All Reviews for Whale Watching Tours in Oahu

They prepared us by saying its early in the season you may not see anything, we did - a group of whales which we followed around. We didn't see a full breach but you can't have it all! Its exciting, you will be some distance from the whales but there's still a thrill when you catch sight of them. Good value. I'm glad we just did the tour and not the buffet - not sure I would bother with that.

I was hoping to see the whales swimming, but it seems it was still too early for that season, and all I could see was the tail of a whale swimming in the distance. I understand it's nature, so there's not much I can do about it, but I really wished I could have seen them up close.

くじらの泳ぐ姿を見られるのかな～と思っていましたが、時期的にまだ早かったらしく、遠くで泳いでいたくじらの尻尾だけしか見れませんでした。
生き物相手なので仕方がないかなと思いましたが、もっと近くで見てみたかったな～。

We participated as a couple. It was a very large ship, and we boarded with many foreign guests. For breakfast, soy sauce was provided, which made us feel that consideration was given to Japanese guests. During our last visit to Hawaii, I heard that whales can be seen in January, so I signed up and was able to see live whales. I was moved by the large tail of the mother whale and the small tail of the baby whale. Next time, I plan to bring binoculars to enjoy the experience even more!

夫婦で参加しました。とても大きな船で、多くの外人客とともに乗船しました。朝食には醤油が用意され、日本人に配慮されていることを感じました。前回ハワイ訪問時、1月はクジラが見れるとのことで参加を申しみ、なまクジラを拝見出来ました。親子クジラの大きな尻尾と小さな尻尾には感動する覚えました。次回はオペラグラスを用意して、見学したいと思います！

We had a wonderful sailing adventure.The passenger on the boat was full, about 19 people, including me and my brother. As soon as we left the harbour, the sails were up, and we enjoyed 2+ hours of truly amazing sunset sailing. It was really fun to watch the whales for the first time! We had a perfect day for sailing with a very nice breeze that kept us sailing magnificently and a glorious sunset. We sat at the front of the catamaran (which is beautiful and big) where we had great views and got splashed by water, it was just really fun. Once we spotted a whale, they headed to it and we were able to follow it for a good length of time. Very cool. Overall, it was a great excursion for us. Warning - the bulk of the time is spent leisurely motoring the seas so relax and enjoy getting away from the city!

We had a wonderful sailing adventure.The passenger on the boat was full, about 19 people, including me and my brother. As soon as we left the harbour, the sails were up, and we enjoyed 2+ hours of truly amazing sunset sailing. It was really fun to watch the whales for the first time! We had a perfect day for sailing with a very nice breeze that kept us sailing magnificently and a glorious sunset. We sat at the front of the catamaran (which is beautiful and big) where we had great views and got splashed by water, it was just really fun. Once we spotted a whale, they headed to it and we were able to follow it for a good length of time. Very cool. Overall, it was a great excursion for us. Warning - the bulk of the time is spent leisurely motoring the seas so relax and enjoy getting away from the city!

I was able to see whales. Although I couldn't see the whole whale, as they were mostly spouting water or just showing their tails, I was glad to see them multiple times during the cruise. The food was also delicious. There were hardly any Japanese passengers, and the detailed explanations were only in English, but there were Japanese menus and announcements, so it was manageable.

くじら見えました。潮噴いてたり尻尾だけだったりと、なかなか全体は見えませんでしたがクルーズ中何度も見ることができて良かったです。
ご飯もおいしかったです。
乗客にも日本人はほとんどいなくて、細かい説明は英語のみでしたが、日本語メニューやアナウンスもあったので、それなりに大丈夫でした。

At first, I was worried about whether I would be able to see anything, but I encountered a family of whales and was able to see them spouting multiple times while staying alongside them. I didn't get too seasick and had a great time. A tip for not missing the whales is to stay close to the naturalist! The view of the buildings in Honolulu from the sea is also very beautiful. ☻

最初は見られるかどうか不安でしたが、ファミリーに遭遇できて、ずっと並走して、なんども潮吹など見ることができました。
船酔いもあまりせず、楽しめました。
ホエールを逃さず見るコツは、ナチュラリストの近くにいる事！
海側からみるホノルルのビルもとっても綺麗です☻

I was able to see whales, and the scenery was wonderful, so I was very satisfied. I would like to participate again. It became my best memory of my trip to Hawaii.

