All Reviews for North Shore Boat Tours & Cruises

It's cold due to the wind and water, so make sure to bring extra towels and warm clothing like a hoodie. The boat will sway in the rough northern waves until you reach the spot, which is fun like a roller coaster, but… I did feel a bit seasick.

There are a lot of sharks in front of the cage, so you can see them from above. From inside the cage… it's a bit underwhelming. You can see them if you try hard enough, but it might not be suitable for girls or children.

You get tossed around by the waves and the cage, so it’s cold and painful. I think it’s fun, though!

風、水で寒いので、タオル多め、パーカーなど防寒着は必ず。
スポットに着くまでに船がノースの荒波に揺られるので、ジェットコースターみたいに楽しいけれど…やはり半分は酔ってました。
ケージの前にサメがたくさんいるので上から見れます。
ケージの中からは…微妙。
頑張れば見れるけど、女の子、子供とかは不向きかも。
波とケージに体をぶつけられるので、寒い、痛い。
楽しいのは楽しいと思う。

Absolutely amazing dive. Felt very safe. Would definitely do it again

Swimming with sharks was an experience I honestly couldn't imagine at all, and I felt a bit anxious about it. However, after being introduced to it by a friend, I decided to take the plunge and give it a try.

I was really nervous right up until the moment I entered the water, but once I was in the ocean, I found that the sharks swam gracefully and calmly. Being able to swim alongside them and see them up close turned out to be a very enjoyable experience.

The speed at which they swam was not as fast as I had expected, and I was able to swim right above them. While it was thrilling, the sense of awe I felt was much greater than any fear, making it an unforgettable time.

The tour was conducted in English only, but the staff occasionally spoke to us in Japanese, which made me feel more at ease. Additionally, I had heard from friends who participated in other tours that they had trouble receiving their photos, but in this tour, the photos were sent immediately after we arrived at the port, making the process very smooth. (There were no issues even with an Android phone.)

サメと一緒に泳ぐという体験は、正直なところまったく想像がつかず、少し不安もありましたが、友達に紹介してもらったことをきっかけに思い切って挑戦しました。
直前までとてもドキドキしていましたが、いざ海に入ってみると、サメはとても悠々と落ち着いて泳いでいて、その姿を間近で見ながら一緒に泳ぐことができ、とても楽しい体験となりました。

泳ぐスピードも思っていたほど速くなく、サメのすぐ上を並んで泳ぐこともできました。迫力はありつつも、怖さよりも感動の方が大きく、忘れられない時間になりました。

ツアーは英語のみでしたが、スタッフの方が時折日本語を交えながら話しかけてくださり、安心して参加することができました。
また、他のツアーに参加した友達からは、写真の送付がなかなか届かないといったトラブルを聞いていましたが、このツアーでは港に到着後すぐに写真を送信してくださり、とてもスムーズでした。（携帯の機種がAndroidでも問題ありませんでした。）

I was able to see sharks swimming slowly around the cage I was in. It was my first experience, and I had a lot of fun. I was worried about getting seasick, but thanks to the motion sickness medication I took, it wasn't a problem at all.

自分が入っているゲージの周りをゆっくり泳ぐサメを見ることが出来ました。初めての体験でとても楽しかったです。心配していた船酔いは、酔い止めを飲んでいたおかげもあって問題なかったです。

Even with choppy waters this experience was absolutely worth it. The two man crew was knowledgeable and very friendly and helpful. Would definitely recommend renting one of their GoPros too!

We participated with children aged 7, 12, and 14. The kids were able to participate safely and had a lot of fun. Although the explanations were in English, there were also materials available in Japanese.

During our time, a Japanese captain kindly taught us various things. We were quite anxious, but we were all very satisfied, including the children.

子供7.12.14歳含めて参加しました。
子供達も安全に参加することができ、とても楽しめました。
英語での説明でしたが、日本語での説明資料もありました。

私どもの時は日本の方が船長さんで親切に色々教えていただき
不安いっぱいでしたが、子供含めて大満足です。

The crew was professional, friendly, and very knowledgeable about the sharks and ocean life!! A win!

