All Reviews for Marine Wildlife Encounters

Friendly crew, knowledgeable, patient, clear instructions. Clean boat, good food. Organized.

This was a standard whale watching experience. Boat was nice and clean. Crew was friendly and fun . We didn’t have much luck seeing whales, but it was early in the migration season. If nothing else then it a a nice boat ride around beautiful Maui.

We had a fully handicap person with us and the crew was great. They lifted her, in her electric wheelchair, onto the boat. She had room to move around the boat with ease. The bathrooms were not accessible but that was ok. The crew kept checking on her and made sure she was comfortable. It was a good experience, something that she wouldn't normally have been able to do. We were able to snorkel (not her), and didn't have to worry about her not being comfortable. We did not see any turtles, but got to see a small whale.

My total cost for this excursion was $242.30. It was not worth that price. The crew was sarcastic and snappy. They did lighten up as the morning went on, but my first impression stayed. Fortunately I’m a seasoned swimmer and snorkeling/snuba is easy, so I didn’t require any assistance. Lastly, it’s a big money grab without much service in return. I understand they are a business, but I cannot understand why they can’t pay their employees? Why do they guilt trip you into having to tip every chance they get? Even the emails leading up to it state the expected gratuity. TL:DR Molokini crater is amazing - you should go! Unless you’re dying to try snuba, then go with a different company and have fun.

I encountered whales three times while moving to different locations. It was very lucky!! However, even though I parked my car in the designated parking lot, I returned to find a no-parking ticket and a fine of $18!! Is this a targeted attack on rental cars? I wonder if others experienced the same. If so, they should explain in advance that there are fees for public parking.

クジラは場所を変えて移動し３回遭遇しました。大変ラッキーでした！！　但し、指定された駐車場に車を入れたのに、戻ると駐車禁止と罰金18$も取られた！！レンタカー狙い打ちか？　他の方も同じだろうか？　ならば事前に公共駐車場の料金かかる事を説明すべきだ。

My husband and I did the sunset cruise on my birthday during our trip to Maui and I highly recommend it. The staff were amazing and made sure all of the guests were well taken care of. The views were unbelievable. The food and drinks were abundant and tasty. We would definitely do it again if we make it back to Maui.

I was surprised to see manta rays so close. I saw several of them, and their graceful movements as they surfaced and spun around to eat were beautiful and magical. It felt like I was in a dream world, and I could have watched them forever.

The encounter rate with manta rays seems to vary by day, so I was lucky. This is my best memory from the Big Island.

I was comfortable since I was used to swimming and snorkeling, but for those who aren't confident in their stamina, it might be challenging after about 30 minutes.

マンタをこんな近くで見れるんだとびっくりでした。何匹も見れたし、何回も浮上してすぐそばで回転して餌を食べる姿は綺麗で幻想的。なんか夢の国にいるようでずっと見ていたかったぐらい。
　マンタの遭遇率は、日によるらしいので、ラッキーでした。ハワイ島で一番の思い出です。
　泳ぎとスノーケルで慣れていたので快適でしたが、体力に自信のないと30分ぐらいでしたが、大変かもしれません。

A wonderful experience. Relaxed atmosphere and pleasant guides. We had already encountered sharks while snorkeling in the Maldives, but they were much smaller. These were fascinating.

I had booked a shark tour, but it was suddenly canceled, and instead, I joined a submarine tour, which turned out to be a great decision.

Getting the chance to go inside a submarine is something you don't usually experience in life, and it felt like being in a moving aquarium, full of excitement and thrill. Although I didn't get to see turtles or whales, there were impressive sights like a sunken airplane.

The explanations were in English, and while I couldn't fully understand them, the atmosphere was still enjoyable. The ferry ride to the location was also quite an experience due to the strong winds.

I highly recommend this tour as it's enjoyable for everyone, from children to the elderly.

