All Reviews for Marine Wildlife Encounters

This is a good tour for families with very young kids or elderly parents. Sad that we didn't get to see a variety of sea life. In addition, I was expecting a glass bottom..it's not.

Exactly what it said on the website. We had an amazing time, saw some amazing sharks and even got a DVD of us with the Sharks from one of the deck hands Dawn. Definitely worth every penny.

First of all, the one-way free shuttle from the airport was appreciated, but unfortunately, I didn't get to see any whales. The captain changed locations several times and made an effort, but it just didn't happen. I had high hopes since they said they saw them multiple times the day before. However, I did receive a free ticket for the next time, but I didn't see any whales on the second trip either.

まずは空港から片道無料送迎付きは有難かったのですが、クジラには出会えませんでした＞＜　　船長さんも幾度も場所を変え、挑戦してくれたのですがダメでした。前日は何回も見れたとのことだったので期待大でした。でも次回の無料参加チケを貰ったのですが２回目もダメでした＞＜

I participated with my sister. At first, there were no manta rays at all, and I was worried about what would happen if it ended like this, but in the last 30 minutes, a lot of them gathered, and we were able to see them quite up close!! When we entered the water, we were handed floats, but I didn't understand the English instructions well and only figured it out by watching the people around me. It might be a bit tough if you're participating alone and don't understand English. Even though it was a reasonably priced tour, I was glad to see the manta rays. It seems like they gather due to the lights from the boat, and the other boats were much brighter, attracting a lot more manta rays. I might want to try that one next time.

妹と二人で参加しました。最初、マンタは全く現れず、このまま終わったらどうしようと不安になりましたが、最後30分くらいでいっぱい集まってきて、かなり間近で見れました!!海に入る際にフロートを渡されたのですが、英語がよくわからず、回りの人をみてやっと理解。。一人参加で英語がわからないとちょっとツラいかもです。リーズナブルなツアーでも、マンタを見れたのでよかったですが、船の明かりでマンタを集める仕組みのようで、他の船の方がものすごく明るくてマンタもよく集まってるみたいでした。次回はそっち乗りたいかも。。

I participated with my son. I made a reservation online with Veltra from our accommodation in Honolulu. Due to the last-minute booking and the time difference, I confirmed with the local provider and also double-checked by phone. When I confirmed by phone, there was availability for the specified 11 AM slot, but it was ultimately confirmed for the 9 AM slot. I heard from the locals that after that, reservations filled up quickly. The pickup was in a car with a shark design. It took about an hour from the hotel to Haleiwa. From there, we transferred to a boat and arrived in about 20 minutes. The sea was very clear and beautiful. It was my first time seeing so many sharks up close, and it was a truly valuable experience! Additionally, the music from Jaws was playing on the boat, which added to the atmosphere.

息子と二人で参加しました。ホノルル滞在先からveltraさんにネットで予約しました。前日の予約と言うことと時差の関係から、現地にも確認を入れ、念のために電話でも確認。電話で確認した時は、指定の11時に空きがありましたが、最終的に9時枠で確定でした。現地の人からは、その後予約が入り、一杯になってしまったとか？ピックアップは、サメの絵柄の車。ホテルから現場のハレイワまで、約一時間。そこからボートに乗り換え、20分にほどで到着。海は、透明度が高く、とても綺麗でした。実際に、あれだけ多くのサメを間近に見れたのは初めてで、とても貴重な体験が出来ました！また、船上では ジョーズの音楽も流れ、演出もなかなかでした。

We participated in the Dolphin Adventure at the request of my elementary school daughter. We had a valuable experience swimming with dolphins, and both my daughter and I had a lot of fun. However, I felt that the time spent interacting with the dolphins was short for the high price, and it didn't quite meet my expectations.

In the morning, around 8:30, a bus marked "Sea Life Park" came to pick us up from the designated location. It took all the guests with reservations for the 9, 10, and 11 o'clock slots. Since it was a small park, we experienced everything, including shows, sea lions, turtles, and feeding small birds, but we ended up having extra time and felt that the wait until our 11:45 reservation was long.

