All Reviews for Marine Wildlife Encounters

A wonderful experience. Relaxed atmosphere and pleasant guides. We had already encountered sharks while snorkeling in the Maldives, but they were much smaller. These were fascinating.

I had booked a shark tour, but it was suddenly canceled, and instead, I joined a submarine tour, which turned out to be a great decision.

Getting the chance to go inside a submarine is something you don't usually experience in life, and it felt like being in a moving aquarium, full of excitement and thrill. Although I didn't get to see turtles or whales, there were impressive sights like a sunken airplane.

The explanations were in English, and while I couldn't fully understand them, the atmosphere was still enjoyable. The ferry ride to the location was also quite an experience due to the strong winds.

I highly recommend this tour as it's enjoyable for everyone, from children to the elderly.

シャークツアー予約してましたが、急遽欠航になり代わりに入れた潜水艦ツアーでしたが大正解でした。
潜水艦に入る機会って普通に生きてても人生でないので、まるで動く水族館のような雰囲気とスリルを味わえました。
亀や鯨に会うことはできなかったけれど、海に沈んだ飛行機など迫力がありました。
英語で解説してくれてましたが、わからずに過ごしましたが雰囲気も良く。
行くまでのフェリーも風が強くて、これだけでもいい経験。
このツアーは子供からお年寄りまで楽しめるのでおすすめです。

This experience was really cool and very informative. Our daughters loved it and they were excited every second of the trip. We saw fish, turtles, sharks, ships, sting rays and planes! We will come back and jump on again to discover more

Riding in a submarine and seeing the underwater world was an exciting experience for both adults and children. The kids especially seemed to enjoy understanding the differences compared to an aquarium during the boarding process. Additionally, the friendly staff made it a fun experience.

潜水艦に乗り海底海中を見れるのは大人も子供もドキドキ経験でした。特に子供たちは水族館との違いを乗船過程で分かったようで楽しんでいました。それとスタッフのフレンドリーな対応が楽しかったです。

I encountered a pod of dolphins twice and went into the sea. Unfortunately, during the first encounter, I couldn't recognize the dolphins, but during the second, I was able to see them properly. The guide was kind and took care of me as I was struggling due to my lack of stamina. I was also happy that the person I went with checked on me while I was resting and tired. It's a shame I didn't have the energy to enjoy the last snorkeling session, but I had a great time overall.

I will work on building my stamina before the next time I participate.

2回、イルカの群れに遭遇し海へ入ったのですが、
1回目の時は残念ながらイルカを認識できなかったのですが、
2回目の時には、きちんと見ることができました。
ガイドさんが親切で、体力不足でアップアップしていた私を気にかけてくださいました。
一緒に行った方も、疲れて休んでいる私に声をかけてくれて嬉しかったです。
最後のシュノーケリングを楽しむ体力がなかったことは残念でしたが、
充分に楽しむことができました。

次に参加するときまでに体力作りに励みます。

I was able to see dolphins, and the staff were very nice, which made it enjoyable. However, the dolphins were far away. In the past, I could swim closer to them. I think it's unavoidable due to stricter laws, but it was a bit disappointing.

イルカも見れたし、スタッフさんもとても良くしてくださり楽しかったのですが、イルカはみられましたが遠かったです。以前はもっと近くで泳げたのですが。法律が厳しくなったので仕方ないのだと思いますが、少し残念でした。

The beautiful ocean and Diamond Head. Just seeing the buildings of Waikiki from the boat felt great. I couldn't see the seabed very well through the glass, though.

綺麗な海とダイヤモンドヘッド ワイキキのビルを船から見るだけでも気持ち良かった
ガラス越しに海底はそれほど見えなかったかな

I went in with somewhat low expectations, so I was pleasantly surprised by how much I was able to interact with the dolphins!

We experienced it alongside other Japanese groups, and the friendly Japanese staff were always there to explain things, which was very helpful.

Although there was no dolphin show happening during our visit, we had quite a bit of free time. It felt very homey, as there were staff members who spoke broken Japanese and checked in on us while we were exploring!

少し期待値低めで行ったためか、思った以上にイルカに触れることができてよかったです！

私たちは他の日本人グループの方たちと一緒に体験し、気さくな日本人のスタッフの方が常に説明してくださりとても助かりました。

園内はイルカショーもしていないタイミングで時間はかなり持て余しましたが、カタコトで日本語を話す方が散策中も会うと気にかけてくださったりアットホームなところでした！

I took a taxi to Hilton Hawaiian Village, which was fine, but I was nervous because I didn't know where the meeting place was...