The guys were great, there were a ton of sharks. Just wish they would have given a little bit of instruction as to the use of the snorkel. I spent a fair amount of time afraid I wasn’t using it properly and would inhale the water. Otherwise it was a super experience! I would definitely recommend Hawaii Shark Experience.

I participated in the 6:30 AM tour. I was more worried about seasickness than the sharks, as I had read in reviews that it could be severe. In the end, the boat and the cage did sway, but perhaps because it was morning, I managed to cope with the slight rocking. On the way back, I dozed off, but my child said they saw dolphins.

Regarding the number of sharks, I thought I wouldn't see many, but it seems there is a way to attract them, and we were able to see quite a few. The moment I first saw the silhouette glowing in fluorescent colors from the sunrise above the boat was the scariest, but since the sharks weren't charging at the cage, I was reasonably satisfied.

Additionally, I brought my own snorkeling set, as mentioned in the reviews. I also got to see the beautiful morning scenery of the North and saw plenty of sharks, so I was very satisfied with this experience.

朝6:30のツアーに参加しました。
口コミより、船酔いがひどいとあったので鮫よりもそちらの心配ばかりしていました。
結果、船もゲージも確かに揺れはしましたが朝だったおかげか多少の揺れで乗り切れました。帰りは居眠りしていたのですが、子どもが言うにはイルカも見えたようです。
鮫の量については、なんだかんだそんなに見られないかと思っていましたが、呼び寄せ方があるようでたくさん見ることができました。
先に船の上から朝日で蛍光色に浮かび上がるシルエットを見た時が1番怖さを感じたのですが、ゲージにガシガシ突進してくる鮫ではなかったので、程よく満足。
加えて、口コミにもあったのでシュノーケルセットは持ち込みました。
ノースの綺麗な朝の景色も見られ、鮫もたくさん見たのでこの1回で大満足です。

I was told that it would be lucky to see a tiger shark, and that day I was able to see about eight tiger sharks, which was really fun!

タイガーシャークが見れたらラッキーだよーって言われて、その日はタイガーシャークが8匹ほどみれてすごい楽しかったです

We thoroughly enjoyed our private north shore sunset cruise. Captains Nick and Ricky were very friendly and went out of there way to make sure we had the best experience. They told us all about Hawaii, pointed out neat and interesting things along the shore and gave us a very enjoyable experience. We highly recommend!

The father and son team that run this operation and tour were outstanding, really cared for everyone and very professional.

Very friendly captain who found whales and a shark for us

Matty and Mari were absolutely great! We went on the sunset whale watching tour and they made it such a fun and personalized experience! They answered all our questions, explained the different parts of the island that we could see from the ocean, and made it an overall great experience. We not only saw plenty of whales, but we also saw a shark too. 10 out of 10 recommend to anyone and everyone!

Just friendly crew who delivered what they said they would.

My first booking was cancelled at very last minute. The captain only told me when I got to the pier - 2hours round trips was wasted for nothing without early notice.

I booked second one which was rescheduled twice, eventually it made through and my daughter loves it.

The water is bit cold in the first place but bearable and we stayed in water for 40mins or longer as we were the last group.

On the way back, we saw the whales - what a bonus!!

I originally joined this tour because I love sharks. We took a bus for just under two hours from our hotel in Waikiki to Haleiwa. We gathered at a small shack decorated with shark patterns and set off. There were about 14 or 15 participants, and I was the only Japanese person (the staff were not Japanese either).

The explanations were in English, and the engine noise was loud, so I couldn't understand much, but I managed to get by. Since my eyesight is poor, I borrowed prescription goggles, but they weren't very clear, so I recommend bringing contact lenses if you have vision issues. As others have mentioned, once we arrived at the spot, the waves were high and it was easy to get seasick. I got seasick here too.

However, when we got into the cage, I was so focused on watching the sharks that I forgot about my seasickness. I was very satisfied to see a nearly 3-meter-long tiger shark up close. The shark was calm, and I was moved by its graceful swimming. Unfortunately, I didn't see many other sharks besides that tiger shark. After getting out of the cage, I felt worse and ended up vomiting. There was another person who vomited as well. However, after that, I felt refreshed and was able to enjoy the return trip.

