All Reviews for Marine Wildlife Encounters

I had heard that the chances of encountering whales in December are low, so I didn't have high expectations and planned for a relaxing cruise instead. However, I was lucky enough to encounter a mother and calf whale. I'm glad I participated in the tour.

12月は、遭遇出来ない確率が多いと聞いていたのでクルージングのつもりであまり期待していませんでした。
しかし、ラッキーにも親子のくじらに遭遇出来ました。
ツアーに参加してよかったです。

The captain and crew were fantastic. They made sure everyone had a great experience. Being underwater on the scooter was a little piece of heaven as I do not swim. I got to see the beauty of the ocean. The view of crater and fish etc. Were a work of art. I will return the next time I visit and every time after that!!!!! Bring a smile, towel, and sunscreen.

I was really able to see a lot of sharks up close! I was surprised at how big the gaps in the cage were at first, but it was safe and enjoyable!

ほんとに至近距離でほんとにたくさんのサメをみることができました！
思っていたよりもかごの隙間が大きくて最初はびっくりしましたが安全で楽しめました！

I was prepared for cancellation due to the strong winds that could knock down palm trees, but thanks to the efforts of the staff, we were able to proceed somehow. The experience with the two dolphins was the best experience for the children.

椰子の木が倒れるほどの強風の中、中止も覚悟しましたが、
スタッフの尽力のおかげで、なんとか行うことができました。
２頭のイルカとの体験は、子供にとっても最高の体験でした。

The transparency of the sea was not great. I was hoping there would be a few more fish, but unfortunately, that wasn't the case. There weren't enough headphones, and there weren't any available for us.

海の透明度がいまいち。
もう少し魚がいるのかなぁ、と期待していまさしたが、残念でした。
ヘッドホンの数が足りておらず、私たちの分がありませんでした。

The catamaran was a lot of fun, but I couldn't see any whales. I did receive a free change ticket, but since I'm scheduled to return home the next morning, I can't use it. I don't have any plans for my next trip to Hawaii, so I might not be able to use this ticket. I wonder how long it is valid for.

カタマラン号はとても楽しかったのですが、鯨は見ることができなかった。フリーの変更チケットはいただけたのですが、次の日朝には帰国予定のため使えず。次回のハワイ行きの予定が今はないのでこのチケットは使えないのかも。有効期間はいつまでなのかー。

This was my first experience with my child. We were excited to see fish and sea turtles up close. We had to wear something like a helmet, but it became difficult because at first, the pressure underwater was manageable with just a little ear equalization, but suddenly the accompanying instructor pulled the plug, and the pressure caused pain in my eardrum. I wonder why that happened? I desperately tried to endure until the time was up, plugging my ears with my fingers. I wanted to ask for adjustments, but there was no one nearby, and I was scared. The boat was shared with about 15 people. We ate some snacks and regained our energy.

今回は初めて体験を子供としました。
お魚やうみがめは近くで見れて、はしゃぎました。
ヘルメットのようなものを被るのですが、大変なことに最初水中の圧力が耳抜き少ししただけで合っていたのに、突然付き添いのインストラクターさんがいきなり、栓を引っ張り、超圧力で鼓膜が痛かったです。何故でしょうか？耳に指で栓をして必死に時間まで耐え頑張りました。調節お願いしたかったけど、近くに誰もいず怖かったです。
船は相乗りで、１５人くらい同乗でした。
スナック菓子を食べて、元気回復しました。

First, you have to take off your shoes before boarding, but this was not communicated in advance. I was told to wait at the front of the deck to see the whales, and then I got completely soaked from a big wave! This was also not mentioned beforehand. I participated last year and didn't see any whales, so I tried again this time, but there was no sign of them at all. Other tours have been operating since January, but I participated at the end of December. Is it really possible to encounter whales at this time? The chances of seeing them seem almost zero. I won't be participating again at the end of the year.

まず、乗船するまえに、靴をぬがなくては行けない。が、その事は、事前連絡なし。
クジラを見れるとデッキの前にでてと言われて、待機していたら、大波で、びしょ濡れに！それも事前に伝えてもらえず。
昨年も、参加し、クジラが見えなかったので、
今回リベンジしましたが、見える気配さえありませんでした。
他のツアーでは、
1月からの催行になっていますが、
12月末の参加で、実際に本当に
クジラに遭遇できるのでしょうか？
見える確率は、ゼロに等しいのではないでしょうか？
年末にはもう、参加しません。

The submarine was a bit offshore, and it took about 10 minutes to get there by boat, but the view of Diamond Head and the beach from the boat was amazing. The wreckage of the submarine, along with the remains of ships and walkers that have been sunk to create a reef, was impressive. I also learned about the efforts to protect Hawaii's marine environment, which made me realize once again the importance of preserving nature. While most of the fish were small, we encountered a sea turtle along the way, making it a memorable experience.

