All Reviews for Marine Wildlife Encounters

I heard that the waves are calmest in the morning, so I joined the first tour of the day. There were about 15 of us, and we went into the water in groups of 2 to 3 at a time. While you're diving, you don't feel much, but the waiting time on the boat can make you feel seasick (the waiting time is quite long). I recommend not having breakfast before participating. (It's better to take seasickness medication beforehand.) Some women ended up not riding the sea bob due to seasickness.

Also, the staff will take photos for you. The cost for the photo data and tips is not included in the participation fee, so I recommend bringing cash. (Tips are about $10 to $20 per person.)

波が一番穏やかと聞いたので、朝一番のツアーに参加しました。全員で１５名程で、一度に２～３名で海に潜ります。潜っている間はあまり感じませんが、待ち時間は船上のため酔います。（待ち時間が結構長いです。）朝食は取らずに参加されることをおすすめします。（酔い止めは飲んでおいた方が良いです。）数名の女性は船酔いのせいで、結局シーボブに乗られなかった方もいました。
また、スタッフの方が写真を撮ってくれます。写真のデータ代とチップの費用は参加費には含まれていないので、現金を持参される事をおすすめします。（チップは１人１０～２０ドルぐらいです）

We encountered a pod just a few minutes after setting sail, and they even showed us some jumping. We encountered pods several more times, and we were able to see whales that came very close to us. The Japanese guide was also excellent, thank you very much.

出航後数分で群れに遭遇、ジャンピングまで披露してくれました。その後も数回群れに遭遇し、間近まで近づいてきてくれたクジラまで観れました。日本語ガイドの方も最高で、ありがとうございました。

I waited for a while for the manta rays, but when one finally came right in front of me, I was so excited! Even after getting into the water, the staff took me to where the manta rays were, which made it really easy and enjoyable.

しばらくはマンタ待ちでしたが、まさに目の前にマンタが来て大興奮でした！
海に入ってからも、スタッフがマンタのいる場所まで連れれ行ってくれるので楽ちんでした。

I woke up early, but it's disappointing that I couldn't see any whales. When you can't see them, you can get a re-boarding ticket, but the period is too short. Since I went on the last day of my trip, it ended up being a waste of money. My kids were also disappointed, which made me sad. I wonder if it's really true that there's a 95% chance of seeing them. If I ended up in that remaining 5%, that's just too unlucky.

朝早く起きたのに、くじらが見られず残念。。
見られないときは再乗船チケットもらえるけど、期間短すぎ。。
旅行最終日に行っちゃったから、結局お金の無駄になった。。
子供もがっかりしてて、悲しくなった。。
95%の確率で見られるって本当なのかな。
その残り5%になったなら、運悪すぎる。。

We participated in the Dolphin Swim Adventure as a family of four. The instructor communicated in broken Japanese and gestures, which made us feel at ease. It was our first time seeing dolphins up close, and everyone was excited. We were worried about whether we could do it well, but the dolphins were smart, so everyone did great. The instructor allowed us to interact with the dolphins multiple times, which was really wonderful. However, the bus ride there was quite cold due to the air conditioning, so bringing a towel and long sleeves is essential.

家族4人でドルフィンスイムアドベンチャーに参加しました。インストラクターは片言の日本語とジェスチャーで対応してくれたので安心でした。こんなに目の前でイルカを見たのが始めてでしたので、皆んな興奮していました。上手く出来るか心配でしたが、イルカがお利口なので全員が上手く出来ました。インストラクターが何度も触れ合いをさせてくれたので本当に良かったです。ただ、行きのバスは結構クーラーで寒いので、タオル、長袖必須です。

The weather was great, and I was excited for my first-ever whale watching experience! However, it was in English, so I didn't understand everything, which was a bit disappointing. The whales weren't very active, but I was satisfied just to see them jump a few times! My husband got a little seasick, but we definitely want to come back!

天気にも恵まれ、生まれて初めてのホエールワッチングに興奮しました！
ただ英語のガイドだったので、意味がよく分からず少しだけ残念でした。
クジラはそんなにアクティブではありませんでしたが、数回ジャンプを見ることができ、それだけで満足です！
主人は少し船酔いしてしまいましたが、また来たいと思います！

I had heard that encounters are quite rare, but I was satisfied to see the tail fin come out of the water and spouts several times. However, they were only visible from a distance, so I wish I had brought binoculars. It would be great if they could offer binoculars for rent on the boat, even on a deposit basis. I recommend that future participants bring their own binoculars.