I was a bit anxious about participating alone as a woman, but I had a valuable experience and it was really great! If there are others in a similar situation who are hesitant to join, I encourage you to participate without hesitation!

(February 2025, early February, 9 AM departure, woman in her 20s)

もともとサメが好きでこのツアーに参加しました。ワイキキのホテルからバスで2時間弱かけてハレイワまで向かいました。サメの柄の小さな小屋に集合して出発しました。参加者は14、5人で日本人は私1人だけでした（スタッフの方も日本人ではない）。
説明は英語かつエンジンの音がうるさくあまり理解できませんでしたが、なんとかなりました笑。視力が低いので、度ありのゴーグルを借りましたが、あまり見えやすくはなかったので目がよくない方はコンタクトを持って行くことをおすすめします。他の方も言っている通り、スポットについてからは波が高く酔いやすいです。当方もここで酔いました。
しかし、ケージに入る際はサメを見ることに夢中で酔っていることを忘れました。体長３メートル弱のタイガーシャークを一匹、近くで見ることができとても満足でした。サメは穏やかで、優雅に泳ぐ姿に感動しました。しかしそのタイガーシャーク以外のサメはほとんど見れませんでした。ケージから出た後、酔いが酷くなり吐いてしまいました。私以外にももう1人吐いてる方がいました。しかし、その後はスッキリして帰港を楽しむことができました。
女1人の参加で少し不安でしたが貴重な経験ができてとても良かったです！同じ境遇で参加を迷っている方がいたらぜひ迷わず参加してみてください！！

（2025.2月上旬　9時出発　　20代女）

Unique experience with a knowledgeable and fun crew! Common sense and safety first approach put us all at ease, so the swim was nothing but fun. We also saw dolphins, green turtle and a whale! They even pointed out to listen for a whale song under the water, which we heard!! If on Oahu, this is a must!

Thank you guys for the amazing time! Would highly recommend this trip. We did see whales, beautiful views of paradise, some crap traps, and the site for the open shark dive. We loved the crew so much, we have now signed up for the shark dive! We can’t wait! The crew were fantastic, captain and skipper both knew and shared a ton of great information about the island. They took their time and were not in a rush. The sunset was also amazing. Could not have asked for a better trip!

I was really looking forward to this activity, and it was a lot of fun, but the sea conditions weren't very good, and the boat was rocking a lot, which made me feel seasick. However, I was able to see sharks properly and took a lot of videos, so that was great!

1番楽しみにしてたアクティビティで、とても楽しかったのですが、海のコンディションがあまり良くなかったのか、船がすごく揺れて酔いました。
けど、サメもちゃんと見れてたくさん動画を撮れてよかったです

It was supposed to be a maximum of six participants, but there were more than six on the day I attended. Also, it was stated to be two hours, but it was less than that. In the water, it felt like we were in for about 40 minutes.

There is a building for check-in, but there were no staff present at the time, which made it uncomfortable to wait alone in an empty area. (There were some people from a nearby cage tour, which added to the confusion.)

You have to hold onto the rope on the side of the boat at all times. The waves were high, and if you accidentally let go, you would get scolded for safety reasons. While waiting with the rope, one by one, we were called by the guide, and we had to swim from the rope to where the guide was. However, it felt pointless to dive when the sharks were not around during the count. There were sandbar sharks far away, and that day there were hammerheads and blacktips, but no tiger sharks. Since it’s nature, that’s understandable, but honestly, the sharks were farther away than I expected, and the water was a bit murky, so I wished I could see them up close.

When the boat's engine revs, the sharks come up a bit. It was okay to bring a GoPro and take pictures. You can rent fins, snorkels, masks, and rash guards. The guide only speaks English, so it can be tough if you don’t understand.

Also, please note that there is no place to change. The nearby restroom is for women, but there are no private stalls. Around noon, a man (possibly a homeless person?) came out of the women's restroom. There was also a dog that seemed to belong to him, and it smelled quite bad, so I quickly changed on the street in the parking lot.

