All Reviews for Marine Wildlife Encounters

This was my fifth time in Hawaii, but it was my first visit to Sea Life Park. I had participated in dolphin watching tours before, but this tour was incredibly satisfying. I was able to see, touch, and even kiss the dolphins up close. At first, I thought, "This is a bit expensive," but considering the experience I had, I felt it was worth it. The staff hardly spoke any Japanese at all. They talked about the precautions when interacting with the dolphins, but I understood very little. Most of the participants were American, and I managed to follow along by mimicking them. One thing I learned was that you should not touch the dolphins' eyes. I was a bit confused at times, but the dolphins were so adorable. It made me feel very happy. Next time I go to Hawaii, I want to have even more experiences at Sea Life Park.

５回目のハワイでしたが初めてシーライフパークに行きました。以前にもイルカを見るツアーなどに参加した事がありましたがこのツアーは大満足でした。まじかにイルカを見れ、触れ、キスまで・・・。最初は”少し高いなー”と思っていましたがこれだけの体験をできるなら安いと思いました。飼育係りの方は全くと言うくらい日本語はできません。イルカと接する注意点などを話していましたがほとんど解りませんでした。参加者もほとんどアメリカ系の人でその人達の見よう見真似で何とかなりました。一つ解った事はイルカの目に触れてはいけないという事くらいでした。色々戸惑いましたがやはりイルカはとっても可愛かったです。とても幸せな気分になりました。今度ハワイに行ったらシーライフパークでもっと色々な体験をしてみたいです。

The meal, the activities alongside the watching, and the prices were all satisfactory. We saw whales several times!! However, they didn't jump as much as in the photos. It felt more like their fins were rolling with the waves. Still, being able to experience whales up close like this is truly unique to Hawaii.

食事内容、ウォッチングと平行しているアクティビティー、料金とも納得できるものでした。クジラも何度か出てくれましたしね！！でもあの写真程はジャンプしませんでした。波とともに背びれがうねる~と言う感じです。それにしても　こんなに近くでクジラを感じられるのはやはりハワイならではですよね。　

Saw plenty of whales with the closest ones coming within 70ft of the boat. The boat was comfortable and viewing was not a problem. The Captain's banter helped make it a very enjoyable trip.

It was definitely a unique experience, and having it depart from the pier in downtown Kona was great. We saw some marine life, though I guess we expected a bit more variety of fish (mostly yellow ones). Guess the fish don't come when it's sub time though! We loved looking at the coral and seeing a whole different world under the surface.

We did buy the CD that was offered for $20 with your picture, thinking it would have a variety of marine life pictures from previous trips, but on first inspection, it doesn't appear to have much. We did get our picture on the CD plus pictures of everyone else on the ride ... Don't think it was worth the $20.

Overall, a great and unique thing to do and I'd definitely recommend it to first-timers and those with kids, but not something I'd do again I don't think.

MUST DO! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS TRIP EXCEEDED OUR EXPECTATION!

This was so much fun. The kids had a blast. We saw the cutest pink spinner dolphin. Everyone loved the boat ride...the whales, sharks and dolphins we saw were a bonus!

This was the greatest! My 7 year old daughter had a great time and the crew was really caring about her experience. I will definitely do this again! I recommend this charter to everyone. Gives you a whole new perspective on sharks!

A great experience. Saw many whales and the crew was really great. I would recommend this activity to everyone.

IT WAS A GREAT EXPERIENCE WATCHING WHALES WHILE HAVING LUNCH. HAD A GREAT TIME!

We took the catamaran trip to whale watch on the north shore of oahu and it did live up to it's promise. We saw not only whales but sharks and a large sea turtle. The crew was great, seems like a family business. We took the trip to celebrate my mom's birthday and let's just say....she is still talking about it!!

We were very lucky to see the three whales up-close. One young calf was trying hard to breach with the mother, which was very adorable. The staff was very informative and helpful. I would do this again.

My kids could not stop screaming when they saw the impressive breaching. My 5-year-old twins fell in love with the whales. I'm so glad that we took this excursion. Thanks for the good time. Great value!

This was a great whale watch. Saw 5 whales jumping out of the water, 4 others swimming near the boat and a mother nursing a baby whale just to our left.

Very enjoyable.

This was an awesome experience. You can't get any closer than this to live sharkes in the oceans. I could have reached out and touch them - but highly discouraged to do so.

This is an awesome experience and a great way to view sharks in thier own natural environment. Very graceful and peaceful to watch.

this is definitely not for the faint of heart! Although sharks do NOT like to eat humans (as it is commonly believed)! It is very exhilarating to watch them all around you. We would recommend it to anyone looking to have the experience of their lives!

The first major activity my friends and I did during our 4 day stay on Oahu and I have to say it was an amazing time, and definitely worth the experience.

Overall, it was a fun experience to be in a submarine. We got to see a pod of dolphins, so that was exciting. It's like scuba diving but you don't get wet. Pretty neat. The pier is a walking distance from downtown Kona, so it was very close to our hotel.

My sister and I had a great time and would love to do it again in the future. There were more sharks than we thought and they were great to look at, thanks

It was a unique experience. I was lucky enough to hear the whales while under water!

We briefly saw some whales, but did not really get close enough to get any good pictures. Food was okay. The air conditioning was on high and everyone, even the mem on board were complaining about how cold it was. It was cool and windy out on deck, but people were going out to try to warm up. It really distracted from the enjoyment of the cruise.

