Shark’s Cove

Cool little cove but a bit overrated. Fish in the cove were about as I saw on my trip but it was difficult to maneuver around the coral and rocks. Not much beach/​sand area aside from the grassy area. An ok spot but definitely not particularly memorable by Oahu standards.

Sharks Cove is a 3 star snorkel.
Pros: This North Shore Cove had tons of fish tangs, damsels, parrot fish, cornet fish and many more in it today. I saw two turtles and there were some small coral heads to investigate. The cracks and crevices in the rocks are awesome to check out. There’s a shower near the tide pool area.
Cons: the rocks here are sharp and entry into the water can be difficult. Wear fins and water shoes to make it a more enjoyable adventure. The beach surrounding Sharks Cove was pretty dirty and rubbish filled. Wear your snorkel and mask. There are many rocks that are just barely under the waters surface and a maybe could easily bump you into them if you’re not paying attention. This place hit crowded by 11am and it became hard to navigate other swimmers.
I would definitely take family here when they come to visit. The cove contains many cool creatures and will be great for my mainland visitors who aren’t super comfortable snorkeling in the open ocean.

We had such a good time here, beautiful fish and lots of them! Even swam with a turtle. Such a cool experience. Getting in was a challenge, waves coming in make it a little hard because of how much coral there is. Be very careful not to touch it! My husband sliced his hand on it trying to get in, plus you don’t want to be killing any of it! Favorite place for snorkeling on the island so far.

There are two separate areas here. When we went — one was in a little kind of pool area that was much calmer, whereas the other was more open to the ocean. The day we went, the side more open to the ocean was terrifying with a major rip. I wouldn’t call this place family friendly. I’m an «okay» adult swimmer and this place terrified me snorkeling there. My fiancé is a great swimmer and he still had a hard time. You also have to step on coral and rocks to get out. It is VERY difficult.

Just drove past and thought we would stop here spontaneously, definitely was worth it! Snorkeling was really cool just make sure you have fins or rock shoes (you can buy or rent them both at the shop across from the beach) for 24 hours at $ 15 its not bad at all and was worth the experience, also there are food trucks and shrimp if you get hungry you have a bit of variety

Amazing! Saw lots of different fish and a sea turtle. Solo fish and schools of fish, at arms length! Going back again today. The rocks and urchins are sharp so start floating/​swimming as soon as possible and be careful where you put your feet and hands and avoid letting the waves push you against the rocks. I wore fins. Got a small hand cut and some mild leg scrapes, cleaned with peroxide, nothing major and the snorkeling was well worth it. The food trucks across the street are delicious.

i much prefer to snorkel at shark’s cove instead of hanauma bay.
the actual cove is pretty small, so it could get pretty crowded during high season. but you WILL witness plenty of fish, even in shallower water.
visited recently on a pretty windy day and the waves outside of the cove is wayy too dangerous to swim out to, but the area inside the cove remained really calm.
i’ve visited during summer and when the waves are much calmer it’s recommended to swim out to the sea because i was able to see some sea turtles out in deeper water. i would NOT recommend going outside of the cove if you’re not a good swimmer because the water gets deep FAST. definitely wear fins because it will really help when treading in water.
parking is available at the cove and along the street, but during high season parking could be much more difficult.
shark’s cove is a great alternative to hanauma bay if you’re 1) able to make the drive 2) better swimmer 3) want to see more marine life.

We had an amazing time today! Sure, I shucked off homework today, but it was worth it. The cleansing was much needed. Something about this location really speaks to me. We got to do some exploring today, and enjoyed some good ol’ vitamin D. I can’t wait to come back during the summer. My son and I had a blast, great place for kids.

Absolutely amazing snorkeling. Easy to do no Fin’s needed. You can go to the current entrance go around to the right and ride the current through basically an aquarium every fish from Snorkel Bobs informative card was there.
You are also about a mile and a half from a turtle beach heaven — but I can’t tell you where so best of luck in your hunt!

People who don’t wear foot protection or water shoes are crazy. You will tear up your feet on the coral if you don’t. I brought mine because I did not want bloody, proteinaceous infected feet.
There are lots of beautiful views and cool fishes in the clear water. Bring snorkel also because there are lots of cool fishes.
Be careful of getting pushed into rocks and don’t forget sun screen. The sun burns hot all year long!
There are no sharks in the cove, but be careful of getting knocked into rocks by gushing waves. It changes all year and it’s a lot quieter in the summer.
Enjoy!

