Kona Shore Excursion: Dolphins & Captain Cook Reef Snorkel

Chris and Mare were terrific guides! We had the opportunity to snorkel in pristine crystal blue water and see different species of marine life! They also took us to and taught us about many of the natural lava formations that lined the coast. We were fortunate to have a small group with lunch and drinks included. Fabulous tour and a highlight of the trip!

Kris and Mary are the best host and hostess! They made sure we were all happy. The food was delicious that they served us for lunch. Snorkeling was great! They went out of their way to share information about the sea caves and the history.

Took my mom and daughter for a birthday excursion (daughter eight years old) and the experience could not have been better. Kris and Elayo were fabulous! I recommend this excursion with this team to anyone who wants an exceptional snorkeling experience paired with thoughtful snacks and kind, informative conversation.

Boat captain Cindy and her crew, Lindsey were awesome! Very attentive, informative and friendly. Truly made this experience 5 star. Cindy had great information about the area and was a phenomenal captain!! The snorkeling equipment was of good quality and the fish and coral were beautiful. Highly recommend.

Kris with Aloha Ocean Excursions was our guide to Dolphins, Sea Caves & Snorkeling. What a great trip. I would highly recommend Kris for your adventure.

We were only in Kona for a day on a cruise. I chose this because of their willingness to work with cruise ship passengers in terms of scheduling/cancellartions, etc. I really wanted to see the famous reef and the Captain Cook site. They also offered pick up and drop off right from the cruise port so it was super convenient. It was myself, my husband and our two kids (aged 10 and 14) and we all had a great time. It was extremely well organized and easy to find the bus right off the cruise ship as promised. It was a short bus ride to the boat and at the harbor they had bathrooms and a check in station where we all left our shoes. Our tour guides/captains/wait staff were Trevor, Maddie and Diego. They were all super nice and safety conscious. Knew a lot about the wildlife and from the boat we spotted dolphins, many many fish, and even a shark. The snorkeling was great and visibility was amazing. They had reef-safe sunscreen on the boat and a large amount of free snacks and drinks. This was the best snorkeling I have done in a long time. I’m really glad we chose this company to do it with. We had a great day out. Couple of things to mention: 1) I would recommend you have a baseline level of mobility for this tour. You really need to be able to climb down into the boat and out again. The guides were awesome about helping everyone and very strong but I would just say, be realistic about your limitations about this. 2) this is not a large boat and so there is no bathroom available while actually on the ship. Again this wasn’t a problem for us but just worth mentioning. There were not a lot of people on the boat, maybe 20? So that was very nice. All of the other passengers were super nice and there was another set of (younger) kids on board, they provided everyone with anti-fog treatment, masks, fins, snorkels, life vests and pool noodles. All in all a great day out. Honestly if more businesses ran their business this way a lot more people would do this rather than forking over the extra money to do the “excursion” through the cruise ship.

Make sure you review the excursion very carefully and know you cities where bouts on the island. Not being familiar with the where about of Kona and Hilo I have lost $450 with company who refused to give me any refund or credit. We thought they were pick us up in Hilo and taking us to Kona for this tour. They did not. Lousy customer service.

Fabulous, saw whales and one swim right into the bed. Snorkeling was also great on a very nice reef. Snacks and beverages were included.

This Kona snorkel tour was an unforgettable experience. The two crew members were professional, friendly, and made everyone feel safe and comfortable in the water. We explored beautiful reefs, visited sea caves, and were even lucky to spot whales along the way. Everything was well organized and perfectly timed for cruise passengers — highly recommend this excursion!

Our captain was named Christian and he was awesome! His beautiful first mate was adorable. He’s knowledgeable of the area. He’s patient. He’s thoughtful. He’s kind. The trip was amazing. The snorkeling was great. The lunch was a surprisingly nice touch.

We thoroughly enjoyed a morning snorkeling in two dive locations along with a stop to view the spinner dolphins. Out of concern for the dolphins safety, it’s no longer legal to swim with the dolphins. But we did delight in watching the dolphins jump and spin for 20 minutes. The trip’s positives included: The small group on the boat, as we never felt crowded.; The dive locations were awesome; and thanks to Tamae we left with some awesome video of the day. Special thanks go out to Trevor, Tamae, and Madi who crewed the boat and supervised our swims. They were exceptionally attentive to our needs and made the experience a memorable introduction into the wonders of the Big Island.