MAX６名とのことですが、参加した日の回は６名以上いました。
また、２時間と記載がありますが２時間無しです。海の中にはいっているのは体感的に４０分あるかないかくらいでしょうか。
受付は建物がありますが、スタッフは居ない時間帯で誰も居ないところでポツンと待つのは不安でした。（近くのCageありのツアーの方がいたりしてちょっと混乱）
常に船の側面にある紐をつかんでいないといけません。波が高く、煽られてうっかり手が離れてしまったりしたら怒られます。（安全面のため）
紐を持って待って居ると一人ずつガイドに呼ばれたら、紐からガイドがいるところまで泳いで、ガイドのカウントで潜りますが、サメが居ないところでそのカウントで潜らせられても何も…という感じでした。下の遠くの方にサンドバーシャークがわらわら居る感じで、その日はハンマーとブラックチップも居ましたが、タイガーは居ませんでした。自然相手なのでそこは仕方ないですが、思っているより全体的にサメが遠かった＋白濁り気味でしたのでもう少し近くで見たかったというのが本音。
船のエンジンをふかすとサメが少し浮上してきます。
GoPro持っていって撮ることはOKでした。
フィン・シュノーケル・マスク・ラッシュガードは借りれます。
ガイドの方は英語対応になりますので理解出来ないと厳しいです。
また着替える場所がありませんのでご注意ください。
近くのトイレは女性側ですが個室扉がありません。
また昼頃ですが男性（路上生活者でしょうか？）が、女子トイレの中から出てきました。
またその方が飼っていると思われる犬がいて獣臭もすごかったですので、私は駐車場の路上でささっと着替えました。

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.

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

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.

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 left my hotel near Waikiki at 6:30 AM to meet at the location by 8:30 AM. I thought the shuttle service was a bit expensive, so I took an Uber taxi instead (it cost about 8,000 yen one way).

I arrived at the location in about an hour. It was mentioned that there would be a restroom, but there was no toilet paper and it was extremely dirty, so please keep that in mind when using the facilities. (laughs)

There were a total of 12 members in our group. Before boarding the boat, we had to take off our shoes. Since all shoes can be placed together in a basket, I recommend wearing sandals or something that you don’t mind getting dirty.

After reading reviews from others, I took motion sickness medication before going. After about 15 minutes on the boat, I got seasick. If you are prone to motion sickness, be prepared.

When we reached the area where sharks are spotted, we were divided into two groups: the first half and the second half entered the water. By the way, there was no one among the staff or participants who spoke Japanese. (laughs)

The captain explained the safety instructions in English. He asked if I was from Japan and then handed me a written explanation in Japanese. I can’t speak any English, but surprisingly, I managed just fine. (laughs)

They provide snorkeling gear for free. However, some people brought their own. Since the snorkeling gear is shared, if you’re uncomfortable with that, it’s better to bring your own.

The tour was more fun than I expected, with plenty of sharks around. The time flew by. If it weren’t for the seasickness, I would want to participate again and again. However, since the seasickness was quite severe, I rated it one star lower than the maximum. I returned by bus (it cost about 1,000 yen for two people).

8時半に現地集合のため、朝の6時半にワイキキ付近の宿泊ホテルを出ました。送迎してもらうプランが料金が少し高いと思ったので、Uberタクシーで自力で行きました。(行きのみで約8000円ほどでした)

1時間ほどで現地に到着。現地にトイレがあると書いてありましたが、トイレットペーパーがなくてトイレも壊滅的に汚い為、それを頭に入れてトイレを使ってください。(笑)

メンバーは全員で12人でした。船に乗る前に履物を脱ぎます。籠に全員分まとめて入れられるので、汚れてもいいようなサンダル等を履いてきたほうがいいと思います。

他の方の口コミを読んで、酔い止めを飲んでいきました。船に揺られて15分ほど、見事に酔いました。船酔いしやすい方は覚悟していってください。
サメの出没するポイントにつくと2つのグループに分けられました。前半組と後半組で海に入りました。
ちなみに日本語をしゃべれる人はスタッフと参加者で誰もいませんでした。(笑)