We left the park at 2:30 PM, so we returned to the hotel close to 4 PM. It would be better if they arranged the pickups according to the program times, but since they gather everyone together for transportation, the time spent at the park can feel lengthy. I think those considering this should plan accordingly and allow for some extra time.

小学生の娘の希望で、ドルフィン・アドベンチャーに参加しました。
イルカにつかまり泳いだりと、貴重な経験ができて
娘も、私もたいへん楽しむことができましたが
値段が高い割にはイルカと触れ合える時間が
短いというか、値段ほどでもなかったかな
と、いう印象も受けました。

朝は8時半ごろ指定のピックアック場所に
シーライフパークと書かれたバスが迎えに来て、
9時台、10時台、11時台の予約客をまとめて乗せていきます。
小さなパークでしたので、ショーやアシカやカメ
小鳥のエサやりなども全て体験したうえで
時間が余ってしまい、11時45分の予約まで
待っている時間が長く感じました。

帰りが14時30分パーク出発でしたので、
ホテルに戻ったのは4時近くになりました。
プログラムの時間に合わせてピックアップをしてくれれば
良いのですが、まとめて送迎されるため、
パーク内に留め置かれる時間が長いので、
検討される方は余裕をもって組み込まれた方が
いいかと思います。

We participated as a couple with our 2-year-old son. Although he is interested in dolphins, he is still afraid of the water and large creatures. We were told in advance that if he cried too much, we might have to leave to avoid disturbing the dolphins, but on the day of the event, the female instructor was so much louder than my son that even if he cried a little, we weren't asked to leave.

There were several precautions given about interacting with the dolphins, but when the time came, I got too excited and forgot them. However, it was thrilling to be able to kiss and shake hands with the dolphins. Everything was conducted in English (though there were occasional strange Japanese phrases that I didn’t quite understand), but it was fun.

We also had the option to order a DVD. My child still watches the DVD with excitement, saying how much fun it was. There was quite a long wait until the bus came back, so if that could have been about an hour shorter, it would have been perfect.

２歳の息子と夫婦で参加。
子供はイルカに興味はあるものの、まだ水も怖く、大きな生き物も苦手。
大泣きすれば、イルカを刺激するから退場してもらうかもと事前に言われていたが、当日のインストラクターの女性の方が、息子よりも何倍も大きな声で盛り上がっていたので、少々泣いても退場させられることはなかったです。
イルカと触るときの注意をいくつかされますが、実際その時になると、テンションが上がりすぎて忘れてしまったり。でも、キスをしたり、握手したりできて感激でした。
全て英語で行われたので（時々変な日本語を突っ込んでくるが、よく理解できない）、何を言っているかはよくわからなかったけど、楽しかったです。
そして、DVDを申し込めます。自分の写ったDVDを子供は今も、楽しかったね～と言いながら、見ています。
帰りのバスが来るまでに、時間が長くあいているので、それがあと１時間くらい短ければ言うことなしでしょうか。

If you like sharks this is the trip for you. There was plenty of sharks to see. They were mostly 6-8 feet long. They surrounded the cage and even a barracuda came to see us. I felt completely safe in the cage and so did my kids. My daughter(13) was a little apprehensive before getting into the cage but once in there she was fine. The only bad thing was that the water was a little rough so the cage was getting tossed around some but it was all good.

I had made a reservation for the first departure in the morning, but due to the wind, the boat couldn't set sail. I was informed at the check-in location that it would be possible in the afternoon. Since I didn't have any plans for the afternoon, I was able to accommodate it, but I wish I had received the notification a bit earlier. It was also disappointing that the whales didn't appear very close, making it a less enjoyable tour.

朝一番の出航で予約を入れていたが風の影響で船が出航出来ず、午後からなら出来ると当日受付場所で連絡された、午後の予定を入れてなかったので対応出来たが、もう少し早く連絡があればと思った。クジラも余り近くには出現してくれなかったので残念なツアーだった。

I was surprised to see manta rays swimming so close. They approached with such force, it was truly impressive. I even touched them a few times.