It was a great time on the boat and in the water snorkeling. He took us to see sea caves , very knowledgeable and nice man.

Great sea life experience Guides took time to stop at spots with dolphins and a second stop with pilot whales

we were well taken care of for details like the use of goggles properly and safety, i like the idea that the travel agent in Kona use yellow colored noodle to distinguish us from guests of other boats that use a different color, this help them to keep an eye on us for our safety. they provide prescriped goggle. we have hotdog as lunch,chips and unlimited drink. lots of colorful fishes but some corals are dead unfortunately.saw some dolphine.they swam around our boat. overall it is a very pleasant experience

Our tour was provided by C Big Island Tours. Our captain, and helper Tori, were wonderful. Professional, friendly, helpful, and with an extensive knowledge of the shore area and sea life. The snorkeling at the Captain Cook monument bay was very good, with a full hour allowed. After snorkeling, a very welcome lunch of sandwiches, chips and fresh fruit was served. Overall, an excellent tour, good value, and highly recommended.

This is a smaller group with the boat owner and one helper who took great care to make sure everyone had a good time. The snorkeling was awesome with tons of coral and we stayed in the water for an hour. Saw lots of lava formations and a few dolpins.

Staff were really friendly the trip was well worth the money. The staff had great knowledge of the reef and animals The staff over ran so we could stay watching the dolphins longer Lunch was great and plenty of it. No need for suncream as they provide reef friendly cream.

This was the perfect Kona excursion! Not only did we see a bunch of dolphins out playing on our way back, we saw pods of whales on the way out and two of our guides popped out in the water to record and share that moment with us so that was super cool! The snorkeling at Captain Cook was so amazing! The clear and calm waters were great for us beginner snorkelers. We got to see so many different fish and the coral reef colors were beautiful. Thank you for an unforgettable experience!

Too many people on boat. Limit to 15. Get the captain a mic and wi-fi it to the boat speakers. Lot of interesting stuff from the reaction and I could not hear. Reef was great. Better than Maui crater.

The best ocean swimming I have ever done. Diego and Scott were patient and personable. Captain Trevor stopped more than once to point out dolphins and even a pelagic manta Ray!!

We did the Kona tour on a rainy day, but Marissa made the best of the day. The painted church was closed but we were able to make some other stops. The coffee stop was a bit rude to us but Marissa made up for it. The lunch had several options that were pretty good. Overall, an ok day made much better by the good guide.

Thank you captain crew. For making such a memorable experience for us really enjoyed all the colorful fish and the pot of Dolphins that joined us, explained. in Point, it was very relaxing, although. I got a bit sunburnt on my shoulders. LOL.

Thank you captain Kris for creating such a memorable experience! Really enjoyed all the colorful fish and pod of dolphins. Super relaxing and enjoyed the beautiful sun.....although I got a bit sunburnt on my shoulders

It was good but it lists sea caves on the title and we did not go see any sea caves. Someone needs to correct the excursion name

Guides were great. My 5 year old, was not into the snorkelling part, but guides were great with her, and she did spend a good chunk of the time on the boat. My 11 year old and I loved the snorkelling. We did not see any dolphins, but we saw pilot whales and an Oceanic White Tip Shark, along with lots of fish snorkelling. Lunch was just a single hot dog, and there were no snacks offered, my kids were hungry, as I had thought there would be a bit more food. Overall it was a great experience, we had lots of fun, and saw lots of marine life.

We couldn’t have had a better day. Our hosts were both personable, cordial, informative & very knowledgeable about the area. We were able to see whales breaching, the monument to Capt Cook and a Lava formation known as the Goddess Pele the Goddess of Fire. We enjoyed an entire hour of snorkeling which was absolutely amazing. We were on a cruise so we had just the one day in port. If we had more time we would have gone again!!! An excellent experience!!! Definitely 5+++ stars!!!

Cruise dock pickup. Big safe comfortable boat. Great knowledgeable captain, Chris and “commodore” Mare. Good snorkeling with lots of fish, clear water and healthy reef at the Cook Memorial. Saw a humpback whale and calf on the way there. Checked out the sea caves and the “face of Pele” on the way back. Good lunch, snacks and drinks and beer. Highly recommended.

