The water runs a little warmer than it should, thanks to the Kahe power plant outflow, and the fish have noticed. Green sea turtles, thick schools of tang and the odd eagle ray gather offshore. Electric Beach is a real ocean swim, not a calm cove, so go with a buddy and a plan.
The draw is the area around the plant's outflow, where warmer water pulls in fish and turtles year round. Schools of yellow tang, convict tang, goatfish and surgeonfish are dense. Green sea turtles are abundant, and spotted eagle rays and spinner dolphins turn up now and then. Hawaiian monk seals and reef sharks are rare. Visibility is often 30 to 40 ft on a calm morning, and the reef sits in roughly 10 to 20 ft of water.
Warm water comes out of two large pipes. The fast discharge makes strong, unpredictable current, so view the fish from the sides and never swim directly in front of the flow.
Turtles feed and rest along the reef, and rays and the occasional reef shark cruise the deeper edge. Keep 10 ft back from any turtle.
Spinner dolphins sometimes pass through. Stay 50 yards away and never chase or swim toward them.
The turtle you are most likely to meet. Greens graze on algae over shallow reef and rest under ledges. In Hawaii they are protected and very used to snorkelers.
Spotting tip: Scan the rocky edges where waves wash over algae, and sandy cleaning stations where fish pick at their shells.
Guardian rule: Stay at least 10 ft away. Never block a turtle's path to the surface.
Chelonia mydas
A bright lemon-yellow surgeonfish that grazes algae in loose schools. It is one of the easiest Hawaiian reef fish to spot, especially along the Kona coast.
Zebrasoma flavescens
A pale surgeonfish with dark vertical bars, often moving across Hawaiian reefs in big grazing schools.
Acanthurus triostegus
Slender dolphins famous for leaping and spinning. They rest in calm Hawaiian bays by day after feeding offshore at night, which is why the law protects their daytime rest.
Guardian rule: Federal law bans swimming with or approaching spinner dolphins within 50 yards in Hawaii.
Stenella longirostris
A dark ray covered in white spots with a long whip tail. In Hawaii it cruises over sand channels and often flies past in small groups.
Guardian rule: Give it room and never block its path.
Aetobatus ocellatus
Colorful grazers with fused, beak-like teeth. You can hear them crunch on coral rock, and much of the white sand on tropical beaches passes through them.
Scaridae
Small, disc-shaped fish in yellow, white and black patterns, usually seen in pairs. Many feed on coral polyps, so they are a good sign of a healthy reef.
Chaetodontidae
Hawaii's state fish, with a famously long Hawaiian name and bold, painted-on stripes. It patrols shallow, surgy reef and grunts when it is caught.
Rhinecanthus rectangulus
Live sea temperature, waves and wind for the next 7 days, with our snorkel rating for each day.
Calm Choppy Rough. Wave heights are offshore model values.
Loading tides…
Forecast: Open-Meteo. Tides: NOAA station 1612340. Model data, not a lifeguard report. Always check posted warnings.
Hand-picked tours that run here, ranked for small groups, a proper reef briefing and respect for wildlife.
by Hawaii Ecodivers
Two hour guided snorkel at Kahe Point Beach Park for beginner and intermediate snorkelers, ages 6 and up.
The operator describes tours of marine conservation areas. Reef-safe sunscreen rules are not stated on the listing, so bring mineral sunscreen.
We may earn a commission when you book through these links, at no extra cost to you. It never changes which tours we pick. How we choose tours.
Mornings are the key, whatever the month. Sources disagree on season: some call winter calmest when south swells are quiet, others say summer is calmest. Judge by the day's surf and current forecast, not the calendar. Surf from either direction can wreck the rocky entry.
Go early, before trade winds add chop and before the lot fills. Avoid dawn and dusk, when sharks feed.
One guide suggests low tide for an easier entry. Shore break at the entry gets worse with a rising swell.
Days with surf at the entry wall, any strong longshore current, south swell, and after heavy rain.
| Row | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snorkel conditions | Best | Best | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Best | Best | Best |
| Green sea turtle | Best | Best | Best | Best | Best | Best | Best | Best | Best | Best | Best | Best |
| Spinner dolphin | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good |
| Water °F | 78 | 77 | 77 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 81 | 81 | 82 | 82 | 80 | 79 |
This is not a beginner site. The entry is rocky, the reef is well offshore and the longshore current and outflow can move you. A lifeguard tower opened in 2023 and is staffed on posted daytime hours, but guards do not watch the whole snorkel zone. Bring fins, a surface float and a buddy, or join a guide.
