Hawaii Nautical Waikiki Deluxe Snorkel with Turtles Tour from Kewalo Harbor reviews, Oahu tours & activities, fun things to do in Oahu | HawaiiActivities.com

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Hawaii Nautical Waikiki Deluxe Snorkel with Turtles Tour from Kewalo Harbor

Overall Rating

4.88 4.88 / 5

Reviews

40 reviews
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Had the best time!

Reviewed by: Gabrielle Albasini, 2023/09/10

I booked this activity by myself for my birthday. All I wanted was to see a turtle and it definitely did not disappoint! The crew were amazing and were very helpful when we were snorkeling. The food was good and the experience was amazing. I’ll definitely book again next time I’m on the island! Thank you to the crew for making it the best experience.

  • Seabreeze cocktail was beautiful and delicious.

  • The nicest crew!

Rating:
Attended as:Solo Travelers
Activity Date:2023/09/08
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Best experience ever!!

Reviewed by: azrigsby, 2022/11/08

This was a wonderful trip. The crew was phenomenal. They were very attentive to the passengers and were extremely knowledgeable about the area and the marine life present. In addition to the turtles promised, we even spotted the first whales of the season (quite early, in fact) and had dolphins come right up to use within the reef, also a rare happening. One of the nicest things about this group is that, even though their vessel can hold up to 80 passengers, they keep the number of people in the group small in order to make it a much more enjoyable and interactive experience. I would highly recommend this group for their professionalism and attention to detail. If I had more time on my trip, I believe I would have taken this trip again or one of their other offerings. It is WELL WORTH the low price, and I would highly recommend this to anyone wanting a truly magical snorkeling adventure.

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
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Amazing! So many turtles!

Reviewed by: Lauren, 2021/10/12

They weren't joking when they said "turtles sightings guaranteed" - I think we saw about 5 turtles at once, maybe more! The water was so clear that it made seeing everything, including eels and pufferfish, in the reefs so easy. The crew also found a sea urchin and an octopus that they brought up to the surface for us to see and learn about. They were a very fun group that made the experience easy and fun. We wanted to redo the experience all over again as soon as it was done! I highly recommend this experience to anyone visiting the area!

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Activity Date:2021/10/05
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Fun Day Trip

Reviewed by: JGaines, 2021/09/03

Everything was organized well. The crew was on point. They refilled drinks, directed us in the water, and made sure to point out the turtles. The whole thing was great .

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2021/08/29
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Great Cruise

Reviewed by: Rob, 2021/05/24

The Crew of the Honu Lani was great. Jimmy, the Captain gave clear and informative safety briefing and also snorkeling recommendations. He was very professional and his crew was EVERYWHERE! They were at the stern when we got in and out of the water, at the bar serving beverages, putting out lunch, in the water when we were snorkeling. Crew was Andrea, Alek, Marco and another girl interviewing for a deckhand job. They were all great! Andrea was so nice and helped the passengers nonstop the entire cruise. Alek is the man, (I think Bernie Sanders is his Dad). A friend of mine jumped off the side of the boat and her iWatch came off. This Cat (Alek) jumped in like David Hasselhoff and came up with it on the first dive down. I think he was more surprised than we were, it is a big Ocean. Marco was nice also, sorry guy, did not talk to you much.
Overall, great cruise. 95% great because of the crew!

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
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A dream come true!

Reviewed by: Mary O, 2020/02/05

We had an amazing time! Awesome crew who worked well together to make sure that we all had the best experience. Beautiful day, yummy lunch and the perfect place to see many turtles where we were snorkeling. A dream come true!

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2020/01/30
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Great Time!

Reviewed by: Jim, 2017/11/24

Twelve family members from 3 to75! As advertised, lots of turtles, snacks, drink variety. Great crew, on time, very happy with the whole experience. Would definitely do it again!

Rating:
Attended as:Families with Young Children
Activity Date:2017/11/21
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Awesome time!

Reviewed by: Amy, 2017/09/01

We had such an amazing time with this tour! The crew were awesome and so much fun.. when I got sea sick they really looked after me as well!
After a disappointing tour where we didn't see much we decided to book this one and we were not disappointed! Turtles everywhere and the fish swim so close. I would recommend it to everyone :)

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2017/08/29
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We did See Turtles!

