Poolenalena Beach & Green Sea Turtles

Not a major beach destination, Poolenalena Beach is usually a quiet white sand pocket beach within a small cove in Wailea, Maui (south of Kihei) with outstanding snorkeling (sometimes) off the rock outcroppings at the south end. Southern swells during the summer of 2024 were sparse; therefore, snorkeling conditions on the southwest coast were often excellent with great visibility (75 to 100 feet) and little wave surge. Best snorkeling is off the southern point and features healthy coral in a varying underwater terrain. It is also a well-known “turtle cleaning station” and snorkeling tours will stop their in the mid-morning. During multiple dives, Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles were in relative abundance with their symbiotic “cleaners” (typically surgeonfish) working to remove debris and parasites off the turtles’ shells.