Deluxe Captain Cook Snorkeling Tour at Kealakekua Bay - Fair Wind Cruises
Overall Rating
4.79
A Relaxing and Enjoyable Trip with Good Food but Mediocre Snorkeling
Reviewed by: Kathy M., 2023/09/23On the whole, I'm glad I went. It was a lovely day, the boat was comfortable, and food great. The trip included a plant-based breakfast and lunch, with Kona coffee and alcoholic drinks available for purchase. The boat stopped twice on the way out so our guide could explain what we were seeing along the shore.
All the staff members were delightful and took good care of us.
Unfortunately, Kealakekua Bay did not offer the variety of sea life I experienced in other Hawaiian locations. I wonder if the reef has been affected by global warming. My prior experiences were 20 years ago, so things may be different now.
My experience was complicated by the fact that the corrective face masks were only available in a medium, which was too large for me. Consequently, I had major water leakage and was unable to spend much time snorkeling. One of the staff explained that supply chain problems have limited the availability of corrective masks. That's a good reason for bringing your own!
My sister, who had her own mask, explored more widely and commented on the relative scarcity of sea life, although she did see one kind of fish that was new to her.
Nevertheless, the trip was fun. I enjoyed my run down the slide - my sister's dared me to do it!
A number of snorkeling tours go to Kealakekua Bay. I looked at the other tour boats there and concluded that ours was the best. All in all, it was a great way to spend the morning. (Did I mention that both breakfast and lunch were delicious?)
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| Attended as: | Friends |
| Activity Date: | 2023/09/07 |
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| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
| Activity Date: | 2023/06/25 |
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Great Excursion!
Reviewed by: Jen , 2023/07/03We loved this excursion! The Boat & staff were excellent! Snorkeling was amazing (tons of fish, turtle & an eel) & the boat with the slides & high dive were so fun for my kids!! This was our favorite hawaiin excursion!
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2023/07/01 |
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Excellent Family Snorkel Tour
Reviewed by: Kathleen B, 2023/06/22We went on the afternoon tour with 8 in our family ranging in age from 4 to 65. Most had no snorkeling experience. Everyone in our group thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The crew were so friendly and helpful! We were impressed with their safety precautions, including all of the crew being certified lifeguards and were watching out for everyone the entire time we were in the water. The water was pristine and we saw so many varieties of fish and even saw an eel. The coral was beautiful, too.
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2023/06/20 |
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Highly recommended!!
Reviewed by: Or Peretz, 2023/04/13Great crew, beautiful bay. The cruise ship was super equipped with everything you need to have a great time. The food was delicious, the snorkeling gear was great and the restrooms were clean. We highly recommend this tour!
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2023/04/08 |
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Great experience!
Reviewed by: Megan, 2023/03/31We had the best experience with our two five-year olds! They were both got a little nervous about the snorkeling and the crew patiently offered different options until they agreed to the kick boards with lenses. A big hit!! We saw a variety of fish and enjoyed the beauty (and history) of Cooke Cove The slides were also entertaining as the kids watched different people (including mom and dad) zoom down!! If you are concerned about the all veg breakfast and lunch, don’t be. As meat eaters, we all agreed the food was outstanding. To top it off, the Captain’s historical knowledge and witty comments made the ride to and from the coral reefs a lot of fun. We highly recommend tour!
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| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
| Activity Date: | 2023/03/29 |
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Fun Time in a Historic Setting
Reviewed by: Okiman60 , 2022/04/09The Fairwind crew is very professional, for they stress safety and they are helpful. In addition, the captain highlighted dolphin sightings and the historical information regarding ancient Hawaiian culture. He also gave facts about the Captain Cook Memorial.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2022/04/07 |
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Can't wait to do it again!
Reviewed by: Vincents, 2021/08/30So much fun. The location was beautiful, the crew was friendly and the service was great...oh and the plant based menu was delicious. Seeing dolphins made the day. I learned that orcas pass through Hawaiian waters and as a result the dolphins were swimming in and we were lucky enough to see them. Would have been fun to have paddleboards. We all loved it! Thank you.
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| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
| Activity Date: | 2021/08/28 |
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snorkelling, great trip
Reviewed by: D & J, 2020/03/14staff were great, boat not over crowded, facilities & service was terrific
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2020/03/05 |
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Great tour
Reviewed by: Hawaii8888, 2020/01/06This tour is very good for aged people and Baby. Everyone can enjoy.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2020/01/02 |
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Very attentive staff
Reviewed by: Kaschuess , 2019/07/20The staff was great and made sure everyone had a great experience
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2019/07/17 |
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Knowledgable, respectful, fun captain and crew.
Reviewed by: Fiona, 2019/06/23It is hard to know which cruise to book--well this is the one I would go with each time! The crew were knowledgable and respectful! As we came into the bay, their were a pod of spinner dolphins; we kept a respectful distance but we all got to take photos. Then when we pulled into anchor and snorkel, they made sure we knew to keep our distance from where the dolphins were swimming, since the dolphins come to the bay to rest it is even more important for people to give them their space--so impressed with the crew.
The snorkeling was beautiful. The coral was amazing and at many different levels with sooo many different species of fish!! Fabulous!