Reviewed by: Troy, 2017/07/07

As in the title we definitely saw turtles on the trip. I was however disappointed with an $89 each cost associated. We were picked up and driven to the marina which is at Waikiki and could have walked there quicker. We took the early 8 am tour which departed around 8:30 and minutes later we were in the water and swimming with the turtles which was great. Outside of the turtles there wasn't much more to see. After less than an hour of snorkeling I was told to get back on the boat to depart. Ten minutes later we were exiting the boat. There was no time to enjoy the "open bar" really at all, and it was only 9 am. For the money we should have at least got some extra time on the boat cruising around, maybe a loop back toward Pearl or something. I'm not saying don't do it but we saw just as many turtles off a rented stand up board on Waikiki for $25/hr. That said, the crew was great and really did try to get people going and excited.

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2017/06/27
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Incredible experience!

Reviewed by: Danielle, 2017/07/04

Absolutely wonderful experience!
We were picked up right on time, and it was a short drive to the harbour from our hotel in Waikiki. The staff were all very friendly, helpful and professional and the sail boat was spacious and clean. The snorkeling gear was good quality and generally fit well, although my mask leaked a little.
We saw our first turtle not long after getting in the water, and saw quite a few more thereafter. They came very close to us as they surfaced to breath, making for incredible photo opportunities.
This was an amazing experience and anyone visiting the island and considering this activity will not be disappointed!

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Activity Date:2017/06/30
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Beautiful boat and fun turtles

Reviewed by: New Englander, 2017/07/03

So, I have never been sea sick before in my entire life, but snorkeling in the swell did me in. The crew were SO FANTASTIC. They helped me out of the water, checked in over and over, and were a delight. No their fault I yakked, and the did everything they reasonably could to make the trip good in spite of it. The sailing part was awesome-- it was windy and a little rough and so we really raced along and got bounced around in the waves. Very exciting. I love boats!

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2017/06/28
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Reefs, Turtles and Whales OH MY

Reviewed by: Michele & Mike, 2017/02/04

This tour was so much fun! We saw turtles, fish, whales and reefs.
The SCUBA divers were hogging the turtles but Lee took our GoPro down for a few close ups.
We were able to grab a few photos and videos with our cell phones while snorkeling.

  • Sea Turtle

  • Whale Tale

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2017/02/01
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snorkel adventure

Reviewed by: Cari, 2016/11/27

What a great experience. They picked me and my son up at our hotel and drove maybe 15-20 minutes. very nice catamaran and they had all the gear we needed. The water was clear and we saw some turtles and fish. I would definitely do this again and my son loved it too!

Rating:
Attended as:Families with Young Children
Activity Date:2016/11/06
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AMAZING! HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Reviewed by: Brittany , 2016/11/07

This was one of the best things we did in our short stay in Hawaii. The crew were helpful and kept us feeling safe the whole time. We got very close to a lot of turtles. We highly recommend as we want to go back again & again!

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Activity Date:2016/11/02
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They guarantee honu sightings for a reason

Reviewed by: Mike, 2016/08/20

Fun short morning tour. Make sure to go first thing in the morning as other boats gather in the area, driving the honu away.

Check out the GoPro video footage here:
https://youtu.be/uyE0naXarSE

Rating:
Attended as:Families with Young Children
Activity Date:2016/08/14
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Awesome Trip!

Reviewed by: Karen, 2016/07/30

Of all the things we did in Hawaii, this was the best! The crew was fun and personable. We saw turtles and dolphins on our tour. The catamaran was impressive and very well kept. Excellent selection of adult beverages.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2016/07/03
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Snorkel with Honi Olani

Reviewed by: Pigalicious, 2016/07/16

The Hawaii Nautical Honi Olani was a great snorkeling adventure. On my trip we saw 5 turtles. I was very impressed by the snorkel guides knowledge of the turtles and where to go to see turtles. While in the water they pretty much gave you the ability to swim freely and explore the cannel. If you swam or drifted to far the snorkel guide would keep an eye on you and ask you to swim in. I felt very safe and knew that if anything happened the boat crew and snorkel guide would be there immediately. I would also like to give the boat crew an appreciation shout out for picking up beach balls and trash that were floating in the ocean. I am very pleased to see that they our environment. If you are looking for a relaxing snorkel adventure where you can see sea creatures in their natural habitat I would definitely recommend Hawaii Nautical Honi Olani.