シャークツアー予約してましたが、急遽欠航になり代わりに入れた潜水艦ツアーでしたが大正解でした。
潜水艦に入る機会って普通に生きてても人生でないので、まるで動く水族館のような雰囲気とスリルを味わえました。
亀や鯨に会うことはできなかったけれど、海に沈んだ飛行機など迫力がありました。
英語で解説してくれてましたが、わからずに過ごしましたが雰囲気も良く。
行くまでのフェリーも風が強くて、これだけでもいい経験。
このツアーは子供からお年寄りまで楽しめるのでおすすめです。

This experience was really cool and very informative. Our daughters loved it and they were excited every second of the trip. We saw fish, turtles, sharks, ships, sting rays and planes! We will come back and jump on again to discover more

Riding in a submarine and seeing the underwater world was an exciting experience for both adults and children. The kids especially seemed to enjoy understanding the differences compared to an aquarium during the boarding process. Additionally, the friendly staff made it a fun experience.

潜水艦に乗り海底海中を見れるのは大人も子供もドキドキ経験でした。特に子供たちは水族館との違いを乗船過程で分かったようで楽しんでいました。それとスタッフのフレンドリーな対応が楽しかったです。

I encountered a pod of dolphins twice and went into the sea. Unfortunately, during the first encounter, I couldn't recognize the dolphins, but during the second, I was able to see them properly. The guide was kind and took care of me as I was struggling due to my lack of stamina. I was also happy that the person I went with checked on me while I was resting and tired. It's a shame I didn't have the energy to enjoy the last snorkeling session, but I had a great time overall.

I will work on building my stamina before the next time I participate.

2回、イルカの群れに遭遇し海へ入ったのですが、
1回目の時は残念ながらイルカを認識できなかったのですが、
2回目の時には、きちんと見ることができました。
ガイドさんが親切で、体力不足でアップアップしていた私を気にかけてくださいました。
一緒に行った方も、疲れて休んでいる私に声をかけてくれて嬉しかったです。
最後のシュノーケリングを楽しむ体力がなかったことは残念でしたが、
充分に楽しむことができました。

次に参加するときまでに体力作りに励みます。

I was able to see dolphins, and the staff were very nice, which made it enjoyable. However, the dolphins were far away. In the past, I could swim closer to them. I think it's unavoidable due to stricter laws, but it was a bit disappointing.

イルカも見れたし、スタッフさんもとても良くしてくださり楽しかったのですが、イルカはみられましたが遠かったです。以前はもっと近くで泳げたのですが。法律が厳しくなったので仕方ないのだと思いますが、少し残念でした。

The beautiful ocean and Diamond Head. Just seeing the buildings of Waikiki from the boat felt great. I couldn't see the seabed very well through the glass, though.

綺麗な海とダイヤモンドヘッド ワイキキのビルを船から見るだけでも気持ち良かった
ガラス越しに海底はそれほど見えなかったかな

I went in with somewhat low expectations, so I was pleasantly surprised by how much I was able to interact with the dolphins!

We experienced it alongside other Japanese groups, and the friendly Japanese staff were always there to explain things, which was very helpful.

Although there was no dolphin show happening during our visit, we had quite a bit of free time. It felt very homey, as there were staff members who spoke broken Japanese and checked in on us while we were exploring!

少し期待値低めで行ったためか、思った以上にイルカに触れることができてよかったです！

私たちは他の日本人グループの方たちと一緒に体験し、気さくな日本人のスタッフの方が常に説明してくださりとても助かりました。

園内はイルカショーもしていないタイミングで時間はかなり持て余しましたが、カタコトで日本語を話す方が散策中も会うと気にかけてくださったりアットホームなところでした！

Great fun and experience. The crew were exceptional. They were very professional and knowledgeable.

Excellent service and experience! 100% recommended

I took a taxi to Hilton Hawaiian Village, which was fine, but I was nervous because I didn't know where the meeting place was...

I think it would be reassuring to have prior information like, "After passing through the hotel entrance, there will be a boat docked towards the beach."

