All Reviews for Marine Wildlife Encounters

As we moved to the point where we could see manta rays while watching the sunset, we waited for a few minutes, holding onto the side of the boat. The first manta only briefly showed itself. After that, it didn’t appear for several minutes, and I started to wonder if that was all we would see... but then, suddenly, there were so many mantas! They performed flips right in front of us. A manta with its mouth wide open, another showing its belly while flipping— it was truly a manta extravaganza. It was a moment that only those who have experienced it can understand. The return trip on the boat was cold, so wearing a windbreaker or other warm clothing is essential.

夕日を見ながらマンタの見えるポイントへ移動。
ボートサイドでボードにつかまりながらマンタを待つこと数分。
最初の1枚はチラッと姿を見せただけでした。
その後数分は姿を見せず、こんなもんなのかな…と思ってたら、その後がマンタがたくさん！
目の前で何度も宙返りをしてくれて。大きな口を開けたマンタ。宙返りでお腹を見せるマンタ。まさにマンタ尽くしでした。
体験した人にしかわからないひと時でした。
帰りのボートでの移動は寒いので、ウィンドブレーカーなど寒さ対策は必須です。

My first experience with a submarine in Hawaii was fantastic. We got close to a shipwreck and enjoyed the seabed at about 30 meters deep. The bright smiles of the staff were also very comforting.

ハワイ島でのサブマリンは、初めてでした。
難破船まで接近してして、約30メートルの海底を満喫しました。
スタッフみなさんの明るい笑顔にも癒されました。

I had reserved a shuttle service, but after waiting 5 minutes past the scheduled arrival time, I called to confirm and was told they were on their way and to wait. After waiting for another 10 minutes without any sign of them, I informed the staff at the hotel where we were staying, and they made several calls, but in the end, we waited for 40 minutes without the shuttle arriving, so we took a taxi instead. (The taxi fare was refunded.) Once we arrived at the destination, everything went smoothly, and the kids enjoyed themselves. I've heard about shuttle troubles happening abroad, but it was my first experience, so I felt a bit disappointed.

送迎を予約していましたが到着予定時間5分を過ぎても来ないので、電話で確認したところ向かってるから待っててと言われました。
その後10分程待ちましたが、やはり来ないので僕らが宿泊してるホテルのスタッフにも伝え、何度か電話してもらいましたが結局40分待っても来なかった為、タクシーで向かいました。(タクシー代は返金対応しました。)
現地到着後は、特に問題なく子供達も楽しんでいました。
送迎トラブルは海外ではよく聞きますが、はじめてだったので少し残念な気持ちになりましたね。

The crew on the boat was great, funny, helpful and knowledgeable.
The reef area the boat drove to and parked in was prettt boring. We saw maybe 4 types of fish and didnt travel anywhere else.
The diver brought a lot of neat things by the boat.

I thought I would encounter them a bit more, but I only finally found them towards the end. It was great to see them up close, but I do think the timing was off. I would like to try again someday.

もう少し遭遇できるのかなと思っていましたが、最後の方でやっと見つかったくらい。
近くで見れたのは良かったけど、やはり時季が悪かったのかなと思います。
いつかリトライしたいかな

Since it was the last season in April, I expected it, but unfortunately, we couldn't see any whales. Perhaps feeling sorry for us, we were able to see the spout of a whale during our stopover, although it was quite far away.

4月の参加でシーズン最後だったので、予想はしてましたが、残念なからくじらを見ることはできませんでした。
そんな私たちを哀れに思ったのか、寄港する途中でくじらの潮吹いたところだけ見せてくれました。かなり遠かったけど。

You will travel to the submarine by a larger ferry from the pier and board the submarine that has surfaced. The journey to the submarine feels like a cruise with a view of Diamond Head. The boat may sway a bit, so those prone to seasickness should be cautious.

Inside the submarine, there is a decent amount of space, and we were able to enjoy observing the underwater fish and sea turtles. As we navigate between the reefs, you can see many fish. Fortunately, we were able to see sea turtles.

It was a very enjoyable tour.

潜水艦までは桟橋から大き目のフェリーで移動し，浮上してきた潜水艦に搭乗します．
潜水艦までの移動もダイヤモンドヘッドを見ながらクルージングといった雰囲気です．少々船が揺れますので船酔いに弱い方は注意してください．
潜水艦内はそこそこ余裕もあり，楽しく水中の魚やウミガメを観察することができました．
漁礁の間を縫うように進むため，たくさんの魚をみることができます．
運よく自分たちはウミガメを見ることができました．
非常に楽しいツアーでした．

I chose this plan because other tour companies didn't offer the opportunity for my 6-year-old child to enter the sea and see manta rays.