潜水艦が少し沖にあり10分程度船で移動しますがその時の船上から見るダイヤモンドヘッド、ビーチの景色は最高でした。潜水艦も海底に沈めた、船とか歩行器の残骸の漁礁が印象的でした。またハワイの海の自然を守る活動を聞いて努力して維持していること知り改めて自然を守る大切さを感じました。魚は小さいものが中心ですが、途中でウミガメにも遭遇し、印象に残る体験でした。

We took a boat to the submarine, and it felt great to look at Waikiki and Diamond Head from the sea. However, the submarine experience was more about staring at the blue ocean rather than seeing a variety of colorful fish, which might get boring towards the end. Additionally, the monotone of the Japanese audio guide made me gradually feel sleepy while listening.

潜水艦に乗るところまでは船で向かい、海からワイキキやダイヤモンドヘッドを眺めて気持ち良かったです。潜水艦は色とりどりの魚が見られるというよりも、ブルーな海中をずっと見ている感じで後半は飽きてくるかもしれません。さらに日本語オーディオガイドのトーンが単調なせいか、聞いていると次第に眠くなってしまいました。

The photo session with the dolphins at Sea Life Park was very enjoyable and fulfilling. However, while waiting for the departure bus, it arrived about 10 minutes later than initially scheduled.

The meeting point was in front of a different hotel, and as other tour buses continued to arrive, I started to worry that I might have gone to the wrong place or that I had missed the bus and been left behind. This anxiety lingered throughout the wait.

In Hawaii, it's not uncommon for things to run late, and I don't mean to criticize that mindset. However, the voucher stated, "Departure is at 8:30 AM. Please gather a little earlier," so I assumed the bus would arrive with a bit of extra time built into the schedule.

What was most disappointing was that there was an emergency contact number listed, and when I called because the bus was taking so long, I heard a recording saying, "The office opens at 10 AM." What does "emergency" mean in that context...? This only heightened my anxiety.

Ultimately, the bus arrived 10 minutes late, which was a relief, but if they weren't going to respond to emergencies, I would have preferred not to have an emergency contact number listed at all.

Sea Life Park was fun and incredibly enjoyable, but since the ocean was right in front of us, I took the opportunity to escape and go to the beach. The ocean was unbelievably beautiful, and I was glad I made the trip.

シーライフパークでのイルカとの写真撮影などはとても楽しくて充実していました。しかし、行きの出発のバスを待っている際、当初よりも10分ほど遅れてバスが来ました。
違うホテルの前での集合だったのですが、他のツアーのバスもどんどん到着してくるので、もしかして場所を間違えたのではないか。
それても見逃して置いてかれたのか、そのような不安がずっと付きまとっていました。
ハワイ時間ではオンタイムに到着なんてあり得ない。そのような考え方に是非を申す訳ではありません。しかし、バウチャーには「8時30分には出発する。少し前に集合してくれ」と書いてあったので、てっきり少し余裕をもったスケジュールでバスが来てるものかと思いました。
一番残念だったのは、緊急連絡先という項目があり、なかなかバスが来なかったので電話したところ、「オフィスは10時からあいてます」というテープレコーダーが流れてきました。
緊急の意味とは……？
と、更に不安を煽られました。

結果的に10分遅れでバスが来たので良かったのですが、緊急なのに対応してくれないのならば、緊急連絡先など載せて欲しくはなかったです。

シーライフパークは楽しかったのですが、もの凄い良かったのですが、せっかく海が目の前にあるので、抜け出して海へ行きました。
信じられないほど美しい海で、来て良かったなと思いました。

This was my third whale watching experience. In the previous two, I didn't see any whales. Even this time, when we arrived at the spot, there were no whales, and I thought it was going to be another disappointment. However, on the way back to the port, the staff shouted "Whale!" When I looked up, a mother and calf whale appeared. I was really glad. The staff's response was also very good.

