All Reviews for Marine Wildlife Encounters

This would have been an awesome trip if it hadn't been ruined by motion sickness. And I wasn't the only one affected, there were 6 other people hanging their heads over the side of the boat with me. This excursion is definately a do-over only next time I'll take the morning trip and start loading up on dramamine the night before. I want to mention, though, that the captain and crew were very nice and knowledgeable of sharks and shark conservation and I will go with this company again.

I went on this 3 yrs ago and it was much more fun. They no longer feed the sharks and they stuffed the tank with too many people. Last time it was 4 ppl inside cage this time they put 8 ppl in it!!

Getting in the water with sharks was definitely a unique afternoon! Our hosts weren't especially talkative but knew what they were doing and we all got a turn. If you're going to get in the water with sharks I suggest this company because of the plexiglass on the side of the cage. None of the pictures I took through the bars turned out because of the light reflection! Also arrive early to the dock! The sign is tiny, faded and at the far end of a parking lot. Took us 20 minutes to find where to go after arriving.

The bus came to pick us up at the hotel, but it was full. The scenery along the East Coast Line until we arrived at Sea Life Park was breathtaking. This time, only the kids participated in the Dolphin Encounter, but since the order was mixed up, we missed some great photo opportunities. It was frustrating! I bought the photos that were taken, but they were a bit pricey. I also purchased a video as a keepsake. The kids were absolutely thrilled.

バスがホテルまで迎えに来てくれましたが満員状態でした。そしてシーライフパークに着くまでの東海岸線の景色は絶景でした。今回はドルフィン・エンカウンターに子供だけ参加しましたが、順番がばらばらだったのでシャッターチャンスを逃してしまいました。くやしい！写真を撮ってくれていたのを購入しましたが、ちょっとお高いです。記念にビデオも購入しましました。子供は大喜びでした。

The manta rays drifting in the night sea were enchanting, but it was very cold and the waves were quite high. The snorkeling lasted about an hour, which was pretty exhausting. I had no energy at all due to the cold and seasickness. It was scary to try to return to the boat on my own after getting separated from the group in the night sea, so I recommend being in good health before participating.

夜の海に漂うマンタは幻想的で良かったですが…
とても寒いしけっこう波が高いです。
１時間ほどのシュノーケリングだったのでかなりしんどかった。
寒さと波酔いでまったく余裕がありませんでした。
夜の海で自力でグループから離れて船に戻るのは怖くてがんばりましたが、
体調を万全にしての参加をお勧めします。

Very professionally run organisation don't get put off by the safety demo it is very easy and super enjoyable, would definetly recommend

It was soo much fun! My sister and i enjoyed it.. Twas really unforgettable experience..

This trip was great!!!! We saw many large sharks. Water was pretty rough, a little hard getting out of cage. We ranged in age from 13 to 50 and everyone enjoyed it!!

Fun & exciting experience under the sea in safe.
Greatest activity !!

I was worried about seasickness, but it wasn't a big deal and the boat was comfortable. The food was tastier than I expected. I was lucky to see whales multiple times and was able to take great photos. The onboard cultural programs were diverse, and I enjoyed participating in activities like lei making and hula dance lessons.

船酔い心配しましたが、たいしたこともなく快適な船でした。食事は思ってたよりおいしかったです。クジラ、ラッキーにも何度も見れ、写真もしっかりとれました。船内のカルチャープログラムも多彩でレイ作り、フラダンス講習など楽しんで参加できました。

At first, I only intended to sign up for the dolphin tour, but since they mentioned that we could see manta rays, I participated with some hesitation. I drove to the meeting place by rental car, but the map on the internet was a bit vague, so I got flustered trying to find the location. However, I received detailed instructions over the phone, so I arrived safely. You can check in at a spacious parking lot with public restrooms at Honokohau Harbor, which is a bit further in than the online map suggested. If you're going on your own, be careful. I stayed in Waikoloa, and it took about 30 minutes by car.

