welcome pineapple lovers from around the globe. Today, the Dole Plantation is one of Hawaii’s top attractions.

The quaint little town of Haleiwa Hawaii lies smack in the middle of world-famous North Shore Oahu. So basically, Haleiwa is a surf town. Many restaurants, surf shops, art galleries, and souvenir shops all have beach related themes and cater to a steady stream of beach-goers. With numerous restaurants and a few bars, Haleiwa is a great place to find refreshment after an exhausting day at one of the incredible North Shore Beaches. Then after you eat, stroll around and do some window shopping.

Honolulu, capital and principal port of Hawaii, U.S., seat of Honolulu county. A modern city, it extends about 10 miles (16 km) along the southeastern shore of Oahu Island and 4 miles (6 km) inland across a plain into the foothills of the Koolau Range. It is the crossroads of trans-Pacific shipping and air routes, the focus of interisland services, and the commercial and industrial centre of the state. It is administered as a single entity and has about 80 percent of the state’s population. The port serves numerous manufacturing plants in the city-county, including pineapple canneries, sugar refineries, clothing factories, and steel, aluminum, oil, cement, and dairying enterprises. The international airport is one of the busiest in the United States, with nearby Waikiki—which has a beach lined with luxury hotels and contains an aquarium, zoo, and the lively International Market Place for Pacific basin crafts—as the primary destination of tourists.

Major professional surfing contests are held here. Ehukai Beach is the site of one of the world’s most famous surfing waves, the Banzai Pipeline. The beach is wide and sandy, particularly during the summer months when lots of sand is deposited onshore. Summer is also when the water is generally calmer so it may be safe to swim. Ehukai Beach Park has about one acre of grass as well as a parking lot. Ehukai means “Sea spray.” Pipeline is great for sunbathing, watching surfers when big waves are breaking and swimming when the waves are not too large. When the winter swells arrive it is best to stay on the beach and watch the world-class surfers ride the renown Banzai Pipeline wave at the southern end of the beach park.

Located on Oahu's North Shore next to Haleiwa Beach Park, Pua'ena Point is mainly known among the local surf crowd for being a good surf spot. The beach is a nice place for a picnic (there is some shade), and on the weekends local families come here with their children. The nearshore ocean bottom is a mixture of rocks and small sand patches. If you walk further along the shoreline (about three minutes), you'll reach Pua'ena Point (a rocky outcropping). Around the corner is Police Beach, where episodes of the popular TV series LOST were filmed.

Sharks Cove is one of Oahu’s best snorkeling and dive beaches so the shore can get a little crowded on occasion. Because Sharks Cove is located between the famed big wave surf spots of Waimea Bay and the Banzai Pipeline, you’ll have to make sure there are no large swells that day. October through April is considered Hawaii’s surf season, with waves peaking between December and February, so the summer months are the best time to snorkel Sharks Cove. The inside of the bay is about 8 to 15 feet deep, progressively getting deeper as you head out.

Known as one of the most famous big wave surf sites in the world, Waimea Beach is rarely short of locals, big-time surfers, and any other daredevil who wants to try out waves up to 40 feet high during the winter months. The famous winter waves that can be found on other North Shore beaches such as Sunset Beach and Banzai Pipeline tend to top out here on the right side of the bay.