Mala Ramp

Of course Maui has some awesome snorkeling! There is Black Rock… Kapalua Bay, Honolua Bay, Mile Marker 14… and SO many others. If you go on a ten day vacation and snorkel every single day, you won’t be able to do them all!!! But the hidden gem, the place that you won’t run into anyone else is Mala Ramp.
The Ramp itself is a condemed, falling down pier that was used forever ago for rail cars to take sugar to boats. Half of it still stands and the other half is at the bottom of the sea! The rails are rusty, twisted antiques lying like so many snakes looking up at you. When you snorkel there you have the same sensation that you get when you are snorkeling at a ship wreck. I won’t lie. sometimes you will feel a little nervous, I don’t know if it concern that a piece of concrete might fall on top of you or if you feeling like the surging surf will push you into the coral growing on the concrete pilings… But it is SO worth it! There are schools of Trumpetfish (looked it up – one word!) Sometimes by the hundreds, lying in shadows under the pier. And an abundance of all the fish you would normally see in Hawaii, but in such volume it feels more like you are swimming in a aquarium! Everyone wants to know… are there turkles? Yes, there are Turkles!!! I hear that there are rays too, haven’t seen one yet, but perhaps in a night dive… Oh, a night dive in Mala Ramp, sounds scary!
Some of the other great things about Mala Ramp; it is in Lahaina, easy to find, there is even a sign on the highway! it is just up from Baby Beach, a stone’s throw from Aloha Mixed Plate. Parking is FREE!!! and there is plenty of it! There are restrooms (a little smelly but still appreciated). There is a shower which always seems to have a line, and there always seems to be a parent washing a naked toddler (oh, maybe I shouldn’t have pointed that out). Oh and did I mention that the beach is gorgeous? Well it is! And there is about ½ mile of great sand if you want to go on a walk.
The cons; getting in and out isn’t the easiest. You can either walk to the end of the stone breakwater which is a little slippery, and risk getting a little scraped on the rocks with the tidal surge or you can get in from the beach and carefully snorkel out a couple of hundred feet in 10 inches of water. I have done both, neither is too difficult if you have even a little bit of experience. Don’t leave valuables on the beach! Not everyone at this beach is the most savory of character (hint, hint) Maybe you can score some pot though.
So there it is! Don’t have any idea why I am the first to review it! Oh, oh… I hope that it doesn’t suddenly become popular!