Best Hawaii Beaches

Eva Marie C asked:


me and my family r going to vacition there… and im kinda freaked out of the beaches… i measn well the Oceans lol.. and tips or advice? or facts? lol. i know alllot about sharks so if you know of any that live in the waters there.. or if there r any that would be great. thanks!

5 Responses to “are there sharks in Hawaii. or honolulu?”

1. Emily Says:
   March 28th, 2010 at 10:35 pm

   Well I don’t think there are but if there are they are probably far out in the ocean but there’s no need to worry I’ve been going to Hawaii every year for 5 years and have never seen a shark nor heard of there being one spotted. Even some beaches have walls built up to stop certain animals and waves from coming in so if your still afraid try to find some of those beaches but don’t worry about the sharks the hawaiian beaches are really safe

2. pOiBoY2 Says:
   March 30th, 2010 at 7:35 am

   we have tiger sharks, hammerheads and a lot of the smaller species. oh and moray eels. green turtles if you’re lucky

3. Scott N Says:
   March 31st, 2010 at 7:51 am

   Yes there are sharks, most notoriously the tiger shark, and they do come near shore. However, they only attack surfers on their boards. This is INCREDIBLY RARE, but does happen. The reason is that the surfer lying on a board with the arms sticking out from a long, wide board is the exact profile of a giant seal, (big fat middle body with tiny arms sticking out) and seals are a shark’s favorite food! So, they actually don’t like humans at all; it is usually by mistake they attack humans, and if you are not on a surf board, you will not be attacked.

   That said, sharks are becoming less afraid of humans because there are tours in Hawaii that throw out bait to attract sharks on purpose, so humans can dive with them…this is getting sharks to NOT have a natural fear of people. This is a very controversial issue. However, I have been going or lived in Hawaii for 37 years now and have not been lucky enough to see even one shark yet (I would go on one of the tours but I am against this practice).

   What you DO have to worry about is something that is much more common, and that is box jellyfish. These have a very painful sting. When I was growing up, we NEVER had jellyfish, but now they are there almost every month, starting about 8-10 days after a full moon (they come near shore to spawn). You will see signs posted however to keep out of the water, HEED THE WARNINGS. Otherwise, have a wonderful time diving in the coral reefs to see the beautiful tropical fish and if you are lucky you will see Hawaii’s state fish…the humuhumunukunukuapua’a, or a moray eel or a sea turtle!

4. Kelso Says:
   April 1st, 2010 at 8:09 am

   While there are sharks in Hawaii, sightings and attacks are very rare. In Honolulu, the main beach tourists go to is Waikiki. Nearly the whole beach is guarded by reef formations or walls put around swimming areas, which protects swimming areas against sharks. The water is warm and tropical there, so of course there are sharks. The main species there are tiger sharks, hammer heads, white tip reef sharks, and smaller species. Really the only one where attacks are known of is the tiger shark. These sharks rarely venture into shallow water where people swim so your safe. To avoid them though, dont swim in murky water or in sand bars. Also avoid steep drop offs, some sharks enjoy those spots. Never swim alone, and dont swim at night, or at dawn or dusk, this is when sharks are most active, and looking for food. Avoid swimming where people who are fishing and near boat marinas. Birds diving to the water can indicate fish in the water, which could mean sharks are near however usually your fine. Sharks hunt by detecting electric activity in prey. So lots of splashing and erratic movements can be mistaken for a hurt fish. Swim smoothly as much as possible. As for swimwear, sharks see contrast well so avoid wearing such colors of bathing suits. They also can mistake shining jewelry or watches for shining fish scales. Also patterns that resemble a sea turtle can cause mistake since its the favorite prey of tiger sharks. Research and knowledge among surfers shows that black and white stripes resemble a predator of the shark so they avoid this pattern. So many surfers paint their surf board like this, a zebra striped swim suit may make you feel safer in the water. At Waikiki beach, shark attacks are extremely RARE, so dont stress about it and just enjoy your vacation. Just remember that your in their territory and be aware of whats around you. Swimming in groups is safer, so make sure you never swim alone there. As for other dangers beware of portugese man of war (blue jellyfish) after storms and box/moon jellies about 9-12 days after the full moon. Your pretty much safe at the beach, especially at tourist locations such as Waikiki. Be safe and have a great trip!

5. Hughe W Says:
   April 3rd, 2010 at 7:32 pm

   Hawaii has quite a few sharks, but they rarely come close to shore in areas like Waikiki, Ala Moana Park and most of the beach front along Waikiki.

   Tiger sharks, hammerheads, and others frequent the Kihei Lagoon (you’ll see the lagoon as you come in to land at the airport), point panic, and other popular surfing areas.

   If you stick to Waikiki or Ala Moana Park, you shouldn’t have anything to worry about. Best thing to do is ask at the hotel front desk for recommended swimming areas if you plan to go outside of Waikiki.