Also, the banana boat ride to the manta ray spot was a lot of fun, and the sunset viewed from the boat was incredibly beautiful, so there were other enjoyable experiences besides just the mantas.

I had a really great time. Thank you very much.

あんなに近くにマンタが泳いでいるのでびっくりしました。
すごい勢いでマンタが近づいてくいてくるので大迫力です。
何度か触れてしまったくらいでした。

また、マンタのスポットに行くまでのバナナボート気分や、
船から眺めた夕陽もすごく綺麗だったので、
マンタだけじゃない楽しみもありました。

本当に楽しかったです。
ありがとうございました。

The price is not cheap, but the proximity to the dolphins was closer than I expected, and the time we could interact with them was longer, so we had a wonderful time. However, my husband and I were scheduled for the program at 11:45, but we were instructed to gather at 9:30, the same time as the program starting at 10:30, which made the over two hours we had to wait feel very wasteful. Since Sea Life Park is not that large, it was difficult to kill two hours. I think gathering at 11:00 would be sufficient. Also, I was shocked by the high cost of the photos.

安くはない価格設定ですが、思った以上にイルカとの距離も近く、触れ合える時間も長かったので、とても素敵な時間を過ごす事ができました。ただ、今回私と夫は11時45分からのプログラムだったのですが、10時半からのプログラムと同じ9時半に集合するようにとの指示で、11時45分までの2時間以上の時間がとても無駄に感じられました。シーライフパークはそんなに広くないので、2時間も時間を潰すのには苦労しました。11時集合で十分だと思います。あと、写真代が高いのにはビビリました。

a must do experience when visiting Hawaii. excellent staff. have already reccomended this to friends and family.

We've been to Oahu a couples of times and have always done different excursions. By far BOB's underwater scooter was the best one we have ever done! Everything from the pick to the drop off to our hotel was a great experience! Everyone on their team was extremely courteous and friendly. The water scooter itself was such an amazing experience. It was very easy and comfortable to ride the scooters. To be that comfortable and see the beauty of the underwater life was breathe taking. I high recommend not only this excursion but this company of you are looking for a lifetime of amazing memories!

This was my second whale watching experience, and I was able to see them well again this time. My friend, who was on their first whale watching trip, was also thrilled. I considered joining another boat, but after consulting with the staff at the desk, I chose this one with a great view, and it was the right decision. The food was delicious, and the ride was smooth, which was nice.

２回目のホエールウォッチングでしたが、今回もしっかりみることができました。初ウォッチングの友達も大喜び。別の船での参加も考え悩みましたが、デスクの方と相談して、見晴しのよいこちらの方にしましたが正解でした。料理もおいしく、ゆれも少なくて良かったです。

The boat rocked quite a bit.
Maybe it was because we reversed three times and scattered the bait,
but a school of about ten fish came.
It was impressive.
I also filmed a video with an underwater camera.

船はかなり揺れました。
三回リバースしてエサまいた影響か、
10匹くらいの群れがきました。
迫力あります。
水中カメラで動画も撮りましたよ。

My 15 yr old grandson came to visit and I wanted him to have a great time and have memories of a lifetime to take back to mainland! We both had a really great time! Captain Dave and crew were great, helpful, knowledgable, and all had the best sense of humor! I had an issue with video, but Dave was great and quick to make it right. In the end, it wasn't his fault, it was mine! Thanks Dave and crew! It was amazing!

It was a great thing to do children. They had lots of fun looking at the sealife.

This time, my husband, daughter (a third grader), and I participated in the Dolphin Encounter. It seemed that about half of the participants were Japanese. Because of this, there was an explanation provided in advance by a Japanese person, and the trainer explained things in broken Japanese. So, we didn't have to worry about the language.

Since the observation area was quite far away, we couldn't take many photos or videos. In the end, we each purchased a commemorative photo for $18.

The Sea Life Park itself is not very large, and if you imagine it like an aquarium in Japan, you might be a bit disappointed. The main attraction is interacting with the dolphins, and the rest is just a little sightseeing to pass the time, so I don't think it's a good idea to plan to stay in the park all day.

