Turtle Town Maui
Kihei Maui
Snorkeling & Kayaking on Maui
Turtle Town
One of Maui’s Must-Do activities is a visit to Turtle Town at Maluaka Beach- one of the best places to view the fascinating Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles.
Turtle Town is a special place in many ways. It is comprised of a series of lava formations that, today, are home to a thriving coral reef and an abundance of colorful fish. However, its ‘celebrity residents are the gentle and curious sea turtles. If you are calm, swim slowly, and respect their space, they will often swim right up to you to investigate- a truly remarkable experience!
And while Turtle Town is accessible by land, we do not recommend doing so, mainly because you may inadvertently damage the very delicate coral reef (and hurt yourself in the process), you must endure a vigorous swim to access the area, and parking can be a headache. Plus, such an amazing opportunity is best left in the hands of local experts.
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Kayaking & Snorkeling with Maui Kayak Adventures
If you’re looking for an amazing Turtle Town Snorkel adventure, then allow us to recommend our friends at Maui Kayak Adventures. They offer a Guided Kayak Tour of Turtle Town that is sure to amaze you.
A Turtle Town Kayak and Snorkeling Tour with Maui Kayak Adventures is ideal for several reasons. First, tours are limited to 8 people, so there is a lot of opportunities to interact with your expert guide. And, fewer people mean you’ll see more turtles! Second, the larger boats tend to show up in the area a bit later, so you won’t experience large crowds. Plus, you’ll be able to explore the area in a very personal and intimate way.
Maui Kayak Adventures provides the very best Turtle Town Kayak Tour. Check out what makes them so special:
- Expert Guides: Every tour is headed by a Certified Marine Naturalist; this means that your guide will have an extensive knowledge of and appreciation for the marine environment and will help understand and interpret what you are seeing on a deeper level. Plus, every guide is an explorer and adventurer and simply loves what they do!
- World-Class Snorkeling Spots: Choose from Turtle Town, Honolua, Molokini, and Olowalu. Maui Kayak Tours also offer seasonal Whale Watching Tours (Dec-Apr).
- Closest Encounters Possible: Because you are right on the water, even when you are not snorkeling you will get as close as is safe and legal to the magnificent marine life that shares their home with you.
- Respect for the Ocean and Its Inhabitants: Maui Kayak Adventures is wholeheartedly committed to protecting Hawaii’s fragile marine environment and its inhabitants. They also strive to educate their guests about what they see, experience, and how to help Hawaii thrive for future generations.
Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles at Turtle Town
Turtle Town, as its name implies, is home to a large number of these intriguing and gentle sea creatures. Experts believe the turtles congregate at Turtle Town partly due to the abundance of algae that the turtles like to eat, as well as a special type of seagrass. Additionally, sea turtles are accustomed to returning to their birthplace; especially if the area is nutrient rich. Interestingly, Hawaiian green sea turtles are called “green” not because of their external color, but rather due to their green internal fat- thanks to a diet rich in algae.
Curious by nature, the turtles will often swim right up to you if you calmly swim or float along and give them their space- a truly wonderful experience! Weighing up to 500 pounds, the turtles tend to swim very slowly; although they can reach speeds up to 20 mph if a predator is nearby.
Because Hawaiian green sea turtles are a protected species, our recommended tour providers educate their visitors about the proper ways to interact with them so as not to stress them. This includes not chasing or touching them; which is not only discouraged but also illegal. They are sensitive creatures who are very graciously sharing their home with you. Please do your part by being a well-mannered houseguest. Your reward will be lots of quality ‘turtle time’, loads of spectacular photo opportunities, and special memories to last a lifetime.