3回目のホエールウォッチング。前回まではクジラが見れませんでした。今回もポイントに着いてもクジラは現れず、今回もダメだったかと思いながら港に引き返す途中で、スタッフがホエールと叫びました。顔を上げると親子のクジラが出現しました。本当に良かったです。スタッフの対応も非常に良かったです。

Fabulous experience - I would highly recommend this to everyone. Well organised, helpful staff, who went out of their way to make it an amazing experience for all. Plenty of time to snorkel when it wasn't your turn to ride on the underwater scooter. We saw turtles and lots of different types of fish. The photographer took great photos and a video, which you can pay to download later if you want to. A perfect day and I loved every minute of it.
One tip - take a sweatshirt. The weather wasn't great the day we went. Whilst the sea was warm, we were provided with wet suit tops so we were fine during the activity but we were a bit cold when we got out of the water, during the pack up and the boat ride back to shore.

My daughter hoped for the tour.
It didn't show itself very clearly...
Just when I thought I saw it, it was on the other side.
But I did get to see its tail! ☺️

娘希望のツアー。
なかなか綺麗に姿を現してくれず。。。
見せたと思ったら反対側だったり。
でも、尾鰭は見れました☺️

It was a cloudy day. The waves were high and it was more thrilling than a roller coaster! Unfortunately, we didn't encounter any whales, but we did meet a family of dolphins and beautiful sea turtles. I will participate again.

当日は曇り空でした。波が高くてジェットコースターよりスリル満点‼︎残念ながらクジラには出会えませんでしたが、イルカファミリーと美しい海ガメに会えました。又参加します。

Unfortunately, I couldn't see the turtles, but I had the precious experience of swimming with dolphins. I also enjoyed the spam musubi for lunch and got to see the staff's hula dance, making the most of my half day in Hawaii. I am very satisfied. I definitely want to participate again next time I come to Hawaii.

残念ながらカメを見ることはできませんでしたが、イルカと泳ぐとゆう貴重な体験ができました。お昼のスパムおにぎりやスタッフの方のフラダンスも見れてハワイを半日で満喫できました。大満足です。次回ハワイにきた際もぜひ参加したいです。

I loved every bit of it. If your going to Hawaii u must do this activity.

I was glad to see a large giant trevally and colorful fish gathering around the artificial reef. I also got to see a honu (sea turtle) at the end!

大きなギンガメアジをはじめ、カラフルな魚が人工漁礁で群れている姿を見ることが出来て良かったです。最後にホヌも見れました！

I often encounter both unpleasant and good things, as well as strange occurrences in my daily life, and I was able to showcase that ability. I got to see everything, including the honu, whale spouts, and rainbows, which I hear can sometimes be elusive. The crew was very friendly, and I even got to take the helm.

普段から身の周りに嫌なことからいい事、奇怪な事までエンカウント(遭遇)してしまう私ですが、その能力を発揮してしまいました
ホヌや、ホエールの潮、虹、出会えないこともあるらしいのが、全部見れました
クルーも気さくな方ばっかりで舵もきらせてもらえました

We set sail from the port and quickly arrived at the snorkeling spot after receiving instructions. One by one, we entered the water and swam with the guide, where we were able to see many dolphins up close. I swam with my child, and both of us were moved by the experience. I think we spent about 15 minutes in the water. The dolphins seemed to stay in the area, so I wished we could have swum a bit longer. Since we were swimming in the open sea, if you don't have enough stamina, you won't be able to chase the dolphins, so I recommend building up your endurance before participating. My 62-year-old mother didn't have enough stamina and got tired just from swimming, so she had to get out of the water before seeing the dolphins. Next time, I want to invite other family members to join us.

港を出港してシュノーケリングの指導を受けているとすぐにポイントに到着しました。
順番に海に入りガイドさんと泳いでいくと、たくさんのイルカを間近で見る事が出来ました。
子供と一緒に泳ぎましたが、親子とも感動しました。
時間にして15分くらいだったと思います。
イルカたちはずっとその場にいたようなので、もう少し長く泳いでいたかったです。
沖で泳ぐので体力がないとイルカを追いかけられないので、しっかり体力作りをして参加することをオススメします。
62歳の母は体力がなく、泳ぐだけで疲れてしまい、イルカを見る前に海から上がってしまいました。
次回は他の家族も誘い参加したいです。

My son had a phenomenal time and can’t wait to go again. I have issues snorkeling but I was hopeful I wouldn’t have issues with this. Let’s just say I am extremely thankful that I did it once and that the staff was so very patient and helpful with people like me (who have water issues). I can’t say enough about how great the people are who work this tour and everyone should do it (at least once)

I was very happy to be able to meet dolphins, which was my main goal. The staff's enthusiasm was also enjoyable.

