The small rocky beach of Sharks Cove, located in the town of Pupukea on North Oahu, attracts especially snorkeling enthusiasts.

In various rankings of the best snorkeling spots, it is often ranked in the top 20 locations worldwide.

Snorkeling and marine life

The very rugged and rocky coastline that turns into a smaller coral reef underwater creates many nooks, small coves and hiding places for hundreds and thousands of marine animals.

With Sharks Cove located practically right in the center of the village of Pupukea, it is one of the most accessible snorkeling spots on Oahu without having to take advantage of paid trips to remote spots.

Hundreds of species of colorful fish, eels, turtles, bass, and of course many crustaceans and mollusks can be seen underwater.

As Sharks Cove is on the eastern side of the island, where large waves occur especially during the winter season, always make sure the weather is suitable for snorkelling. If there are large surfing waves, there is a high probability of strong bottom currents and thus snorkeling on the rocky shoreline is not very safe.

The best conditions for snorkelling are roughly between April and October.

Sharks Cove beach is rocky and access to the water is quite challenging, as is movement in the sea. Be cautious, watch out for large rocks around you and expect more depth just a few metres from the shore.

Beachfront accommodation

If you want to spend more time on this part of Oahu and visit perhaps the nearby Laniakea beach with its turtles or the romantic Sunset Beach, stay for a few days in the town of Pupukea, where you'll find a few smaller guesthouses and hotels. Prices here are slightly below average by Hawaiian standards, ranging between 1,800 and 220 eur per night for a room for 2.

Cheapest accommodation in Pupukea

We recommend, for example, really cheap studios with some of the lowest prices on Oahu Backpackers Vacation Inn and Plantation Village with full facilities and private rooms under 73 eur per night.

How to get there

Pupukea is located on Ring Road 83 about 57 miles from Honolulu. There is a small free parking lot right at Sharks Cove Beach, but it tends to fill up completely after 10:00am, so you'll need to park at more remote locations in town.

Book a car at Honolulu Airport

You can get here easily by taking the 60 and 88A buses running from Honolulu or Turtle Bay. The bus stop is right at Sharks Cove.

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