Maui: Turtle Town Clear Kayak & Snorkel Tour with Free Photos

4.88

(121 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

I’ll admit, I was a little skeptical about the “clear kayak” thing—like, how clear could it really be? But the first time we slid out from Makena’s shore, I looked down and saw these shifting blues and flashes of fish right under my knees. Our guide, Mike (he grew up here), laughed when I tried to guess which fish was which—turns out I’m hopeless at Hawaiian names. The air smelled salty and sharp, and there was this soft slap of water against the hull that made everything feel calm but alive.

We paddled along the coast while Mike pointed out where the reef drops off. He seemed to know exactly when to turn so we’d miss the bigger tour boats—honestly, it felt like we had Turtle Town to ourselves for a bit. When we spotted our first green sea turtle gliding below us, I forgot about my phone completely (which was good because Mike had the camera anyway). He called himself our “ocean paparazzi,” snapping photos while we just floated there grinning like idiots.

Snorkeling off the kayak was easier than I expected—the gear was clean, fit right, and Mike gave me tips on clearing my mask (I still got water up my nose once, but whatever). There were these moments underwater where everything went quiet except for my own breathing bubbles. Afterward, back on shore, Mike handed us cold water and started rattling off his favorite poke spots around Maui. I wrote them down but still forgot half of them. The sun was already getting high by then and honestly, I didn’t want to leave yet.