05÷07÷14 (last visited)
I love this spot on the North Shore. This is a very popular location so the parking can fill up, but early arrival will get you a spot. I did see quite a few families in and around the water while we were there.
Had a perfect little area for our 2 year old to play float swim chase fish (never came close) all without any fear of waves or anything that could really harm her other than the rocks surrounding us.
There is a spot to rent gear up above we didn’t partake but there were at least 20 people doing so and it looked like great fun. Even without we had fish swimming all around us and it was really amazing to see how fearless they were.
The water entrance here is not easy. It is mostly rocky, although you can pick your way through a little sandy trail. You might consider wearing some footwear as the rocks here are sharp and if there are any waves at all, you can easily lose your balance while weaving your way through the rocks. The inside of the bay is about 8 to 15 feet deep, progressively getting deeper as you head out.
Unfortunately Shark’s Cove does not have lifeguards present and it can provide some dangers even during the calmer times of year. The rock areas you will need to work your way over to enter the water are very sharp and brittle and will require the use of some water shoes. Maybe skip to the bottom of this page for some helpful tips.
The only reason this does not have 5 stars is that it is a high theft area. There have been an inordinate number of car break-​ins over the course of years so you need to be careful with your valuables. So get some kind of waterproof bag to take your valuables with you or have someone on shore keeping guard.
There are public restrooms and showers at the parking lot. Foodland and Shark’s Cove Grill are also across the street to buy food and drinks. I’ve heard that Shark’s Cove Hawaii got it’s name because the outline of a reef beyond the mouth of the cove looks like the silhouette of a shark.
HELPFUL TIPS:
*Because of the popularity of Sharks Cove the small parking lot may fill quickly. Be sure to get there by at least 9 — 10am so you’ll have a place to park. The parking lot overlooks the beach.
*Forgot your mask defog? Growing right next to the public showers is a plant called naupaka. Just mash up a couple of leaves in your hand and thoroughly rub them around on the inside of your mask making sure to completely coat the inside of the lens. When your ready to snorkel, very briefly swish your mask around in the water to remove the extra pieces of leaves and viola! No more fog. Works just as well as any store bought stuff.
*Theft is an issue here, so don’t leave anything valuable in your car. We use a good quality waterproof box, and take our keys, money, and camera out on the water. No more worries.
*There is very little shade anywhere. You should deffinitely give yourself a good covering of sunscreen and wear protective clothes.
*If you go diving remember that the mask will wipe away some of the sunscreen you’ve applied to your face. Unless you want a sunburn in the exact outline of your mask. Re-​apply sunscreen after you’ve done diving. Or, if you want to play a trick on somebody, don’t tell him/​her this tip. It’s funny!
*Snorkel Wisely: As beautiful and mild as Hawaii usually is, weather is always unpredictable. Know your swimming ability. Be prudent and take into consideration the weather and environmental conditions when planning your beach activities. Obey warning signs, they are there to protect you. «Those waves don’t look that bad» are famous last words. Enjoy all that beautiful islands have to offer. Just use common sense, ok.

I absolutely loved this location. When we went here, it was pretty low tides so a lot of the rocks were showing from the tide pools.
And since the water was so low, we had to half crawl and half snorkel our way through.
There are some really shallow areas and some deep areas.
TIP: If you can, DO BRING WATER SHOES! And maybe some gloves too because I swear that it would help you so much in maneuvering around the tide pools.
The tide pools are made of dried up lava rocks and they are EXTREMELY SHARP and painful to touch.
Overall I got plenty of scratches from this place but it was all worth it.
There are fish to see and a beautiful ocean to gaze at.

This place is great! Wonderful snorkeling! But a word of caution, there are a ton, and I mean a ton of rocks. It was pretty hard just to get into the water and avoid stubbing your toe and then once you’re there the reef is very shallow in parts and there are tons of shallow rocks. I would wear a rash guard and water shoes at the very least.

Warning take the waves coming over the breakers seriously! We were a group of 4 who are all good swimmers with experience swimming on ocean surf.
The rocks are sharp and shallow and we saw dozens of people including ourselves come out with cuts.
The actual cove is beautiful, but just be careful. We looked like sharks had taken bites out of us afterwards!

