Pawai Bay State Fisheries Management Area is where we've brought visitors for over 30 years. The Fisheries Management Area means two activities are illegal - tropical fish collecting for export and fish feeding by humans. Both of these activities upset the natural balance on the reef, hence they are banned. The bay is inaccessible by car and is within the Queen Liliuokalani Trust lands at Kaiwi Point. It is close enough though, to Kailua and Honokohau Marina so that we are able to actually sail back from the bay to the harbor for about 1 ½ hours and still give our guests about 1 ½ hours of snorkeling time, all on a 3 ½ hour tour.
Pawai Bay has an excellent variety of tropical reef fish and dramatic terrain, with ledges, caves, shallow shelves and steep drop-offs; and all coral encrusted lava formations. Frequent visitors to the bay are manta rays (up to 10 feet across!), spotted eagle rays, and green sea turtles. Depths vary from 3-4 feet on the shallow ledges to blue water where the bottom disappears at 100 feet. Average is about 18 feet.
We specialize in non-swimmers and first time snorkelers, because we think everybody should get in the water and experience Kona's spectacular underwater beauty. We have excellent flotation devices, a wide assortment of quality silicone masks and snorkels (including prescription lens masks for the near sighted), rubber fins from size 0 to 14. Our first mate will give you a 7-10 minute instruction/demonstration on the use of the gear and do's and don'ts at Pawai Bay.
Sea life abounds on the Kona Coast! Watch for our year-round residents, the Hawaiian spinner dolphins. They usually will come over to say "Aloha" and surf along under our bows, occasionally leaping and twisting in the air (hence their name!).
We see the awesome Humpback whales almost every day from January to mid March. We pass by Kaiwi Point to and from our snorkel site at Pawai Bay and the point is a major thoroughfare for the Humpbacks.
The Hawaiian green sea turtle is a regular visitor at Pawai Bay and a resident outside Honokohau Marina. They have made a huge comeback in Hawaii thanks to State and Federal conservation efforts over a 20 year period.
The winds on the Kona Coast are generally in the 10-15 kt. range and are thermally generated with the heating of the land. We are protected from the strong "trade winds" that prevail over most areas of the state. Very little "white knuckle" sailing here! The "Kamanu" is Kona's only daily sailing vessel, a custom 36' catamaran built for speed and comfort. She's 22 feet wide, making for a large stable platform with an expansive "trampoline" or webbing net up forward for lying on.
Soak in the sun and watch the ocean flow by you as you gaze through the net into the deep blue. Relax in the shaded open air cabin area and "talk story" with the captain and first mate.
The peace and serenity of real sailing is one of the reasons you're coming to Hawaii, right? Kick back, stretch out, and enjoy the calm protected waters that we sail over. If you have a large family or are coming over with a group, call for a private charter - we are very affordable!
After snorkeling we serve a tropical lunch of assorted deli sandwiches, a fresh fruit platter, beer, wine, juices and sodas, all inclusive. This will leave you satisfied, and ready to enjoy a leisurely sail back to the harbor. We have a steady stream of repeat guests on the Kamanu who love the quiet, unhurried pace of our tour, the relaxed, genial crew, the great variety of fish and terrain at Pawai Bay and the lack of crowds. We hope you will join them!
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P.O. Box 2021, Kailua-Kona, HI 96745 E-mail: info@kamanu.com fax: (808) 329-8424 phone: (808) 329-2021 Toll Free: 800 348-3091 |
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