Swim level: Strong, confident swimmer
Kahe Point Beach Park is on Farrington Highway (Route 93) in Kahe, about 25 miles northwest of Waikiki, just before the Kahe power plant.
A small free lot sits beside the highway on the ocean side, with no overflow. It fills early, especially on weekends. If it is full, read the street signs before parking on the road.
Walk to the tiny beach, enter close to the wall and swim out toward the reef. The entry is rocky, so wear water shoes and fins. If surf is hitting the wall, skip it. Plan your exit landmark before you leave the shore.
Free, no reservation. The small lot beside the road fills early, so arrive before 9 a.m.
Checked 2026-10-22. Fees change, so confirm before you go.
The only lot is a small free one beside Farrington Highway on the ocean side, just south of the Kahe power plant. It has no overflow and fills early, so arrive by 9 a.m., or earlier on weekends. Restroom and shower availability is reported inconsistently, so bring water. Walk down to the small beach and enter beside the wall.
Two things move you here. A longshore current usually runs north toward Yokohama Bay, mild on most days but stronger with bigger swell. The pipe discharge makes its own fast, unpredictable flow, so stay out of it. Surge and shore break at the entry grow with swell, and trade winds add chop by midday.
Green sea turtles are abundant, with dense schools of yellow tang, convict tang, goatfish and surgeonfish near the outflow. Spotted eagle rays and spinner dolphins are occasional, while monk seals and reef sharks are rare. Look, do not chase, and keep to the federal distances.
Electric Beach is a shore park next to an industrial site, so the rules that matter are about wildlife distance, the outflow and the reef.
Stay at least 10 ft from sea turtles. Sources also quote 15 ft, so more is better. Do not touch, chase or ride them. Official rule
Stay 50 yards from spinner dolphins and 50 ft from Hawaiian monk seals. Do not swim toward them or try to encircle them. Official rule
Do not snorkel the pipe discharge area. The flowing water makes strong and unpredictable currents. Official rule
Hawaii law bans sunscreen with oxybenzone and octinoxate. Use mineral sunscreen or a rash guard. Official rule
How snorkelers protect reefs · Hawaii reef-safe sunscreen rules
These local groups restore coral, rescue wildlife and keep the water clean. Volunteer a morning, donate, or just follow their work.
Community stewardship of the Pupukea-Waimea Marine Life Conservation District
A community group on the North Shore that works to protect the Pupukea-Waimea MLCD, which covers Sharks Cove and Three Tables. Check their site for education programs and volunteer days.
Visit pupukeawaimea.org →
The nickname comes from the Kahe power plant next door. The plant pulls in seawater to cool its generators and returns it a little warmer through pipes offshore. The warmer water attracts fish and turtles, and the pipes became the snorkeling draw.
Not on your own. The entry is rocky, the reef is well offshore and a longshore current can carry you north. Guides rate it for intermediate swimmers. A beginner with a guide, fins and a float on a calm morning can manage it. Never go in when surf hits the entry.
A county lifeguard tower opened in August 2023 and is staffed during posted daytime hours. Older guides say there is no lifeguard. Guards do not cover the whole snorkel zone, which sits well offshore, so ask them about conditions and use a buddy and float.
Maybe. Spinner dolphins pass through now and then, but there is no season and no guarantee. Turtles and big tang schools are the reliable sights. If dolphins show up, stay 50 yards away and let them come to you.
There is a small free lot on the ocean side of Farrington Highway, just before the power plant. It has no overflow and fills early, so arrive before 9 a.m. Break-ins are reported, so take your valuables with you.
Early morning, before trade winds build chop. Guides disagree on the calmest season, so check the day's surf, swell and current forecast rather than relying on the month. Skip it when waves reach the entry wall.
What we pack for every snorkel trip. Each link searches the category on Amazon so you can compare brands and prices.
Non-nano zinc oxide only. No oxybenzone or octinoxate, which Hawaii bans.
Shop on Amazon →The best sun protection is fabric. Less sunscreen in the water, less sunburn on your back.
Shop on Amazon →A low-volume mask that fits beats any rental. Short travel fins pack easily.
Shop on Amazon →An inflatable vest lets you rest without standing on the reef. Lifeguards love them.
Shop on Amazon →As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Disclosure.
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We check fees, rules and access against official sources first, then local operators and recent visitor reports. Conditions change, so always follow posted signs and lifeguards. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.
