Snorkeling at Tunnels Beach on Kauai

Swimming for hours with your face sealed in a snorkel mask and your feet paddling rubber fins may seem like one third of an arduous triathlon for most people. But for me, with my inexpensive underwater digital camera attached at the wrist and snapping non-stop shots of a cornucopia of underwater life, it's a dream vacation. And Tunnels Beach in Kauai might be the closest it comes to heaven for that kind of snorkeling on the Garden Island, if not in the whole state.

Tunnels Beach is close to the end of the road on Kauai, where Route 560 or the Kuhio Highway, ends near the Na Pali Coast on the mountainous and scenic north shore of the island. The beach is actually reached from Ha'ena State Park, where there is very limited parking but adequate facilities like a shower and restrooms, and more important, a lifeguard station. However, they're all situated at an end of the beach where some lateral currents might be dangerous in certain conditions, especially during the winter.

But if you're lucky enough to find a parking spot, hike a few hundred yards along the beach to the right, on golden sand and near the palm tree-filled backyards of multi-million dollar homes. When you reach a bend in the coastline you should also start to see the dark outline of the reef right at the surf's edge. That's when you know you've arrived at Tunnels Beach.

The beach is actually Makua Beach but it's been popularly referred to as Tunnels because of the underwater lava tubes that divers like to frequent. However the reef is so extensive and close-by just off-shore you don't need SCUBA gear to explore the undersea wonderland. The coral seems to often come close to breaking the water's surface, so if you find yourself in too shallow depths, nearby channels offer safe passageways.

These easy routes through colorful coral canyons seem to make Tunnels the special if not spectacular location it is. Kicking languidly and sometimes just drifting, I found myself naturally following a fish highway right out of "Finding Nemo." I joined several schools of of surgeonfish, mostly traveling with the motion of the waves visibly undulating just inches above at the surface.

And like in the cartoon, there's a reef's edge, where the water deepens and darkens and chills. But a short swim beyond is more reef and safe adventure on the protected inside of the outer breakwater. Just swim a minute or so toward the tour boats that are dropping off the many happy snorkelers.

I encountered a couple of green sea turtles who divided their time between ascents for several breaths of air and descents for longer feeding session in deep water, filling my own spirit with wonder and awe as I watched their gentle but determined movements. Similarly lone individuals of kaleidoscopic wrasses, triggerfish, parrotfish and filefish darted and fed throughout the reefs, giving me exciting subjects to chase at every corner and in every direction.

The minutes and the hours passed like they were seconds, and I felt like, well, a kid in a candy shop. Do I chase the reef triggerfish for yet another shot or do I savor my first encounter with whitespotted surgeonfish? But at Tunnels you can indulge and spoil your insatiable sweet tooth for snorkeling as long as you want and still have plenty of room left over for sublime beach-combing on land.