The fins, masks, and snorkels were relatively new, and since it was nighttime in the ocean, you can rent a wetsuit for $10. Many Japanese women are petite, so my wife, who is 154 cm tall, needed an XS size. I was used to the ocean, so I was fine with just a long-sleeve rash guard and wetsuit pants in July in Hawaii, but for those who aren't used to it, I think it's better to rent a wetsuit instead of bringing one, as it can be bulky.

It took about 20 minutes to reach the manta ray location. You can watch the sunset from the water, so I recommend it as a sunset cruise as well. Once the sun sets and it gets dark, the encounter with the manta rays begins.

Although it gets dark, participants don't swim around separately; instead, we all hold onto something like a floating raft and drift together on the water, which is reassuring. The raft has a spotlight, and manta rays come close to eat the plankton illuminated by it, so you can see them spinning and dancing right in front of you, over and over again. The photos I uploaded here were taken with a compact digital camera, and they come close enough to capture beautiful shots without needing a special camera.

Since you're floating while holding onto the raft, even those who usually don't get seasick might feel a bit queasy, so I recommend taking motion sickness medication. However, the experience is so moving that I absolutely recommend it. The dolphin tour is fun, but the emotional impact of seeing the manta rays might be even greater.

Lastly, the tour guide (sometimes a guy?) was very kind and spoke Japanese, always checking in with "Are you okay?" while we were on the water, which I found very reassuring.

最初は、イルカツアーだけ申し込むつもりでしたが、マンタが見られるということなので、半信半疑で参加しました。
集合場所へは、レンタカーで自力で行ったのですが、ネットに出ていた集合場所の地図が少しアバウトだったので場所がわからずに焦りました。でも、電話で丁寧に教えてもらえたので、無事到着。ネットの地図よりももう少し奥、ホノコハウハーバーの公衆トイレのある広々とした駐車場でチェックインできます。自分で行かれる方は要注意です。ワイコロアに泊まっていましたが、車で３０分でした。

フィンも、マスクも、シュノーケルも新しめの物ですし、夜の海ですから、ウエットスーツは１０ドルで借りられます。日本の女性は小柄な方が多いので、私の妻は身長１５４ｃｍでＸＳサイズでした。
私は、海には慣れていたので７月のハワイだし、長袖ラッシュガードとウエットパンツでＯＫでしたが、慣れていない方はウエットスーツを持参すると嵩張りますので、レンタルされると良いと思います。

マンタの場所までは、２０分位？で到着。その場で海の上から夕日が沈むのを眺められますので、サンセットクルーズ？としてもお勧めです。
夕日が沈んで、あたりが暗くなってきたら、いよいよマンタとの遭遇が始まります。

周囲は暗くなりますが、参加者がバラバラで泳ぐのではなく、海に浮かぶいかだのような物に捕まって、全員一緒に海上を漂うことになりますので安心です。
そのいかだにスポットライトがついていて、そこに照らされるプランクトンを食べるためにマンタが寄ってきますから、もうホントに目の前でマンタが何度も、何度も、何度もクルクルと回転してダンスを見せてくれますよ。
※その時撮影した写真がここにＵＰしたものです。特殊なカメラではなく、コンパクトデジカメで撮影してもこれだけ綺麗に撮れるほど近くに来てくれます。

イカダに捕まって浮かんだ状態ですから、船酔いしにくい人でも酔いやすいので、酔い止め薬は飲んでいったほうがいいと思いますが、それに勝る感動がありますので、絶対にお勧めです。イルカツアーも楽しいですけど、イルカよりも感動が大きいかもです。

最後に、ツアーガイドのお姉さん（時にはお兄さん？）は、日本語でとっても優しく対応してくれますし、海の上でも、いつも「大丈夫？」と気遣ってくれるので、とっても心強いと思います。

This was a great experience! There were sharks all over the place, defiantly wasn't disappointed. The only bad part about it was all the people that got sick, & especially the one that got sick while in the cage. Everything else was awesome. I would recommend it to anyone going to Hawaii.

I might be able to meet a manta ray?? Just imagining it makes me excited, and that alone prompted me to sign up.

I started to wonder about the staff—who they would be and if they could speak Japanese. As the meeting time approached, I began to feel a bit anxious, but the person who came to pick me up was the very cheerful and bright Kouji, along with a captain who had a wonderful smile and was very kind, which put me at ease.

