All Reviews for Snorkeling Cruises & Tours

Overall, I thought it was very good. Crew was nice and professional. They served lunches and accommodated *most* dietary restrictions. Seeing turtles was really cool. Unfortunately I picked this tour for where it said we were snorkeling. The crew made a last minute decision to change our snorkel spot due to winds.

Kayaking the Hanalei River was magestic! The tour guides were fun and interesting and knowledgable! When we got to the snorkeling place, it seemed like it would be good - lots of reef, but then it was not as good as it seemed. I think the reef was too high in the sense that you could only snorkel around the coral, not above it as I'm used to, so if you don't find the "channel" (there are several false leads/dead-ends) then you may get stuck on top of the coral which means you may have to step on it, which you're not supposed to do! This is particularly challenging with children. The gear was all one-size-fits-no-one really well. I thought there would be children's sized gear so we didn't bother bringing the cheap children's gear that we purchased earlier in the week - I thought the tour would have better gear. All-in-all, we barely snorkeled! But otherwise, the tour was lovely!

All the crew members are very nice and passionate to make the trip for all guests a memorable one.

The sand bar area is great for activities.

All of us enjoyed this.

It's true, discovering the Manta's is a must do on Kona and the best place is Keauhou Bay with the "Dolphin Discovery" crew. I chose this company based on their reviews and it was the best decision I made! Our family numbered 6 among an intimate group of 12, plus the crew. Everyone of the crew from the "in-water" guides (Justin & Chaz) to the Capt. and shore staff were AMAZING. Super helpful, patient, approachable, knowledgeable and everything a group could ask for and more! Equipment is top notch and the hot, lavender/chamomile tea & cookies after the swim/snorkeling is the perfect touch!! Thank you very, very much for making this one of the most memorable experiences we had in Kona!!

This was one of the best tours we’ve taken. Didn’t know what to expect but it was a blast!! The crew were superb, lunch was yummy and the music was great. Everything about this trip screams fun and family friendly!!
The tour was basically singing with the musicians and again, it was super friendly. We had the banana boat ride and the bumper boat. The kids had a blast! They let you do all the stuff and they come get you if you purchased these rides as extra! Come spend some time with these folks! Definitely worth it!!

My friend and I had one of the best days on Oahu during this tour. From pick-up to drop-off, and everything in between, it was the perfect morning on the water.

After getting picked up in Waikiki, it was a quick drive to Kaneohe Bay, and a KBOS employee was there to meet us once the bus arrived. We got checked in and headed on-board, and it was non-stop fun from there.

The live musicians are EXCELLENT. Like, better than anything you will hear on the radio, and they also do double duty as lifeguards once you are in the water. We went snorkeling, stand-up paddling, and just chilled in the water since it was so calm and clear.

We brought our own food to the tour, but the donuts and hot tea were appreciated.

Definitely a repeat visit on my next trip to Hawaii!!!

Please do not go there in Dec. The day we went, it was very windy and cloudy. Under the water in that area, you can see nothing except corals. There may be a few small fishes. That’s all. Moreover, the organizer did not provide fippers and there are many corals, , so there was no way to stand up. My friend had many wounds.

Best experience ever. I seen so many beautiful. Fish and turtles. The crew were awesome and fun i would definitely do it again. Just being out there on the ocean was so amazing

Crew, equipment, boat, customers and experience were all AWESOME

Food was included which was a plus. Live music and the singers were amazing, and they took our request for a song. The whole crew was very friendly and did everything to make each activity fun. Would definitely recommend to anyone planning on snorkeling, kayaking, and/or kayaking.

We had the best time! The team was so nice and helped us learned to kayak (it was our first time!) they we’re super patient. I can’t wait to do it again.

Great experience, the staff was so warm and loving! Highly recommend. Plenty of wildlife to see if your snorkeling. Musicians were awesome too.

What a great day! Wonderful crew, musicians made the day extra fun and special. Sandbars, kayaks, paddle boards and float… you can’t go wrong.

The staff was super friendly and accommodating. It was a really fun experience. We got to see turtles and spinner dolphins! It was a great way for us to end our trip in Hawaii. It is recommended though to know swimming well if you want to snorkel as the life jackets are not buoyant enough to keep you afloat.

Family of 5 had a great time. Crew was very nice and knowledgeable and made the experience even better. Beautiful turtles and fish.

I get this on every tour, but newbies need instructions on how not to be rude. Don’t flip in my face. Stop swarming at me, and please… there is no reason to flail your appendages rampantly for no reason when there are 50 swimmer right next to you. Please explain this to swimmers before hand. In fact, in a small area, there is no reason for flippers. This would have been much more enjoyable if no one had them.

Turtles were neat. I would not tell anyone else if you see one because everyone swarms and hits you in the face/gut/you name it, as they flail to see it.

We took the cruise last Thursday. The cruise time from the harbor to the site was a little long but worthful. The sunset view was beautiful. And we were so lucky to see a group of dolphins. The two girls were super nice and very helpful. Also, they offer a different price for people with ride-only. It was a great experience. I regret for not giving tips because my wallet was left in the car. I hope they could accept Zelle/Apple pay of tips later.

Kayaking was fun but it was a little disappointing to find that the sandbar and related islands are all under water. The pictures showed a sandbar above water where you could exit the kayak and walk or play. In reality, the sandbars are 3-4 ft. under water. You can stand on them but you are just standing in the shallow water. According to the employee, the sandbars are under water most of the time - rarely are they exposed, due to tidal conditions. Need an extreme negative tide and the right time of the year to actually see sand. Would have been nice to know before we showed up for our trip.