最大の目的であるイルカに会うことができとても良かったです。スタッフの皆さんの盛り上げも楽しかったです。

I participated with my mother. Swimming with dolphins is a rare experience, so we decided to go for it. We were in a group of about eight people, and everyone, regardless of age, seemed to be smiling and having a great time. The instructors provided support, so my mother, who hadn't swum in 30 years, was able to join in with confidence. This became the best memory of our trip. We also got to see sea turtles up close, which was a lot of fun.

母と2人で参加しました。イルカと泳ぐなんて、中々出来ない経験なので、思い切って申し込みました。8人ほどのグループで体験しましたが、どの世代の方たちも、みんな笑顔で楽しそうにしていました。インストラクターの方々がサポートしてくださるので、泳ぐことが30年ぶりの母も安心して参加できました。今回の旅で1番の思い出になりました。ウミガメを間近で見ることもでき、とても楽しかったです。

I participated with my husband.
There were plenty of dolphins, which was satisfying, but it's a shame we couldn't go to the snorkeling point.
Also, it seems that free diving is prohibited on Oahu, so we couldn't dive.
We just floated around with life jackets.
The photos on the site showed beautiful diving (maybe from the Big Island?), and there were no warnings mentioned, so I didn't know and was really looking forward to it, which is disappointing.

夫と参加しました。
イルカはたくさんいて満足なのですが、シュノーケリングポイントにいけなかったのが残念です。
また、オアフ島では素潜りが禁止されているようで、潜れませんでした。
ライフジャケットでぷかぷかするだけ。
サイトの写真では綺麗に潜っていたし（ハワイ島のかな？）注意事項も書いてなかったので知らなくて、すごく楽しみにしていたのに残念。

You can pass the waiting time by interacting with various creatures like turtles and birds.

The dolphin swim experience allows for more interaction with the dolphins than you might expect. You can learn a lot about their ecology (it's in English, but they use gestures to make it easy to understand), and you get to hold onto their fins and swim together, play with them, and have a level of interaction that is quite rare in Japan. It was a very valuable experience. The atmosphere was very homey, with participants from overseas and trainers cheering each swimmer with "good job!" and applause.

待ち時間は亀や鳥等いろんな生き物で時間をつぶせます。

ドルフィンスイムは思っているよりがっつりとイルカと触れ合うことが出来ます。
生態について沢山勉強ができますし(英語ですがジェスチャーとかわかりやすくしてくれます)、ヒレに掴まって一緒に泳いだり、一緒に遊んだり、日本ではなかなか体験できないほど触れ合うことが出来てとても貴重な経験でした。
海外の参加の方々もトレーナーさんも、一人一人泳ぐたびに『goodjob！』と拍手で褒めるアットホームな雰囲気でした！

Absolutely the best part of our trip. The crew was awesome. The pictures and video were an added bonus. Will definitely do again! What an experience!!!

I heard that you can swim with dolphins over 90% of the time, but on the day I participated, I could see the dolphins but couldn't swim with them, which was a bit disappointing. Since it's nature, I understand, but I was really looking forward to it... The tour company staff worked hard to find them, but sometimes these things happen.

Also, I participated in the second trip, but the meal was just one spam rice ball and a drink. I was really hungry on the way back. I hope they can improve the meals a bit.

９０％以上でイルカと泳げるらしいのですが、私が参加した日はイルカは見えましたが、イルカとは泳げず少しがっかり。自然相手なので仕方ないですが、楽しみにしていだけに。。。。ツアー会社の方も一生懸命探してくれましたが、こんな日もあります。
それから2便での参加だったのですが、食事がスパム系のおにぎり1個と飲み物だけ。帰りのバスは腹ペコで困りました。食事はもう少し改善して欲しいと思いました。

I participated in the morning tour. (Since I was staying in Haleiwa, I joined the tour alone from the local area.) The reception booth is open early in the morning, so you just need to say your name and then wait at the designated spot to board the boat. Since it was a completely English tour, I honestly felt a bit anxious because I'm not very good at English.

Once I got on the boat, the captain-like person came out after a while and started talking about the precautions with some jokes mixed in. Honestly, I couldn't understand what he was saying at all (I think he was explaining something like not to lean on the cage or stick your feet out, or you might get eaten by a shark). However, after that, he talked about how the teams would be divided and the order of entry into the cage, which I managed to understand.

Then, following the instructions, when it was time, we put on our underwater masks and snorkels and entered the water. No fins were allowed; we were barefoot. I wasn't timing it, but we were given plenty of time, enough to get bored. However, since there were quite a few people in the cage, it felt like we were just floating around and observing the sharks underwater. I tried to dive down and observe once, but I got scolded for that.