When we arrived at the point, we enjoyed the beautiful sunset for a while while putting on our masks and getting ready. The beauty of the sunset changed its expression moment by moment, making it hard to look away! It felt like the hustle and bustle of city life was being purified by the sunset, and my heart felt warm and enchanted!

Suppressing my eager feelings, I entered the sea! The night sea was colder and darker than I expected, but Kouji held my hand firmly and guided me safely to the boat for manta watching.

The manta rays were larger and more impressive than I had imagined, swimming around in front of me, spinning again and again! There were moments when I thought I would bump into them! They swam so close, spinning around right in front of me. In the end, the manta rays performed a welcoming dance for me countless times—maybe a dozen?

Unlike dolphins, manta rays love lively environments, so it's easy to tell when a tour has them. I wonder how many boats were floating in the sea? Among the countless tours, ours was a lucky one where the manta rays welcomed us first.

I am grateful that the experienced and skilled staff contributed to today's success. Whether we would see them or not was a binary outcome, but for us, who participated in this limited time as travelers, the staff's expertise led to an unforgettable experience!

If I want to see manta rays again, I would love to sign up for Manta University, and I highly recommend it to anyone planning to visit the Big Island!

I am thankful for the precious experience and the memories I was able to create!

Thank you very much!☆

マンタに会えるかも？？想像しただけでワクワクしそれだけで申し込みをしました。

スタッフの方がどんな方なのか？日本語で大丈夫なのか？？
集合時間が近づいてくると少しそんな事もきになり始めましたが
お迎えに来て下さったのはとても明るい陽気なkoujiさんと
笑顔が素敵でとても親切なキャプテンで一安心しました。

ポイントに着くと少しの間美しいサンセットを楽しみながらマスクを装着し準備を進めます。サンセットの美しさは刻々と表情を変え一瞬々目が離せません！
日頃暮らす都会の喧騒をサンセットに浄化してくれた様に心がほっこりうっとりします！

逸る気持ちを抑えて海に入ります！
夜の海は思ったより冷たくて暗いですがマンタをウオッチングするボートまではKoujiさんがしっかりと手を握って安心安全に誘導してくれます。

マンタは想像以上に多きくて大迫力
目の前をくるくる回転しながら何度も何度も泳いで行きます！
何度マンタとぶつかる！思った瞬間があったことでしょう～！？？
それ程目の前の近距離をくるくる回転しながら泳いで行きます。
結局マンタは十数回？数えられない程目の前で歓迎のダンスを魅せてくれました。

マンタはイルカと違って賑やかなのが大好きなのでマンタが来ているツアーはすぐ分かります。何艘の船が海に浮かんでいた事でしょうか？数えきれないツアーの数の中でも
私達のツアーはマンタが真っ先にお出迎えしてくれたラッキーなツアーになりました。

これも経験豊富な熟練されたスタッフの方々の感が今日の成果に繋がったと感謝しております。会えるか！会えないか？Oか１００どちらかしかない結果を体験する事になる訳ですが旅行者という限られた時間の中で参加する私達にとってはスタッフの手腕が運に繋がり忘れられない素敵な時間を過ごせた事に感謝いたしております！

またマンタを観たくなったらマンタ大学に申し込みたいですし
Big islandを訪れる予定にある方にはマンタ大学をイチオシしたいと思います！

貴重な体験を思い出を作る事が出来た事に感謝です！

ありがとうございました☆

Great beyond my expectation. Wondeful experience would do it again

My teenage daughter really wanted this experience, my wife not so keen. It was well worth it, about 20 large sharks swimming around you whilst you are safe in the cage. Even my wife thought so. It was a good experience, the crew were good and organised.
The slow rolling sea can affect some :-)

Had ourselves a good time. Got sea sick on the boat ride though. Recommend you bring some gravol. A good activity to do while you are in Hawaii.

This was amazing event!!!! It was a safe trip, and it was awesome seeing the sharks swimming very close. I'm looking forward to doing it again.