The manta ray night snorkel was AMAZING! Our guides were so friendly and knowledgeable. They took the time to meet each one of us individually. Being in the dark ocean with these amazing creatures is a breathtaking experience that can’t be put into words or explained with videos. You just have to do it. We have 5-6 rays that barrel rolled under us continuously for about 20 minutes.

Capt. Ige and crew was great. They treated us very good and showed us a great time. I am definitely going to do it again with other friend that comes up from abroad. Beach volleyball was fun and snorkeling near the reef was a blast as we were close to a sea turtle.

My family really enjoyed the trip/tour. They had a shuttle to pick up us from the hotel in Waikiki. We saw so many fish and sea turtles. Definitely want to do it again!

I paid for and experienced the sunset Manta Ray Night Time Snorkelling on Dec. 23, 2021. I completely understand that these are wild animals and that it's extremely unpredictable whether or not you'll get a good chance to see them up close and personal. That said, that is what this company is selling and what we are paying extremely good money for. if you are going to charge for it, then every effort should be made to deliver on that experience.

The crew overall did a decent job, but once we arrived at the area where the Manta Rays were supposed to be, I was surprised to see a huge number of boats of various sizes and setups. I then realized that perhaps our setup was not ideal. I noticed that some arrange the snorkelers in a circle or square formation, making it more likely for everyone to get a good view of the Manta Ray if it shows up. Our setup was just some floating paddle boards, and our particular location was not ideal. I would say all of us on our particular paddle board barely caught a glimpse of a Manta Ray, whereas others I believe based on what they said got a much better view. This was extremely disappointing. I'm sure those who did catch a good shot will talk about a different experience, but all of us who were on the boat paid good money, not just those who got a good view of the Manta Rays.

This makes it hard to recommend this particular outfit to others

We are a family of 4 (2 adults and 2 kids 9yr old and 6yr old). Instructor was very patient enough to guide us how to snorkel. He provided us some tricks to make snorkeling easier for beginners. He was always there to help us out and made us feel comfortable. Except for my spouse everyone else in the group are non-swimmers, the instructor helped us navigate through the water, and to top it he took amazing videos of us while snorkeling :)

Since it was the season, I was able to see whales. That said, they were quite far away, and I only saw their spouts and tails... Unfortunately, during the dolphin swim, I didn't encounter any dolphins, but on the way back, I was able to see some resting dolphins from the boat in the shallow waters where they make their beds. There was also time for snorkeling, but since a large group was chasing the turtles all at once, both the fish and turtles got scared, and I only got to see them properly for about five minutes. Depending on luck, it does feel a bit overpriced, especially since I paid over 20,000 yen, but considering the transportation and lunch included, I guess this is what you get with the high prices in Hawaii and the impact of COVID-19 on the tourism industry. However, the staff were truly kind and reliable; even though I participated alone, they were always considerate, and I had a great time. Due to the holiday season, the boat was fully booked with people from Europe, America, and China, but the waves were high, and the boat was rocking, leading to many people getting seasick. After the middle of the trip, it turned into a scene from hell. It might be better to aim for the off-season for various reasons.

シーズンということで、クジラも見れました。と言ってもかなり遠くで、潮吹きと尾っぽのみでしたが…肝心のドルフィンスイムではイルカに出会えず、帰り際にイルカたちが寝床にしている浅瀬で、お休み中のイルカを船上から見ることができました。シュノーケリングの時間もありますが、大人数で一斉にカメを追いかけるため、魚もカメも怖がってしまい、まともに見れたのは5分程度です。運次第ではありますが、2万円以上払っただけに全体的には割高感は否めませんが、送迎とランチ付きでハワイの物価の高さ&コロナ禍の観光業となるとこうなってしまうのかとしれません。ただ本当にスタッフの皆さんは優しくて頼もしく、1人参加でしたが常に気遣ってもらい楽しく過ごせました。なおホリデーシーズンのため欧米や中国の方で満席状態でしたが、とにかく波が高くて船が揺れるため船酔いする人が続出。中盤以降は地獄絵図と化していました。色々な意味でシーズンオフを狙った方が良いかもしれません。

It was a very windy day unfortunately so we couldn’t paddle out to the proper sand bar ( they told us not to). We paddle to the smaller sand bars closer to the shore, but we should have needed a guide, it was hard to know if we were in the right place and we saw almost nothing such as fishes and stuff, we did see one turtle that raced past us so fast. We had booked for a half day but we where only away for 2,5 hours because also the water was cold…
Maybe this excursion should be during the summer months and not during winter time.
The crew where really nice and friendly and did there best to help us and guide us, although next time we would pay a little bit more and get a guide and maybe take a boat!

We had a fantastic time on this tour. The staff was great and we had a great time. Great!

It was fun , would recommend and do again. Everyone was helpful and nice.

Although the see condition was rough, we had a wonderful time viewing the famous Na Pali coast line. This cruise in winter time is good for people who do not get sea sick.
Besides, we saw a number of whales jumping out of water around our boat. It's the mating season for whales, therefore, they are very active. Seeing whales jumping out of water nearby was out if my expectations. I'd definitely recommend this cruise.

Yuki and the entire team are a fantastic crew. It’s clearly one of the best activities on the island. Highly recommend them! The volleyball on the sandbar, turtle sightings, and snorkeling along with all the food and drinks were very well coordinated.

Overall great experience! probably one of the best place to go kayaking in Hawaii. However, please be mindful that the sandbar would be under water in December. It's still shallow enough to enjoy and have a nice photo though!