That said, the sharks didn't seem to be interested in humans, and while I was nervous when I first entered, the fear gradually faded away. In the end, there were even people taking pictures while hanging their feet over the edge of the cage. It seems there were no restrictions on bringing cameras or videos; for those who didn't have one, they were available for rent for a fee.

After about ten minutes of watching, I started to get bored and thought, "Is this ever going to end?" However, throughout the time we were in the cage, the sharks were always nearby, swimming around. They might have been throwing out some food.

Once all the teams finished, we headed straight back to the port. There wasn't really anything else to see.

Even though I participated alone, my lack of English skills and communication ability made it feel quite isolating. All the other participants were young American students who were all chattering among themselves, and I felt a bit left out. I ended up just looking off into the distance by myself.

Still, I think it was good to experience something I normally wouldn't get to do. By the way, the captain seemed like a nice person. He was considerate of me being alone.

P.S.: After reading others' impressions, I noticed something different from my experience: the boat's swaying. It might have been better in the morning, or maybe the waves were just calm that day, but it was very comfortable. No participants seemed to get seasick, so the conditions were probably good.

Also, a note of caution: there were a lot of jellyfish, possibly due to the season. They were small and looked like trash, so it was hard to avoid them. If you're bare-skinned, you might get stung quite a bit. I recommend wearing a rash guard that covers your arms just in case.

朝一のツアーに参加しました。（ハレイワに滞在していたので現地から一人で参加）
朝早くから受付のブースは空いているので、名前を言ってあとは指定された場所で待機していれば乗船できます。
完全な英語ツアーなので英語があまり得意ではない僕にとっては正直、不安でした。
船に乗り込むとしばらくして船長さんらしき人が出てきて何やら冗談混じりで注意事項を話し始めます。正直何言ってるか全然わからないw
（多分ケージにもたれかかったり、足出すなよ。サメに喰われるぞ的な説明だったかと）
ただ、その後ケージに入るチーム分けと入る順番を話してくれてこれは何とかなりました。
あとは指示に従って時間になれば水中マスクとシュノーケルをつけて入ります。フィンはなし。素足です。
時間を計っていたわけではないですが、飽きるくらい十分の時間が与えられます。
ただオリに入る人数がそこそこ多いのでプカプカ浮きながら水中を見てサメを観察する感じです。一回頭から潜って観察したんですが、やるなって怒られました。
とはいえ、サメは人間に興味無さそうだし、入った時はドキドキですが、だんだんと恐怖感は無くなります。
しまいにはオリに足かけて潜って写真撮ってる人もいました。
カメラとかビデオの持ち込み、撮影は制限無いようです。ない人には貸し出しも有料でしてるみたいでした。
さすがに10分も見ると飽きてきて、もう終わらないかなぁなんて思ってしまいました。ただオリの中にいる間中、サメはずっと近くにいてウロウロしてくれてました。エサでも撒いてるのかも。
全チーム見終わったらすぐ港に直帰。ほかに特に何かを見るということもありませんでした。

一人での参加ですが、僕にあまり英語力とコミュ力がなかったのもありますが、結構なアウェイ感です。他の参加者がみんなアメリカの学生さんみたいな若い人ばっかりだったのて内輪でキャッキャやってて、ちょっとその中には入れないなあと。遠くを見ながらのボッチでした。

まあそれでも普段体験出来ない事が出来たんで良かったかなと思います。
ちなみに船長さんはなかなかいい人そうでしたよ。ボッチの僕にも気をつかってくれてました。


追記：他の皆さんの感想みて僕の時と違うと思ったのは揺れ。朝一がいいのか、たまたま波が少なかったのか、快適そのものでした。参加者で酔ってるひとは誰もおらず環境は良かったのかも。
あと、注意点ですが、季節柄かも知れませんが、めっちゃクラゲがいます。しかも小さくてゴミみたいなやつなので避けようがない。
裸だとかなりチクチクやられるかも知れません。腕が隠れるラッシュガードを念のため着ていくことをお勧めします。

Swimming with dolphins was so much fun!! The crew was very cheerful and enjoyable too!! The sky and the sea were both a deep blue and very beautiful!!

イルカとおおよげて楽しい！！
クルーの皆さんもとても陽気で楽しい！！
空も海もまっさおでとてもきれいでした！！

Crew was amazing! Thoughtful, understanding & patient.