I think it would be reassuring to have prior information like, "After passing through the hotel entrance, there will be a boat docked towards the beach."

On the 10:00 trip, even at a depth of 30 meters, it was bright, and I could see many fish, which was a lot of fun! I was hoping to see a honu (sea turtle), but unfortunately, that didn't happen... Since my elderly mother was with me, we didn't do any marine activities, but it was great to be able to explore underwater in a submarine, which is something you can't easily experience in Japan.

ヒルトンハワイアンビレッジまでタクシーで向かったのはいいのですが…
集合場所がわからずドキドキしました。。

「ホテルの入り口を抜けて、ビーチに向かった所に船が停まっている」
などの事前案内があったら安心だと思う。

10:00の便で、海底30mでも明るく
たくさんの魚が見れてとても楽しかった♪
ホヌに会えるのを願ってましたが…叶わず。。
高齢の母も一緒だったので、マリンアクティビティは一切なかったので、日本ではなかなか体験できない潜水艦で、水中散策ができたのでよかったです。

On October 25, the participants of Dolphin Junior High did not meet the required number, so they transferred to Dolphin University.

Before boarding the boat, I encountered a honu (sea turtle) right by the pier. I couldn't take a photo because my camera was still in the dry bag.

Shortly after departure, I encountered a Hawaiian monk seal. It popped its head up above the surface, and I was able to capture it perfectly on camera. The day before, I also encountered one while experiencing SUP at Ala Moana Beach, and according to our guide Hayato, it's very rare for short-term travelers to see wild Hawaiian monk seals two days in a row, so I was very lucky!

Next, we had our first snorkeling session in the shallow waters. I was able to capture the honu coming up for air and diving down to the seabed. This snorkeling in the shallow waters was a great warm-up.

While searching for dolphins to swim with, I saw some spinner dolphins splashing around from the boat.

Finally, the main event: snorkeling with dolphins. I heard that we encountered many spotted dolphins, but the weather was so nice that there were a lot of light curtains, making it hard to see them with the naked eye. However, since other participants seemed to see them, I trusted that the action camera had captured it and returned to the boat. When I checked back at the hotel, I was relieved to find that it had been recorded perfectly.

On the way back to the harbor, many dolphins swam alongside the boat, making for a truly enjoyable experience.

I am grateful for the kind assistance from our guide Hayato.

Mahalo

10月25日、イルカ中学参加者が規定数に満たず、イルカ大学に編入しました。

最初船に乗る前、桟橋からすぐのところでホヌに遭遇。カメラをドライバッグに入れたままだったので撮影出来ずでした。

出航後すぐにハワイアンモンクシールに遭遇。
海面にひょっこり顔を出してくれてバッチリカメラに収録。
前日アラモアナビーチでSUP体験時にも遭遇しガイドのハヤトくんが言うには、2日連続で野生のハワイアンモンクシールに遭遇した短期旅行者は滅多にいないらしくてとてもラッキー！

次に浅瀬で最初のシュノーケリング。
ホヌが息継ぎし海底まで潜って行く様子を収録出来ました。
この浅瀬でのシュノーケリングは良い準備運動になりましたね。

次に一緒に泳ぐイルカを探す途中、船上からハシナガイルカがバシャバシャしている様子が見れました。

いよいよメインイベント、イルカと一緒にシュノーケリング。
たくさんのマダライルカに遭遇したらしいですが、天気が良すぎて光のカーテン多めで肉眼では確認することが出来ず。でも他の参加者は見れた模様なのでアクションカメラに収録出来ている事を信じて船に戻りました。
ホテルに帰って確認してところバッチリ収録出来てたので良かったー。

最後ハーバーまで戻る途中、たくさんのイルカが船と一緒に泳いでくれてホント楽しい体験ができました。

ガイドのハヤトくんがとても親切に対応してくれて感謝です。

Mahalo

Our experiences were great. First we had a chance to do the underwater scooter and give food to our loving fishes. Camera man constantly took pictures of us which we received it later through purchasing it. We did not see turtles directly but definitely it was an experience we would be doing again. There were two teams in the boat where one team goes for the underwater scooter and another goes for snorkeling under the guidance of our team. Overall, the pictures made it another unforgettable experience so make sure to purchase the pictures when the guide asks you if you want the pictures or not. It was sent through email so fast and quick.

It was a bit cramped, but there wasn't any shaking, and there were lots of cute fish at the artificial reef, making for a very meaningful time. However, I probably wouldn't go on it a second time. The boat to the submarine was nice too! I definitely recommend it.