くじらも見れて景色もすばらしくて、とても満足でした。また、参加したいと思いました。ハワイ旅行の一番の思い出になりました。

I was looking forward to seeing whales, but I couldn't spot any. However, I did discover three mantas! I enjoyed a lovely morning cruise.

クジラ楽しみに行きましたが見れませんでした。しかし、マンタ三匹を発見！そして、朝の気持ち良いクルーズ、楽しめました。

Yesturday we had a great adventure!
When my husbund and I went to this trip I thought we will see one or two whales very far away. But thanks Dave and his wonderful crew we saw so many things! We saw dolphins, turtles, fishes and whales of course. There were several points where we saw them. One of the whales jumped out the water many times and it was amasing.
It was like we saw Discovery channal but we saw this with our own eyes. We took so many beautiful pictures! The crew was very polite and nice to everybody. They came to us and other tourists and told us about whales habits, it was really useful and interesting.

For a long time tried to choose adventures, that we want to try in Hawaii- and whales watch was one of that we want to see for sure. We choose Waikiki Whale Watch Sailing Cruise (from Kewalo Basin)-and for 100% it wasn't a mistake. Our capital was Dave-really cool cap!)) First of all he told that we'll try to see whales, turtles, dolphins- and he realized all programm! I red a lot about such trips, so we were ready that we wouldn't see whales too close- so my advise- the better optics u have-the better photos ull have. If u have go-pro take it for sure, cause u can make reAlly cool video under the water with dolphins, which were really close to boat). So really want to advise this trip-u ll never regret about it-we never saw whales and it was really great emotions. One more thing-don't take trip on a big boat-our was really comfortable, only 17 people-so it was easy to take pictures and run from one side of boat to another, trying to make good photo))

The water was very choppy and the sky dark when we embarked for our whale watching tour in the morning. To be fair, the owner warned us of the conditions and gave everyone the option to reschedule, but as it was our last day in Oahu, we went for the cruise anyways (everyone else did as well). The water was so choppy that the boat wasn't able to get very far and it was near impossible to identify a whale if there indeed was one. The staff did note that it was unusual to not see anything, so we were unlucky. I wanted to note that if you book direct, there is no whale sighting guarantee (staff noted we could return for half price even though we didn't see whales), so it's a pretty good idea to book through a third party like this site that does offer a guarantee.

It was cold and rainy on 12/22/14. Only saw the tail of a small whale while returning to shore. A new trip was offered but not on the same day and couldnot return attend in the future.

The water was very choppy and the sky dark when we embarked for our whale watching tour in the morning. To be fair, the owner warned us of the conditions and gave everyone the option to reschedule, but as it was our last day in Oahu, we went for the cruise anyways (everyone else did as well). The water was so choppy that the boat wasn't able to get very far and it was near impossible to identify a whale if there indeed was one. The staff did note that it was unusual to not see anything, so we were unlucky. I wanted to note that if you book direct, there is no whale sighting guarantee (staff noted we could return for half price even though we didn't see whales), so it's a pretty good idea to book through a third party like this site that does offer a guarantee.

We had a great trip. It was a little difficult to find the location to park and we had to circle the parking lot a few times to find the dock. Fortunately it was New Years Day and at 8:30AM so the dock was not too crowded. For reference, it is close to the rest room facilities.

The boat was clean and the sailing started on time. kipper tom was very entertaining and knowledgeable, and held a conversation throughout the trip. He provided information about the whales, and also about what to do and where to eat in Hawaii. We saw many whales and a turtle. Even though the catamaran was a small and low boat, the waves are huge so not suitable activity if you have motion sickness. I heard that some passengers took dramamine, which I highly recommend. Great for a family activity of good sailors.

