A new ticketing system has been deployed at the Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve,
the latest step in the reopening plan at the popular snorkeling and swimming spot on Oahu.
The preserve, managed by the Honolulu
Department of Parks and Recreation, reopened on Dec. 2 with strict capacity limits: Hanauma Bay averaged 3,000
visitors daily prior to Covid-19, but the reopening pilot program set daily limits at 720 people and no more than 120 per hour.
The new policies soon drew complaints of
traffic and illegal parking on the roads surrounding the preserve as visitors
who were turned away at the gate because the hourly quota had been met would
park nearby to wait and try again later.
To address the issue, the Department of
Parks and Recreation launched the new ticketing system and also barred walk-in entry
on Jan. 9. It reversed course on the walk-in measure a few days later.
“The ticketing system and increased
access to the preserve’s parking lot proved to be the solutions we needed to
address the safety issues posed by limiting entry off of Kalanianaole Highway,” Parks and Recreation director-designate Laura H. Thielen said in a statement. “We appreciate the patience and flexibility of the public while we make
these adjustments to our Hanauma Bay operations during this pilot reopening
program period.”
The reopening plan prohibits commercial
activity, including entry of taxis or tour buses and vans, in addition to
capping the total number of visitors per day. The county is also developing an
online reservation system for the preserve that is expected to launch in the first
quarter of 2021.
Under the current procedures, visitors to
the preserve will receive tickets indicating the order in which they entered
and a screening time for an educational video that is required for entry into
the preserve. Once they have received a ticket, visitors may either wait in the
parking lot and upper area of the preserve, where there are picnic areas and
scenic views, or leave temporarily with re-entry privileges, provided they
present their ticket and return 15 minutes before their designated time.
Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve is open from
7:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays, with last entry at 2 p.m.