All Reviews for Whale Watching Tours in Oahu

Wow!! We did the afternoon whale watch on February 12, 2015. First, we are so happy we booked this tour instead of one of the large cruise-like ships. Everything was fantastic and exceeded our expectations from the very start. Our crew (Jacob, Julia, David and Dave) were phenomenal! Each was outgoing, friendly and very knowledgeable. They made sure each person was attended to and were in constant contact with each other as well as the passengers. We were so fortunate to have perfect weather/sea conditions and only 7 passengers, including ourselves, for the cruise. Because of its size, the catamaran easily maneuvered to change course when we spotted whales, which was often! Not only did our crew point out sightings, but also explained why whales did certain things, their habits and shared past whale experiences. We even got to see a sea turtle when we were heading back to the marina. We were so happy we booked with this company. The cruise was intimate and fun and the drinks were great, too! If you want a top-notch, personal experience, book here!! Even if we hadn't been so lucky to see so many whales, the sailing experience with these great people would have been well worth it!

We had a great time. The boat was on the smaller side, which was good...we could maneuver and move towards sighted whales more quickly and easier than the large vessels could. there were about 12 total guest on the boat with 4 total crew members, so the tour was very intimate. We enjoyed the friendliness and knowledge of the staff. Light snacks and refreshments were provided, and alcohol was available for $1 or $2 for those who wanted it. There was plenty of room in the covered area of the boat as well as the front deck. We spent the majority out on the deck, as the views from there were remarkable. One woman got seasick and the crew did what they could to help her out. I'd recommend Dramamine beforehand just in case! Regarding the actual whale sightings, we probably saw about 6 whales in the time that we were out there. Most of the time we would see the large fin protruding from the water a few times, and then we'd see the tale come up before the whale made a deep dive into the water. We saw one turtle as well. No spinner dolphins when we were out but I believe that those are a common sighting as well. The whales we saw were anywhere from 50-100 yards away, so we felt like we were pretty close, without being on top of them (they are huge!). Overall, we had a fantastic time. Just being out on the boat was worth the price, and the multiple sightings made it a great trip. Staff does not ask for tips, but we thought it was appropriate to leave one since they were so accommodating. I would certainly recommend to a friend!

Our family had a great time!! Started with a very nice breakfast, and got to see some great up close whale activity. Worth every penny! Mahalo and Aloha!

The whales always come close to the boat, making it easy for small children to spot and enjoy them. Inside the boat, there were displays featuring whale sounds, which kept the kids entertained without getting bored. However, I found the photos available for purchase to be quite expensive. I would have liked to buy one if they were a bit cheaper. The coffee and tea were self-serve, and I appreciated that there was decaf coffee available since I was nursing. On the way back, we could get off the bus freely, so we got off at Alamoana and spent the afternoon there. Both the kids and adults had a great time!

常に船頭にクジラが来るようにしてくれるので小さな子供でもクジラが探しやすく楽しめました。
船内にはクジラの鳴き声などの展示があり子供は飽きることなく楽しめました。
ただ、自由購入の写真が高かったなぁと。もう少し安かったら買いたかったんですが。
コーヒー紅茶はセルフですが、コーヒーはﾃﾞｶﾌｪがあり授乳中の私は助かりました。
帰りのバスは自由に降りれたのでｱﾗﾓｱﾅで降りて午後の時間をすごしました。
かなり子供も大人も楽しめました！

On the day of the trip, the waves were high, and it seemed there were few whales. I was starting to think it might not happen, but finally, I was able to see a few. Perhaps because of the high waves, I started to feel a bit seasick. If you're prone to motion sickness, it might be a good idea to take some medication. Initially, I planned to take pictures of the whales, but they would dive before I could focus, so I gave up and enjoyed watching them with my own eyes. Binoculars are nice, but I realized that when there are only a few whales, they can actually make it harder to spot them.

On the way back, there were hula dance lessons and ukulele lessons, which were enjoyable. Even if you don't understand English, I think it's fine because basic information is broadcast in Japanese.

当日は波が高く、クジラが少なかったようです。なかなか見つからず、ダメかなと思っていたところ、やっと何回か見れました。波が高かったせいか、船酔い気味になりました。乗り物酔いに弱い人は酔い止めの薬は飲んだほうがいいかもしれません。当初の予定では、クジラを写真におさめようと思っていたのですが、ピントを合わせる前にもぐってしまうので、諦めて、肉眼で楽しみました。双眼鏡もいいのですが、たくさんクジラがいるときはよくても、数回しか見れないときには双眼鏡はかえって見つけにくくなることがわかりました。
帰り途中フラダンスレッスンやウクレレレッスンもあり、楽しめました。英語はわからなくても基本的な情報は日本語放送があるので大丈夫だと思います。

Within less than 10 minutes of departure, I spotted them jumping. I was inside the boat, but I couldn't help but rush to the bow to see them jump continuously. While they were diving, I found myself enjoying the anticipation of where they would come up next. It was a fleeting two hours. I guess it's just a matter of luck! It felt like I used up all my luck for the year. I was able to spend a precious time.