I participated in whale watching, knowing it was the season for it. After being picked up from our hotel in Waikiki, we arrived at Kewalo Basin in about 15 minutes. Since it was morning, there was hardly any wind, and I felt relieved that we could set sail without worrying too much about seasickness. Out of the 15 people on board, half were Japanese, and there were many families with children.

After we set sail, we could see the hotels of Waikiki from the sea, which heightened our excitement, and we were very satisfied to see Diamond Head backlit by the morning glow. Suddenly, a flying fish zipped by in front of us, and the boat erupted with cheers. About 15 minutes after boarding, when we looked in the direction pointed out with “OVER THERE,” we spotted them—whales! According to the explanation, there were two mother and calf pairs that come to warm Hawaii for raising their young during this season before moving on to Alaska or Canada. I readied my camera and captured the scene of them spouting water, and after a few tries, one of them slapped its tail. After that, it dove deep, and nothing happened for over five minutes. They moved away.

As we waited for the next sighting, unexpectedly, we saw a spout from a different direction... After witnessing such scenes more than three times, we returned to port, feeling a bit reluctant to leave the whales. According to the captain, the whale watching season is from December to April. We were lucky to see them multiple times today. The day before, they hadn’t been spotted, and it seems December is still early for them. I truly felt that luck played a part in this experience. By the way, in the afternoon, there was an astonishing downpour. I really felt lucky to have spent such a fortunate time.

ホエールウォッチングの時期であることを知り、参加しました。
　ワイキキのホテルからピックアップ後、約15分でケワロ湾に到着。午前中ということで、風もほとんどなく、酔い止めが少し心配な私たちにも安心して出航できそう。いっしょに乗船した15名のうち、半分が日本人でした。子供連れが多かったです。
　出航後、ワイキキのホテル群を海上から見ることができ、ワクワク感がさらに増し、朝焼けの中、逆光のダイヤモンドヘッドにも大満足。すると、目前にトビウオがぴゅーんと。船内は歓声が沸く。乗船後、約15分後”OVER THERE”指さす方向を見ると、いました。くじら君たち。説明によると親子２頭、この時期は、子育てのため温かいハワイにやってきて、その後アラスカやカナダ方面に移動するという。カメラを構えて、潮吹きのシーンを撮ると何度目かにしっぽをパチンとする。しっぽパチンからは、深く潜ってしまい、５分以上何も起こらない。移動してしまうのだ。
　次はどこから、待っていると全く予期せぬとこから、潮が・・・こんな光景を３度以上見て１時間半後、くじらに名残惜しさをもちながら寄港。
　キャプテンによると１２月から４月がホエールウォッチングのシーズン。今日は何度も見ることができてラッキー。前日は見られなかったとのこと、１２月はまだ早いらしい。運もあるのだなとつくづく感じました。ちなみに午後は、びっくりするくらいのスコール。本当にラッキー、ラッキーの時間を過ごすことができました。

If you take this whale watching cruise you will not be disappointed. We saw several whales breach along with spinner dolphins and sea turtles. We had a wonderful time!

Since the season has just started, it was initially quite difficult to spot any whales. Just when I was about to give up, the captain shouted, "Look!" and we were able to see two whales (maybe a mother and calf?). Thanks to the staff, we were able to see several more whales afterward. The professional eye is truly amazing! I was thrilled to clearly see the spouting, fins, and backs of the whales. I was surprised that we could see them up so close.

Since there were only a few of us, it didn't feel cramped at all. We could go up on the deck or sit back and relax in our own spots. There was a good selection of drinks, including orange, pineapple, and guava juices, as well as carbonated beverages, and I heard you could get alcohol for just $2. Snacks were also provided, and we could help ourselves freely.

The views of Hawaii from the boat, including Diamond Head and the rainbow over Oahu, were absolutely beautiful, and I was never bored while searching for whales. I had such a wonderful time that I would definitely like to participate again if I have the chance.

