Turtle Canyon Map
Turtle Canyon on a map: off Waikiki on Oahu's south shore, reached by boat from four boarding places. Not in Hanauma Bay, not on the North Shore.
Turtle Canyon is off Waikiki, on the south shore of Oahu, between Kewalo Basin Harbor and Diamond Head. You reach it by boat: 10 to 15 minutes from the Ala Wai harbor, 15 to 20 from Kewalo Basin, a few minutes from the Hilton Lagoon, or straight off the sand of Waikiki Beach. It is not in Hanauma Bay, not on the North Shore, and not the state’s “Turtle Canyons” moorings off Hawaii Kai. No agency describes a reef called Turtle Canyon: the name belongs to the boats. The nearest official record is the state’s Canyons Reef moorings, half a mile east of the Ala Wai harbor channel buoys. The easiest way there needs no harbor at all: Oceanstar collects you at one of 12 points in Waikiki, from $107 in current promotion (usually $120) a person (checked November 2026).
Turtle Canyon on Oahu
Three places get mixed up with it:
- Hanauma Bay is a nature preserve on the far side of Diamond Head, run by the City and County of Honolulu, with its own entry fee and reservations. Turtle Canyon is not in it.
- The North Shore has Laniakea Beach, where turtles haul out to rest on the sand. Turtle Canyon is on the opposite, south side of the island.
- The “Turtle Canyons” moorings are day-use moorings of the state’s boating division in Maunalua Bay, half a mile west of the first channel marker of the Hawaii Kai boat channel. They are a different reef, several miles east of Diamond Head, and the facts published for them, their depth included, do not describe the reef off Waikiki.
The boarding places off Waikiki
| Boarding place | Boats on this site | Ride to the reef |
|---|---|---|
| Kewalo Basin Harbor, Ala Moana Boulevard | Hawaii Ocean Charters, Living Ocean Tours (slip B-1), Oahu Catamarans (Pier A), Blue Ocean Snorkeling (Pier D) | 15 to 20 minutes |
| The Ala Wai harbor, 1 Holomoana Street, by the Prince Waikiki | Pink Sails Waikiki | 10 to 15 minutes |
| Beside the Hilton Lagoon, Waikiki | Island Splash Tours | A few minutes |
| The sand of Waikiki Beach, behind the Duke Kahanamoku statue | Waikiki Sailing Company's Hāwea | Straight off the beach |
| Pickup at 12 points in Waikiki | Oceanstar | The van, then about 20 minutes by boat |
Each boat’s own listing, November 2026.
Can you swim to Turtle Canyon from the beach?
Do not try. The reef the boats visit lies offshore, beyond the lifeguarded beach, in water the boats use (the state’s mooring guidebook warns of heavy boat traffic by the Ala Wai harbor channel), and no agency marks a reef called Turtle Canyon. Hawaii’s health department says anyone who snorkels in Hawaii should be an experienced ocean swimmer, and Honolulu’s Ocean Safety lifeguards recommend swimming at a beach with a lifeguard tower. Turtles do feed and rest along Waikiki’s shallow reef, so you may see one from the beach; for Turtle Canyon itself, take a boat.
Is it free?
The ocean has no entry fee, but the reef is offshore, so in practice the price is the boat: a two-hour catamaran from Kewalo Basin costs from $60 (checked November 2026), and Oceanstar’s four hours with pickup from $107 in current promotion (usually $120) (checked November 2026). Harbor parking at Kewalo Basin costs about $2 an hour if you drive.
Pick your way out
Oceanstar: Turtle Canyon Snorkel with Waikiki Pickup, Then Kayaks and Paddleboards
Oceanstar: a van from 12 points in Waikiki, about 20 minutes by boat, about three hours at the reef.
Check dates →Island Splash Tours: Guided Turtle Canyon Snorkel from the Hilton Lagoon
Island Splash Tours: boards beside the Hilton Lagoon, a few minutes from the reef, three guides in the water.
See the Hilton Lagoon boat →Living Ocean Tours: Guided Turtle Canyon Snorkel
Living Ocean Tours: slip B-1 in Kewalo Basin, a snorkel lesson, then guides in the water with the group.
See the guided snorkel →Prices, ratings and review counts from the listings (GetYourGuide checked November 2026; Viator checked November 2026). Operators price by date and season, so treat the figures as the shape of the market, not a quote.
Coming off a cruise ship? Turtle Canyon from a cruise ship maps the walk from the Pier 2 terminal to Kewalo Basin.
More Trips with Open Dates
More Turtle Snorkels Off Waikiki with Open Dates
Turtle snorkels and catamarans with live availability. Times and cancellation terms are on each listing.
Into the Water at Turtle Canyon
Oceanstar's snorkel with pickup in Waikiki: flotation gear for anyone who wants it, a lifeguard on board, and a free return trip if no turtles are spotted.
See dates