Kona Glassbottom Boat Cruise: Coral Reef Observation Tour with Marine Naturalist
Overall Rating
4.52
We enjoyed our time! Beautiful fish
Reviewed by: Jan2020, 2020/02/23Seeing the difference colored fish. Very informative on fish, life and friendly
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2020/01/29 |
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Disappointing
Reviewed by: Colin, 2020/02/09We found this trip rather disappointing. It was supposed to last for an hour but we returned to the pier after 50 minutes. In the event we had probably seen all there was to see after 20 minutes. You see rather dull brown/grey coral, some small blue and yellow fish and some sea urchins - No wrays or sharks or anything unusual. In fact the guide started to describe the history of the buildings on the shoreline as we headed back. Not worth the money.
Sorry to hear that you found our tour disappointing. The tour is one hour from when you get on to when you get off, that does mean that it is about 50 min of actual tour time, we appreciate the insight, maybe we can explore making the tour last a bit longer.
The coral in Hawaii is naturally more neutral in color than other places in the world. However, Kona has amazingly clear waters and colorful fish. Many fish are relatively small so they can live on the reef and fit in the cracks and crevices of the coral. We do not guarantee shark and ray sightings. Though, sometimes we see large interesting creatures like that. We are sorry to hear that you are disappointed in what Kona's reef has to offer. Most guests express that they find the natural coral ecosystem to be amazing.
Many passengers are interested in the history of the bay including some of the historic buildings. The time when we are heading back and have a good view of the buildings is the perfect time to discuss it.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2020/02/06 |
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glass bottom boat
Reviewed by: Lesley, 2019/12/05I was really excited about the adventure because I won’t scuba dive but I was able to see the beautiful scenery at the bottom of the ocean.
Kay was an amazing tour guide. She was so informed and kept us engaged in the whole activity.
This was worth every penny I recommend it.
Mahalo for taking the time to write a review, Lesley. We are so glad to hear that you enjoyed the tour and found it worth every penny. Aloha!
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| Attended as: | Solo Travelers |
| Activity Date: | 2019/12/02 |
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Excellent
Reviewed by: Father/daughter, 2018/07/14Excelllent trip. Microphone would of been nice. Hard to hear everything. I would still recommend this tour!
Mahalo for a great review! We have recently been researching hands-free microphones. Yes, it would be very helpful.
Jeannie Jewell
Kona Glassbottom Boat
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| Attended as: | Families |
| Activity Date: | 2018/07/11 |
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Glass bottom boat tour
Reviewed by: Debbie, 2018/06/04What a fantastic tour, a lot more than expected. Very knowledgeable of all the coral and sea creatures. Not just for kids our party was 2 adults so we had fun too.
Aloha Debbie! We are so happy that you had a fantastic tour! Yes it is fun for kids, but most definately for adults too. There is so much to see and learn. Thank you for the review.
Jeannie
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2018/05/30 |
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Informative!
Reviewed by: Scott Reimer, 2017/11/20My girlfriend broke her ankle trying to go snorkeling so going again was out for us. The next best thing or better even was this tour; Kat, our guide, answered every one of our questions and it was super fun! We saw all kinds of critters and fish and it felt like you were under the waves yourself! Clear and colorful! I’d do it again, and the price was the most reasonable of all the activities we’ve tried so far on the Big Island ;)
Aloha Scott, Glad you had a great time and thank you for such a nice review. Sorry to hear about your girlfriend, hope she is better now...ankles take time healing though!
Mahalo,
jeannie
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2017/11/17 |
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Glass bottom boat
Reviewed by: James Henderson , 2017/10/21Great experience!!!! Tour guide was very knowledgeable, experienced, super friendly, and accommodating! Loved this!
We are happy you enjoyed the tour. Hope you will join us again!
Mahalo,
Jeannie
Kailua Bay Charter
The Glass Bottom Boat
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| Attended as: | Couples |
| Activity Date: | 2017/10/18 |
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Great Day on the Ocean Harbour
Reviewed by: Good, 2017/10/02Very exciting to see the dolphins on our outing as well as the tropical fish below. The guide was very knowledgeable and provided lots of info on what we were seeing! Excellent outing.
Thank you so much for your nice review. Glad you enjoyed the tour.
Mahalo!
Jeannie
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| Attended as: | Friends |
| Activity Date: | 2017/09/25 |
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First time on a Glass bottom boat
Reviewed by: Joe , 2017/06/10It was good the people were very nice! If you don't like to snorkel then this will be great for you!
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| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
| Activity Date: | 2017/06/07 |
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Under the Sea
Reviewed by: Jessie, 2017/03/05The staff was great, their knowledge about the fish and the area is beyond amazing. The children were so excited to see the fish and corral.
Aloha Jessie, Thanks for your nice review. We are so glad you and your family enjoyed the tour!
Mahalo,
Jeannie
Kailua Bay Charter Company
The Glassbottom Boat
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| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
| Activity Date: | 2017/02/13 |
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Glass bottom boat 11/27/12
Reviewed by: Mr. Anonymous, 2012/12/16Had a wonderful time. Boat was exceptional and specifically built for tour. Staff was extremely knowledgeable really great with the children as she used to be a school teacher. You couldn't have asked for a better guide for families with children!
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| Attended as: | Families with Young Children |
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GLASSBOTTOM BOAT CRUISE
Reviewed by: Mr. Anonymous, 2012/10/02I thoughly enjoyed the cruise although my wife became ill
prior to the journey and wasn't able to attend. She would
have also enjoyed! The highlite was a Black Manta that
swam directly under the boat.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
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Untitled
Reviewed by: Mr. Anonymous, 2009/07/06It was fun, and the snorkeling was great, but it does take a lot of upper arm strength.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
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Fun Experience
Reviewed by: Mr. Anonymous, 2009/07/06It was a fun experience. We got to see lots of different fish. Taking pictures is hard though because fish and boat moving, and hard to see when developed because of glass.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
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Fun for kids
Reviewed by: Jane, 2008/09/29This was a pleasant outing and particularly enjoyable for kids. If you think you might get seasick, I would recommend you take a ginger capsule before you go. Looking down into the water can make you a little queezy. Very informative and was helpful to have someone describing what you see.
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| Attended as: | Friends |
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Non snorkelers - don't miss out!
Reviewed by: JK, 2008/09/21I don't know how to swim, and no way would I try snorkeling without even knowing how to float, so this was right up my alley. The staff was engaging and funny and knew a lot about the fish that we saw. We floated over several clusters of coral and although I didn't see anything as cool as a dolphin or manta ray, I did see a variety of exotic fish I had never known outside of an aquarium. Sadly, it's a quick 1 hour because you're so focused on looking at the windows that you lose track of time.
I don't recommend taking tons of pictures like someone here suggested, only because the fish move so fast that you'd probably get bad shots anyway and secondly, you really want to enjoy this uninterrupted without a contraption mounted to your face. Maybe take a snapshot of the first reef so you can tell people "I experienced this," then put the camera away for good.
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| Attended as: | Couples |
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Over the Rainbow
Reviewed by: Pot of Gold, 2008/05/26It is magnificent. The best sightseeing of all the tours. Take lots of film. I loved it. Stunning scenery,and very entertaining guide. It is over the rainbow good.
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| Attended as: | Friends |
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Fantastic!
Reviewed by: Tom and Jo, 2008/03/05This was an enjoyable hour! The staff was great! Spinner Dolphins, Eel, Manta Ray and lots and lots of beautiful fish in the reef! Worth every penny!
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| Attended as: | Couples |
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Thank you for the review. We are glad to hear that you enjoyed the colorful fish and informative narration.