All Reviews for Kailua-Kona

Capt Steve and crew member Morgan were absolutely Wonderful! Made us feel at ease. I would recommend the wet suits to get the full exploration time in case the westher is a bit chilly. Just getting out of the Bay was a Pod of Dolphins 8 or more right at the beginning of the Snorkeling tour!! On our way to 2nd Bay, Capt Steve notcied a whale that was a bit out of the way but still took us there and ended up being a Mama Whale with her baby practicing breaching the water! How amazing!! The Snorkeling was filled with Gorgeously Brillant colors of multitudes of fish especially at Capt Cook’s Momument! We explored magnificant caves while Capt Steve explained the History of the Island and topped off with delicious healthy assortment of fruit at first Bay and much needed sandwiches at the completion of the 2nd Bay stop!! We even lucked out and caught a glimpse of s huge Manta Ray coming back into port. Absolutely Perfect Snorkeling Tour and very personalized with a small group of interesting people!! Thank you Seaquest!!! I will remember this for the rest of my lfe!! That’s what life is all about!!

We saw pilot whales up close and the staff were so informative, helpful, and truly loving their work. I really wish that we had been able to see a humpback whale since we were there in the right season. But I have to presume that they were not able to find any that day. Guess I’ll just have to come back to Hawaii again?!

We went out to sea under the setting sun.
Everything was perfect.
Lots of huge manta rays came close. Sometimes up to few feet away!!
The crew; Diego and Ryan were pampering us and taking care of our every needs.
Would recommend them anytime without a doubt.

-David L

We had a great afternoon on the boat. Took a seven and two year old out with us to see the whales and the captain was very accommodating to both of them. Once we got the area where the whales were we saw a couple different pairs breach multiple times and certainly didn't need binoculars to see them. On our way back to the harbor a few bottle nosed dolphins decided to swim out front of the boat and in the wake for about 10 minutes which was every bit as cool as seeing the whales.

I'd highly recommend Aloha Kona Tours.

The captain and crew are so nice
The boat is very clean and comfy!

the experience was really good.
We got to see bunch of dolphins and whales breaching really close to.

Thank you so much!

We had an awesome time viewing the Manta Rays. We were able to see the spinner dolphins in the sunset as well. The staff was great and very accommodating. Definitely worth the trip to the big island!

Night snorkel with manta rays was recommended to me by a coworker who lived on Kona. We booked this for our vacation based on her recommendation. We brought our ‘kids’ ages 30, 16, 13. I think it would be hard for younger kids. In fact, one child I’d say about 6 sat on a float the entire time. Swimming in ocean at night even with a wetsuit (a MUST), a noodle, and holding on to a raft is trying even for an adult. That being said, it was so cool! We were fortunate to see many manta rays! I wish I could’ve taken pictures. It was plenty long enough time. Any longer would’ve been too much. We had perfect weather and the light of the full moon. The crew was awesome and fun. You could tell they loved their job and were friends. Shout out to the girl on our crew named Ryan, who took extra care and patience helping my 30 year old daughter swim back to boat.

Captain Trevor and his crew were outstanding!! The manta rays were incredible and while we were watching them the crew gave us facts about these amazing creatures.

My family loved this tour. Great for kids. We loved not having to get in the water to see coral and fish.

Travis was phenomenal. Knew so much about the island as well as space facts. Definitely worth the price and time.

We had hoped the weather would clear, but, unfortunately, despite our tour guide’s best efforts to find some clearing, we were beaten by the weather. Our guide, Hunter, was extremely knowledgeable and tried really hard to wait for some sign of being able to observe anything, but had to cancel with no luck. I can imagine it would have been spectacular to see and hear the wealth of information he would have been able to provide if we could have seen it.

It was perfect! The crew was really kind and helpful. The captain was really funny and entertaining. And the star of the show - the Manta Rays - we're absolutely breathtaking. We were lucky to find a group of Manta Rays en route and decided to drop anchor and just spent all the time there. That gave us more time with the Manta Rays. We weren't the best swimmers so the crew helped us with life jackets and they helped to and fro the float. We had a great time and I would absolutely recommend them.

Food was great especially the pork and salmon. Show was nice, small if you’ve been to some on the other islands. But overall a nice evening.

Arthur gave us an incredible experience. With his knowledge of geology and astrology plus history of island we learned more than we expected. We felt we could not have asked for more in the planetarium and stargazing. The telescope was an exception experience. I will be recommending your company.