It was wonderful to see the manta rays flipping in the air up close, and I was satisfied with this precious experience. The surfboat had a blue light that attracted plankton in the center, and there were ropes around the surfboat for participants to hold onto. While holding onto the rope and peering into the water, we could see manta rays coming to eat the plankton drawn in by the blue light.

We headed to the point from Honokohau Harbor on a speedboat, which was incredibly fast and bumpy. My 6-year-old was really scared at first and clung to me. It seemed like they finally got a little used to it just before we arrived at the point. They said it would take about 20 minutes to reach the point, but it felt longer. The speed was so fast that the front of the boat would hop up and down, making it feel like a roller coaster, which was scary even for me as an adult. The manta rays were very impressive, and my children are saying they want to participate again.

6歳の子供が、海に入ってマンタを見られるのが他のツアー会社にはなかったので、こちらのプランを申し込みました。

マンタの宙返りを間近で見られたのは、とても良かったし、貴重な経験ができたので満足です。サーフボートの中央にプランクトンを集めるブルーライトがついていて、サーフボートの周りに参加者がつかまる用のロープが付いています。そのロープにつかまりながら、海の中を覗くと、ブルーライトに引き寄せられたプランクトンを食べにマンタがやってくるスタイルです。

ホノコウハーバーから、スピードボートでポイントに向かうのですが、凄いスピードかつ、揺れも凄いので6歳の子供は初めはすごく怖がって、私にしがみついていました。ポイントに着く直前位にやっと少し慣れたようでした。ポイント到着まで大体20分と言うことでしたが、もっと長かったように思います。スピードが早くてボートの先端がホッピングするように浮いたり着水したりするので、ジェットコースターに乗っているような感覚で、大人の私も怖かったです。マンタ、とても感動したので、子供達はまた参加したいと言っています。

A pod of about 20 dolphins swam alongside our boat, and we were able to see dolphins swimming right under the glass-bottom boat up close!

イルカの群れ20匹くらいが途中船を伴走、泳？グラスボートの下を通り抜けるイルカも間近に見られました！

You can see airplanes sunk deep on the ocean floor, making it truly an adventure. If you're lucky, you might also spot a large sea turtle swimming gracefully next to the submarine. Before diving in the submarine, you'll travel by boat, and I think the views from there are also very nice. If you mainly want to enjoy the fish, consider choosing a different tour, such as snorkeling.

深く海底に沈んでいる飛行機なども見れてまさにアドベンチャー。運が良ければ大きなウミガメが潜水艦の横を悠々と泳ぐ姿も見れます。潜水艦で潜る前に船で移動しますが、そこからの景色もとても良いと思います。なお、お魚をメインで楽しみたい方は、シュノーケルなど別なツアーにしましょう。

I participated alone, but the friendly staff made it a very enjoyable experience. Thank you, Julie, for entertaining us and teaching us about dolphins! I learned so many new things and had a great time. I was also really happy to swim with the pod of dolphins up close. It was great that I wasn't limited to just one time; I got to swim with the dolphins multiple times. It was a wonderful day!

一人での参加でしたが、気さくなスタッフの方ばかりでとても楽しめました。ジュリーさん、楽しませてくださったり、イルカの事を教えてくださりありがとうございました！知らない事が沢山あり楽しかったです。また、イルカの群れと至近距離で泳げて、すごく嬉しかったです。1回で終わりでなく、何度もイルカと泳がせてくれたのが私には良かったです。とても良い1日でした！

Since the cruise was on April 13th, I was worried that there might not be any whales left. But they found them for us! We were able to see a mother and her calf, along with a male whale chasing after the mother. It turns out this male is not the father, just a pursuer. The mother whale is busy raising her calf and has no interest in him, yet he persistently follows her. Well, it might be nice to have him around like a bodyguard.

Thanks to our Japanese guide, Taka, who provided humorous and detailed explanations, we had a wonderful time. Maui has many surrounding islands, so the water is shallow and there are fewer sharks. This is why whales can safely give birth here. However, there aren't many fish in this area, so the mother whale is sacrificing her own body to feed her calf. Once the calf is big enough, they return to the rich feeding grounds of the Alaskan seas.

I really understood why there are so many whales in Maui, and I’m so glad I chose this cruise. Thank you, Taka!! And thank you, Veltra!!