My mom and I stumbled upon Shark’s Cove on our way back to our hotel from Waimea Beach. We had lunch at Shark’s Cove Grill across the street and stopped by the cove afterward. There’s not much of a shoreline, so I would recommend bringing just a towel and some sunblock. The water was so warm and shallow and after a few steps into the cove, I could already see so many fish! Although the water was clear, I couldn’t get too many good underwater shots on my GoPro as it showed up kind of murky. Bring some water shoes if you have some because you’ll have to step over some rocks on the way in (ouch). I definitely want to bring the rest of my family and friends here on our next visits.

I dove here twice and snorkeled here twice. I had fun doing both but the dive is only worth it if you go through all of the caves. If you are going to dive and not do any of the caves, you are going to waste your money. You are better off just snorkeling in that case.
Snorkeling tip: swim outside of the «kiddy pool» area where everybody else is. That area that is only 2 – 5 ft deep is not where the fun’s at. You will see some fish but because it is so shallow in there you are going to have to constantly watch where you are swimming or you will bump up against the rocks. It is very rocky here.
Pack: snorkel, mask, sunscreen, towel, and fins or water shoes to protect your feet from all of the rocky areas.

We leisurely made our way over to Shark’s Cove after not being able to find parking at Hanauma Bay (A friend told me to get to Hanauma Bay early to beat the crowds… apparently 10 AM was not early enough as all the parking was swooped up by that point. Apparently they meant «early» early, not «vacation early»). Anywhoo, Shark’s Cove was great! Highlights and hints:
1) Wear sunscreen! (and lots of it!) If you’re not from Hawaii, you might not be used to the intensity of the sun. I’d recommend re-​applying every half hour or so (so you don’t end up super red and crispy like yours truly). There are some trees up toward the top portion of the beach if you need some reprieve from the sun.
2) Bring water booties. The rocks leading up to the cove are really sharp. There’s also pine-​needley things near the tree area. I had to borrow my boyfriend’s flip flops to make it to the water without tearing up my feet. Awesomely enough, they worked nicely as makeshift swim fins.
3) Bring a mask and snorkel. There were some really pretty fish! I was too lazy to pack fins. Please refer back to Hint #2 for fin alternatives.

Best snorkeling on Oahu. Been there four times now and each day the snorkeling is wonderful. I only go on weekdays since parking and crowds are probably horrendous on the weekends. Even weekdays are crowded but not too bad in the early to late morning.
The amount and variety of fish is spectacular. There are literally thousands of fish in this cove. Sometimes you will swim through a school of yellow and black striped fish. Incredible. I was lucky to swim with two different turtles on the same morning! That’s been one of my highlights living on Oahu. Simply fantastic.
This is snorkeling heaven.

This review is mostly for divers since we come, we kit up, we dive, we go. I am sure the beachgoers appreciate us vacating the parking spot by 10:30 am. :)
Speaking of parking, this is the biggest bummer about the place. We arrived this morning at 7:30 and there was barely a spot left. We heard that it was already packed at 7:00 am. Nevertheless, we squeezed into a spot near a friend’s car and got into the water for a relaxing dive.
The entry is not particularly fun with all your gear on. Be careful walking down the hill and especially entering the water. There are tons of rocks and on low tide, they can be treacherous. Once you are in the water and your fins are on, swim out until the visibility improves. We dropped down into the sandy area then took a northerly direction.
There are nice schools of herbivores (tangs and others) grazing the rocks. We saw several turtles that appear so used to snorkelers and divers they don’t even move out of the way when humans approach. The topography is mostly large rocks with several swim-​throughs.
We tooled around for about 30 minutes then turned back. When you hit the sand again, you turn back into the cove. Then you have to get out. There were over 40 divers in the water when we were there so getting out required waiting your turn on the wave-​crashing rocks of death. We all survived. :)
I know loads of people really love this place and it is ok, but not a particular favorite of mine. Still, I give it four stars (would like to give it 3.5) because being underwater is better than not being underwater.

This place is like an aquarium where you literally can see all types of tropical fishes, you don’t even need snorkel equipment, since the water is so clear, you can find fishes anywhere.
Thing you need to make it a better experience:
water shoes (make sure to bring those since there are alot of rocks
bring snorkel if you want to go for a swim and see more fishies
under water camera (so you can take amazing photos)
the Rocks are dangerous and no joke, so don’t run and be very careful moving around.
we ran into a seal who was taking a nap on the rocks, it was so cute!!!
Parking is free, just park on the streets, it does get busy, so just try to find one.

dont go here. sharks will eat you and your kids alive!
NOM NOM NOM!