なかなか出会えないと聞いていましたが、尾びれが水面から出たのや潮吹きも何回も見られて、それ自体は満足でした。しかし、遠くに小さくしか見えなかったので、双眼鏡を持っていったらよかったと思いました。船内でデポジット式で良いので、貸し出ししてもらえるとありがたいです。これから参加される方には双眼鏡持参をお奨めします。

I participated in the tour in September 2017. The tour guide was very friendly and funny. A manta ray passed right in front of me, and it was so moving! It was really cute. On the way home, there was an engine trouble that made me a bit anxious, but the tour guide and the other staff worked hard, and I was able to get home safely. They were such wonderful people that I felt like I wanted to live on the Big Island!

2017年9月に参加させていただきました。
ツアーのお姉さんがとても気さくで面白かったです。
マンタが目の前を通り過ぎてくれて、感動しました！とても可愛かったです。
帰宅途中エンジントラブルが発生して少し不安になりましたが、ツアーガイドのお姉さん、お兄さんが頑張ってくれて無事に帰宅できました。
私もハワイ島に住みたくなるぐらい素敵な方々でした！

We were the only Japanese guests, but the crew was fluent in Japanese, which was very helpful. The sea was incredibly beautiful, and others were jumping in and swimming. It became a lifelong memory.

日本人の客は、私たち夫婦だけでしてが、クルーの方が日本語も堪能で、助かりました。
海の上は、最高に美しく、他の方で海に飛び込んで泳いだりしていました。
一生の思い出になりました。

I held onto the blue glowing board, but there were too many people clinging to one board, making it cramped. The manta ray that appeared was just one, far away. The boat and the water were both very choppy, causing many people to feel seasick. On the way back, it was extremely cold, and some were vomiting, creating a hellish scene. It felt like a waste of over 30,000 yen for two people, making it the worst tour I've participated in so far (though I understand it's nature, so it's unavoidable).

If you don't see anything, you can participate for free the next day, but I had booked a different tour for the following day and couldn't join (I suspect most people will be in the same situation). I'm also doubtful if the right to participate for free again is valid for a few years later; if not, this is truly a terrible tour. For those who participate, please make sure to take motion sickness medication and be prepared for the possibility that you might not see anything.

青く光るボードにつかまって見るのですが、一つのボードにつかまる人数が多すぎて窮屈でした。そして現れたマンタは遠くの方に1匹だけ。ボート上も海の中も揺れが激しく、酔う人多数。帰りはとても寒く、吐く人もいて、地獄絵図でした。2人で3万円以上払ってこれかよという感じで、これまで参加したツアーで最悪のものとなりました（自然相手なので仕方ありませんが）。

見れなかった場合、翌日も無料で参加できるということですが、翌日は別のツアーを申し込んでおり参加できませんでした（ほとんどの方がそうなるのでは）。無料で再度参加の権利は数年後でも有効なのか疑問ですが、そうでないとしたら本当にひどいツアーです。参加する方は、必ず酔い止めを飲んで、見れない可能性があると覚悟して参加してください。

We gathered at Aloha Tower in the morning. The shuttle costs $14, so we took THE BUS, which was fine. A whale seemed to appear for a moment, but we couldn't see it due to the boat's location. Still, we enjoyed the beautiful views of Diamond Head and the hotels. It was a bit disappointing, though...

朝からアロハタワー集合です。送迎は１４ドルかかりますのでTHE BUSで行きましたが問題なく行けますよ。一瞬クジラは現われたようですが、船の場所の関係で見れませんでした。それでも、ダイヤモンドヘッドやホテルの美しい景色は楽しめました。残念でしたが・・・

I participated on December 30th. It was a clear day, perfect for a cruise.
Be careful, as the shuttle bus was too cold.
The ship was larger than expected, which got me excited.
We spotted whales about eight times!!!
The other guests were also thrilled, and we were able to finish the cruise in a wonderful atmosphere.