４月１３日のクルーズだったので、もうクジラはいないかと不安でした。でもちゃんと見つけてくれました！一組の親子と、そのお母さんを追いかけるオスのくじらを観ることができました。このオスはお父さんではないそうです。ただのおっかけ。お母さんくじらは子育てで忙しいのでその気はないのに、しくこく追っかけてくるそうです。まぁ、ボディガードみたいでいいのかもしれませんね。
日本人のガイドのタカさんのユーモアあふれる詳しい説明のおかげで、楽しいひと時を送らせていただきました。
マウイは周りに島が多いので水深が浅く、さめが少ないとのこと。だからくじらはここで安心して出産が出来るそうです。でもこのあたりは餌となる魚が少ないのでお母さんくじらは身を削って子供におっぱいをあげているそうです。
子供が十分大きくなったら餌の豊富なアラスカの海に帰っていくそうです。
マウイ島にくじらが多い訳もわかり、本当にこのクルーズにして良かったと思いました。
タカさんありがとう！！
そしてベルトラさんありがとう！！

Seeing the manta rays perform large flips up close in the ocean was breathtaking. Many fish gathered around, creating a scene I had only seen in an aquarium. The manta rays appeared and disappeared repeatedly, and there were times when I just stared at the invisible seabed. Although it was April, the night sea was colder than I had imagined (renting a wetsuit was the right choice). I'm not a strong swimmer and was a beginner at snorkeling, so I was a bit tired towards the end, but I enjoyed it until the very last moment. It was also great that the staff who spoke Japanese provided solid support.

海の中で間近でマンタが大きく宙返りする姿は圧巻でした。魚もたくさん集まってきて水族館の中でしか見たことの無い景色が広がりました。
マンタは、現れたり消えたりの繰り返しで、何も見えない海底をずっと眺めている時間もありました。また、4月でしたが夜の海は想像以上に冷えました(スエットスーツのレンタルは正解でした)。
泳ぎは得意でなく、シュノーケルも初心者だったので、後半は疲れもありましたが、最後まで楽しんできました。
日本語の通じるスタッフがしっかりサポートしてくれたことも良かったです。

At first, I was a bit nervous waiting for the van, which arrived about 20 minutes late. I was worried along with a foreign couple who were also waiting, thinking maybe they overslept since no one said anything. I had read everyone’s experiences beforehand, so I took motion sickness medication before participating. I usually don’t get motion sickness, so I was fine, but my mother is prone to it. She was okay until we got on the boat, but once we were in the water, the waves were quite rough, and she ended up feeling sick. A few foreign participants in the tour also got sick, and some were even vomiting.

We entered the cage with about 3 to 4 groups, and during that time, the crew scattered food, attracting a lot of sharks. They came quite close, but they didn’t attack, and it was thrilling to see them up close. It was a unique experience, and the elderly foreign couple with us was quite excited! There were changing areas and restrooms available, but everyone just wore shirts over their swimsuits and went home like that. There was also a small shop where we bought snacks and drinks while waiting for the van to arrive. I definitely think you should give it a try!

初めは、少し緊張しながらバンを待っていたのですが、20分くらい遅刻して来て一緒にまってな外国人夫婦と、まだ来ないね…と心配していました。特に何も言わなかったので寝坊かな??と思いました。そして、皆さんの体験談を読んで居たので、あらかじめ酔い止めを飲んで参加しました。もともと乗り物酔いしないタイプだったので、私は、酔わなかったのですが、母が乗り物酔いしやすいタイプで、船に乗ってゲージまで行くところまでは、元気だったのですが、逆に海の中に入ってからの方が波の揺れも激しく、そこで酔ってしまってしました。一緒にツアーに参加した数人の外国人の方も酔っていて、吐いている人もいました。ゲージの中へは、3組~4組くらい一緒に入って、その間にクルーの人達がエサをまいてくれるので、サメがたくさん寄ってきてくれます。でも、近くまで来ても襲って来ることも無く、かなり近くで見れて迫力があります。なかなか出来ない体験なので、一緒に居た高齢の外国人夫婦もかなり興奮していました!!一応着替える場所、トイレもあるのですが、みんな水着の上にシャツを着てそのまま帰っていました。あとは小さな売店??みたいなのが来ていて、迎えのバンが来るまでスナックやジュースを買って待っていました。是非、参加してみてもいいと思います。

This is my third time in Hawaii, but it was my first time participating in this tour. Since it included a Japanese-speaking guide, I was a bit worried about what it would be like, but the tour guide turned out to be one of the crew members and was very good at Japanese. They made the experience enjoyable with jokes and a fun atmosphere. The guide provided thorough explanations about the types of fish and the sunken ship, and I was able to encounter turtles, sharks, and manta rays, which made me very satisfied.