Liked the smaller boat vibe! we saw a lot of manta rays

Crystal clear waters, fun to go through sea caves, thrilling

This tour was AMAZING from start to end. Yes this is a pricer tour to book; however, you truly get a ton for your money. This is a long event; we got picked up at 2pm and back around 10pm. The pickup location was very convenient right in Kona Town. You are provided a solid dinner, dessert, and hot beverages while stargazing. You get to sit back and relax during the drive and enjoy the wealth of knowledge from the tour guide. Speaking of, our tour guide Art was absolutely outstanding! He was knowledgeable, approachable, and entertaining. Also the star-gazing area is private to tours and had a high level telescope for easy viewing. We were fortunate enough to see a really big shooting star during our viewing. We were also provided super warm parkas which was great because it is quite chilly at the summit. I could go on and on about this tour but I would 100% book this again and personally recommend this specific tour to family and friends.

P.S. Did we say how amazing Art was?!

The tour was everything we hoped for. Fernando was a fantastic guide, knowledgeable about Hawaiian history, religious significance of Mauna Kea and stargazing.

I participated in a tour on October 30. I had originally planned a different night tour, but it was canceled on the day due to bad weather. I had been recommended the manta ray tour by a local Lyft driver, so I hurriedly booked the evening tour for that day. In the end, it was a great decision.

Listening to the explanations from the Japanese guide made for a reassuring boat trip. It was also a wonderful memory to see the sunset sinking into the sea and to spot baby whales along the way.

As for the mantas, I was able to see about six of them. They shared the videos and photos taken with a GoPro, which allowed me to focus on the mantas in front of me without getting distracted by filming. The mantas gracefully swam just a meter away, and after watching them for a while, I completely lost track of everyday life and felt as if there was only the mantas and myself in the world.

After returning to the boat, we were served warm cocoa. It was soothing and comforting for my slightly tired and chilled body.

Since this seems to be an experience you can't have on Oahu, I highly recommend participating in this tour if you visit the Big Island.

10/30にツアー参加。
元々別の夜ツアーを予定していたのですが、それが悪天候で当日キャンセルとなりました。
マンタツアーのことは、事前にLyftの地元運転手からお勧めされていたので、急いで当日夕方のツアーを予約しました。
結果的には大正解でした。
日本人のガイドさんの説明を聞きながら、安心した船旅となりました。
途中で海に沈む夕陽や、子どもの鯨を見ることができたのも良い思い出です。

肝心のマンタは、6枚ほど見ることができました。
GoProで撮影した動画や写真を共有してもらえたので、撮影に気を取られず、目の前のマンタに集中することができました。
1mの距離で身を翻し、優雅に泳ぐマンタ。
しばらく見ていると、日常は完全に頭から消え、世界にマンタと自分だけしかいないような錯覚に陥りました。

船に戻ってからは温かいココアを振る舞ってもらえました。
少し疲れて冷えた身体に染み渡るココアでした。

オアフ島では体験できないイベントらしいので、ハワイ島を訪れたらぜひ参加してもらいたいツアーです。

In addition to a wonderful manta ray sighting experience, we were also treated to a spinner dolphin show on the way. The crew were friendly, knowledgeable and great with our 7-year old. We really appreciated the smaller boat for a more intimate and personal experience. The hot chocolate on the way back was a really nice touch! Would absolutely recommend Iruka and we would go again with them next time we are back in Hawaii.

Just be patient with the sightings! We didn't get much activity with the mantas until right at the end and it was totally worth it.

Well worth the money since getting up to the site is nearly impossible logistically for a rental car. More importantly, our guide, Gage, was so exceptionally knowledgeable on everything from astronomy to Hawaii geography.

I was able to enjoy snorkeling in two spacious locations with excellent visibility! There were plenty of fish, and I was thrilled.

There were several types of soft drinks available for unlimited refills, and breakfast included fruit and pastries, while lunch consisted of sandwiches with a choice of fillings, which were delicious. Chips were also served as a snack. The service was great, with sunscreen provided as well.

There were about 20 participants, and my husband and I were the only Japanese people. Naturally, everything was in English, so I couldn't understand most of the explanations. However, the staff taught us how to use the snorkel through gestures.

Overall, snorkeling in Kealakekua Bay was beautiful and amazing! I highly recommend it if you're going to the Big Island.

少人数でゆったり二箇所、透明度抜群な所でシュノーケリングを楽しめました！魚も沢山いて感激しました。
ソフトドリンクは何種類かあり飲み放題、朝食はフルーツとデニッシュ、昼食はサンドイッチで具材も選ばせてもらえおいしかったです。おやつにポテチもでました。日焼け止めも置いてあったりとサービスはよかったです。
参加者は20人ぐらいいて、日本人は私達夫婦だけでした。当然すべて英語なので、説明もほとんどわからなかったです。ただスタッフはジェスチャーでシュノーケルの使い方を教えてくれました。
とにかくケアラケクア湾でのシュノーケリングは綺麗で最高でした！ハワイ島に行くならオススメです。

Seeing Mantra rays glide gracefully beneath you was a highlight of my trip to Hawaii. I highly recommend Iruka.

