Ann Fielding's

Shallow Water Sites No Experience Necessary Patient Instruction Small Groups Ages 7 and up Equipment Provided

Learn how a naturalist spots the amazing behaviors of Hawaii's marine life: Watch brilliantly-colored tropical fish line up at a cleaning station, see parrotfish bite off chunks of reef to get a meal, witness mated pairs of delicate butterflyfish skimming the coral.

Why go with Snorkel Maui?

Reason #1: If you have never snorkeled and/or are afraid of snorkeling this is the easiest way to learn. If you are an experienced snorkeler wishing to learn accurate information about Hawaiian marine life, this is for you. You will be in a small group and will have the expertise of an experienced guide. Since we are at the shoreline you start out in shallow water, not from a boat in deep water.

Reason #2: The best way to learn about something is to actually experience it. We teach about tropical marine life. You will be given a pre-snorkel talk on the marine life we will be seeing, including corals, sea urchins and fishes and distribution of marine life in the tropics. You will understand how unique Hawaii's marine life is. By seeing pictures of the common species you will see what they look like and learn a little about how they are different from one another before you get in the water. Once in the water, your naturalist-guide (usually Ann) will point out the marine life mentioned in the briefing. After snorkeling for about an hour, we will have a snack and review what we saw. Later, when you snorkel on your own, you will be amazed at how much is familiar to you.

Your guides: Usually, marine biologist/author Ann Fielding is your guide. Ann's associates, Suzzy Robinson or Evalyn Schultz conducts snorkel tours for Snorkel Maui when Ann is off island conducting Island Explorations excursions or when there are more snorkelers than Ann can personally accommodate.

Group size: Minimum of 2, maximum of 6. We will accommodate larger numbers for friends or family traveling together. Families with children are especially welcome.

Cost:

2 people = $120 each (if others sign up for your day, the cost will drop to the 3 - 6 people price).

3 - 6 people = $95 each

Private tour of 2 or more = $140 each.

$1.00 of your tour cost will be donated to the Maui Reef Fund. This is a group of Maui-based marine tourism operators and marine educators working on improving boat moorings in order to stop boats from anchoring on coral, and to increase awareness of Hawaiian marine life among visitors. You can certainly donate more if you wish!!

Payment can be made by cash, personal check, travelers checks, Mastercard or Visa.

Time: Approximately 7:30 am to 12:30 pm.

What we provide: Snorkel gear (fins, snorkels, masks, shorty wetsuits), a snack after snorkeling, natural history briefings on various topics such as Hawaiian marine life, geology and geography. We go by car to the snorkel sites, not by boat.

What to bring: Towel, waterproof sunscreen that doesn't burn your eyes, hat or visor. Wear your bathing suit under your clothes.

Reservations are required, preferably before you come to Maui.

To make a reservation: Contact Snorkel Maui by phone (808-572-8437) or by email <annf@maui.net>. You will need to provide a credit card number to confirm the reservation and we request 48 hours notice of a cancellation. Once you are on Maui, please phone Snorkel Maui to reconfirm. At that time we will find out what snorkel gear you need and let you know where to meet.

Boutique: Available for purchase on the tour are Ann's three books on Hawaiian marine life, fish identification cards, one-time use underwater cameras, and Hawaiian fish CD screen-saver/slide shows by photographer John Hoover (Windows only).

What do popular guidebooks have to say about Ann Fielding's Snorkel Maui?

From Maui Revealed, the Ultimate Guidebook, 2000, by Andrew Doughty and Harriett Friedman, pg. 224:

"If you're intrigued but nervous about snorkeling, Ann Fielding's Snorkel Maui (572-8437) has a very patient and methodical lesson/tour. ....she'll spend several hours with you, getting you used to the gear and water, then lead you along a South Maui tour. ...Ann is a real life marine biologist with great knowledge, so you'll learn much about our marine environment."

From Fodor's Maui and Lanai 2000:

"If you want a personal introduction to Maui's undersea universe, the undisputable authority is marine biologist Ann Fielding's Snorkel Maui. She's the Carl Sagan of Hawaii reef cosmos - formerly with Univ. of Hawaii, Waikiki Aquarium, and the Bishop Museum and the author of several guides to island sealife; she'll not only show you fish, she'll introduce you to individual fish. This is a good experience for dry-behind-the-ears types."