North Shore
We gathered locally and took the bus. We went from the hotel to Ala Moana Center, transferred to bus number 52, and I made sure to tell the driver "Haleiwa Small Boat Harbor" to confirm where to get off, arriving just in time for our meeting. We waited quite a while for the bus at Ala Moana Center. There was only one other group of Japanese people besides us, and everyone else on the boat was foreign, making it quite international. As I saw on Alan Net, we were handed a file with notes written in Japanese, but all the explanations were in English. However, they demonstrated how to enter the water with gestures, so if you watch, you can manage. We moved out to sea for about 10 to 15 minutes, and the waves were quite rough. I get motion sickness easily, and even though I took motion sickness medicine, I still felt quite nauseous. We entered the cage four at a time. I was really looking forward to it, so even though I felt unwell, I stayed underwater longer than others, hoping to finally see a shark. Unfortunately, while there were a few small fish nearby, I only caught a glimpse of a small baby shark passing by far below, and I hardly saw any sharks at all, so I ended up getting a sticker and a refund... But the staff were very nice, so I definitely plan to try again next time. On the way back, we strolled around Haleiwa before heading home.
私達は、現地集合にしてバスで行きました。
ホテルから、アラモアナセンターまで行き、乗り換えて52番のバスに乗り、一応運転手に”ハレイワ・スモールボートハーバー”と伝えて降りる場所を教えてももらって無事集合時間ギリギリに到着しました。
アラモアナセンターからバス来るまで結構待ちました。
私達以外の日本人は1組だけで、他は皆船は外国人で国際豊かでした。
アランネットで見たとおり、注意事項など日本語で書かれたファイルを渡されるくらいで説明は全部英語でしたが、ジェスチャーで海への入り方を説明されるので、見てればなんとかなります。
沖まで10分~15分位まで移動し、波も中々の揺れで、乗り物に弱い私は酔い止め飲んでも結構酔いました。
檻の中には4人づつ入りました。
楽しみにしていたので、具合悪い中でも念願のサメに会えると張り切って人より長く海にもぐってましたが、何匹か小魚は近くにいたものの、残念ながらサメはかなり深く遠くの下の方に小さく子サメ?が通り過ぎただけでほとんど見れず、ステッカーをもらって返金になりました・・・
でもスタッフの方々はとてもいい人たちだったので、また次回、絶対挑戦しようと思ってます。
帰りはハレイワを散策してから帰りました。
This was an awesome ride on the beach. And YES you DO ride on the beach. The area is beautiful and could see the whales playing in the ocean as we rode. The white sands of the beaches against the turquoise water was breathtaking.
I took the private ride and it is definitely not a standard trail ride. The polo horses were very well behaved and easy to ride. I recommend this to anyone who loves horses and has always wanted to ride on the beach in Hawaii.
Would definitely book this again when back on the island.
Awesome experience! Nothing like it. Plenty of parking and in an awesome area, Haleiwa. The ride out to the cage was not long, before a short safety brief. Once in the cage, it's a unique feeling to know one of the oceans apex predetors are swimming around you. They get pretty close, and is well worth price of the tour. A definite must do if visiting the island!
I have been to the North Shore before and enjoyed this trip the most. We enjoyed the Waimia Falls park more due to the guides suggestions. he was very knowledgeable and interesting. I especially enjoyed the turtles. I would recommend it for the young and hardy or an old folk like me. Great fun!
Staff were a crack up and made the whole trip full of laughs. From the moment we got out on the boat we saw dolphins and whales so it was a bonus. Sharks appeared right away when you travel a bit further out so it was good there was no waiting around or searching like other tours. The experience was amazing. The staff kept the nature of the sharks a mystery untill you finish your turn. Only then do they tell you that the sharks are complete pussy cats and have never attacked anyone. This added to the adventure and adrenalin rush of the experience. Inside the cage you see LOTS of LARGE sharks. We had 6 sharks surrounding us. Highly recommended!
I had a great time at Hawaii Polo ride! I've been on a horse before at a different commercial ranch, so I wasn't expecting much. Usually the horses are pretty worn down, tired and boring. Oh boy, this wasn't the case at all. All the horses at Hawaii Polo Club are well trained professional polo horses, so they are young, strong, muscular and ready to trot. They are just gorgeous to look at!
Even the guide from Argentine was a professional polo player/trainer, so he knew all about the horses. (I didn't know that Argentine was the capital of polo!) He explained to us what to do and what not to do with the horse. I was a bit nervous first since the horse was a professional polo horse, and you know what they say about how the horse can feel your fear! But the guide made me feel relaxed, and I definitely enjoy the ride on the beautiful beach on North Shore.
