A historically significant location for Native Hawaiians paddlers, and a favorite fishing location for some Hawaiian Royalty, Hanauma Bay was designated the state’s first Marine Life Conservation District in 1967. Today the land portion of the preserve is maintained by the City and County of Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation, while the ocean is overseen by the State of Hawai‘i Department of Land and Natural Resources.

HBAY’s popularity grew in the 1970’s and 1980’s when visitor attendance peaked at an estimated 10,000 people a day. A management plan implemented in 1990 helped to mitigate this human impact by: reducing visitation, improving facilities, establishing an education program, and banning the feeding of fish. In 2019, average daily attendance was almost 3,000 people, with nearly 845,000 tourists and residents visiting the nature preserve that year. The approximately eight-month COVID-19 closure in 2020 gave HBAY’s natural resources a chance to rejuvenate, while providing the City a chance to further enhance its management techniques. Today, average daily attendance is roughly half of the pre-pandemic amount, as the City continues to work towards balancing the recreational and cultural needs of the community with the education and preservation mandates of this natural treasure.

The description above was copied from or heavily based on information on the City and County of Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation website.

More Information

• Official Website
• Safe to Swim Hawaii - Hanauma Bay water quality status and safety guide.
• Hanauma Bay Dive Tours - Scuba and Snorkel Tours
• City and County of Honolulu - Book Admission to Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve (HBAY)
• Wikipedia
• Google Maps