While I have some dissatisfaction regarding the scale of Sea Life Park (and the admission fee), the interaction with the dolphins became a wonderful memory for my daughter.

今回は、主人と娘（小学3年生）がドルフィン・エンカウンターに参加しました。
割合的には日本人が5割位でしょうか… その為事前に日本人の方から説明があり、トレーナーさんは片言の日本語で説明してくれたそうです。 なので言葉の心配はありませんでした。

見学はかなり離れたところからだったので写真やビデオはあまり撮れませんでした。
結局記念に1枚18ドルの写真をそれぞれに購入しました。

シーライフパーク自体はあまり大きくなくて日本の水族館をイメージすると拍子抜けします。 メインはイルカとの触れ合いであとは時間潰しにちょろっと見学程度で、一日中パークにいるスケジュールにはしない方がいいと思います。

シーライフパークの規模（入場料）に対する不満はありますが、イルカとの触れ合いは娘にとって素敵な思い出になりました。

I was able to enjoy seeing fish, sharks, and shipwrecks, regardless of the children's ages!

I was very satisfied to meet dolphins!

I think it's better to join the first morning trip because the sea is clearer.

魚もサメ、沈没船など見え子どもの年齢関係なく、
楽しめました！

イルカにも会え、大満足でした！

朝一番の便に参加した方が良いと私は思いました！
海が澄んでいるから。

The Hilton Hawaiian Village, Prince Hotel, and Ilikai do not require shuttle service. I was unaware that the boarding for the submarine departs from the pier at the beach near the Hilton Hawaiian Village.

The shuttle was 15 minutes late. It took a long time to pick up customers in downtown, and it took 45 minutes to return to our accommodation (which was about a 5-minute walk from the shuttle bus pickup point).

Yes, the pier was right behind the beach. Although I didn't know, it felt like a waste of precious time on a sleepy morning. Since it was the first tour of the day, all the customers were Japanese, and it was lucky that it was not crowded early in the morning.

When I checked upon arrival, it seemed that there were many Westerners joining later, and it looked quite crowded. The submarine tour was as good as I imagined. The Japanese-speaking staff were of Japanese descent, and it might have been a bit fast for my 5-year-old child. However, it was helpful to have it in Japanese.

Thank you very much.

ヒルトンハワイヤンビレッジ、プリンスホテル、イリカイなどは、送迎は不要です。潜水艦へ向かうボードは、ヒルトンハワイヤンビレッジ付近のビーチの桟橋から出てくるのを知らずでした。
送迎は、15分遅れでした。
で、延々とダウンタウンをお客様を乗せて、45分かかって、滞在先（お迎えのバスの乗場から歩いて5分くらい）に戻ってきました。
そうです。
桟橋は直ぐ裏のビーチでした。
知らなかったとはいえ、眠い朝の貴重な時間がもったいなかったです。
朝一のツアーでしたので、お客様全員が日本人でしたし、朝早いので空いててラッキーでした。
到着したときに確認しましたが、後から参加の方は、欧米人が多く、かなりぎゅうぎゅうのように見受けられました。潜水艦ツアーは想像通り良かったです。日系人の日本語で、5歳の子どもには少し早口だったかも。ですが、日本語で助かりました。
ありがとうございました。

My daughter loved it!! Such a great experience for young kids, they get educated, played, touched lovely dolphins. Trainers are experienced and very friendly.

We participated as a family of five, with two children and an infant. My wife and the infant did not go into the cage but observed from the boat plan. You can see the sharks well even from the boat. When the captain threw a mysterious can with a rope into the sea at the shark point, the sharks were attracted to it and gathered around. We were also allowed to throw in the can, so my wife and the kids got to do it several times.

As I mentioned in another review, the cage plan can be quite shaky, so I think it's better for those who get seasick to choose the boat plan and observe from the deck.

