All Reviews for Marine Wildlife Encounters

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.

Overall, the cruising time is too long. While we could see the whales well, the time spent getting there and returning was excessive.

全体的には、クルージング時間が長すぎる。クジラはよく見えたが、見るまでの時間や
帰る時間が長すぎる。

I boarded the submarine expecting an underwater stroll in the waters of Hawaii, but to be honest, I was disappointed. The water was murky, making it hard to see, and my whole family got bored halfway through. Additionally, the commentary in Japanese was repetitive, which eventually made us feel sleepy. The father from the family next to us fell asleep partway through. I wish they had considered different diving spots when planning the tour.

潜水艦に乗ってハワイの海中散歩を期待して乗船しましたが、正直がっかりしました。海中が濁っていてよく見えず、家族全員途中で飽きてしまい、また日本語での解説も同じことの繰り返しで最後は眠気を催しました。隣の家族連れのお父さんは途中から眠ってしまいました。もう少し潜る場所を考えてツアーを企画してほしかったです。

I was able to see a giant manta up close! The manta was so close that it almost touched my wetsuit, and it spun around slowly several times. The sight of its wide-open mouth was so impressive that I felt like I might get sucked in. I also participated in a dolphin tour in addition to this one, and both were amazing experiences!!

On the tour, we arrived at the manta spot by boat before sunset, and we were able to see a beautiful sunset as well. After sunset, we entered the water and waited for the manta to come while holding onto a bar with LED lights. First, a lot of plankton gathered, and then, after a while, a large manta appeared to eat the plankton. I was moved by the intensity that was different from an aquarium!! I’ll include a video I shot with my GoPro during the tour (the manta appears in the middle. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAtyJxeQiUw).

Although the sea was dark, the captain was always watching from the boat, and since we were holding onto the bar, I was able to enjoy it with peace of mind.

The night sea can get cold even with a wetsuit, so it might be a good idea to bring a warm hoodie or light down jacket to wear after swimming. If you're worried about seasickness, it might be good to have some motion sickness medication as well.

The fantastical sight of the large mantas is still etched in my memory. My husband was also very surprised that something he had only dreamed of and thought could only be experienced through diving could be experienced while snorkeling! I’m really glad I participated in this tour on the Big Island.

巨大なマンタを本当に間近でみることができました！マンタは私のウエットスーツに触れそうなほどの距離で、何度かゆっくりと回転しました。マンタの大きく開いた口に吸い込まれるのではないかと思うほど大迫力でした。このツアーの他にイルカツアーにも参加しましたが、どちらも最高の体験でした！！

ツアーでは、日が沈む前に船でマンタのスポットに到着し、美しい夕陽もみることができました。日没後に海に入り、LEDライトがついたバーに掴まってマンタが来るのを待ちました。まず最初にたくさんのプランクトンが集まってきて、その後しばらくするとプランクトンを食べに大きなマンタが現れました。水族館とは違った迫力に感動しました！！このツアー中、Goproで撮影した動画（中盤にマンタが登場します。https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAtyJxeQiUw）を参考に載せておきます。

暗い海ですが、船長さんが常に船から見ていてくれますし、バーにつかまっているので、安心して楽しむことができました。

夜の海はウエットスーツを着ても冷えてくるので、泳いだ後に羽織れるよう暖かいパーカーかライトダウンなどを持っていくといいかもしれません。船酔いが心配な方は酔い止めもあるといいかと思います。

大きなマンタ達の幻想的な光景が今も目に焼き付いています。主人もこれまで夢にみていたこと、ダイビングでしかできないと思っていたことが、シュノーケルで体験できたことにとても驚いていました！ハワイ島でこのツアーに参加して本当によかったです。

Crew was friendly and knowledgeable and the sharks were big and abundant!

The voucher mentioned a small amount of money, and there were places where you could buy photos and goods if you didn't bring much. Not only was there interaction with dolphins, but there were also animals on-site, which was included in the time and was unexpected. I wish there was more information provided.

バウチャーには多少のお金と書かれており、ほとんど持って行かなかったら写真やグッズを購入出来たりする場所もあったり、イルカとの触れ合いだけでなく、現地で動物もいて、それ込みの時間だったり予定外でした。
もっと情報を書いて欲しいです。

I fulfilled my long-held dream of swimming with dolphins! Although I was worried that there was no guarantee of seeing them since they are wild animals, I was very satisfied to encounter a pod of dolphins three times on a sunny morning. Unfortunately, I didn't see any turtles, but since dolphins were my main goal and I got to see a stingray instead, I'm really glad I participated!