This is highly recommended! Very romantic for couples for sure.
i highly reccomend this to anyone! This was our first time doing any type of interaction with sharks, and it was one of the coolest things i have done. It is truly amazing to see sharks in their natural habitat and so close to you.
Had a great time. Sam made the trip very enjoyable. Would highly recommend!
Hawaii Shark Adventure was one of my top activity during a 9 day Hawaiin vacation.activity. It does not beat sex; but I ski double black diamond runs in Colorad and Utah with over a foot of fresh powder and the Shark Adventure rivals that feeling of exhilaration and adventure. A short 15 minute boat ride from the Harbor to the location and then 20 minutes inside the shark cage. I counted over 9 Galapagos sharks swimming around (and under) the cage. Great photo oppurtunities (I got several great shots of just sharks under the water as well as looking at them from the boat). I would recommend this activity to my friends, family, and anyone in good health. My only only advise is for better viewing and photo opps; you need to take a deep breath and go to the bottom of the cage to avoid getting bumped and elbowed by the other guests (not to mention their hands of elbows getting into your photos).
My husband and I took this tour recently while in Hawaii and it rocked! Our driver was Sam and he was great. Very knowledgable about Hawaii and offered some really interesting tidbits of info. He was laid back, friendly and very engaging. This tour is great because you have the freedom to choose your activities and even traveling in a group you are not forced to select the same options. You can add activities on site which was also a plus. We were dropped in each location for about two hours and were free to eat, wander and otherwise do as we chose. There was a lady in our group that was by herself and she really enjoyed herself as well. Hailewa town was cool to wander around in and my husband even had time to kayak there and join me at the shops. Free water and juice was also a nice bonus. I highly recommend this tour if you are headed to Oahu!
The Hi-light of our trip. The crew was AWESOME. They were very informative as well as entertaining. Even though we were in the ocean with a lot of sharks we still felt completely safe. This is the closest you can come face to face with nature w/o fearing for your life (well, almost - it is a little scary at first). The sharks are amazing animals. Can't put into words what its like to look a shark in the eye. You have to see it for yourself. We were in the cage for about 20-30 minutes, but it seemed like an hour and there was plenty of room. If you tend to get sea sick just take a pill and do it anyway. You won't regret it. Definately get the DVD, its about $65 and worth every penny. I'm pretty cheap myself, but knew I couldn't pass the DVD up. Totally worth it. Just DO IT and don't forget your underwater cameras.
Three miles offshore. The depth is 40 to 50 meters!!
Looking down from the stopped boat, I saw a dark shadow...
Could it be already? As I strained my eyes and looked around again, I spotted not just one or two, but about ten sharks visible from the surface...
It was more awe-inspiring than scary.
I often saw the dorsal fins breaking the surface on TV, and it was exactly the same scene.
Now, into the cage!
I was astonished by the deep blue sea and the sharks.
I think I had a rare experience. It's a bit pricey, but it's worth it.
3mile先の沖合い。深さは40~50M !!
停止した船から下を除くと黒い影が…
まさかすでに?と目を凝らして再度辺りを見渡すと1匹、2匹ではなく、10匹くらいの鮫を海上から黙認。。。
怖いよりスゴイの感激でした。
よく背びれを海面に出す姿をTVなどで拝見していましたが、まさに同じ光景です。
いざ、おりの中へ!
真っ青な海と鮫に唖然でした。
レアな体験ができたと思います。少し高いですが、価値はありますよ。
we had a great time, lots of sharks....
Sharks were amazing, staff was amazing, the whole adventure was worth it. Sharks are right in front of your face and I even had a stare down with a shark. He was lucky I needed air our I would've punched him in the gill. Will do again!
We headed out to the shark cage at 7:30 am and sadly no sharks. The crew was as disappointed as we were and let us know that if we didn't have a shark experience they would reschedule us or refund our money. Lucky for us there was a cancellation on a boat later that morning - so we headed out again - and we were not disappointed. 5 - 6 sharks circled the cage the entire time we were on the water. Nothing like looking a shark in the eye! Fabulous time and would recommend it to anyone wanting to have an up close and personal experience with a shark(s).
That really was great, so many sharks swimming around you.
It was a very enjoyable experience for me. Wouldn't have done it anywhere else and their expertise has really given me confidence and comfort about the whole experience.
and i did! it was great, met my expectations and more. the crew was great and made sure i came back in one piece! i would definitely do this again
I sank a cage offshore and jumped in... At first, I was anxious, but if you try, you can do it! It was September, but the water temperature was a bit low. Also, since the waves were rough offshore, it might be better not to eat too much before participating. Two out of six people got seasick.