夫婦＋子供2人＋乳児1人の5人家族で参加して、妻と乳児はケージに入らずにボートプランで船の上から見学しました。
船上からでもサメはよく見えます。船長さんがサメポイントでヒモのついた謎の缶(？)を海に投げ入れると、サメたちが缶におびき寄せられてワラワラと寄ってきます。この缶を投げ入れるのもやらせてもらえるので、妻も子供も何度もやらせてもらってました。

もう一個のレビューで書きましたが、ケージプランは揺れがかなりしんどいので、酔いやすい人はボートプランで船上から見学するのがいいと思います

The North Shore Shark Adventures was a very neat and wonderful experience. The boat ride out to the shark cage took about 15-20min. The crew members really stressed about safety first and were thorough about directions. They even had a sense of humor, which makes everything better. When we reached the shark cage the crew members separated all the costumers in to two different groups and we were escorted into the shark cage that was floating in the ocean. Being in the shark cage was kind of rough. The waves would rock/bob the cage from side to side and up and down. You really had to hang on to the cage bars to obtain stability. I personally wrapped my legs and arms around the shark cage ladder, which I found to be helpful. As soon as I stuck my head under water what I saw was absolutely amazing. 15-20 sharks swimming and circling the cage, each shark was at least 6-8 feet long. It was so peaceful and serene to see these sharks in their natural habitat swimming freely. Just a quick suggestion that if you plan on swimming with the sharks you may want to schedule this event early on in your trip because cancellations may occur due to the oceans unpredictability. For safety reasons they may cancel your shark adventures but they will call you in advanced to let you know. I suggested that if you are driving to the North Shore you call them to ask about cancellations before you make the trip up north.

I participated with my 9-year-old son and 7-year-old daughter, while my wife and baby watched from the boat. All the other participants were Americans except for our group.

After about 15 to 20 minutes of being rocked by the boat, we arrived at the shark cage. I think we had come quite far out to sea.

Finally, we entered the cage to meet the sharks, but the waves were so strong that it was difficult to observe calmly.

My son and daughter were overwhelmed by the waves and quickly retired back to the boat, leaving me to see the sharks alone.

I was able to see the sharks up close, but due to the waves, I bumped my head against the cage and collided with others, which was quite tough.

On the way back, both I and the other participants didn't seem very energetic, including myself.

It might be better if the cage were a bit larger or if there were fewer participants at a time, but I think those who are prone to seasickness should carefully consider participating.

9歳の息子と7歳の娘、37歳の自分の3人で参加。妻と赤ん坊は船の上から見学しました。
参加者は自分たちグループ以外は全員アメリカ人でした。

船に揺られること15〜20分でサメケージに到着。けっこう沖の方まで来てたと思います。

いよいよケージに入ってサメとご対面しますが、サメよりも波がすごくて、落ち着いて観察するのがむずかしかったです。

息子と娘は波にやられて早々にリタイアして船に戻り、自分ひとりでサメを見ました。

いちおうサメは間近で見られましたが、波のせいでケージに頭をぶつけたり、他の人ともぶつかったり、かなりしんどかったです。

帰りの船では自分も含め、他の参加者もあまり元気がなかったですｗ

もう少しケージを広くするか、一回の参加者を少なくするかすれば多少マシになるかもしれませんが、酔いやすい人は参加は慎重に検討したほうがいいと思います。

The tour operator only communicated in English, which made it difficult for me during the confirmation call. On the day of the tour, we departed from the pier in Kona, which was convenient since it was close to where I was staying. The glass-bottom boat was quite stable and comfortable, but there wasn't much variation in the fish or underwater scenery, so I honestly got a bit bored along the way. The staff were friendly and engaged in conversation, which was nice.

催行先が英語のみの対応なので、確認電話で苦労しました。当日はコナの桟橋からの出発でしたので、滞在先からすぐの場所でラクでした。グラスボートはあまり揺れがなく快適でしたが、あまり魚や海中の景色に変化が乏しかったので、正直途中で飽きてしまいました。スタッフの人はフレンドリーにいろいろ話しかけてくれて良かったです。

Good time was had by all. If you don't have good sea legs, the captain may allow you to snorkel around the boat weather permitting. Be prepared to wait for others to have their turn, but you can see the fish whilst waiting as they are used to come up for feeding. The team were friendly and well organised (expect to tip at the end), good activity, although it doesn't top scuba diving.