ちょっと狭いけど特に揺れたりすることもなく人工魚礁に可愛い魚が一杯でとても有意義な時間でした。
でも二回乗ることはないかな
潜水艦までの船も良かったね～
けっこうお勧めてすよ

It's a submarine journey that you can't experience anywhere else in Japan. I was able to capture a photo of a sea turtle. I was very lucky.

日本国内では体験のできない潜水艦の旅です。
ウミガメの姿が写真に収めることができました。
とてもラッキーでした。

What a thrilling day, my 11 year old was buzzing by the end!

I thought I would be able to swim closely with a lot of dolphins, but while I was able to see them, it felt more like just seeing dolphins rather than swimming with them. Since they are wild animals, timing might play a role as well... For those who are prone to motion sickness, I think taking motion sickness medication is a must. Even after taking it, we still felt nauseous.

イルカと近くで沢山泳げるかと思っていましたが、
イルカを見る事はできましたが、これがイルカと泳ぐと言うのかな？？という感じでした。
野生のものなので、タイミング的なものもあるかもしれませんが、、、
酔いやすい方は酔い止め必須だと思います。
うちは酔い止めを飲んでも酔いました。

February 2024
A trip to Hawaii with my 92-year-old mother and three generations
I was looking forward to whale watching, but my mother said she didn't want to go, possibly due to fatigue, so I requested to change it to the next day, and they were very accommodating.
On the way to the harbor, we saw a rainbow, which made me feel like we would meet the whales.
After setting sail, they met our expectations, and we saw them many times.
Watching them swim gracefully in the waters of Waikiki made me feel the essence of Hawaii.
At the end, we witnessed them spouting water and slapping their large tails on the surface of the sea.
Thank you for the wonderful experience.

２０２４年２月
９２歳の母と三代世代のハワイ旅行️
楽しみにしていたホエールウォッチング、母が疲れからか行きたくないと言う事で、翌日に変更をお願いしたら配慮して下さりました。
港に向かう途中に虹を見たので、鯨に会える予感がしました。
出航後、期待に応えてくれて、何度も何度も見れました。
ワイキキの海を優雅に泳ぐ姿を見て、ハワイを感じました。
最後には潮を吹いて大きな尻尾を海水面に叩きつける様子も
感動をありがとう。

We experienced this on the day we arrived in Hawaii.

We participated in a tour that lasted about two and a half hours, and we were the only Japanese people there. We took a boat to the location of the submarine, and on the way, we encountered turtles and dolphins.

We moved to the submarine and began our dive. The underwater scenery was very beautiful and had high visibility, with many sunken ships and planes. The interior was cool and comfortable. There were also bags available on the submarine for anyone who felt unwell.

All the explanations were in English, but I didn't think it was very necessary.

We smoothly handed our Veltra voucher to the receptionist.

ハワイ到着日に体験しました。

2時間半程のツアーに参加し日本人は私達だけでした。
潜水艦の場所まで船で行き、そこまで行くのに亀やイルカに出会うことが出来ました。

潜水艦に移動し、潜水。
海の中はとても綺麗で透明度が高く、沈没船・飛行機など沢山沈んでいました。
室内は涼しく快適でした。
気分が悪くなった人用に袋も潜水艦には完備してありました。

全て英語の説明でしたが、あまり必要ではなかったと思います。

ベルトラのバウチャーを持って受付の人にお渡しスムーズに行けました。

This was an amazing adventure for us. Something we would absolutely do again. I would recommend this company over and over again. I love the fact they are natives and a small family owed business . Always support local when I can, over big corporate companies. In doing my research, there is no difference between cage or cage less. The water was beautiful, clear and relatively calm.

The port at Dolphin Middle School was under maintenance, so I was upgraded to Dolphin University for free and participated in the Dolphin University tour on the same day.

It was great that the pickup bus was filled only with Japanese people, and all the explanations about the snorkeling spots, dolphins, and sea turtles were provided in Japanese. Our tour guide, Hayato, was very kind and taught us a lot about the Hawaiian sea, which helped me learn about Hawaiian marine life.

After arriving at the boat, we set sail with people other than Japanese.

I was really hoping to see dolphins and sea turtles, and I was very happy to encounter Hawaiian monk seals, sea turtles, and a pod of dolphins right away from the boat.

We returned home around 12:30, which was a nice point since I could plan to play more in the afternoon.

I was able to see dolphins from the water, and overall, it was a very satisfying tour!!

I would like to participate again when I come to Hawaii.

Thank you very much.

