Three Tips to Enjoy Turtle Canyon
Swimming with turtles is a bucket-list item for so many people, I never lose sight of the magic. One of my favorite daily excursions is Turtle Canyon, about a mile off-shore of Waikiki Beach. It’s my favorite because it’s one of those places that makes dreams come true.
Since I get to go to Turtle Canyon daily, I’m probably a good catamaran to ask about the journey. I thought it would be fun to give you some of the best hints and tips about Turtle Canyon and swimming with turtles.
1. What If I Can’t Swim, But I Still Want To Swim With Turtles?
You’re in luck! You can still enjoy swimming with turtles off of Waikiki’s crystal blue waters. We provide life vests for everyone on the Turtle Canyon cruise. Plus, one of the crew is always in the water on a surf board helping people find the best spots to view the turtles and if you get tired, they can help you to get back on my decks, relaxing on the nets comfortably.
So, please, don’t think you have to be a great swimmer to enjoy this adventure, we will do everything we can to make it enjoyable for you.
2. Can I Grab Hold of the Turtles?
You probably don’t need to chase the turtles at Turtle Canyon, the turtles there are used to swimming with people and they will likely swim near you. Because Hawaiian turtles, also known as Honu, are so important to the ecosystem of Hawaii’s waters and because they are culturally revered, Honu are a protected species in Hawaii. This means that in order to protect the Hawaiian turtles, everyone must keep a 6-10 foot distance and touching or feeding turtles is not allowed either.
You’ll be surprised at how close they come if you just remain still in the water and do as the Honu do, and go with the flow.
3. What Else Will I See At Turtle Canyon?
It’s true that most people jump on my deck so they can see turtles at Turtle Canyon, but it’s likely you’ll see even more than turtles at Turtle Canyon.
You’ll probably see lots of Hawaii’s colorful reef fish, sea urchins and maybe even Tako (octopus). All these animals are seen regularly at Turtle Canyon along with Hawaii’s famous green sea turtles.