On the 10:00 trip, even at a depth of 30 meters, it was bright, and I could see many fish, which was a lot of fun! I was hoping to see a honu (sea turtle), but unfortunately, that didn't happen... Since my elderly mother was with me, we didn't do any marine activities, but it was great to be able to explore underwater in a submarine, which is something you can't easily experience in Japan.

ヒルトンハワイアンビレッジまでタクシーで向かったのはいいのですが…
集合場所がわからずドキドキしました。。

「ホテルの入り口を抜けて、ビーチに向かった所に船が停まっている」
などの事前案内があったら安心だと思う。

10:00の便で、海底30mでも明るく
たくさんの魚が見れてとても楽しかった♪
ホヌに会えるのを願ってましたが…叶わず。。
高齢の母も一緒だったので、マリンアクティビティは一切なかったので、日本ではなかなか体験できない潜水艦で、水中散策ができたのでよかったです。

On October 25, the participants of Dolphin Junior High did not meet the required number, so they transferred to Dolphin University.

Before boarding the boat, I encountered a honu (sea turtle) right by the pier. I couldn't take a photo because my camera was still in the dry bag.

Shortly after departure, I encountered a Hawaiian monk seal. It popped its head up above the surface, and I was able to capture it perfectly on camera. The day before, I also encountered one while experiencing SUP at Ala Moana Beach, and according to our guide Hayato, it's very rare for short-term travelers to see wild Hawaiian monk seals two days in a row, so I was very lucky!

Next, we had our first snorkeling session in the shallow waters. I was able to capture the honu coming up for air and diving down to the seabed. This snorkeling in the shallow waters was a great warm-up.

While searching for dolphins to swim with, I saw some spinner dolphins splashing around from the boat.

Finally, the main event: snorkeling with dolphins. I heard that we encountered many spotted dolphins, but the weather was so nice that there were a lot of light curtains, making it hard to see them with the naked eye. However, since other participants seemed to see them, I trusted that the action camera had captured it and returned to the boat. When I checked back at the hotel, I was relieved to find that it had been recorded perfectly.

On the way back to the harbor, many dolphins swam alongside the boat, making for a truly enjoyable experience.

I am grateful for the kind assistance from our guide Hayato.

Mahalo

10月25日、イルカ中学参加者が規定数に満たず、イルカ大学に編入しました。

最初船に乗る前、桟橋からすぐのところでホヌに遭遇。カメラをドライバッグに入れたままだったので撮影出来ずでした。

出航後すぐにハワイアンモンクシールに遭遇。
海面にひょっこり顔を出してくれてバッチリカメラに収録。
前日アラモアナビーチでSUP体験時にも遭遇しガイドのハヤトくんが言うには、2日連続で野生のハワイアンモンクシールに遭遇した短期旅行者は滅多にいないらしくてとてもラッキー！

次に浅瀬で最初のシュノーケリング。
ホヌが息継ぎし海底まで潜って行く様子を収録出来ました。
この浅瀬でのシュノーケリングは良い準備運動になりましたね。

次に一緒に泳ぐイルカを探す途中、船上からハシナガイルカがバシャバシャしている様子が見れました。

いよいよメインイベント、イルカと一緒にシュノーケリング。
たくさんのマダライルカに遭遇したらしいですが、天気が良すぎて光のカーテン多めで肉眼では確認することが出来ず。でも他の参加者は見れた模様なのでアクションカメラに収録出来ている事を信じて船に戻りました。
ホテルに帰って確認してところバッチリ収録出来てたので良かったー。

最後ハーバーまで戻る途中、たくさんのイルカが船と一緒に泳いでくれてホント楽しい体験ができました。

ガイドのハヤトくんがとても親切に対応してくれて感謝です。

Mahalo

Our experiences were great. First we had a chance to do the underwater scooter and give food to our loving fishes. Camera man constantly took pictures of us which we received it later through purchasing it. We did not see turtles directly but definitely it was an experience we would be doing again. There were two teams in the boat where one team goes for the underwater scooter and another goes for snorkeling under the guidance of our team. Overall, the pictures made it another unforgettable experience so make sure to purchase the pictures when the guide asks you if you want the pictures or not. It was sent through email so fast and quick.

