Home / Animals / Sea Turtle / Hawaii

Oahu, Maui & the Big Island

Where to see sea turtles in Hawaii

Hawaiian green sea turtles are seen almost daily at Laniakea Beach on Oahu's North Shore, Kahalu'u Beach Park on the Big Island and Black Rock at Ka'anapali on Maui — all reachable from shore. Boat trips to Turtle Canyon off Waikiki and Turtle Town near Molokini add near-certain snorkel encounters further out.

Best time: Year-round — and Hawaii is the one place they bask on land daily

High confidence verified 2026-07-16

Well documented, and reliably seen in season.

A green sea turtle swimming over Hawaiian reef, mirrored in the underside of the water surface above it.
Sea Turtle, photographed in Hawaii. Photo by Brocken Inaglory · CC BY-SA 4.0

When to go

Year-round — and Hawaii is the one place they bask on land daily

Green turtles are around the main islands year-round, and Hawaii is the only place in the world where they bask out of the water near-daily — which is exactly what makes beaches like Laniakea and Kahalu'u so reliable. Nesting is a separate matter and happens somewhere else entirely: roughly 96% of the Hawaiian green turtle population nests at French Frigate Shoals in the remote Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, hundreds of kilometres northwest, from about late April through October.

Best dive sites for sea turtles in Hawaii

How to see them

Shore snorkelling at Laniakea, Kahalu'u or Black Rock needs no boat and gives casual visitors the best odds; boat trips to Turtle Canyon or Turtle Town reach turtles resting in deeper, clearer water. NOAA Fisheries and Hawaii's DLNR both ask people to stay at least 3 meters (10 feet) away, in the water and on land — give a turtle basking on the sand considerably more space than that, and stay outside the volunteer ropes. Never touch, chase, feed, ride or block a turtle's path to the surface: they breathe air and need to get up freely.

What an encounter is like

At these sites, seeing at least one honu is close to a sure thing — especially at Kahalu'u and Laniakea, where the same resident turtles return daily to feed or bask. Turtles generally ignore snorkellers who keep their distance, often carrying on feeding or resting in full view for many minutes, which makes for unhurried watching rather than a fleeting glimpse. Crowding is the real problem here: at Laniakea, volunteers actively manage visitor behaviour because so many people try to get closer than the law allows.

Frequently asked questions

How close can I get to a sea turtle in Hawaii, and can I touch one?
No touching. NOAA Fisheries and Hawaii DLNR both set a minimum viewing distance of 3 meters (10 feet), on land and in the water, and turtles resting on the beach deserve more. Touching, chasing, feeding or riding a honu is illegal under the federal Endangered Species Act and state law — NOAA documented a visitor paying a $1,500 settlement after pursuing a turtle while snorkelling on Kaua'i.
Where is the best place to see sea turtles in Hawaii?
Kahalu'u Beach Park on the Big Island and Laniakea Beach on Oahu's North Shore are the two most reliable shore spots, since resident turtles return there nearly every day. Black Rock at Ka'anapali is the Maui equivalent.
Do I need a boat tour, or can I snorkel from the beach?
No boat needed — Laniakea, Kahalu'u and Black Rock are all walk-in from shore. Boat trips to Turtle Canyon off Waikiki or Turtle Town near Molokini simply add access to turtles resting in deeper offshore water.
Are Hawaiian sea turtles endangered, and what are the tumours some of them have?
Green turtles are listed as threatened and hawksbills as endangered under the US Endangered Species Act. A notable share of Hawaii's green turtles carry fibropapillomatosis, a tumour-forming disease linked to a herpesvirus, with documented prevalence of roughly 20–40% depending on location. Tumours can be mild or, in bad cases, debilitating.

Sources