12月30日に参加しました。快晴でクルーズ日和でした。
お迎えのバスが寒すぎるので注意が必要です。
船は想定より大きく、テンションあがりました。
クジラは8回くらい姿を現してくれました！！！
他のお客さんも大興奮で素晴らしい雰囲気の中クルーズを
終えることが出来ました。

Friendly and knowledgeable crew, really well organized expedition. We were told we were particularly lucky as we saw many whales and at least 6 breaching. Beautiful animals. We learned a lot and left the boat excited and happy.

The whale watching experience was the best. The crew was patient answering questions from our granddaughters. We learned great information about why the whales come to Hawaii and the times best to see interaction between males and females.

The crew was amazing. They went out of their way to answer any questions we had. They made the experience interactive and tried their best to make sure all sides of the boats had equal viewing time for the whales.

I participated in the "Dolphin Encounter" with my 4-year-old child. We had three types of interactions: kissing the dolphin mouth-to-mouth, the dolphin kissing our cheeks, and shaking hands with the dolphin. We were also able to stroke the dolphin's body and feed it directly from our hands.

Before participating in this attraction, I was concerned that my child might be scared of the dolphins, so we experienced a dolphin touch attraction at Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise first. However, in this program, we entered the same pool as the dolphins, which brought us incredibly close to them and allowed for frequent interactions, making it incomparable to similar attractions in Japan.

I observed other programs where participants could swim while holding onto the dolphins or be pushed by them to swim at incredible speeds, and even do things similar to a dolphin show. I definitely want my child to experience this again when they are older.

We participated in the program from 1:00 PM, and by 2:00 PM we had finished changing and were supposed to explore the park until the bus departure time at 5:00 PM. However, all the park's programs ended by 4:00 PM, and by around 4:30 PM, we were asked to leave the park, so we had to wait outside for about 30 minutes with nothing to do until the bus arrived, which was disappointing.

子供（４歳）と「ドルフィン・エンカウンター」に参加しました。
イルカの口と口でキス、イルカがほっぺにキス、イルカと握手の３パターンの触れ合いができ、イルカの体を撫でたり餌を直接口に入れたりすることもできました。
このアトラクションに参加するにあたり、子供がイルカを怖がるかと思い、横浜八景島シーパラダイスでイルカにタッチできるアトラクションを体験させてから参加しましたが、ここのプログラムでは、イルカと同じプールに入って行うため、イルカとの距離がものすごく近く、触れ合える頻度も多いので、日本国内の同類のアトラクションとは比べ物になりません。
他のもっとイルカと遊べるプログラムを見学しましたが、イルカにつかまって泳いだりイルカに押してもらって、ものすごいスピードで泳いだり、イルカショーのようなことまでできるので、子供が大きくなったらぜひまた体験させたいと思いました。
１３：００～のプログラムに参加したのですが、１４：００には着替えも終わりバスの出発時間の１７：００まで園内を散策して時間を待つことになっていましたが、園の各プログラムの時間が１６：００までで終了してしまい、１６：３０頃には、園外に出されてしまったので、バスが来るまでの３０分ぐらいは何も無い園外でバスを待たなければならなかったことが残念でした。

What a fantastic experience! One of the best excursions we have ever done in Hawaii. The whole family had a great time. We have two boys , age 6 and 9, and the loved the experience too.

The crew was a blast. Very fun outing. They worked very hard to insure everyone had a great time.

I made a reservation on December 27, 2017, but it was changed to the next day due to bad weather. The change was smooth. On the 28th, the weather improved, and I was able to see many whales. My mother, who needs assistance walking, did not go up to the deck, but we were able to see plenty of whales from inside the boat. For lunch, it was a do-it-yourself burger sandwich, which was nice. There were also fruits and cookies available. The guitar player on board was exceptionally talented. Personally, I thought he resembled Kuwaman from Rats & Star (laughs). Compared to the Star of Honolulu, this is a smaller boat, giving it a homey feel, and the captain's gentlemanly demeanor was wonderful. I am very satisfied.

２０１７，１２，２７で申し込みしましたが、悪天候のため翌日に変更。変更もスムースでした。２８日はお天気も回復した、たくさんクジラが見れました。歩行に補助が必要な母はデッキにあがることはありませんでしたが、船内でも十分クジラをみることができました。ランチはいわゆるバーガーサンドを自分ですきな具合でつくるって感じですね。フルーツやクッキーなどもありました。なんといっても船内にいたギター演奏者のうまさといったら格別でした。個人的感想ですが、元ラッツアンドスターのくわまんに似ていました（笑）スターオブホノルル号にくらべて小さな船ですので、アットホームな感じで船長さんの紳士ぶりも素敵。大変満足です。

I tried on January 2nd in the morning and January 3rd in the afternoon, but I couldn't see anything at all; it was just a cruise. It would have been nice if they could have taken us to spots where we could see dolphins or turtles when we couldn't see whales, but there was nothing at all.