出航して、10分足らずで、ジャンプしている姿を目視した。船内に居たけど、立て続けにジャンプしてくれる為に、思わず船首へ。海底へ潜っている間、次はどこからでてきてくれるのか？ 楽しんで予測している自分に気が付く。あっと言う間の2時間でした。luckyの一言なのでしょうかね！ 今年一年間の運を使ってしまった感じがした。
貴重な時間を過ごせた。

Everything was perfect, which was sunny day and the pick-up car to Kewalo Basin arrived on time, actually a little early at the appointment place. It was my first whale watching excursion. I really like to recommend this tour if you are available.

The catamaran that my wife and I got on board, I think, is the perfect size for agile movement for following the humpback whales race and watching them closely and even listening to the mysterious and marvelous whale songs. I think this neat ship is much better than massive cruises to watch fast-moving whales.

Staff who are kind and informative also helped us to have a good memory of the whale watching trip. They are very friendly and kind, especially their informative knowledge will help you better understand the humpback whales traits like why they came to Hawaii and what they do and so forth.

More importantly, I think, the staff really know well about the best spot where we can watch whales. Thanks to the wonderful staff, we really enjoyed and got a lucky chance to watch dozens of whales and their competition race as well as the show of spouting water. Moreover, we could watch tremendous whale breach at the end of our trip, which was carried over the mom whale accompanying its baby. It was really an unbelievable and unforgettable moment in our life. It’s worth your every penny.

I was able to see whales!! The sea was beautiful, and I was pleasantly surprised to see a sea turtle as well. The lunch was delicious too, which was great.

クジラ見れました‼︎海もキレイでよかったです。思いがけずウミガメも見れたし、お昼もおいしくてよかったです。

I participated in a tour in January. It was truly wonderful to see a mother and baby whale. It was my first time joining, but when I asked those who had participated multiple times, they said it was rare to see so many.

The lunch was a buffet style and very delicious. Additionally, there were plenty of engaging events on board, such as hula lessons and lei-making, which kept us entertained and very satisfied.

The guide spoke English, but they conveyed a friendly atmosphere using gestures and models to help us understand. My child was also able to experience the culture of whales and was very happy.

１月にツアーに参加しました。
親子のクジラが見ることができて本当によかったです。
初の参加でしたが、何度も参加されている方に聞いたら、こんなに見られるのは珍しいとおっしゃっていました。

ランチもビュッフェ形式で味もおいしかったです。
また、船内ではフラレッスンやレイ作りなど飽きないようなイベントがたくさんで大変満足です。

ガイドも英語でしたが、ジェスチャーや模型などを使ってわかり易く何とか理解してもらおうという雰囲気が伝わりました。
子どももクジラら異国文化に触れ合うことができ、すごく喜んでいました。

Picked up on time from our Hotel. Driver was very friendly, his helper was kind enough but quite young and she decided to get some sleep on the way to the ship, she must have had a late night bless her!(Not very professional!).
Onboard, breakfast was good and definitely worth the extra, you could help yourself as much as you like. Unfortunately we didn't actually get to see any whales on this trip so we were offered a free ticket for another day, which is very fair, however we did have to pay again for transportation which I think should have also been included. We also paid again for breakfast because it was worth it.
Our second cruise however we did finally get to see some whales which was great, as this was our main reason for coming to Oahu at this time of year.
Overall it's a very worthwhile trip to go on, even just for the views of Honolulu and the Breakfast.

We were picked up by a friendly gentleman who treated my older travelers very respectfully. When we got to the harbor the captain was very thorough yet fun with the way he spoke to us. We knew exactly what to expect and what to do.
When we got going, the crew was very friendly and spent a lot of time talking to us about whales and whatever else we wanted to ask about. They were very upbeat and wiling to get us drinks at any time. The boat was clean and the music was good.
I've been on many whale watching cruises and I would recommend this outfit to anyone. From the captain, who speaks fluent Japanese, all the way down the crew these people have passion for what they do and it shows.

We started our activity by getting picked up at our hotel by a friendly shuttle driver. We were with my mother-in-law and her sister. The driver suggested they used hotel restroom before we left, which was very nice, considering they were elderly and the restroom on the boat can be a little tricky to say the least.
When we got to the shipyard we were greeted by the captain and the crew. They were very thorough and professional.
We set off to find whales and the crew was very accommodating and interacted with everyone. They always asked if we needed anything.
We didn't have much luck spotting whales this day. We spotted a few in the distance and finally a mom and baby after looking an extra 30 minutes past our scheduled time.
Not really their fault, but a little disappointing.
I would recommend these folks. They are a good crew.

