Waikiki Swim with Turtles Tour - Moana Catamaran Best Honolulu Snorkeling Cruise reviews, Oahu tours & activities, fun things to do in Oahu | HawaiiActivities.com

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Waikiki Swim with Turtles Tour - Moana Catamaran Best Honolulu Snorkeling Cruise

Overall Rating

4.66 4.66 / 5

Reviews

29 reviews
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Swimming with

Reviewed by: Lynnette , 2024/03/19

We had the best time ever with this snorkeling adventure. My husband doesn't really like snorkling but does it just for me. With our new personal snorkel gear and the fantastic friendly crew , he said this was the first time he enjoyed it. The weather was perfect and the turtles were amazing. We will definitely use Moana catamaran next time we come to Honolulu.

  • Diamond Head

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2024/03/17
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Beautiful Experience

Reviewed by: Kara, 2023/12/09

The Hawaii water is so clear! We got to see cute turtles and so many colorful fish.

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Activity Date:2023/10/01
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Fabulous Experience!

Reviewed by: Gina B., 2023/08/25

Our guides were wonderful! Saw lots and lots of turtles :)

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Activity Date:2022/10/29
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The Best Snorkel Experience

Reviewed by: Loraine Mendoza, 2023/05/27

Let's start with the boat - Fabulous & modern, a vessel to be admired. The captain and crew - freaking amazing, patient, kind, informative, went above and beyond. Took us right out to the sea turtles. It was a perfect day with perfect hosts and an experience we will never forget.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2023/05/06
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A must do activity for the family

Reviewed by: Melanie, 2023/03/11

Our entire family had so much fun on this excursion. The staff were so friendly and informative. Bring an underwater camera for great picture opportunities.

Rating:
Attended as:Families with Young Children
Activity Date:2023/02/15
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Amazing snorkel trip w/ top-notch crew

Reviewed by: Johnny Avo, 2023/02/26

We took a snorkel trip with the Moana boat crew and had a fantastic experience. We set sail on the beautiful catamaran at 0830 and to head out see the sea turtles at the infamous 'shell-cleaning' reef which is located just outside the breakers off Waikiki beach. Our Capt for the day, Anthony, was personable, friendly and made us all feel welcome aboard the boat. Zack and Sarah were the other two crew members and they were friendly, professional, and very helpful throughout the entire trip. 100% would sail with this crew again. Bring some tip $ for them, because they definitely deserve it. Book a tour today!

The snorkel site is popular and several boats are in the area, which is nice because you don't feel like you're out in the middle of the ocean alone. It can get busy with everyone trying to see the turtles and fish so be sure to keep an eye on the surface as well as watching what is below. Some turtles even come over to our boat and I snapped a photo (attached to this review). Overall water depth is about 20-30 feet and even on a cloudy & murky day (like ours) we could easily see numerous fish and several large sea turtles. We were even lucky enough to see Humpback whales (mom & baby)!!

We booked our trip in mid/late Feb and it was overcast & rainy. A bit chilly at times, but come prepared and it's a fun trip regardless. Plenty of covered space to store dry items, but a "drybag" is a nice touch on any beach/water adventure.
We booked the 0830 trip to maximize sea life activity which also resulted in 2 families being on the boat....8 people total. Virtually a private tour! When we pulled back into the pier for the next tour there were about 20-25 people waiting for the next tour. And, parking at the marina is easier before the crowds arrive.

  • Turtle swimming right next to the catamaran close enough to almost reach out and touch.

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2023/02/22
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Sehr schöne Tour, viele Schildkröten zu sehen

Reviewed by: Eisenhans01, 2022/10/19

Sehr schöne Tour, Moana Team nett, kompetent, freundlich. Man sieht viele Schildkröten. Aber, der Spot vor Waikiki ist overcrowded, viele Auslugsboote kommen dorthin, mit ebenso vielen anderen Schnorchlern. Leider sind nicht alle rücksichtvoll und halten sich an die Regeln (dont touch the turtles, keep distance). Wenn das so weitergeht kann man drauf warten, dass der Spot zum Schutz der turtles geschlossen werden wird :-(

Rating:
Attended as:Solo Travelers
Activity Date:2022/10/09
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Great Crew!!

Reviewed by: Bgutti, 2022/10/13

The crew on this ship were kind, funny & kept safety first. The area we were at had many turtles & nice for our family with all levels of experience. We only wished we had more time!