It was tough as a parent to see my 7-year-old's disappointment. I think it would be good to have announcements about the likelihood of sightings and explanations of the spots, but they spoke optimistically, saying that it’s unpredictable, which was very disappointing.

1/2午前、1/3午後にトライしましたが、全く見れずに、ただのクルージングでした。クジラが見れないときは、イルカや亀など見れるスポットに連れていってくれるとかあれば良いのですが、全くなく。
GPSで探してるわけでもなく、7歳の子のガッカリを見ることになり、大変、親として辛かったです。
見える可能性の公表や、スポットの説明などがあると良いと思いますが、予測できないんだよ〜〜と楽観的に話されてて、とても、残念でした。

I was looking forward to seeing whales, dolphins, and turtles, but I was disappointed that I didn't see anything. It's no good to have too high expectations. The weather was nice, so the view was good.

くじらやイルカカメなど楽しみにしていましたが何も見れず残念でした。期待しすぎるとダメですね。天気は良かったので眺めは良かったです。

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to see any whales. The day before my participation, there was record heavy rain, so I was worried about the weather, but fortunately, we were blessed with good weather. I decided to enjoy the cruise around Waikiki instead of focusing on whale watching.

I think the cruise duration was about an hour and a half. If whales can be seen from that distance, it seems they come quite close to the Waikiki area.

I signed up for a course without breakfast, but I thought at least drinks would be provided, so it might be a good idea to bring water or bottled drinks.

Also, I heard that if you don't see any whales, you can get a ticket for the next cruise, but I didn't hear anything about that. Where should I inquire about this?

残念ながらクジラは見れませんでした。参加前々日が記録的な大雨だったので、天気が心配でしたが、幸いに好天に恵まれ、クジラウォッチングではなくクルーズと割り切ることにして、ワイキキ周辺を楽しみました。
クルーズ乗船時間は賞味1時間半程度かと思います。あれくらいの距離の移動でクジラが見られるのでしたら、ワイキキ周辺近くまで近づいてくるのだなと思いました。

朝食なしのコースで申し込みましたが、飲み物くらいは出されると思っていたので、お水やペットボトルのﾄﾞﾘﾝｸを持ち込んだ方がいいかもしれません。

それから、クジラを見られなかったときの次回乗船券をいただけるということでしたが、そういったお話しはなく、これはどこで聞いたらいいのでしょう？

I didn't like that it took a long time to be picked up by a shared vehicle, so I chose the meet-up plan. I went to the location indicated on the map, which was the center of Aloha Marketplace, but there was no ticket center. I tried calling the local phone number, but it didn't connect, and time was running out, causing me to panic. In the end, I asked a crew member from another boat, who told me that there was a ticket booth next to the boat I was supposed to board, and I barely made it in time. I think the explanation was insufficient. I would like the meet-up location to be accurately provided. I couldn't see any whales, which was the worst part.

混載車での送迎で時間がかかるのが嫌なので現地集合プランを選択しました。現地集合の場所はこちらと地図に示されていたアロハマーケットプレイスの中心にへ行きましたがチケットサンターがありません。現地電話番号に電話をしても繋がらず時間も迫りあたふた。結局、別の船の乗務員さんに聞いて乗る船の横にチケットブースがあると教えてもらいギリギリ間に合いましたが説明不足だと思います。現地集合の場所を正確に載せてもらいたいです。くじらも見えず最悪でした。

When I boarded the boat, I got completely soaked up to my knees. I was able to see whales quite close. I even saw them jump high enough to see their bellies. I'm happy to have achieved one of my main goals for going to Maui. The snacks were just small sandwiches.

船に乗り込むとき、膝の上までバッチリ濡れました。鯨はかなり近い所で見れました。おなかが見えるくらいのジャンプも見れました。マウイに行った大きな目的の一つが達成できて嬉しい。軽食というのは、小さなサンドイッチ程度。

I was treated excellently and had an absolutely wonderful time. The divers made sure I had a close-up experience with all the marine life. The only thing they could add in the advertisement is to tell clients to arrive wearing swimwear, there are no change rooms on the boat.

