Snorkel· Oahu· Hawaii
Shark's Cove (Pupukea Marine Life Conservation District)
21° 39.1′ N · 158° 3.7′ W
A lava-rock cove inside the Pupukea Marine Life Conservation District with tide pools, caverns and tunnels at 15-45 ft: Oahu's best shore dive and snorkel in summer, and a churning cauldron in winter.
Practical
Position from OpenStreetMap. Shark's Cove lies in ORMA Zone C of the Shark's Cove, Three Tables and Waimea Bay ocean waters (HAR 13-256-63): no vessel may embark or disembark from the shoreline there, and commercial SCUBA and snorkel operations need permits and are allowed only April 1-October 31, not between 9 pm and 8 am. Zone B (Three Tables Point to the south side of the cove) is closed to motorized vessels; kayaks may land. MLCD rules: no taking of marine life, coral or rocks; do not stand on reef. Entry is over sharp, slippery rock: wear reef shoes; skip it if waves wash over the rocks. Restrooms, showers, lifeguard tower and street parking (fills on calm summer days); car break-ins reported, so keep valuables out of sight. Foodland Pupukea is across the road.
Best for
Summer shore dive and snorkel in caverns and lava arches
Season
May-September; dangerous in winter north swell
Nearby
- Foodland Pupukea (Waimea Bay)0.2 NM away
- Three Tables0.3 NM away
- Puu o Mahuka Heiau State Historic Site0.6 NM away
- Waimea Bay Summer Anchorage0.6 NM away
- Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational (Waimea Bay)0.7 NM away
- Winter North Swell (Oahu North Shore)0.7 NM away
- Sunset Beach and Banzai Pipeline1 NM away
- Waimea Valley1 NM away