シーズンに入ったばかりなせいか、初めはなかなかクジラが見つかりませんでした。
今日はだめかなぁ・・・、と諦めかけていた時、キャプテンの「Look!」の一声。２頭のクジラ(親子かな？)の姿を見ることが出来ました。
その後もスタッフさんのおかげで数回クジラの姿を目にすることができました。
やっぱり、プロの目はすごいですね！
潮吹きの様子や尾びれ、背中などはっきり見ることが出来て感激です。あんなに間近で見られるとは思っていなかったので、びっくりしました。
少人数なので狭い思いをすることもなく、デッキに上がってみたり座ってのんびりしたり、思い思いの場所でリラックスして楽しむことが出来ました。オレンジやパイナップル、グァバなどのジュースや炭酸飲料など飲み物も充実してましたし、2ドルでアルコールもいただけるそうです。お菓子なども用意されていて、自由につまむことが出来ました。
ダイヤモンドヘッドやオアフ島に架かる虹など、船から見えるハワイの景色もとても綺麗でしたし、クジラを探す間も全く退屈しませんでした。とても楽しく過ごすことができたので、また機会があれば是非参加したいです。

Loved it my kids got a chance to see dolphins, flying fish and whales several times!!! Absolutely worth the price and more!!!!

I'd like to sorry upfront for my candid feedbacks.

My main objective is to watch the whale; however, there was no whale to watch. The captain tried to raise the expectation of tour participants with somehow false alert such as "01 mile away from whales"... but at the end, no one could sense any whale signals. Even though, the Cruise offered other time to watch the whale, for foreign travellers like me, this is not a genuine gesture - it will be difficult for us to spend another trip to Hawaii for another Whale Watch Cruise. Thus, I suggest it should say that "the Cruise will go around Honolulu in an attempt to find whale, but chance to see whale depends on different factors. If you cannot see whale, take it easy and enjoy the sightseeing..." or something like that.

Lunch will be another area for improvement as the listed dishes are far away from similar one in other normal restaurants.

Other than the above, the trip can be a nice memory when participants can enjoy the beautiful landscape of Honolulu from the Ocean.

In December, we went on a trip to Hawaii. Since we wanted to do something special that can only be done at this time of year, we participated in a whale watching tour as a couple. The weather was clear with a beautiful blue sky. We got into the pickup car in front of the hotel and headed to the port. That day, we were the only participants, making it a private cruise. The three staff members were all friendly, allowing us to enjoy the experience with peace of mind. Since the season had just started, there were reportedly very few whales, but shortly after departure, we spotted two whales! Their tails were distinctly whale-shaped, and even from a distance, I was moved to see a whale for the first time. Following the whales, a cute sea turtle appeared in front of the boat. Then, a pod of dolphins showed up! They swam energetically around the boat, having a great time. We were also captivated by the beauty of Honolulu's cityscape and beaches from the sea. It was a very enjoyable cruise. On the boat, there were drinks like juice and alcohol, as well as snacks and fruit, making for a comfortable experience.

12月のハワイ旅行。せっかくならこの時季しかできない事を、ということで夫婦でこのホエールウォッチングに参加しました。当日は快晴の気持ちいい青空。ホテル前から迎えの車に乗り込んで港へと向かいました。その日はちょうど参加者が自分達だけで、まさにプライベートクルーズ。３名のスタッフは皆親切で、安心して楽しむことができました。まだシーズンが始まったばかりだったため、クジラはかなり少ないとのことでしたが、出港してほどなく２匹のクジラが！尾ひれはまさにクジラの形で、遠目でしたが初めて見るクジラに感動しました。クジラに続いて船の前には可愛らしい海亀が登場。さらに、今度はイルカの群れが！しばらく楽しそうに船の周りをバシャバシャと元気に泳いでいました。そして、海から見るホノルルの街並みやビーチの美しさにもしばし感動。とても楽しいクルーズになりました。船では、ジュースやアルコール等の飲物の他、スナックや果物もあり、快適に過ごすことができました。

I made this booking at the last minute because my best friend from Ukraine was visiting Honolulu.

The reservation was made late at night and confirmed promptly by 8AM the following morning.

The 3 man boat crew was very polite and friendly which was fantastic. The boat and the head were clean. No complaints there.