My daughter participated in the encounter while I observed, and she was very happy. The dolphins were surprisingly smart. We had a fun day watching the sea lion and dolphin shows in the park.

娘がエンカウンターに参加して私は見学、娘はとても喜んでいました。
イルカはお利口さんでびっくり。
園内で、アシカやイルカのショーを見たり、楽しい一日でした。

I like it, it is amazing
You should try it
You well like it also

We were able to see many fishes and even two turtles. I hadn't realized that the duration of the submarine ride would be so short though(40 minutes).

The dolphins were really cute, and I'm glad I did it!
But it was a bit expensive...
I thought it was quite a rip-off to pay $56 for just five photos.

イルカとっても可愛くて、やってよかったです！
でも、少し高いかな…
写真も5枚で56ドルって…結構ボッタクリだなと思いました。

Good experinace esspecially for those who are afraid of diving. You can see different species of fishes, nice trip, not long not to short. However if you have see deasease please take medicine

We had a great time! Everyone saw 3-4 8 to 10 foot sharks! Would sure do again!

We had our wedding three years ago. We attended with our child (who is now 2 years old). Our child was a little surprised and cried during the first kiss with the dolphin, but we had a great time. There were also athletic activities, and we were able to spend plenty of time there. It was a program we could participate in with peace of mind. Thank you very much.

３年前に挙式。その後授かった子供（２歳）をつれての参加。イルカと初めてのチューでちょっぴり驚いて泣いちゃったけど。アスレチックもあり、十分に時間を過ごせました。
安心して参加できるプログラムでした。ありがとうございました。

We had a wonderful time! Spending time with a dolphin was a great experience.

It was my first time interacting directly with a dolphin. Just being in the same pool made me feel excited, and at first, I was a bit hesitant to touch it. The instructors were very friendly and made it enjoyable. Overall, the fun interactions were in English, but they provided important information in Japanese. Even if you can't speak any English, a Japanese person will explain everything at the beginning. Once you're in the pool, I think you can just watch what others are doing and follow along without any issues. For anyone who even slightly likes dolphins, this will surely be a wonderful memory!

Additionally, since it was a weekday, the park was not crowded, and we could take our time enjoying it.

We had a wonderful time! Spending time with a dolphin was a great experience.

イルカと直接触れ合うのは、初めての経験でした。同じプールの中にいるだけで、なんだかドキドキして最初は触れるのも気を遣ってしまったけれど。インストラクターの方々も、とても気さくで楽しかったです。全体的にオモシロイやりとりなどは英語ですが、肝心なところは日本語で言葉をかけてくれました。全く英語が話せなくても、最初の説明は日本人の方が説明してくださいます。プールに入ってからは、周りの方々のする様子を見て同じようにやれば特に問題はないと思います。イルカを少しでも好きな方にとっては、とってもいい思い出になるはずです！
おまけに、平日だったのでパーク全体が空いていて、ゆっくり過ごせました♪

It was well worth the money. The crew was great and friendly. Got a disc of about 30 photos for $30. Would do again

My wife and I participated together. Since my wife can't swim, we decided to skip snorkeling and go for the submarine tour instead. We had just visited the "Bunasé Underwater Park" in Okinawa last month, so we weren't too impressed by the fish, but we were amazed that the submarine went down to 30 meters.

妻と二人で参加しました。内の奥さんはカナヅチなのでシュノーケリングへの参加を諦め潜水艦ツアーに決めました。先月沖縄の「ブナセ海中公園海中展望台」に行ったばかりでしたので、魚への感動は余りありませんでしたが、潜水艦が３０ｍも潜水したのには感動しました。

Great experience over all. Great staff. Nice photos to take home. Highly recomended

I had a precious experience swimming with dolphins. It was a bit expensive, but I felt it was worth it. You can enjoy watching the dolphin show and there are various activities since the ocean is right in front of you.

イルカと一緒に泳げる、貴重な体験をしました。
すこし高かったですが、行ってよかったと思いました。
イルカショーを見たり、海も目も前にあるのでいろいろと楽しめます。

no where long enough for the cost. not really a lot to see.