イルカ中学のポートがメンテナンスになり、無料でイルカ大学にグレードアップいただいて、同日のイルカ大学ツアーに参加しました。

ピックアップのバス内は日本人のみで、シュノーケルする場所やイルカやウミガメについての説明など全て日本語で行っていただけたのがよかったです。
ツアーガイドをしてくれたハヤトさんがとても優しく、ハワイの海について詳しく教えてくれたため、ハワイの生物や海について勉強になりました。

船に到着してからは、日本人以外の方も一緒に船に乗り出航しました。

イルカやウミガメが見れたら嬉しいなと思っていたところ、すぐに船の上からハワイアンモンクシール(アザラシ)やウミガメ、イルカの群れに会うことができとても嬉しかったです。

バスでの帰宅は12:30ごろになり、午後も遊ぶ予定がいれられたのも良いポイントでした。

イルカも海の中から見ることができ、総じて大満足なツアーです！！

またハワイに来たら参加したいと思います。

ありがとうございました。

Best thing we could do !! Very lucky to see turtles and dolphins !!

At Dolphin Exploration, you can experience performing arts together with dolphins in a swimming pool while wearing life jackets. My 8 and 10-year-old daughters, who have just started to put their faces in the water and dive a little at the community pool this year, enjoyed themselves without fear, thanks to the life jackets, even though they couldn't touch the bottom. It became a wonderful memory of interacting with the dolphins. Participants in the Dolphin Encounter were also experiencing in the same pool, standing on an underwater platform at the edge of the pool (about adult waist-deep) to see the performances up close. I think the grandparents who came with us enjoyed watching their grandchildren's joyful expressions from the covered spectator seats. In another area, feeding the sea turtles was a rare treat, and the children were delighted. Since the number of feedings was limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis, we bought some in advance and enjoyed feeding after the dolphin experience. The air conditioning on the bus to and from the venue was a bit too strong, so having a blanket would have been nice.

ドルフィン・エキスパローションでは、ライフジャケットを着てイルカが泳ぐプールの中で芸を一緒に体験できます。市民プールで今年から顔をつけて少しだけ潜れるようになった8歳と10歳の娘も、ライフジャケットがあるので足がつかなくても怖がらず楽しめました。イルカと十分に触れ合えた良い思い出になりました。ドルフィン・エンカウターの参加者が同じプールで体験されていましたが、そちらはプールの縁にある水中桟橋（大人の腰ぐらいの深さ）に立って目の前で芸を体験していました。一緒に行った祖父母も屋根のある観客席で孫の喜ぶ姿を見学できて楽しめたと思います。他のコーナーでは、海亀の餌やりが珍しく、子供たちは喜んでいました。餌の数が先着で数に限りがあるので先に買っておいて、イルカ体験が終わってから餌やりを楽しみました。行き帰りのバスのクーラーが効きすぎているので、毛布があっても良いぐらいでした。

I participated in late March. As the title suggests, I wasn't able to see any whales, but the cruise ship was very nice, and it was a valuable experience to see Waikiki and Diamond Head from the boat. I was offered a coupon due to not seeing any whales, but since my stay in Hawaii was short, I declined. If I had been able to see whales, it would definitely have been a five-star experience.

3月下旬に参加しました。タイトルのとおり、クジラを見ることはできませんでしたが、クルーズ船はとても良かったですし、船からワイキキやダイアモンドヘッドを見ることができたのは貴重な経験でした。クジラを見ることができなかったことで、クーポンをいただく提案も受けましたが、ハワイの滞在は短かったので、お断りしました。
もしクジラを見ることが出来たら、間違いなく☆5つです。

I was worried because the online reservation couldn't be completed due to an app malfunction, but the staff on-site were very kind and helpful. The staff on the boat were also Japanese, and although we were the only ones, they were considerate and we had a great time.

オンライン予約が、アプリの不具合で完結しない状態で心配していましたが、現地にいたスタッフの方が親切に対応して頂きました。
船上のスタッフの方も日本人が、私たちだけでしたが、きをつかって頂き楽しい時間を過ごせました。

Due to maintenance at Dolphin Middle School's port, I was upgraded to Dolphin University for free and participated.

After seeing sea turtles and enjoying marine activities, we went to see the dolphins. Unfortunately, I couldn't see the dolphins underwater, but I was able to see many dolphins swimming close to the boat in beautiful weather, which was a valuable experience.

If you are prone to seasickness, taking motion sickness medication is a must.

I had a great time, and I would like to join another tour next time!