I had made the booking with the obvious intention of viewing whales. But Mother Nature had other plans. We spent the full duration of the ride seeing just blue water, small fish and the occasional airplane flying overhead. Relaxing, but not what we had come to see.

I was very pleased that the company which provides this service has a policy regarding cruises that do not encounter any whales. Because we did not see any whales, the boat captain provided us with a voucher allowing us to take another whale watching cruise with the company at no charge. I will certainly be seeing them again soon.

I was looking forward to the whale watching. On the day of the tour, we were blessed with clear skies and headed to the pickup location with high expectations. When we arrived, the person who greeted us was a woman who couldn't speak Japanese, but when I communicated that I couldn't speak English, she explained everything multiple times using gestures and slow pronunciation. We headed to the port in one car with another Western couple. As a result, there were only four of us on this day’s optional tour. It was quite nerve-wracking to be the only Japanese people, just my husband and I, among the staff and participants, but the staff was very friendly and quickly eased our worries. As soon as we set sail, they served us drinks and light snacks. With the clear weather, I was first moved by the blue sea and sky, the horizon stretching endlessly, and when I looked back, I could see Honolulu across the sea, which was breathtaking. Along the way, a pod of dolphins swam alongside the boat for a while, and we took lots of photos and videos. Since it was just the beginning of the whale watching season, we didn’t encounter any whales, but the private feel of the cruising experience was more than worth the cost of the optional tour. (Of course, they also provided us with a re-boarding ticket for the same season.) During the cruise, they kindly lent me a jacket when they saw I was cold from the wind, took photos for us, and offered us drinks before we even finished the previous ones. Their attentive service was truly exceptional.

楽しみにしていたホエールウォッチング。当日は快晴に恵まれて期待してピックアップ場所に向かいました。ピックアップ場所に現れたのは日本語が伝わらない女性でしたが、こちらも英語が話せないことを伝えると、身振り手振りとゆっくりとした発音で何度も説明してくれました。港へは別の西洋人カップル？と一台の車で向かいました。結果、この日のオプショナルツアー体験者はこの四人だけでした。スタッフも体験者も含めて日本人が私達夫婦二人だけという大変不安な船出でしたが、スタッフの方も大変気さくに話してくださりすぐに不安も無くなりました。出港するとすぐに飲み物と軽食を出してくれました。快晴ということもあり、青い海と空にまず感動、海の先はどこまでも続く水平線、後ろをみると海越しのホノルル、それだけでも感動でした。途中、イルカの群れがしばらく船と一緒に泳いでくれて写真や動画をとりまくりました。ホエールウォッチングのシーズンが始まったばかりということもあり、ホエールには出会うことができませんでしたが、プライベート感抜群のクルージングだけでオプショナルツアー代金以上の感動でした。（もちろん同シーズンの再乗船券はくれました）クルーズ中、風で寒がっている私を見て上着を貸してくれたり、写真を撮ってくれたり飲み物が飲み終わらないうちに次の飲み物をすすめてくれたり本当に手厚い対応をしてくださいました。

I had a reservation at 8 o'clock, but I was informed that it was changed to 11 o'clock. However, when they contacted me again, I couldn't answer the phone. When I called back, they said they didn't understand Japanese... Although I was a bit flustered, I managed to understand that the pickup time had changed, and I was able to participate in the tour without any issues!

There were only my husband and me as Japanese participants, so I felt a bit anxious, but the staff were friendly, and the language barrier didn't matter at all! Unfortunately, we couldn't see the whales, but we were able to see sea turtles and a pod of dolphins!! They mentioned that if we didn't see any whales, we could try again, but this time the schedule didn't match.

However, I definitely want to see whales someday, so if I have the opportunity to go to Hawaii again, I will definitely sign up for the same tour. Even though we couldn't see the whales, I really enjoyed the cruise, so it was very worthwhile!