ハワイへは、3回目になるのですが、初めてこのツアーに参加しました。日本語ガイド付きということもあり、どんな感じだろー??と心配しながら参加しましたが、ツアーガイドさんが、なんとクルーの1人でとても、日本語が上手でジョークも交えながらとても楽しく過ごせました。魚の種類や沈んでいる船の説明もしっかりしてくれて、カメやサメ、マンタ??にも遭遇できて、とても満足しています。

This was my second time whale watching, and although the number of whales was few, we were still able to see some. Above all, the staff member who generously applied sunscreen was very friendly, constantly asking if I wanted a beer or a refill, which made the experience enjoyable. My friend who came along was also pleased, so I think this is one of the classic tours in Honolulu. I highly recommend it.

ホエールウォッチングは2回目ですが、今回も数は少ないながら鯨を見ることができました。何より日焼け止めをたっぷり塗ったスタッフのおっちゃんがビールは飲むか?ビールのおかわりはどうだ?と、しきりに気を遣ってくれたのがとてもフレンドリーで楽しい気持ちになりました。連れて行った友達も喜んでくれたので、定番のホノルルツアーの1つかと思います。お勧めです。

The guides were great and it was a casual relaxing boat ride with pretty views of Diamond Head and Waikiki. Didn’t get to see much but it was nice to be out on the water.

I was looking forward to showing the children the whales, but we couldn't see any at all, and it turned into just a regular cruise.

くじらを子供たちに見せてあげられるかと楽しみにしておりましたが、全く見ることができず、単なるクルーズになってしまいました。

I participated in a whale watching tour that included breakfast. The boat was larger than I expected, which made for a comfortable experience. I was thrilled to spot a whale spouting water! I was also satisfied to see it raise its tail. I want to go again!

朝食付きのホエールウォッチングに参加しました。
思っていたより大きな船で、ゆったりしました。
肝心のクジラは、潮を上げているところを見つけ、大興奮！
尾びれを上げたところも見れて満足。
又行きたい！

Diving down to 100 feet, we could see the sunken ship and artificial coral reefs. Around them, many fish, sharks, and turtles swam gracefully. It seemed like the kids really enjoyed this first-time experience.

100フィートまで潜水すると、沈められた船や人工の珊瑚礁が見えました。そのまわりに沢山の魚やサメ、亀が優雅に泳ぐのが見えました。初めての体験に子供達も楽しめたようです。

As the season was coming to an end, I participated with the feeling that I might not see anything, and it took a while for anything to appear, but then there was a sudden spout! I was glad to see the back several times, and at the end, I clearly saw the tail—great!! So moving!!

I didn't understand the content at all from the English announcements, but the crew members were considerate, asking if I wanted drinks or cocktails, which made the tour enjoyable.

シーズンも終わりの時期で見れない事もあり得るという気持ちで参加し、なかなか現れませんでしたが、突然の潮吹き‼︎背中が何度か見れてよかったと思っていたら最後に尻尾がハッキリと見れました、グレイト‼︎‼︎感動‼︎
英語の案内でまったく内容はわかりませんでしたが、船員の方々はドリンクはいらないか、カクテルはどうかとか気を使っていただきツアーを楽しく過ごすことができました。

Crew, Equipment exceeded expectation, for swimmers and non swimmers alike. IWS Underwater scooter is an event you will cherish. My wife and I were thankful they could take us on short notice. A complete package from reservation, pick up, instruction, operation, pics and drop off.

My husband and I had a GREAT time during the 9:30 a.m. Whale Watch tour. We spotted a whale, her calf and a male escort 30 minutes after we left the harbor and we followed them around for most of the cruise.
It was pretty late in the season (April 6th), so we felt very lucky.
The crew was great, so were the drinks and snacks.
I highly recommend it!

I was a bit anxious about participating alone, but once it started, I found that it was totally fine to join by myself. There was support in Japanese as well.

I got to see dolphins and turtles up close, and I enjoyed snorkeling in the beautiful sea. I swam quite a distance, so half a day was just the right amount of time.

一人参加で不安がありましたが
始まってみれば一人で参加でも全然大丈夫でした
日本語でのサポートもあるし

近距離でイルカにもカメにも会えました
綺麗な海でシュノーケリングも楽しめました。
なかなかの距離を泳いだので半日で時間的にも
ちょうどよかったです

Wonderful experience! Crews were nice and the sailing and snorkeling were so much fun!