I was really satisfied to see both dolphins and turtles! I didn't expect to see so many dolphins and turtles! The female guide was energetic and cute, and the photographer was fun and lively!

イルカもカメも見れて本当に大満足でした！
こんなに多くのイルカとカメがみれるとは思いませんでした！
ガイドの女性も元気で可愛くて、カメラマンさんもノリがよくて楽しかったです！

It's a very large and impressive ship! After departing, we enjoyed exploring the interior and lounging on the rooftop summer beds. Once things settled down, we were able to see two whales!! It was a bit disappointing that they were a little far away (we couldn't get too close due to regulations), but from then on, we cruised while watching the whales spouting water. Gradually, the initial excitement faded, and it felt less special. Looking back, I realize how luxurious it was.

Additionally, you can enjoy views of Diamond Head and other sights from the sea, making it a simple yet enjoyable cruise. When we boarded, there was smoke billowing from a volcano behind Diamond Head, and fighter jets were flying low and loud, which felt a bit like a Disneyland attraction (laughs).

The whales were too far away for good photos.

Also, the interior of the ship clearly had separate floors for Japanese and foreign guests (possibly due to the language of the announcements), but we were directed to the foreign guest floor. Everything was announced in English, but the foreign guest floor was less crowded and had a nice international travel vibe, which I really enjoyed!

とっても大きく立派な船です！
出港からしばらく、館内を散策したり屋上のサマーベッドに寝そべったりして楽しみましたが、
ひととおり落ち着いた頃、2頭のクジラに会えました！！
ちょっと遠目(規定であまり近寄れないとのこと)だったのが残念でしたが、
以降はずーっとクジラの吹く潮を見ながらのクルージングになりました。
だんだん当初のキャーキャー感もなくなり、もはや珍しくもない雰囲気。
今思えば、とっても贅沢だったなーと感じています。

また、ダイヤモンドヘッドなど洋上から眺められるので、
単純にクルージングとしても楽しめます。
私たちが乗船した際は、ダイヤモンドヘッドの奥の火山？から煙がもくもく出ており、
戦闘機が低く爆音でたくさん飛んでいたので、
なんだかディズニーランドのアトラクションのようなでした（笑）

クジラはとにかく遠目なのでよい写真は撮れません。

また、船内は日本人と外国人で明確にフロアが分かれている(アナウンス言語の問題かもしれません)のですが、
私たちは外国人フロアの案内でした。
本当に全て英語アナウンスですが、
外国人フロアの方が空いていましたし海外旅行感があって、
私はとっても楽しめました！

I usually spend my time relaxing by the hotel pool, but this time I participated in a tour with my child for the first time. Since my daughter is three years old, we chose this tour that doesn't require swimsuits. Since we were going anyway, both parents and grandparents joined in to touch the dolphins. Having a Japanese interpreter made it easy to enjoy without worries.

We got to interact with the dolphins, and during the rest of the time, we watched a show. There was also a slide in one corner, so we were able to spend the whole time without getting bored. For lunch, we made bento and brought a blanket to eat on the grass. (Although there weren't many others doing the same...)

いつもはホテルのプールでのんびり過ごしていましたが、初めて子連れでツアーに参加しました。
娘が3歳なので、水着不要のこのツアーを選択。どうせならと、パパママ、おじいちゃんおばあちゃんも全員ツアーに参加してイルカを触りました。日本語通訳が付き添ってくれるので、安心して楽しめました。
イルカに触れ合え、その他の時間はショーを見ました。
一角に滑り台もあるので、飽きずに時間いっぱい過ごせました。
お昼は、お弁当を作ってシート持参で芝生で食べました。(他にそうしている人はいませんでしたが…。)

We had a great time on the glass bottom boat. Only regret I wish we could have stayed all day looking underwater at the coral and the fish. Great crew and knew a lot about the different fish we were seeing. My grand children loved it. Good adventure for young and old. Relaxing and beautiful.