8時に予約していたのですが、あちらから、11時に変更になったと連絡がありました。しかし、再度あちらから連絡があった際、電話に出ることが出来ず。かけ直すと、日本語はわからないとのこと…ちょっと焦りながらも、どうにかピックアップ時間が変更になったことを聞き取れることができ、ツアーに無事参加することが出来ました！
ツアー参加の日本人は、私と主人だけだったので、少し不安でしたが、スタッフの皆さんフレンドリーで言葉の壁なんて関係ありませんでした！
残念ながら、肝心のホエールは見れませんでしたが、ウミガメとイルカの群れを見ることが出来ました！！
見れなかったら再度チャレンジ！ってことだったのですが、今回は日程が合いませんでした。
でも、いつか絶対ホエールを見たいので、ハワイに行く機会があれば、必ずまた同じツアーに申し込みたいと思います。
ホエールを見れなくても、クルーズを楽しめたので凄く価値がありました！

We encountered about ten whales during the cruise. They appeared very close to the boat, which was truly moving. It was a bit disappointing that the Japanese announcements came after the English ones, causing a slight delay in the whale sighting announcements.

クルーズ中に１０頭ほどのクジラに遭遇。船のすぐ近くにも現れて感動ものでした。日本語の案内が英語の後なのでクジラ出現のアナウンスがワンテンポ遅れてしまうのが少し残念。

I was able to see whales! I participated with my 5-year-old daughter, but she didn't seem very impressed, perhaps because of the distance to the whales. The food was delicious, and the staff was friendly, so my husband and I had a great time.

The boat hardly rocked, so I don't think anyone would get seasick.

クジラ見られました！
５歳の娘と参加したましたが、娘はクジラまでの距離があるせいか、あまり感動していないようでした(＠_＠;)
料理も美味しかったし、スタッフの方もフレンドリーだし、夫と私はとても楽しかったです。

船もほとんど揺れないので、酔うこともないと思います。

I participated in December. Since it was the beginning of the season, I thought the chances of seeing anything were low, and indeed, I didn't see much. I think I caught a glimpse of a dolphin. The boat was comfortable. For those who didn't see anything, they seem to offer retry tickets valid until April (during this season), but since I can't come to Hawaii that often, I hope they can make it valid for next year as well...

12月に参加しました。
シーズンの初めだったので、見られる可能性は低いと思っていましたが、
やはり見られませんでした。
いるかがちょっと見えたような。
船は快適でした。
見られなかった人には、4月まで（今シーズン中）のリトライのチケットをくれるようですが、
そんなに頻繁にはハワイにこられないので、
来年も使えるようにしてくれるとよいと思うのですが・・・

I could only see the whale's fins and tail, but the deep blue, beautiful sea was stunning! Also, there were so many people that when the whale appeared, everyone crowded to that side, so I couldn't take many photos of the whale!

クジラは手や尾しか見れなかったのですが、真っ青で綺麗な海がとてもきれいでした！
また、人数がとても多くてクジラが現れるとそっち側に皆が寄るのでクジラの写真はあまり撮れなかったです！

I was torn between the Star of Honolulu and the Navatek, but choosing the Navatek based on experiences was the right decision. The morning tour doesn't include a meal, but since the goal was to see whales, it actually worked out well (lunch is after disembarking, back in Waikiki). We set sail almost at the same time as the Star, but even after the Star returned to port about 30 minutes after reaching the viewpoint, we continued to search for whales. The vessel is specifically designed for whale watching, making it very easy to see, and I highly recommend it.

スターオブホノルル号かこちらかで悩んだのですが、体験談などをもとにナバテック号を選んだのは正解でした。午前のツアーで食事もついていませんが、クジラを見るのが目的なのでむしろ良かったとも言えます（ランチは下船後、ワイキキに戻って）。スター号とほぼ同時に出航しましたが、スター号がビューポイント到着から30分くらいで帰港していった後も、クジラを求めて動いてくれました。船体もホエールウオッチング専用にできているのでとても見やすくおすすめです。

I was able to see the whales! However, they were too far away, just barely... I was hoping for splashes like in the photos, so I was a bit disappointed.

くじらは見れました！
しかし、遠すぎて、かろうじて・・・でした。
写真のような波しぶきを期待しちゃったので、
ちょっと残念でした。