I chose this tour because I heard the whale encounter rate is high. The weather was great, but unfortunately, I didn't encounter any whales, which was disappointing. I just accepted it as a regular cruise. The open deck was windy and surprisingly cold, so a jacket is a must.

クジラ遭遇率が高いとの事で利用しました。
天気には恵まれましたがクジラには遭遇出来ずがっかり。
ただのクルージングに行ったと割り切りました。
オープンデッキは風があり意外と寒いので上着必須。

It was right at the beginning of the December season, so I was worried about whether I would be able to see anything, but that morning, while looking at the ocean from my hotel room, I spotted a spout in the distance. I thought I might be lucky today and boarded the boat with that expectation. At first, I could only see the spouts from afar, but I was able to see whales on both the starboard and port sides.

There was one breach, but it happened so suddenly that I couldn't capture it in a photo; it was truly moving. In the latter half, we moved the boat to show us a baby whale. The passengers were all Westerners, with only two of us being Asian. My English is not great, but I chose this small boat because I wanted to experience it. It was a nimble boat, which made it interesting, though it might be dangerous for small children.

However, during check-in, the attitude of the woman at the reception was not great. Even though the voucher clearly stated the time, name, and the number of the reception hut, she returned the voucher saying, "This is not the place. Go to the hut three over." When I showed the voucher to the man at that hut three over, he kindly told me that this was not the right place and even accompanied me back to the first hut.

Even when that man said this was the right place, the woman's attitude was arrogant; she didn't smile and just handed me the boarding number. It was disappointing to see such an attitude, possibly because we were not English-speaking customers.

Additionally, when disembarking, a female crew member was smiling and shaking hands with other passengers, but when my husband extended his hand to express his gratitude, she pulled back.

I didn't feel this way on the Big Island, but on Maui, I had the impression that there was a certain strictness towards Japanese people, aside from this incident.

12月シーズン始まってすぐでしたので見れるか不安でしたが、当日の朝ホテルの部屋から海を見ていると。遠くに潮吹きが見えました。
これは今日はラッキーかもと期待しての乗船。最初は遠くで潮を吹いている様子でしたが、右舷、左舷どちら側でもクジラを見ることができました。
　ブリーチは一度だけ、突然だったので写真におさめることはできませんでしたが、感動ものです・
後半は、船を移動して子どもくじらを見せてくれました。
乗客は、欧米人のみ。東洋人は、当方2人でした。英語はさっぱりですが、なん小さい船にのりたかったので選びました。
小回りがきく船ですので、おもしろかったです。小さなお子さんは危ないかも。
ただ、チェックインの際、受付の女性の態度がいまいちでした。
バウチャーには、しっかり時間、名前、そして受付小屋の番号も記載されているのに、「ここと違う。三つむこうの小屋へ」とバウチャーを返され、その三つむこうの小屋の受付のおじさんに、バウチャーを見せると、ここではないよと親切に言ってくれ、しかもいっしょに最初の小屋についてきてくれました。
　その人にこれはここと言われても、女性の態度は横柄で、にこりともせず、乗船番号札をわたしてくれました。
　英語圏の客でないのが気にくわないのか、残念な態度でした。

そして、もうひとつ、下船の際、クルーの女性が、他の乗客に笑顔で握手していたので、主人が感謝の言葉を言いながら手をさしだすとひっこめられました。

ハワイ島では感じなかったのですが、マウイ島では、この時以外にも日本人に対してきびしいかな
と思った経験がありました。

We enjoyed a lot the experience! It was super cool! We saw a lot of sharks!

While we only saw one manta, she did come up close, which was an amazing experience.

It was incredibly powerful. A large whale spouted water right nearby, and there were cheers. I was lucky to spot it so quickly. I think it would be amazing to see the whales up close. The boat is large, but if you're prone to seasickness, I recommend bringing motion sickness medication.

凄い迫力でした。大きなクジラがすぐ近くで潮を噴き歓声があがっていました。
すぐに発見できラッキーでした。
もっと間近でクジラを見れたらすごいと思います。
船は大きいですが、酔いやすい方は酔い止めを持って行くと良いと思います。