While in Hawaii to photograph a wedding, my sister and I took some time to go on excursions and see the island of O’ahu. One of those excursions was to Hanauma Bay State Park, where tourists and locals alike have the ability to swim and snorkel in one of the island’s most scenic bays.

We purchased our own snorkeling gear and headed out there with Hanauma Bay Tours. They picked us up from a hotel in Waikiki and provided us the fins we needed to snorkel. The drop-off area is at the top of the mountain and after paying the state park fee, we were able to go down the mountain to the beach area. We got to Hanauma Bay and it was beautiful, as you’ll see below. There were lots of people around on this particular day as it was a weekend and it’s a location that’s frequented by tourists and locals, but there was plenty of space for all of us to enjoy the bay.

In the water, there are coral, which the park highlighted rules we had to abide by in order to preserve the reef. We had a lot of fun snorkeling and even saw some fish in the water.

After that, we headed over to Waikiki to walk around the shops in the city. The later photos you see below are of the sunset on the beach at Waikiki.

Here’s what I captured.

LOCATION: Hanauma Bay State Park | Honolulu, HI
GEAR USED: Canon 7D Mark II | Canon 10-18 f/4.5 | Canon 50 f/1.4