Since I am not a scuba diver and the most snorkeling I have done was in my pool I would have to say this was a great experience. I took my three children ages 17,16, and 13. They had a wonderful time. The staff was nice. Having the fish each out of our hands was awesome. We even saw a huge turtle. Either before or after you go in the BOB you can snorkel around the boat. This was cool too. I wish I could have taken my underwater camera but they take great pictures with their camera for you. Of course there is charge to get a disc of the photos. The one down side is when we got home we were given the wrong photos. So be sure to ask them to double check before you leave. They are sending me the right one in the mail. Still overall this is a great experience for those who can't scuba dive yet.

This was an enjoyable hour! The staff was great! Spinner Dolphins, Eel, Manta Ray and lots and lots of beautiful fish in the reef! Worth every penny!

The Whale watch cruise aboard the Star of Honolulu was enjoyable. We did see whales from a distance and near the boat. We also saw spinner dolphins at the beginning of the cruise.
The other activities on board besides the whale watching was entertaining. My daughter enjoyed making leis for us and herself.
The lunch that was served was delicious and my boyfriend enjoyed returning to the buffet for a second helping of the salads. My daughter enjoyed the fruits and cookies that were served. The price of drinks were a bit pricey.

I want to thank the staff who helped me cleanup after my daughter when she became seasick on the cruise. They also stopped by our table afterwards and inquired about how she was doing. Thanks for your concern. Thanks also to the passengers who helped me as well with their kleenex and kindness.

I would recommend this cruise to anyone who wants an off island excursion. It shows the island's beauty from a different viewpoint.

We always want to try subra driving but never do it, BOB can sucess our underwater experience with comfortable environment, we really enjoy it even if my wife afraid with fishes. If luckly, you can also snokeling with turtle like us. We recommend to try it to have a first experience under the water if you can't swim.

We had booked a submarine tour for five family members, but on the day of the tour, the weather was bad, and we had to either cancel or reschedule. We were able to change it to another day at 9 AM. Even during the 9 AM slot, the commentary was in Japanese. The water was a bit murky, but we were able to see sea turtles, so we were satisfied.

　家族5名でサブマリンツアーを予約していましたが、当日、天候が悪く、キャンセルか別の日へ変更ということになり、別の日の9時に変更していただきました。9時台でも日本語での解説でした。
ちょっと、水は濁ってはいましたが、ウミガメも見ることができたので、満足でした。
　

Saw lots of sharks, and very close. Guides were informative and fun. Great experience.

The cruise was nice and we DID see whales! Not a lot of them, but a few spouts and breaches. Too far to really get any type of photo. The lunch is well worth it - better food than what we had at the Polynesian Center Luau!!! I'd recommend to friends who are on first time visits.

It was my first time going whale watching. After doing some research, I found that booking through Alan was the cheapest option. We participated in the no-lunch course, and it was the right choice! Although they say it doesn't sway much, it still rocked a bit... If you're prone to seasickness, it's best to take some motion sickness medication in advance. Oh, they also provide motion sickness medication on board. Coffee, tea, and water are free!

The weather was nice on the day of the trip, and the interpreter mentioned, "It's the season, so we see whales every day," so I was hopeful... but no whales appeared, no matter how long we waited. Other guests seemed to be getting restless too. There were hula, ukulele, and lei-making classes offered, but I couldn't bring myself to participate since we hadn't seen any whales yet... (Other guests joined in and seemed to be enjoying it!) Just as we were nearing the return time, we finally saw a mother and calf whale breaching! However... they were far away... We only caught a glimpse of them a few times. I thought, "Is this really it?" But, since they are wild animals and there are regulations against getting within 100 meters, it can't be helped. My expectations were too high. Still, even from a distance, watching the mother and calf whales swimming leisurely made me feel quite happy!

I recommend bringing a light long-sleeve shirt when boarding. It can get quite cold on the water due to the strong wind.

初ホールウォッチングでした。いろいろ調べた結果、アランちゃんから申し込むのが一番安かったです。私達は昼なしコースで参加しました。そして正解でした！揺れにくい、とは言ってもやっぱり揺れました･･･。船に弱い方は、あらかじめ酔い止めを飲んでおいたほうが良いでしょう。あ、船内でも酔い止めをくれますよ。コーヒー、紅茶、水は無料です♪

当日は天気もよく、通訳の方が「今はシーズンなので毎日鯨を見れてます」と仰っていたので期待していたのですが。。。待てど暮らせど鯨現れず。。。ほかのお客さん達も時間を持て余しているようでした。フラ、ウクレレ、レイ教室も催されていましたが、まだ鯨を見れてないのに･･･と私は参加する気持ちになれませんでした。（ほかのお客さん達は参加していました。楽しんでいましたよ！）そして、もう帰港時間間際･･･というところでやっと親子鯨のブリーチングを見れました！ただ・・・遠い・・・。ぷしゅーっていうのと、背中チラリが何回か見れただけ。あれ？これで終わりなの？と思ってしまいました。でも、野生ですし、100Ｍ以内近づいたらいけない規制があるようで、仕方がないですね。期待が大きすぎました。でも、遠くでしたが、ゆったり泳いでいる親子くじらを見て、なんだか幸せ気分になれました♪

乗船するときは、薄手の長袖を持っていかれたほうがいいと思います。海の上って風が強く結構寒いです。

Great whale watching tour. We seen 14 whales. It was awesome.

The whale watching was GREAT! The whales were active and acting as if they knew we were there to see them. From reading other comments, we thought we were not going to see any whales or they would not be as active as the pictures show. But, they were definately right on time! Plus, the lunch they served on the boat was good. For the price you pay, you will get your moneys worth and certainly enjoy yourself. I would recommend this activity to anyone that enjoy whale watching, especially on a nice boat.