イルカと泳ぐという昔からの夢が叶いました！
野生の生き物なので、100％会えるわけではないのが心配だったものの、晴天の午前中に３回もイルカの群れに出会えて大満足でした。
残念ながらカメには会えませんでしたが、イルカが一番の目的だったのと、代わりにエイに会えたので、本当に参加してよかったです！

I was able to see the whale's tail for a moment. It seems that it's quite rare to see them in the way depicted in photos. The scenery alone is enjoyable enough. Spotting whales depends on luck.

鯨の尻尾が一瞬ですが、みれました。　なかなか写真のような姿は見れないようです。景色だけでも十分楽しめます。鯨は運に左右されます。

This was our first time participating as a group of eight across three generations, but the distance to the whales was far. Moreover, all we saw were spouts; we didn't get to witness the spectacular jumps and scenes we had imagined. My sons, who are in third and sixth grade, were bored and sat down. However, if you think of it as a leisurely cruise, it was a very elegant moment.

３世代８人で初めて参加したのですが、クジラまでの距離が遠いです。。しかも見れたのは潮吹きばかりで、想像してたようなジャンプなど豪快なシーンは見られませんでした。
小3.小６の息子達は退屈で座り込んでました。
のんびりクルージングできたと思えばとても優雅なひとときでした。

The guides were entertaining and we saw an octopus. Fun way to see the water if you aren't into snorkeling.

I swam with dolphins for a short time! Dolphins are so cute and intelligent! I’m filled with emotion. The photos taken were also really great.

短い時間でしたが、イルカと一緒に泳ぎました！イルカって、なんて可愛くて賢いのでしょう！もう感動で胸がいっぱい。撮ってくれた写真もすごく良かったです。

I participated in a three-generation trip. I was thinking of buying some snacks, but they weren't available, so I had to go to the buffet. The orange juice was delicious. I was glad to catch a glimpse of a whale.

三世代旅行で参加しました。中で軽食でも買おうと思ってましたが、販売されておらず、仕方なくブッフェに。オレンジジュースが美味しかったです。クジラはちらっと見えたのでよかったです。

Both my husband and 10 year old daughter thoroughly enjoyed the trip. Although I struggled with motion-sickness (while waiting for our turn to go down), once I was underwater, what an amazing experience that was!! My 10-year old who had to stand (she is just little above 4 feet) didn't mind that at all. She really enjoyed the experience, and begged us to go back again. So we will do this again when we visit Oahu next time. Not far from the shore, but the nature was just magnificent. The way nature and animals peacefully coexist with humans just catalyzed our Hawaii experience, and this adventure was well worth the cost! The staff was also very professional, and knowledgeable. Only if they cautioned us about motion sickness earlier on ;-)

I signed up on a whim the day before, but this became the most enjoyable activity of my trip to Hawaii. I was moved by the fact that these were wild dolphins, not trained ones.

前日に思いつきで申し込んだのですが、これが今回のハワイ旅行で一番楽しいアクティビティになりました。飼いならされたイルカではなく野生のイルカという点が感動しました。

As someone who is not good at swimming, I was nervous until it started, but the instructor explained everything in Japanese, allowing me to have this first experience. It felt like a different world when fish came to eat the bait from my hand and beautiful fish swam right in front of me. Since I participated with my child, we were able to walk along the ocean floor together, which was very considerate. I am thrilled to have had such a wonderful experience.

泳ぎが苦手な私は始まるまでドキドキでしたが、インストラクターの方が日本語でも説明してくれて初体験する事が出来ました。海中で魚が手元の餌を食べに来てくれたり目の前をきれいな魚が群れているのは別世界。親子での参加でしたので、気を利かして三人で並んで海底散歩出来ました。良い体験できて感激です

The was an awesome activity to do! My wife and I didn't want to go out and free swim with shark so this cage was perfect. We had a great crew that was nice, entertaining and took care of us. A very enjoyable time! A little tip is to go earlier in day because after about 9:30 or 10 the water starts to get rougher and rocks the boat more.

The initial orientation took place in a room inside the ship, so I felt a bit nauseous since I couldn't see the scenery. However, about 30 minutes after going out on deck, I was able to see whales about four times. On the way back, I stayed out on the deck the whole time, and it was a great memory to see Diamond Head and the city of Waikiki from the sea.

最初のオリエンテーションは船の中側の部屋での待機なので景色が見えない分少し酔いましたが、デッキに出てから約30分後にクジラを計4回くらい見ることが出来ました。
帰りはずっとデッキに出ていたので、海からダイアモンドヘッドやワイキキの街を見られて良い思い出になりました。