イルカ中学のポートがメンテナンスになったということで、無料でイルカ大学にグレードアップいただき、参加しました。

ウミガメを見たりマリンアクティビティを楽しんだあと、イルカを見に行きました。
残念ながら私は水中でイルカを見られませんでしたが、良いお天気の中ボートのすぐ近くを泳ぐイルカをたくさん見ることができ、貴重な経験になりました。

船酔いしやすい方は、酔い止め必須です。

楽しかったです、次はまた別のツアーにも参加したいです！

You can only touch the dolphins a little and feed them from outside the pool. Also, I thought "observer" meant that the children could observe (watch) the dolphins, but that wasn't the case. We couldn't even enter the area where the attraction takes place. I wish they had used different wording.

プールの外からイルカに少し触ったりエサを上げる程度です。あと、observerというのは言葉の通り子供たちがイルカに触るのをオブザーブ（観察する）ことができるのかと思ったら違いました。アトラクション実施するエリアに入ることすらできませんでした。違う言葉を使ってほしかったです

faced our fears and ended up being one of our best experiences! my boys loved the thrill of being right next to the sharks

I was with my child, but I didn't have any worries at all. It was nice to take it slow while diving, and I was glad that we could handle the changes in pressure.

子供と一緒でしたが、何も心配入りませんでした。ゆっくりセンスイしていくので、気圧の変化にも対応できて良かったです

It was a day with cloudy skies, but with occasional glimpses of sunshine.

I participated in the Dolphin Encounter, and interacting with the dolphins was a great experience; my 6-year-old son seemed to enjoy it as well. However, the temperature and water temperature weren't very high, and towards the end, it started to get a bit chilly. This is really dependent on the weather, so I haven't included it in my evaluation.

Since it was my first time interacting with dolphins and I had never done it in Japan, I can't compare experiences, but honestly, I think Japanese aquariums and similar places are better in other aspects after the experience.

The area isn't very large, so you have to wait quite a bit until it's time to leave.

Personally, my satisfaction level relative to the price was a bit low, which is why I gave this rating.

晴れ間がたまに見れる曇り空の１日でした。

ドルフィンエンカウンターに参加し、イルカとの触れ合い自体は良い体験で、6歳の息子も楽しそうでした。
ただ、やはり気温も水温もそれほど高くなく、最後の方はちょっと寒くなりかけてました。
こればかりは天候次第なので、評価の良し悪しには含めてません。

イルカとの触れ合いは初めてで日本でもしたことが無かったので経験値の比較は出来ませんが、体験後のそれ以外は正直日本の水族館等の方が良いかなと思います。

敷地も全然広く無いので、帰りの時間までまあまあ待ちます。

個人的には値段に対しての満足度はちょっと低かったので、この評価です。

Since we had small children (6 years old), I was worried about whether they would be scared or cause any trouble, but Ken, a Japanese guide, was very kind to us throughout the experience, which turned out to be incredibly valuable. Both kids keep saying, "We saw dolphins! We swam with turtles!" as their top memories from Hawaii. We were able to see many dolphin jumps, and we swam so close to the turtles that it was hard to avoid getting too close. The children were thrilled and eagerly put on their goggles to dive into the sea from the boat, completely disregarding their parents' worries. Before joining the tour, I had some anxiety about bringing the kids, but I'm really glad we participated! Thank you very much for your support. The kids said, "We want to go again!" so we will definitely return! Thank you in advance.

小さい子ども（6才）もいたので、怖がらないか、迷惑をかけないか、大丈夫か不安でしたが、日本人のけんさんに終始良くしていただき、大変貴重な経験をさせていただきました。
子ども達2人とも『イルカを見た！カメと泳いだ！』とハワイでの思い出の1番に出てきます。
イルカのジャンプもたくさん見られ、カメとは、近寄らないようにと逃げるのが大変なほど近くで泳げました。
子どもたちも大喜びで、イルカと泳ぐために、進んでゴーグルをつけ、親の心配をよそに、船から海へ進んでダイブしていました。
ツアーに参加するまでは、子連れで不安もありましたが、参加して本当に良かったです！
大変お世話になりました。ありがとうございました。
子どもたちも『また行きたい！』とのことですので、また行きます！よろしくお願い致します。

I participated in Dolphin Aloha. I was able to touch the dolphins, which was a first experience for me. Such interactions are not something you can usually experience, so my child was very happy. The park isn't very large, but we enjoyed feeding the little birds and the sea lions throughout the day. Since we left at 2:00 PM, it was just right to do some shopping in Waikiki afterward.

ドルフィンアロハに参加しました。イルカを触らしてもらえ、初の体験でした。こんなふれあいは普段体験できないので、子供がとても喜んでいました。パークはそれほど大きくないですが、小鳥への餌やりや、アシカの餌付けなど１日楽しめました。帰りは14:00だったので、パーク後はワイキキでショッピングできたのでちょうどよかったです。