Rating:
Attended as:Families with Young Children
Activity Date:2016/05/30
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All Around Great Experience

Reviewed by: Louise, Maryland, US, 2016/07/13

We really enjoyed the snorkel sail tour. The crew of the catamaran were very friendly and knowledgable about the island and the event. The actual snorkeling was fun and we saw several green sea turtles but the waters were crowded with too many other vacationers. The deli style lunch with bar was perfect for this event. The sail back to the marina was great fun!

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2016/07/08
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Absolutely awesome!

Reviewed by: Christy, 2016/07/03

This was an awesome excursion, saw plenty of turtles and the crew was friendly and experienced! My daughter took a GoPro camera, Mike (our guide snorkeling) took awesome video for her of the turtles and pics of them as well! I will definitely do this one again when I get back here. This crew was outstanding!

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2016/06/30
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Snorkeling and Turtle Spotting with supplied lunch

Reviewed by: Mark, 2016/06/19

We were delighted with this activity.

Nick the Captain and his 2 crew were excellent hosts, safety conscious and went out of their way to make the cruise enjoyable for the 2 couples on board. Normally there would be a few more people on the cruise but we lucked it that day

The cruise consists of a 15-20 minute cruise in a catamaran to an area well off Waikiki Beach known as a spot where Turtles come to have parasites removed by fish.

We then went snorkeling (flotation vests supplied and mandatory to use). One of the 3 crew on board was in the water acting as a guide and safety person. He quickly located some turtles and directed us to them. We saw numerous turtles, some small, some larger in the water below us and on the surface.

After the snorkeling we had the supplied lunch, basic but adequate although the bread rolls were a bit stale. Free soft drinks and 2 free alcoholic drinks if you wanted them included.

Then the crew set the sails and we cruised around up towards Diamond Head before heading back to port. All up a great trip and worth doing, recommended.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2016/06/15
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Crew was great, turtles so cute!

Reviewed by: CJH, 2015/12/03

Went with my partner and our friend visiting in town, and had so much fun. There was only one other group of 3 on our morning trip so we had the whole boat to ourselves. The crew was really nice and fun to talk to, and the turtles were so fabulous and chill and beautiful and I want them to be my friends. Being out on a catamaran was refreshing too after the noise, tourists, etc. of being in Honolulu.

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Activity Date:2015/11/29
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Turtles! TURTLES! MORE TURTLES!!!

Reviewed by: Hawaii Kitty, 2015/10/13

When they say "Turtles Guaranteed", they are not joking. After a quick sail from the harbor to the snorkel (about 15 to 20 minutes) we dived in to see like six or seven large Hawaiian green sea turtles relaxing beneath us. It was absolutely incredible :D

The spot they took us to is this amazing location where turtles like to congregate and chill out while they get their shells cleaned off by schools of fish. Since we went on the morning snorkel, we beat the crowds and got to swim and snorkel leisurely without any fuss.

I didn't think to bring a GoPro or an underwater camera, but if you have one, or can get your hands on one, DO IT! The photo opportunities are amazing. The turtles like to lazily swim around and they are just so photogenic.

Great tour! Can't wait to go again!!!

  • Enjoying the sun while we sail!

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
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What a great time!

Reviewed by: Kelly M, 2015/08/24

As someone who grew up on Oahu, I'm skeptical of all the overhyped promises to tourist, but this trip really delivered. I tooky husband and an out of town guest and not only did we see multiple honu, the crew was just super. They were extra helpful with newbies to snorkeling and made everyone feel very welcome.

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Activity Date:2015/08/21
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Awesome!

Reviewed by: Lori Smith, 2015/08/11

I loved it! The crew was so awesome and friendly. The snorkling was beautiful and tranquilizing. All in all it was a PERFECT day.

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Activity Date:2015/07/30
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Great!!

Reviewed by: Jen, 2015/07/27

We had a wonderful time snorkeling. The crew was super friendly and the boat ride was awesome. We had plenty of time to snorkel around and enjoy and ocean. Enjoyed a lot!!

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2015/07/03
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Fantastic all around!

Reviewed by: Cecil Hamm, 2015/07/09

We had a blast! The captain and crew were wonderful and made sure everything was in place for a wonderful time. Everything from the location, weather, snorkeling tips, customer service and drinks contributed to all of us having a super day. We saw 8 to 10 turtles and much more marine life in two hours time. We even saw dolphins jumping high out of the water with Diamond Head in the background. Unfortunately they were so fast, I missed getting their pic. We will definitely take this trip again with this same outfit. Maybe the lunch or dinner trip. Can't wait to repeat!