I participated in January, but I couldn't see anything due to the weather (cloudy skies). Please understand that there is a possibility of not being able to see anything when you participate. However, I was able to see flying fish and a U.S. Navy submarine.

1月に参加しましたが、天候の関係（曇天）？のため見られませんでした。
見られない可能性もある事を理解して参加願います。
ただし、トビウオとアメリカ海軍の潜水艦を見ることができました。

Amazing and informative crew. Along with amazing wildlife and sunset!!! Can't wait to go again!!

I had some doubts about how much we would be able to see, but we were able to observe a baby whale showing its tail and spouting water. The location was off the coast of the Kahala Hotel.

どれだけ見ることができるのかは疑問があったものの、子供鯨が尾びれを見せたり、潮吹きをしたりするところを観察できました。場所は、カハラホテル沖でしたね。

You guarantee seeing whales and that is just what we did. It was very exiting for my first time.
Everyone was professional, well informed and provided great service.

I participated in the lunch package from the Ko Olina area. There were few participants from Ko Olina, just two groups including us. However, we were warmly welcomed by a large bus. The buffet was more delicious and varied than I expected, but while we were away from our seats to see the whales, we couldn't access the food area anymore. It seems better to keep your seat before getting up. We were able to see quite a few whales! I couldn't take many photos, but I would love to participate again.

ランチ付をコオリナ地区から参加しました。
コオリナからの参加者は少なく私達をふくめ二組でした。しかし、大型バスで丁寧にお迎えきました。
そして、ビュッフェは予想よりは美味しいく種類豊富、しかし、クジラ見に席離れている間に料理のスペースは入れなくなりました。
席立つ前にキープした方が良さそうです。
肝心クジラは結構みれました‼写真には中々撮れなかったけど。また、参加したいです。

I used the service at the end of January. The shuttle was 30 minutes late without any notice, and the light snacks were stale. The staff couldn't speak any Japanese at all. I didn't see any whales anywhere.

1月末に利用しました。
送迎は連絡もなく30分遅刻、軽食のスナックはしけてました。スタッフは日本語は全く喋れません。クジラもどこにも見れませんでした。

It was a large ship. There were many Americans and English speakers on board. When we reached the point, there was an announcement about the direction at around 〇〇 o'clock, and we were able to see something that looked like a whale, but we couldn't see its face. However, we were able to confirm several instances of it spouting water, so that was good.

大きな船でした。アメリカ人？英語を話す人が非常に多く乗船していました。ポイントに来ると〇〇時の方向とアナウンス、鯨らしきものは見ることが出来ましたが顔は見ることが出来ませんでした。でも何回か潮を噴き上げる場面は確認出来たので良かったです。

It was advertised that if you couldn't see anything, the next time would be free. Although it was within one season... Occasionally, there were announcements about what could be seen in the direction of a certain time, but the atmosphere among the passengers was quite dull, thinking it might not be possible to see anything, or that it might be a lie. However, by chance, I was able to see just the tail of a whale! My husband said he saw it from the back. I never expected to see it so close to the hotels in Honolulu. Still, since most people couldn't see anything, they announced that the next time would be free. I didn't order food, but when I asked for coffee, refills were free. It's cold during this season, so a windproof jacket is necessary. I was also wearing several long sleeves underneath.

見れなかったら次回無料というフレコミでした。1シーズン内ではありますが・・
たまに〇時の方向に何が見えるとかのアナウンスがあるのですが、見れなそう～、ウソなんじゃない～、と乗客一同ダルダルな雰囲気でしたが
偶然にもくじらのしっぽだけを見れました！主人は背中の方から見れたそうです。
まさかホノルルのホテル群が間近にある海で見られるとは思いもしませんでした。
それでも殆どの方は見れなかったので、次回無料のアナウンスになっていました。
ご飯はオーダーしませんでしたがコーヒーを頼んだところ、レフィルは無料でした。
この季節は寒いので風を通さない上着が必要です。下にも何枚も長袖を着ていました。

The food was delicious, and I wanted to eat more. I also enjoyed the flower lei class. I would like to participate again.

食事がおいしく、もっとたくさん食べたかったです。
フラワーレイの教室も楽しめました。
また参加したいです。

We came to Hawai to celebrate my father's 70th birthday, and one of his must-do lists was the whale watching cruise.
We arrived at the harbor and the stuffs were very friendly and happy to assist us. The check in (as well as the reservation though the Veltra) was smooth and easy.
They offered us free non alcoholic beverages and snacks(fruits, chips and etc) at the bar on the cruise.
Once we left the harbor, the stuffs toughly us about the whales we were about to see. They were super friendly, and we learned a lot about the whales from them from this cruise which was awesome.
It was less than a 2 hr cruise with lots of focusing trying to find whales!! We saw at least 10 whales actions like a humpback breaching and tail-slapping!!
We all enjoyed it!