The boat was beautiful, crew helpful and friendly and the tour was breath taking. Couldn’t have asked for a better time! Food and drinks were great - we enjoyed the live music as well.

Words cannot describe how amazing this crew is on their ship! They are very knowledgeable. Loved the experience and would 100% go on another trip with them in the future. You will not be disappointed!!!

It was a bit cramped, but there wasn't any shaking, and there were lots of cute fish at the artificial reef, making for a very meaningful time. However, I probably wouldn't go on it a second time. The boat to the submarine was nice too! I definitely recommend it.

ちょっと狭いけど特に揺れたりすることもなく人工魚礁に可愛い魚が一杯でとても有意義な時間でした。
でも二回乗ることはないかな
潜水艦までの船も良かったね～
けっこうお勧めてすよ

It's a submarine journey that you can't experience anywhere else in Japan. I was able to capture a photo of a sea turtle. I was very lucky.

日本国内では体験のできない潜水艦の旅です。
ウミガメの姿が写真に収めることができました。
とてもラッキーでした。

What a thrilling day, my 11 year old was buzzing by the end!

Kona water is so clear we had wonderful views during this trip.

I thought I would be able to swim closely with a lot of dolphins, but while I was able to see them, it felt more like just seeing dolphins rather than swimming with them. Since they are wild animals, timing might play a role as well... For those who are prone to motion sickness, I think taking motion sickness medication is a must. Even after taking it, we still felt nauseous.

イルカと近くで沢山泳げるかと思っていましたが、
イルカを見る事はできましたが、これがイルカと泳ぐと言うのかな？？という感じでした。
野生のものなので、タイミング的なものもあるかもしれませんが、、、
酔いやすい方は酔い止め必須だと思います。
うちは酔い止めを飲んでも酔いました。

It was really fun to see the manta rays up close. It was a different kind of excitement compared to the Osaka Aquarium! Be careful as it can be tiring on your arms since you have to hold onto the pipe to watch.

マンタがとても近くで見れてとても楽しかったです
海遊館とはまた違った迫力でした！
パイプに捕まって眺めるので腕がしんどいので注意してください

February 2024
A trip to Hawaii with my 92-year-old mother and three generations
I was looking forward to whale watching, but my mother said she didn't want to go, possibly due to fatigue, so I requested to change it to the next day, and they were very accommodating.
On the way to the harbor, we saw a rainbow, which made me feel like we would meet the whales.
After setting sail, they met our expectations, and we saw them many times.
Watching them swim gracefully in the waters of Waikiki made me feel the essence of Hawaii.
At the end, we witnessed them spouting water and slapping their large tails on the surface of the sea.
Thank you for the wonderful experience.

２０２４年２月
９２歳の母と三代世代のハワイ旅行️
楽しみにしていたホエールウォッチング、母が疲れからか行きたくないと言う事で、翌日に変更をお願いしたら配慮して下さりました。
港に向かう途中に虹を見たので、鯨に会える予感がしました。
出航後、期待に応えてくれて、何度も何度も見れました。
ワイキキの海を優雅に泳ぐ姿を見て、ハワイを感じました。
最後には潮を吹いて大きな尻尾を海水面に叩きつける様子も
感動をありがとう。

The trip of a lifetime (to Hawaii) included an experience of a lifetime (Glass bottom boat scenic cruise)! We saw many beautiful sea creatures in a coral laden ocean! Even a sea turtle surfaced for a few breaths before taking a dive into the turquoise waters again. The captains and naturalist answered questions about the water and its inhabitants. A job well done from beginning to end! Mahalos!