Black Rock: a rocky prominance in Ka'anapali that many say this has the best snorkeling on Maui. The fish & the eels here are used to being fed by the tourists as it is right at the doorstep of several West Maui resorts. However at the time of our visit (November) the surf was generally rough in West Maui and thus we had better snorkeling elsewhere. That being said we did find both the turtle at the top of this page and this morey eel.
Turtle Town: AKA anywhere in South Maui. While snorkeling in South Maui we never failed to see at least one turtle every single time we went into the water. One early morning swim at Charlie Young Beach yielded no less than seven of these gentle creatures in the first 15 minutes! The beaches between Wailea and Makena seem to have the biggest reputation for turtles as that's where the tour boats anchor. However access to this area is just as easy from Po'olenalena & Maluka Beaches. Is it just a coincidence that these two beaches just happen to be the clostest ones to the Molokini Crater?
Molokini: A sunken crater just off the coast of South Maui and the only way to get there is by taking a tour boat. Is it worth it? Well don't go because of the quanity of fish or turtles as you will find more elsewhere, go just to see the water. The clarity of the water is famous but it's the 'colour' of it that's striking. We took the Four Winds II and had an absolute blast, Caption John was genuinely humourous, a marvel in itself considering how many times he must have delivered the same jokes. As an added bonus there was a glass panel at the bottom of the boat which allowed us to capture this Black Triggerfish with our digital SLR camera. The boat rents their own digital cameras, wet suits and just about everything else, they warn you that the water in the crater is colder than what you find on shore however it was never an issue for us - perhaps the open bar helped with that :^) 
Ahihi-Kina'u Natural Area Reserve: This is the prime snorkeling destination on the island. The area is the remnant of a 'recent' lava flow and is entirely rock - no sand and no soil means the clearest water this side of Molokini. Getting there however is another story as the powers that be want to preserve this area and that means restricting nearby parking and obscuring 'trailheads'. In the middle of this mess of sharp nasty lava is a shallow little cove called the Fishbowl.
Lined butterfly fish and a yellow tang enjoy the crystal clear waters of the fishbowl.
Jailbreak! - Convict tang in a frenzy!
Teardrop butterfly fish and a yellow tang frolic in the shallows
Some bigger fish like it here too like this colourful parrot fish and a monstrous Bluefin Trevally
La Perouse Bay: Located at the southern end of the Ahihi-Kina'u Natural Area the north side of this bay features a number of coves great for snorkeling. Even if you don't plan on going in the water it's well worth the hike down here as the place is spectacular.
The grand daddy of the coves is called the Aquarium, it's the farthest one in from the road.
Top Left-Right: Goldring & Orange Spined Surgeonfish. Below: Achilles Tang.
Another island, another set of wonderful snorkeling experiences (see Kauai & the Big Island too).