It was ok at best. There were three crue members in this activity and beverage(Approx. five kinds of Juice) and Snacks(Chips, Cookies, Apples, and Oranges) were provided. All crue members are friendly and helpful. Clean Deck and Interior.
You hope for the whale shooting out of the water with the earth shaking splash....keep hoping. Animals are unpredictable. We did see them blow air up it, but it was very far away and nothing like the pictures! I think it is all about the "right" timing to see something like "the" picture scene. Not worth the money in my opinion. Although all crues are friendly and helpful, obviously there is nothing they can do about the whales.

We participated as a couple with our one-year-old child. We saw something that looked like a whale, but it was quite far away and just barely visible. According to the staff, there was a big whale breach yesterday, so it seems like you need a bit of luck to see that. If we had seen it, we would have been very satisfied, but since we didn't, I gave it three stars. Overall, it felt like a tour that’s okay to do just once. It was nice that there was one Japanese staff member as well.

１才の子供連れで夫婦で参加しました。鯨らしきものは見えましたが、結構遠くちょっと見えるくらいでした。スタッフが言うには昨日は鯨が大きく跳ねたらしく、それを見るには運が必要なのかなーっていう感じです。それが見れたら大満足だったんですけど、見えなかったので星三つにしました。まぁ一回参加すればいいかなって感じのツアーでした。スタッフの感じは日本人も一人いてよかったです。

Got to see 2 sightings of whales. Was able to get pictures both times.

If I could give this cruise more than five starts I would!! This Whale watching cruise was the highlight of my visit to Oahu! The crew Josh, Julia and Jacob were outstanding! The perfect hosts! We witnessed several whale sightings and the crew was very informative about the whales, answering every and all of the guests questions. The catamaran we sailed on was very well kept and we felt safe on our ride out into the Ocean, we traveled at low speeds making the ride very pleasurable. I recommend this tour above any whale watching tour in Oahu, you will not be disappointed! Thank you again to Josh, Julia and Jacob you all were amazing!!!

I didn't have time to go to Lahaina to see the whales, so I was a bit unsure if I would be able to see them in Waikiki while participating in the Navatek cruise. However, I felt reassured by the onboard lunch and the explanations about the whales, as well as the guidance from our tour guide, who had been an English teacher in Fukui Prefecture. So, did we see any whales? Yes, we saw a lot!

ラハイナまでクジラを(ホエール)見にいく時間が無く、ワイキキで見れるのか
少し疑問にしながらのナバテック号の参加でしたが。船内のランチタイムや鯨の説明
福井県で英語の教師をしていたガイドさんの案内などで安心して参加出来ました。それで
鯨は見れたのか？？、沢山見れました。

this was a great surprise for my mum....getting to see the whales out in the ocean was such a surprise. the breakfast buffet was amazing and the scrambled eggs are amazing. we saw dolphins as well...and the cruise was so smooth. this will definitely be a memory that myself as well as my mum and kids will never forget

It was exactly as I imagined seeing the whales. I was able to see them spouting water, diving with their backs showing, and their tails. The boat was anchored at the whale watching point, so the kids got a bit bored along the way. Since it was just a little extra to add breakfast when ordering a juice, I thought it might be nice to book the breakfast plan next time.

想像通りのクジラの見え方でした。潮を吹いているところ（潮のみ）、背中から潜って尾ひれが見えるところ、を見られました。クジラのいるポイントで船が泊まっているので、子供は途中で飽きてしまいました。ｼﾞｭｰｽ単品代金にちょっと追加するだけで朝食付きとなったので、次回は朝食付きプランで申し込んでもいいかなと思いました。

On Monday, January 5, 2015 my husband, son, and I went on the Whale Watch Cruise out of the Haleiwa Harbor. It was very early in the season and we did not see any whales which was disappointing, but also kind of expected when you are relying on creatures of nature as they are never predictable. The boat ride on the catamaran was very enjoyable as we cruised parallel to the shoreline down toward Pipeline and back to the Harbor. The coastline is absolutely beautiful and to see it from the ocean was breathtaking. However, the disappointing part was the lack of interaction and education from our crew. The captain done a nice job explaining where the drinks and life vest were and the first mate made sure everyone that want a drink had it just shortly after leaving the dock that was about all the interaction we had. They did stop 1 time and put the sonar on the speaker and mentioned that they didn't hear any whales in the area but that didn't mean we couldn't still see some. There was nothing to educate us main landers about whales and whale watching. Like where to look or how to spot a whale. How many come in during a season and how long each whale stays. Just some basic knowledge about whales for us Hallies would have been nice.