The race for a reservation in Hanauma Bay is on

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Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Diep Vo-Le swam for an hour in Hanauma Bay every day. Now, the 70-year-old Hawaii Kai resident is fortunate enough to set foot on the world-class snorkeling spot at least twice a week.

Ever since County Park launched its online reservation system, it has been a race for locals and tourists to get a spot in the reserve.

Visitors must book two days in advance of their desired date, starting at 7 a.m. On a typical morning, when the clock strikes 7, the website shows 1,050 seats in 35 time slots every 10 minutes. All reservations are filled within two to four minutes.

“Sometimes you’re lucky,” said Vo-Le after recently finishing a morning swim in the bay. “After five minutes everything is gone. For old folks, if you can’t type quickly or make a mistake, don’t get in. ”

People queuing to pay the entrance fee to the Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve. Cory Lum / Civil Beat / 2021

The reservation system was put in place in April, more than four months after the park reopened to the public after closing following the pandemic outbreak last year. Before that, people stood in line for hours to secure a seat.

But recent crowd control efforts have had mixed results as demand for a visit to the unique marine ecosystem, known for its wide variety of colorful fish and corals, continues with the easing of COVID-19 restrictions and the return of tourists the island shot up.

“Online reservations are a new way of waiting in line for Black Friday or in Blaisdell,” said Nathan Serota, spokesman for the Department of Parks and Recreation. “People will camp at Best Buy a day in advance.”

When the park reopened in early December, officials put a daily limit of 720 people and would not allow entry at 2:00 p.m., along with other security measures designed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. But the full capacity is 1,400 and the average daily visitor count was 903 in May, the first full month the reservation system was in place.

75 percent of them came from abroad, while the rest were local residents or active service members and their relatives, who also received free entry.

In comparison, the park had 64,459 visitors in May 2019, with a daily average of 2,479, of which 80% were tourists, according to the director of the Honolulu Park, Laura Thielen.

The income is also flowing again. Admission is free for residents and active military personnel who only pay $ 1 to park, but non-residents must pay $ 12 to enter and $ 3 to park.

When the park reopened in December, Hanauma Bay had sales of $ 114,931. It peaked at $ 211,092 in April.

Recently, Honolulu City Council passed bill that would double entry fees for non-residents to $ 25. Honolulu Mayor Rick Blagiardi has until Monday to sign or veto the bill.

Visitors to Hanauma Bay stand near a sign showing entry dates.
Visitors to Hanauma Bay stand near a sign showing entry dates. Cory Lum / civil / 2021

On Wednesday morning at 5 a.m., more than 50 people – some without a reservation – were standing in front of the entrance, although the park does not open until 6:45 a.m.

The almost 230 parking spaces were full of cars. Some people parked in a nearby mall and then walked about a quarter of a mile down the freeway to the entrance to the reserve.

Staff checked the tickets while the parents tried to control the children running around with their swim rings.

Jason Mustard and his family, visiting from California, tried unsuccessfully to reserve two days in a row.

Instead, they arrived at 9 a.m., hoping to get on. Forty-five minutes later, Mustard and his 16-year-old son Gavin were still waiting outside, although his wife and two other children were able to enter.

“I’m sure not everyone wants to get up before 7am to compete (for a reservation),” said Mustard. “You can come in somehow.”

Extension of the system

Other county and state parks have also implemented online reservation systems that have proven to be competitive. Waianapanapa State Park on Maui and Haena State Park on Kauai is almost fully booked for the next two months.

Despite the challenges, the Department of Land and Natural Resources and the Hawaii Tourism Authority discussed the possibility of introducing a nationwide online reservation system for popular sites.

Kalani Ka’ana’ana, Director of Hawaiian cultural affairs and natural resources for the Hawaii Tourism Authority, said the idea of ​​a statewide system had been “out and about for three years” and had grown in importance during the pandemic.

The ultimate goal is to preserve the parks, mitigate the environmental impact, educate visitors and generate revenue for state parks, he said, adding that it was not intended exceed what the district parks have already established.

“This is just to add one more layer to make it easier for locals and tourists to improve the user experience.” said Ka’ana’ana. “We hope that by talking about the system we will develop ideas for better management of tourism and the role technology plays in improving the quality of life for Hawaiian residents.”

Visit to Hanauma Bay.
Beach goers who successfully book a reservation at Hanauma Bay can enjoy one of the best snorkeling spots in the state. Cory Lum / Civil Beat / 2021

Hanauma Bay, formed in a volcanic cone, was declared a marine life reserve in 1967, but it still suffered from decades of overuse as visitors flocked to the curving beach. At the time, according to Alan Hong, who managed the reserve for 20 years, there was no official management plan for maintaining the bay other than limiting the mining of mussels, corals and fish.

The toll was evident during the pandemic when researchers discovered hiding fish and other signs of recovery due to the absence of visitors.

With tourism booming, the city and county of Honolulu attempted to regulate overcrowding and damage to coral reefs in 1990.

At the request of the Parks and Recreation Department and the city, the University of Hawaii conducted a five-month study the impact of tourism on the bay and the benefits of severe restrictions on commercial use.

Park staff was researching a lottery system and an online reservation system at the time, but the idea was abandoned because of concerns that reservations would give large travel agents and other commercial establishments a competitive advantage over independent travelers and residents.

“Reservations should be the same for everyone,” said Hong.

In 2002, the park created a mandatory nine-minute instructional video that visitors are required to watch before entering the bay, which is still mandatory.

Visitors to Hanauma Bay record their tickets with the entry times.
Hanauma Bay visitors can now get tickets with entry times. Cory Lum / Civil Beat / 2021

Right now, visitors are trying to be smart about booking reservations.

California resident Jeffrey Chiu and girlfriend Joan Mendoza said they kept trying different phones. Still, they didn’t expect to make a reservation. But they did.

“It’s like a festival release,” said Chiu. “They refresh the page and hope you get one.”

The resident of Kahala, Casey Lynn and her sister, who tried to get tickets for three days, were not as successful, despite being self-described quick tippers.

Instead, Lynn showed up Wednesday with her two children, husband and sister and two children, hoping to get inside. This is Lynn’s first time since Hanauma Bay reopened.

“I love Hanauma Bay,” said Lynn. “But with what is going on with COVID-19 and the way things are going, they seem unfair not only to the tourists but also to the locals.”

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