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2015/07/06
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Unbelievable Turtle and Fish Snorkeling Experience! Must do in Honolulu!

Reviewed by: Forrest M, 2014/12/02

Had a blast of a time with Captain Chad and the crew! Booked relatively last minute after a competing boat tour didn't seem to be what I was looking for. Couldn't have been happier with my decision once finding the boat and stepping on board. My girlfriend desperately wanted to see a live Sea Turtle and the guarantee of seeing them on this tour made me book it and they delivered! We weren't 4 feet from a sea turtle catching some air and some sun in the water! On top of that, there were more turtles down below and plenty of interesting fish to look at. Outside of professional staff, equipment, and a lovely boat, we enjoyed plenty of chips and sandwiches, strong and cold cocktails for a completely fair price (2 bucks a drink, or a buck a beer). Enjoying the Waikiki coastline, sipping a cocktail, soaking in the rays, and reminiscing about the fantastic snorkeling we'd just done (complete with a Sea Turtle or three!) was a great way to spend an afternoon. If you are looking for a quality snorkeling trip at a great price, check these guys out!

I'll be back! Hopefully I see you with the turtles!

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2014/11/29
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Amazing tour highly recommended!

Reviewed by: steve, 2014/11/21

We originally booked turtle bay tour but were upgraded to a dolphin tour on a different day as the tour ended up not running on the day. The tour bus picked us up at 7am from the hotel free of charge to the destination which roughly took about an hour. It was bit of a long drive but the driver was very friendly and continued interesting conversation so was not boring at all.
The vessel was very clean and well equpped. Crews were super friendly and helpful. As we jumped on light breakfast and fruit platters were served. The tour included lunch and 2 alcoholic beverages but better yet they provided 1 dollar beer and 2 dollar cocktails - the cheapest alcohol in hawaii!
The first stop was to watch the dolphins. I think there were at least 50 dolphins. I have never seen dolphins so up close - it was simply magical.
2nd stop was to do the snorkeling. The weather was perfect and the water was so calm and clear almost like an aquarium. After the snorkeling session sandwich bar lunch was served which in my opinion was quite decent - had lots of fresh stuff including the kalua pig.
After the lunch, we were taken back to the shore then transferred back to the hotel by around 1pm. Although the tour was quite packed we still had half a day afterwards.
The tour was overall very well organised and action packed that we did not have any chance to be bored.
I will definitely come back for more tours with Hawaii Nautical as this was hands down the best snorkeling tour I have experienced.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2014/11/19
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Awsome

Reviewed by: Rosendo & Maria, 2014/11/21

AWESOME TIME... From the van driver, to the diver, to the captain. The staff was incredible. What a way to top off our trip. The snorkeling was amazing, got to see lots of sea turtles and tropical fish, definitely bring your water camera lots of pictures to take almost ran out of space. The catamaran was beautiful, spacious and clean. Plenty of snacks, and the drinks were awesome.. (Check out the Hawaiian Mimosa or try the Mai tai also delicious and refreshing) All inn all it was a great time, no complaints. Would definitely recommend (tip try to do it in the morning it's the best time to catch the turtles active and good visibility) Mahalo guys!

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2014/11/17
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Highly recommend! Beyond expectations!

Reviewed by: Matt & Melina, 2014/11/06

My fiancé and I booked this during our 6 day stay in Oahu. I cannot say enough good things about our experience. Jacob picked us up promptly from our hotel in Waikiki right on time and took us to the boat. The entire staff was very friendly and attentive right from the start and the entire way through. They instructed us on the ins and outs of snorkeling and made sure we were comfortable. We snorkeled and saw all the fish and sea turtles our hearts desired within a few feet. It was amazing! Barry hung out in the water with us the entire time indicating different sights and making sure all was safe. After a while we climbed aboard and David had prepared a delicious lunch of Mahi Mahi and chicken wraps, as well as macaroni salad and chips. The drinks were superb as well. After lunch, we set sail for the rest of the trip, viewing Waikiki and Diamond head as well as the rest of the island. The guys offered much advice on local eateries and activities, and answered any questions that we had with genuine interest. It isn't often that I post reviews, but these guys truly made our day, if not our trip. I've never felt so comfortable and impressed by any charter group before. BOOK THIS NOW! You honestly will not regret it. We are thinking about booking another trip with these guys before we leave.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2014/11/05
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