Hawaii’s ‘Deadliest’ Beaches Might Surprise You

Everyone has an opinion about Hawaii’s most beautiful beach. But deadliest? Most treacherous? The aloha state’s Department of Health has those two superlatives on lockdown. And the answers might surprise you.

The Hawaiian beach where the most people have died (11, between 2009 and 2013) is tranquil Hanauma Bay, Oahu’s most popular spot for snorkeling.

In fact, the four other beaches with the highest number of drownings are all popular snorkeling spots for tourists; together, all five represent 43 deaths over the five-year period.

“People think it’s a very benign activity, [where] you just kind of float face down and everything happens,” Jim Howe, of Honolulu’s Ocean Safety and Lifeguard Services division, told local news station KITV in 2013. “The reality is very different. Snorkeling is quite strenuous.”

3. Sandy Beach Park, Oahu:

4. Brennecke Beach, Kauai:

5. La‘aloa Beach, Big Island:

The Huffington Post