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2019/06/17 |
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Afternoon snorkeling
Reviewed by: Steve F, 2019/04/21Crew was super friendly and organized. Boat had nice restrooms and was very easy to get in and out of water. Not huge amount of fish but relatively easy snorkel experience. Crew gave short history lesson of the area and Captain Cook. Snacks were chips and fresh fruit.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2019/04/18 |
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Great Activity
Reviewed by: CHIEH, 2019/04/20Friendly crews, wonderful views, amazing snorkeling experience!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2019/04/11 |
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Kealakekua bay snorkeling
Reviewed by: Ca fun, 2018/06/17Very organized and friendly staff. The restroom I used was very clean. The gears were clean. Excellent experience. If I have another chance to come back, I would definitely come back again!
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| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
| Activity Date: | 2018/06/14 |
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A must do!
Reviewed by: Tony, 2018/05/31Great day out on the water. A time for the entire family, very friendly crew and the food was great.
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| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
| Activity Date: | 2018/05/28 |
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Snorkeling
Reviewed by: Tony, 2017/07/22I would recommend this for all ages that are good swimmers all the boat crew were qualified life guards and very helpful. I even seen some babies is tubes with their parents pushing them in the water. I had a great time
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| Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
| Activity Date: | 2017/06/30 |
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Sailing in calm waters
Reviewed by: Tony, 2017/07/19As an adult amatuer snorkeler, I felt so safe with these guys. Great trip, fun in the waters, great, amenities, and I'd be back for more.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2017/07/16 |
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Less about snorkelling, more about water slide on boat
Reviewed by: Sucheta, 2017/06/24The main focus of this tour was on the water slide and jumps on the boat. A good activity for families with young children. The snorkelling was average, as was the snorkelling gear provided. Most people snorkelled only for about 20 minutes before getting back to the boat. We saw a lot of dolphins on the way back though, which was excellent. Overall, a good activity got families. As a young couple, we felt it was a bit too noisy for us.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2017/06/21 |
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Highly recommended this adventure!
Reviewed by: Paula, 2016/11/13We had an amazing time, this was our favorite excursion while in Hawaii this trip. Next time that we visit it will be a do over! The snorkeling was great and the crew was super! If you are looking for a great outing I would encourage you to go out and spend a day with these guys and enjoy snorkeling
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2016/11/10 |
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Great experience in the best place to snorkel
Reviewed by: S & S, 2016/10/01Crew were a delight and right when you get into the water the snorkeling is amazing and full o wonder!! No board was a rep from Snuba offering scuba diving, if you get the chance, take it!!! Worth the extra payment and such a great memory!!!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2016/09/20 |
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Professional and Fun Group!
Reviewed by: Claire , 2016/09/22Elvis and the crew are great fun, they really seem to enjoy there jobs. You would think taking boat loads of tourist out everyday they would get old, if it does they hide it well. They are a safe group and care for the island they are sharing with you. On the way back he turned the boat around to get us a better look at a beautiful Manta Ray. Well worth the time and money!!
The office staff is also great, they will call you to confirm, give you directions, answer questions. Really a great group, not a "sketchy tourist trap"!
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| Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
| Activity Date: | 2016/09/17 |
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The best memory in our Hawaii trip
Reviewed by: Trina Sung, 2016/08/13Excellent tour!!!! The staffs were very helpful and kind. Everything just went well, include the cruise, the snorkeling time and the BBQ. We had everything on time and got everything we needed. Kealakelua Bay was such a fantastic place!!!! I would never forget this trip and recommended everyone to Hawaii to come here!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2016/08/04 |
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Best experience!
Reviewed by: Amy, 2016/07/14Strongly reconmended! Snorkling food view.. Everything was great! Worth it
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2016/07/11 |
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highly recommend
Reviewed by: a fan, 2016/07/09My two teenagers (from LA) who don't like to show enthusiasm about anything had a great time on this activity. I loved seeing the Spinner Dolphins. We felt very safe and well taken care of. I highly recommend the Fair Wind.
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2016/06/13 |
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Ok I guess
Reviewed by: Patty & Dan monk, 2016/06/30Husband and I went together and the crew was great we just didn't think the snorkel was that great. We had issues with our gear and we didn't see too much
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2016/06/28 |
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Kealakekua Bay Snorkeling Morning Cruise & BBQ
Reviewed by: Mrs. C, 2016/06/11Very enjoyable day. The crew was friendly, but the bartender could have had some help. More help for the bartender, would have made the company more money. Fun that we also caught a fish.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2016/05/16 |
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Snorkeling at Captian Cook Monument
Reviewed by: Fred B., 2016/05/09Nice boat, great crew. This was my third time on the Fair Wind, & has been just as enjoyable as the previous times. This time they caught a nice size Ono. Fun times
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2016/04/07 |
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Can't wait to go again!
Reviewed by: Candace, 2016/04/29This was by far the best part of our vacation. I only wish we would have had more time so we could have taken the longer trip.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2016/04/26 |
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Third time with Fair Wind - still awesome!
Reviewed by: Attila D., 2016/04/12This was my third snorkeling trip with the Fair Wind to Kealakekua Bay. Once again, another flawlessly executed experience! The crew is very friendly and accommodating, the food and drinks are consistently good, and the snorkeling and Snuba experiences are top-notch.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2016/04/04 |
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Thank you for taking the time to let us know about your experience! We hope to see you again in the future. Leah