On the way to Manta Point, we watched the sunset and saw the green flash. When we arrived at Manta Point, there were already a lot of people there, and I started to worry if manta rays would come to us with so many people around. However, as soon as we got in the water, I was surprised to find that mantas were waiting for us. It might have been the same individual, but we encountered about ten of them (instead of counting them as one or two, they count them as one ray, two rays, etc.), and I was satisfied. On the way back, the boat ride and after landing were unexpectedly dark, and especially on the boat, I struggled to find where to change because it was so dark. I recommend bringing a light.

マンタポイントに行く途中で夕日を眺めました。グリーンフラッシュが見えました。マンタポイントでは既に多数の人がいて、こんなに人がいたら、自分たちのところにマンタが来るのだろうかと不安になりましたが、入水した途端にマンタが待ち構えている状態でビックリしました。同一個体かも知れませんが１０枚くらい(１匹、２匹という代わりに１枚２枚と勘定するのだそうです）出会えて、満足でした。帰路の船中や上陸後は予想外に暗くて、特に船上で着替えがどこにあるのか暗くて分からず、苦労しました。ライト持参をお勧めします。

The staff was amazing, but for money, this was just ok for us. We spent 2 hours cruising the ocean looking for whales. We did not see any, but did see some dolphins and a sea turtle. I was under the impression that the boat would be a catamaran, and would have some areas to sit, relax, and watch. But, apparently on certain days, the Disney resort uses that boat and so we took a boat normally used for scuba diving out. There was not much seating that allowed for you to view the ocean and watch for whales, so basically we stood the whole 2 hours on some pretty choppy water. They had some snacks and refreshments which my son enjoyed, but about an hour in he was pretty bored. Again, the staff was awesome, but the experience as a whole I probably would not do again. They did give us a voucher to return for free. We will see.

I was moved to see whale breaches multiple times near the shore of Maui Island about an hour after departing from Lahaina Harbor at noon on April 7. I later heard from a local instructor that every year, from winter to early spring, 3,000 whales come all the way from Alaska to this area for calving and raising their young.

４月７日のお昼12時にラハイナ港を出航してから、1時間が経つころにマウイ島の岸辺のすぐ近くでクジラのブリッジを何度も見ることができ感動しました。地元インストラクターの人から、あとから聞いたことですが、毎年冬から春先にかけて3000頭のクジラがお産や子育てのために、この地にはるばるアラスカからやってくるんですって。

I was able to see the dorsal fin and tail fin for just a moment! It took a lot of patience to catch a glimpse of the whale pod.

背びれや尾びれが本当に一瞬だけ見れました！なかなかのクジラの群れを見ることが出来ず忍耐力が必要でした

At "Dolphin Middle School," the instructor is the class president, and the teacher is the "Bottlenose Dolphin." The Pacific White-Sided Dolphin is the "Boss," the sea turtle is "Professor Turtle," and the whale is "The Great Teacher"! This creates a wonderfully entertaining atmosphere for participants.

The main focus of the tour is to see the wild "Pacific White-Sided Dolphin," but since they are wild, there's no guarantee you'll encounter them.

When I went, unfortunately, I didn't get to meet the dolphin teacher, but I was able to see not only the boss and Professor Turtle but also The Great Teacher multiple times!

They are very kind to those who have never snorkeled before, and snorkeling gracefully with Professor Turtle is a lot of fun.

There is also a professional photographer on board, so they take plenty of underwater photos. Although there is a fee, you receive the data, allowing you to print or save them as you like, which is a nice bonus.

「イルカ中学」では、インストラクターは学級院長、先生は「ハシナガイルカ」。
バンドウイルカは「番長」で、ウミガメは「カメ教授」、クジラは「大先生」！
という、なんとも面白いノリで参加者を盛り上げてくれます。

イルカ先生こと「野生のハシナガイルカ」を見るのがメインのツアーですが、野生なので必ず出会えるとは限りません。

私が行った際も、残念ながらイルカ先生には出会えませんでしたが、番頭やカメ教授だけではなく、大先生を何度も観ることができました！

シュノーケルをやったことがない人にも親切に教えてくれますし、カメ教授との優雅なシュノーケリングは楽しいです。

泳ぎのプロでもあるカメラマンも一緒に乗っているので、水中の写真もいっぱい撮ってくれます。有料ではありますが、データでもらえるので自分の好きなようにプリントアウトしたり保存できるのも嬉しいです。