Hanauma Bay Nature Park, Koko Crater and a Glorified Taxi Tour

Protecting marine life is fundamental at Hanauma Bay. In 1967, the arched bay was designated a protected area of marine life conservation, including having status as an underwater park. The cost for the entrance fee is $7.50 per person and you are required to watch a short six minute educational film before entering the waters. The cove is highly preserved and if you have never scuba dived or snorkeled, your in for a delightful surprise as teeming under the ocean waters is a variety of marine life and a massive coral reef. The picturesque beauty of this place made us be in awe of reality knowing how it was formed. The vast ocean floor of Hanauma Bay Nature Park is the crater of an ancient volcano, which flooded when the sea inundated the exterior wall that gave out and a rush of ocean flowed inward. As I positioned myself  in the sand and  geared up to go snorkeling, I contemplated the view of the surrounding area and marvelled in the stunning beauty. Within minutes of immersing myself in the sea, I was gazing at some of the brilliant fish that inhabit the waters. An array of spectacular colors was within my view as Moorish Idol swam by, a Parrot Cichlid lingered near and Sea Cucumbers blended with the sand. We spent several hours, until it was time to go. My boyfriend had decided to walk across the busy road and hike Koko Crater  which is a peak created from the last active volcano, which happened on the island of O'ahu approximately 10,000 years ago. The crater measures 1,207 feet in height. Being an avid hiker, my boyfriend thought he was prepared. However, he was no match for the Hawaiian scorching sun and although he managed the steep, upward trek, he came back a vibrant reddish pink on both his face and neck. While the day was filled with adventure, the so called Hanauma Bay Snorkeling Tour was an awful experience- start to finish. What everyone needs to do is completely check out your 'tour' before you book it. When our small van arrived and I had loads of gear, a backpack and towels, our not so friendly driver refused to put out any step stool that is needed to hoist yourself into the vehicle. This made it difficult to get into the van. We were more appalled when an older lady who had a stroke and her daughter, who had disabilities, were not granted the means of assistance into the transportation. There was NO tour, neither was there history given of Hanauma Bay. We were told by the driver as we passed a mansion on the hill that the home belonged to the Canadian actor Keanu Reeves. For me personally, I could not have slept that night, without knowing such enlightening information. We stopped to pick up a very disorganized group of people, who were running late. One of them climbed on board, only to find out they had misplaced their vouchers. The driver had to ask him to leave. As we finally embarked, a few minutes later, a call came in asking the driver if the man had left his fancy cell phone on board. My boyfriend looked in the back and found both the phone and a room key to The Hyatt. After speaking to the person on the phone, the driver hung-up and started to comment on how nice the phone was and that he would like to have it. We found this driver very unprofessional and were even more upset to realize that it was not a tour at all, but a glorified taxi driver. This taxi driver charged us $36.00 for nothing more than a ride to Hanauma Bay. In fact, you can take the transit bus for two people, return cost is $10.00. They were suppose to provide all the gear ( we had thankfully brought our own), but the young girl was only offered a mask and a snorkel; no fins for her. My boyfriend gave up his own flippers for her to be able to enjoy herself. We talked amongst ourselves and I mentioned they needed to ask the driver to get the step out for them, when they were picked up to go back. The mother and daughter were upset at the driver's lack of concern for either of them. Later, when my boyfriend decided to hike Koko Crater, he left and I got back into van shuttle, with others. The same driver spoke rudely of my partner's decision to hike; asking why all Canadians come to Hawaii and the only thing we want to do is climb mountains? I never spoke another word to the driver and would never recommend this rip off company! That said, we have been most fortunate to have had most our holiday complimented by decent guides and drivers. For us the highlight of the day was the amazing snorkeling experience at Hanauma Bay; one in which we took away the discovery of what lies beneath the churning ocean waters.