Rating:
Attended as:Families with Young Children
Activity Date:2022/10/07
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Amazing

Reviewed by: Giselle , 2022/09/17

To be the first time snorkeling for the whole family, it was amazing. We had the opportunity to be only party that day so we practically had a private tour the whole boat for ourselves. My husband and girls had the best time ever.
The whole crew took good care of us 6, one of them stood in the water the whole time making sure we were ok. They provided refreshments and ensured we were ok throughout the whole trip.

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2022/08/22
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Marvelous!

Reviewed by: Jeff and Laurie, 2022/09/14

We had a great time! The crew was friendly and knowledgeable, the boat was great. We saw lots of turtles and fish. Whether you are a beginner or an expert, this would be worth the time!

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2022/09/14
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A fantastic snorkel with turtles.

Reviewed by: Liselotte Ulstrup, 2022/08/06

A fantastic Crew. You found the best spot to Watch the turtles. A fine service on board. You were all Great. Thank you for an awsome experience.If we get the chance to snorkel with you, we will.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2022/07/13
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Tons of turtles!

Reviewed by: Ash , 2022/07/27

Our family saw so many turtles and the crew was amazing.

Rating:
Attended as:Families with Young Children
Activity Date:2022/07/25
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Must Do!

Reviewed by: Ross J, 2022/06/01

Great experience! Guaranteed turtle sighting. The crew was great! Best prices to get the most complete experience. I plan on re-using when I travel to Oahu in the near future.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2022/05/24
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Great time

Reviewed by: Jeremy. , 2022/05/07

Had a great time Sailing and watching the turtles and snorkeling. The staff was great and very helpful. Overall great experience and recommend to anyone

Rating:
Attended as:Families with Young Children
Activity Date:2022/04/15
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Turtle Surfing

Reviewed by: Todd, 2022/04/09

Crew and the Boat were great! The activity however was very crowded with many boats and other people, I guess that is to be expected! But I want to emphasize that the boat and crew were Top notch!!! Thank you Moana!!!

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2022/03/19
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Sea Turtles AND DOLPHINS! AMAZING!

Reviewed by: Matt, 2022/04/02

Well what can I say? The team was kind and answered any and all questions we had. We were promised sea turtles and we got just that. Getting to swim atleast 1.5meters away from the turtles as the came to the surface multiple times. Being able to observe multiple sea turtles swimming around the depths and the various fish of the reef. To wrap up an already amazing and special experience, we also got a lengthy surprise visit from a family of dolphins swimming up close and personal to the catamaran as we headed back to the harbour. Like I said, what can I say?! Definitely recommended to all who are interested. 5/5

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2022/03/31
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Amazing

Reviewed by: Jen , 2022/04/01

Turtles!!!!! We had a ton of fun, staff was awesome and super helpful.

Rating:
Attended as:Families with Young Children
Activity Date:2022/03/19
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Amazing Experience!

Reviewed by: Taylor H, 2022/03/05

It was super windy when we went out but we actually ended up getting a private boat ride since none of the other couples showed up. The crewmembers were incredible and more than accommodating with all of our needs and with my pregnant wife. I would highly recommend choosing to go on the Moana catamaran and we are planning on going back next time we visit Hawaii!

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2022/03/03
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SPACIOUS catamaran, great visibility, lots of fish

Reviewed by: Yes to Hawaii, 2022/01/17

This catamaran is super nice! Since it was an early snorkel cruise, we opted to add-on a light breakfast so we could sleep in a bit more in the AM. Visibility was amazing. On the boat ride to the snorkel spot, we were so lucky and saw dolphins. This is incredibly rare in Waikiki so we were so excited to have gotten the chance to see them! There were tons of fish at Turtle Canyon. This boat provided us with floatation belts AND fins. The fins helped us out so much and we were able to cover so much more area than if we didn't use them. Loved this cruise & would recommend!

  • Moana Catamaran

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Activity Date:2021/08/04
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Great, short trip

Reviewed by: Francis, 2022/01/10

This trip was a great activity to get the opportunity to snorkel, see turtles, fish, and coral without taking up your whole day.
The location is a short ride back to the popular beaches and they provide options of food and drinks.
The staff was knowledgeable, friendly, and helpful while on the tour.