First timers snorkeling, we have so much fun and our guides very friendly and helpful

Had a fantastic time doing the afternoon snorkel. The crew was helpful and shared interesting facts and stories about the island as we sailed. We had plenty of time to snorkel. The boat was comfortable as well with plenty of spaces to sit in the shade or sun. We also loved the fresh water showers to rinse off coming out of the ocean. We will definitely be booking with Sea Paradise again in the future.

Have done this tour 5 years ago with a different vendor. Was much better with other tour group but did not recall who it was when I booked this trip. Things I did not like about this tour:
1. Was not notified I could have been picked up in Kona. So we drove over an hour when we did not have to. Another couple drove all the way to the visitor center for the same reason 2. Dinner was marginal at best. 3. Star viewing from the visitor center parking lot?? Are you kidding me? Why? Light pollution, less clear skies..what a joke. I lay that blame on the tour guide, Maka. 4. Guide is not passionate about astronomy but he can be a good guide at times. Sadly, as the night wore on so did his personality. 5. Gloves were only proffered when a man complained. Hand them out with the coats.

Bottom line: do the tour but with a different group.

In August 2022, when travel was still strict due to COVID-19, I went to the Big Island and enjoyed a private charter. Since it was my first time in Hawaii, I don't have anything to compare it to, but I felt very safe and secure because it was private.

By the way, according to our guide, Mr. Nawata, we were the first Japanese guests after COVID.

The positives were:
- Since it was private,
1. The schedule was flexible.
2. I could keep a close eye on the children who are not strong swimmers, ensuring their safety.
3. Although they had solid COVID-19 measures in place, it felt even safer since there were no other families around.
- We saw dolphins jumping when we arrived at the bay.
- The children were satisfied seeing beautiful fish.

The trip from Honokohau Harbor to Kealakekua Bay took about an hour one way, and we spent about an hour in the water, but the kids seemed to enjoy it enough, and the breeze on the boat was pleasant.

While it is somewhat more expensive compared to shared boats, we were able to do things that wouldn't be possible without the private charter, and I believe it was a great experience for the children. For families or groups of four or more, especially those with relatively small children, I think it's definitely worth it to go for a private charter.

まだコロナで渡航が厳しい2022年8月にハワイ島にいってプライベートチャーターを楽しみました。初めてのハワイだったので比較対象がないのですが、プライベートだったので、安心安全でとてもよかったと思います。
ちなみに、ガイドの縄田さんによると、コロナ後初の日本人だったそうです。

良かった点としては、
・プライベートだったので、
①スケジュールの融通が利く。
②泳ぎが得意でない子供たちにもしっかり目が届いて安心安全。
③コロナ対策もしっかりしていますが、それ以上に他の家族がいないので安心。
・湾に着いた時にイルカがジャンプしているのが見れたこと。
・子どもたちもきれいな魚が見れて満足していたこと。

出発地のホノウコウ・ハーバーからケアラケクア湾までは片道1時間、往復2時間ほどで海に入れたのは1時間ほどでしたが、子どもたちは十分満喫したようでしたし、ボートの風は気持ち良かったです。

乗り合いのボートと比べると多少値段は張りますが、プライベートではないとできないことができ、子どもたちにもとてもいい体験になったと思います。
それなりの4人以上の家族・グループ、特に比較的小さな子供のいる方にとっては、プライベートチャーターにする価値は十分あると思います。

Hands down a memorable experience. I absolutely loved it and want to go back ASAP. I went in September and I still can't stop thinking about it. The parking was right in front of the loading area. The crew was welcoming right away. They got us set up with gear and even let us use our own gear if we brought. They had snacks and beverages on board. We got to watch the sky light on fire for sunset as we sailed out to where the mantas were. Lots of other companies were around in the harbor as well but the crew made sure to stay a safe distance away without disrupting the other experiences. And !!for the main event!! we saw SIX manta rays! Maybe more. They were so beautiful and flipping right underneath us. The captain also shared some knowledge atop the floating mat while we snorkeled so we could hear her stories while appreciating the creatures. The mantas stuck around the whole time. When it was time to head back in, the crew treated us to hot chocolate. They were also happy to share footage they took during the experience. I fully appreciated their generosity. I would definitely go back and do this again with Iruka! And a BIG MAHALO to HawaiiActivities.com and the Hawaii Reef Hero contest for making this possible for me and my friends <3

We had the greatest time on this tour! Ocean Encounters has the best crew and they made it so much fun! They were super nice and very knowledgeable! Not only that but the mantas put on a great show for us!! Highly recommend!! Mahalo Ocean Encounters!!!

It was a nice experience. The service was outstanding as the whole crew was very polite and always ready to assist. The ride itself was a bit rough.. not sure off it was just on that day due to the wind and current being strong or the captain was driving too fast lol.. but I did get a bit dizzy. The food Wass tasty and the views, info and music were also on point.