Still, it was an invaluable experience. After returning home, my PC crashed, and I lost the photos of the sharks, which made me weep. I want to participate again.
沖合に檻を沈めてそこにどぼん、、、最初は不安でしたがなせばなる!9月でしたが水温は若干低め。あと沖合で波が荒いので、参加する前にはあまりものを食べすぎない方がいいかも。酔ってはいた人2人/6人。
それでも得難い経験です。帰国後PCがクラッシュして、サメの写真が消えてしまいむせび泣きました。また参加したい。
This was the most fun we had on Oahu. Captain Dave and Crewman Chris are very professional, knowledgeable and entertaining. We felt safe in their capable hands...which was especially important, given the fact that this is an incredibly thrilling activity! Sooooo scary....being in the water, surrounded by numerous sharks of varying size (basically bigger than you, and much faster too!) certainly makes the adrenaline pump!
We bought the DVD of our experience, and we appreciate the fact that it is your choice to have your experience taped or not, and is therefore more personal and not 'pushed' at you for purchase. Just got home last night, and immediately watched it!
We recommend this activity to all but the faint of heart!
I thought I was going to be scared, but they made sure I was at ease. We go in a little deep, and the reality hits you when you see the cage. It was windy that day, and we got some waves. Once you get into the cage, and you get up close with these sharks, you see how amazing they are. I would highly recommend this to everyone!! Very cool!!!!
What an outstanding adventure! My wife and I had a great time. Captain JR and Chris created one of the best overall experiences we had in Hawai'i. They were funny, and knowledgeable about what we saw off the North Shore. Compared to other trips we took around O'ahu, they were the most reasonably priced as well. We're glad we bought the DVD to show how many sharks we saw, and the pictures impressed all our family... Highly recommended.
I wanted to let you know how much we enjoyed our ride. We were a group of five, Joe Shonkwiler (wife Donna), Charlie Johnson, Jeff Goorsky and myself. Sarah and Heidi were our guides. We had an awesome time!!! The ride was fantastic, the views great, the lunch delicious, the horses perfect, Sarah and Heidi outstanding! It couldn't get any better than that. The girls got a kick out of my husband since he had never ridden before as well as being allergic to horses. He did great! Just enough breeze was blowing to keep the allergies at bay and his horse was the perfect babysitter. Thank you again!
Gunstock Ranch is terrific in every way. The scenery is spectacular and the trail guides are fantastic.
Myself and a close friend were visiting Oahu for 5 days, and she decided that we should take the time to go 'swimming with sharks.'
Now, keep in mind that I have a tremendous fear of drowning and also am not too keen on the idea of swimming with sharks, but I was convinced to 'live a little,' and I signed us up for the North Shore Shark Adventure- and I am SO GLAD that I did.
The staff were EXTREMELY helpful, witty, and sarcastic in the right places. They put everyone's fears to rest at the beginning of the tour, and were extremely knowledgeable about everything regarding the tour and more. (Who knew that specific sharks will just bump you with their noses and then leave you alone because they have taste buds on the outside of their bodies?)
For our tour, the wind was really picking up and the seas were a bit choppy, so there was a little bit more salt water swallowed than I care for and 1/2 our party got seasick..* (they recommend buying dramamine at the beginning of the to
Thank you for such a fantastic trail ride! Our guide, Brittany was great and it was so nice to have options for canter. Out of all the holiday riding experiences we have had, this has been the best by far. I can definitely say that if it wasn't for the 21 hour flight from the UK, we would be there every weekend!
The Beach on the North Shore tour was beautiful, very clean, and a refreshing change from Waikiki Beach. The waves were much stronger and had great surfing beaches along the way for those interested in that. Really enjoyed watching folks on that diving rock there. The ride was long, but the driver was very friendly, helpful and knowledgeable and relayed lots of information about Hawaii. The stroll through the small, older town with shops and eateries was unique. Loved the music provided by that musical family that lives there and entertains the tourists. A relief to see more enjoyable aspects of Oahu without the hassle of driving.
What a great excursion! The most challenging part of the experience is getting in and out of the boat -- which really is not that hard. It is so great to see sharks up close. I highly recommend this adventure. My boyfriend was freaked out that I had booked this excursion...and now all he does is brag about it. He has no regrets and both of us would do it again in a heart beat. Don't miss out on this treat.
I have been to Oahu several times and this has been my favorite tour so far!
We did this "tour" on our second trip to Hawaii. It is a great opportunity to experience the North Shore on your own but still get the guided tour experience. This is a "tour" you could take multiple times and have a new experience every time. We loved the options and being able to choose our adventure once we got there.