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Activity Date:2021/06/11
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Rude swimmers. Please describe how to snorkel with aloha before disembarking.

Reviewed by: Me today, 2021/12/30

I get this on every tour, but newbies need instructions on how not to be rude. Don’t flip in my face. Stop swarming at me, and please… there is no reason to flail your appendages rampantly for no reason when there are 50 swimmer right next to you. Please explain this to swimmers before hand. In fact, in a small area, there is no reason for flippers. This would have been much more enjoyable if no one had them.

Turtles were neat. I would not tell anyone else if you see one because everyone swarms and hits you in the face/gut/you name it, as they flail to see it.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2021/12/28
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An Incredible Experience

Reviewed by: Jesse, 2021/12/17

The crew from Moana Catamaran were awesome, laid back, and super helpful the entire experience! The classic island music, the weather, the catamaran.. all the vibes were perfect!

We saw a couple schools of Dolphins on the surface (which I believe is NOT common, so keep that in mind if you book!) and saw about 8-9 sea turtles during our time in the water. A few of them hung around the whole time and swam towards us so close we had to swim away to give them the distance they need.

The crew gave us everything we needed- snorkels, fins, and a floaty to make things super easy for our time in the water. I really enjoyed that it was a waist floaty and not a neck inflatable one like some of the other boats out there. Made it much more enjoyable.

Overall, we were mesmerized by the turtles and the fish / sea life that surrounded us, and had an amazing crew to take us to it. 10/10, 5/5, whatever you want to take from this. My wife said this was "the most amazing experience of her life", and I might even agree. :)

Thanks, Moana Catamaran, for an incredible experience.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2021/12/15
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Great day on the water!

Reviewed by: Angela , 2021/08/22

Saw lots of turtles and fish! Boat was clean, safe and well staffed. Bring a hat and lots of sunscreen. Crew of 5 and it was easy to get equipment on and ready. Our group had about 33 which was a lot - made for close quarters at times and a line at the stairs. Crew was quiet and all business … they were likely sick of tourists at this point. Beautiful pictures and scenery. Really nice catamaran.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2021/08/20
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Tour time was cancelled but they found us an even better alternative.

Reviewed by: Glenda , 2021/08/06

I booked this snorkeling tour for our group of 21 months in advance. A couple days before our trip a representative of Hawaii Activities contacted me to let me know the time we booked was no longer an option offered by the company. They rebooked us with a different company for the same day, at an earlier time, without drinks :(, for the same price even though the Moana company charged more than the one we originally booked. I appreciate this so much because as we were boarding, we saw a disappointed family at another dock who had their trip canceled with not even a notification. The boat just never showed up and when they called the company they were told they had to cancel due to COVID. Things happen but a notice would have been nice. Luckily for us Hawaiian Activities/Veltra not only notified us, but made alternative arrangements for us. I would definitely use this company for bookings in the future.

Rating:
Attended as:Families with Young Children
Activity Date:2021/07/30
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Ok trip

Reviewed by: DD Hal , 2021/08/01

Could hardly see fish or turtles. Crew was not friendly at all.

Rating:
Attended as:Families with Young Children
Activity Date:2021/07/30
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Wonderful excursion

Reviewed by: Joy , 2021/06/28

Great crew and breakfast was awesome, saw several turtles and beautiful fish

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2021/06/26
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Barely saw 1 turtle

Reviewed by: Alex , 2021/05/12

Boat was very nice, friendly staff, but we stopped at 1 site for a while and didn’t see any turtles, then when we got to the more popular spot there were already 4 more boats and we only got to see 1 turtle. The staff didn’t come in the water with us either to help spotting turtles. Other boats had at least 1 crew in the water to guide their group towards the right spot.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2021/05/10
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Amazing

Reviewed by: eniigotcha@yahoo.com, 2021/05/01

wonderful afternoon cruise. The cruise was very relaxing and the boat looks really big and spacious so you get to enjoy the scenery. We saw two turtles and staff was very helpful.

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2021/03/13
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It was okay, the crew was great.

Reviewed by: Baker, 2021/04/10

The only reason I gave an okay was because we ordered breakfast to have on the boat. Some how the company did not order the meals. We were told we would receive a refund. We have not received the refund yet but that also falls on me because I have not followed up. Our snorkeling date was March 16, I am writing this April 10th.

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2021/03/16
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