キャプテンが注意事項等、英語で説明してくれます。ジャパン？と聞かれ、その後日本語で書いてある説明書を渡してくれました。まったく英語を喋れませんが、意外と何とかなります。(笑)

シュノーケリングは無料で貸してくれます。ですが、自分で持ってきてる人もいました。使い回しのシュノーケリングなので、嫌な方は自分で持ってきたほうがいいです。

ツアー自体は思った以上にサメがうようよいてとても楽しかったです。
あっという間の時間でした。
船酔いがなければ何度でも参加したいです。
でも船酔いが相当きつかったので、星は最高点より1つマイナスにしました。
帰りはバスで帰りました。(2人で約1000円くらい)

The staff was bright and fun, and it was clear that they genuinely enjoy and love the ocean. Thanks to them, I was able to have a truly moving time in the sea. I understand that there might be concerns about safety during the shark swim, but the staff prioritizes the safety of their guests above all else. They guide you while maintaining a balance that is considerate of the sharks in terms of distance, timing, and duration. I felt that this was very important, especially since it was a cage-free swim, and having good control is crucial. I look forward to coming back to Hawaii and would love to rely on their services again. Thank you for the wonderful experience! ALOHA!!!

スタッフは明るく、楽しいメンバーで、心から海を楽しみ、愛してるのが伝わってきました。おかげですごく感動的な海の時間を過ごすことができました。シャークスイムはやはり安全性も心配かと思いますが、スタッフはお客の安全を1番に考えています。距離感、タイミング、時間配分とサメに無理のないバランスを保ってガイドしてくれます。ゲージフリーのスイムだからこそとても大切な事であるし、統制が取れていることは重要と私は感じました。また次にハワイに来る時はお世話になりたいと思っています。感動をありがとうございました！ALOHA!!!

I've been to Hawaii several times, but this was my first experience participating in this tour. I've seen sharks through glass and from a boat, but this time, even though there was a cage, the sensation of swimming right next to them was thrilling and very enjoyable. If I could experience it at a deeper level with something like an air walk that supplies oxygen, it might be even more fun. I definitely plan to participate again if I have the chance.

何度かハワイに来てますが、このツアーの参加は初めて体験してみました。サメをガラス越しに観察や船上から見たことはありますが今回はゲージがあるとはいえ直ぐ足元や横で一緒に泳いでいるという感覚はスリルも感じとても楽しかったです。エアーウォークみたいに酸素を送りもう少し深い位置で体験出来たらもっと楽しいかもしれない。また機会があれば是非参加してみようと思います。

The weather was great, the scenery was wonderful, and I had a lot of fun.
My English is not very good, but I felt reassured because they kindly taught me.

I was worried about whether there would be sharks, but there were no problems at all, and they were swimming around everywhere. I was able to see many sharks.

The voucher from Veltra mentioned beach sandals or slippers, but in reality, I was told to go barefoot when getting on the boat, and I was barefoot the whole time on the boat.

When I ordered a DVD, I was told that the camera was broken because it was bitten by a shark! They said sorry.

There were various differences from the information provided by Veltra, but overall, I had a great time.

お天気に恵まれて、景色も素晴らしく、楽しかったです。
英語はさっぱりなのですが、親切に教えてもらえて安心でした。

サメがいるかどうか、心配してたのですが、まったく問題なしで、うじゃうじゃ泳いでいました。たくさんのサメを見ることができました。

ベルトラさんのバウチャーには、ビーチサンダルかスリッパと書かれていたのですが、実際は船に乗るとき裸足になるように言われ、船に乗ってからはずっと裸足でした。

DVDを頼んだら、サメに噛まれてカメラが壊れた！ごめんねと言われました。

ヴェルトラさんの情報とは異なるところがいろいろありましたが、総合してとても楽しかったです。

Guides were fun, knowledgeable and made everyone feel comfortable and encouraged to go for it. Sharks were amazing and came so close