Chris and Mar were amazing tour guides and hosts Chris had amazing knowledge he shared about the Hawaiian culture and the environment we were in They watched us continuously for our safety while snorkeling snd on the boat We saw a mama and baby whale among many fish They treated us like family Great tour would recommend Chris and Mar Aloha Ocean Excursions

Upon arrival we were told we received an upgrade from the zodiac to a different boat. Started out nice heading towards captain cook to snorkel. Then smoke and smell from the back and we had engine trouble. So we had 1 engine remaining we cruised back slowly to marina. Luckily we saw some whales that kept people entertained. We were far enough from shore so we really couldn’t see anything. Beautiful day we received a boat ride and never got to snorkel. We did receive a refund.

Great time. Marissa was excellent. Very personable and knowledgeable. We had a wonderful time and Poke for lunch. 😃😀

A great experience of snorkeling, whale and dolphin watching. Great job of showing us more than just going to a snorkeling site and taking us back. Excellent explanations of what we were seeing and the significance of lava tubes and caves in Hawaiian culture and history. Sign up for the experience rather than with the cruise line to save money.

So much fun, we did many snorkels along our cruise. This one is much better than all the others. Also saw dolphins and whales along the way to the snorkel spot.

This was my teenagers favorite excursion of our trip! The boat ride to and from the diving sight was beautiful. We saw a whale and tons of dolphins. The snorkeling was breathtaking. There were a lot of boats there, but we didn’t feel over crowded. The crew was excellent and made the trip extremely enjoyable.

We saw whales, lots of fish and dolphins. My 20 year old daughter said this was the best thing we did on the cruise. Pick up/drop off at port was very convenient and I loved the small group size.

We had an amazing experience, they were so friendly and fun. Best snorkeling I’ve seen so far. We went to a beautiful coral reef and the water was crystal clear. They took us snorkeling where Captain Cook’s statue was. Chris explained everything in detail of the history there and after snorkeling, he took us along the shore line to explain other amazing things that happened on the way back. I highly highly recommend this excursion, so much fun!!!!

Good staff, got lucky saw 3 different species of ocean mammals, 2 types of dolphins and pilots whales..

No snorkeling in cave. The place we snorkel had hardly any fish. Not impressed with crew. Won't recommend

Very good tour. Saw many fish. The included lunch was just a hot dog ... the boat was big and sturdy

We were able to see dolphins and the fish were there. Our three guides, Trevor, Scott and Tamae, did a good job. Very well organized and fantastic excursion.

The cruise to the snorkelling location was lovely with some time for spotting spinner dolphins. The area for snorkelling was very safe, clear for viewing fish and calm near the Captain Cook Monument. The hotdogs and snacks were great after snorkelling.

Great snorkeling and fun dolphins! - good sized group. Crew were great, snacks were tasty after an hour in the water.

This was a small group. The staff were upbeat, fun and very helpful. We were lucky enough to not only see dolphins and a turtle, but also pilot whales which was really special. It was wonderful snorkelling in front of the captain cook monument. Always had staff to look after us if needed. I would definitely recommend this trip. Thanks Captain Trevor, Diego and Scott. This was a highlight for us.

This was an amazing experience. Everything was extremely well organized, and I really appreciated that the captain made the trip very relaxing. Whenever we saw whales, or dolphins, we would stop and spend ample time at the location.The snorkeling location is outstanding with great visibility, and an incredible array of fish to see. We also enjoyed the lunch and drinks available. I highly recommend this trip and company. Well worth every penny spent.

This was an amazing day. The excursion was well organized. It was very relaxing. The captain would stop when we saw whales, and dolphins. The snorkeling spot was perfect as far as visibility and the number and diversity of fish. Outstanding service all the way around. I highly recommend it!

Snorkeling was great! Beautiful fish Chris was GREAT, shared history, very helpful to all, makes sure everyone is safe and enjoying themselves!

It was really difficult to rate this trip as we loved the snorkelling, saw some fantastic things and the 2-man crew were great. BUT we felt the boat was not adequate for the numbers involved, with eight at the front on proper forward facing rib seats travelling in relative style and comfort and the ten at the back sharing a two-sided middle seat and the sides of the rib with boxes of food/drinks, snacks and snorkelling equipment with little room for ourselves or our kit. Also it was hard to hear what the guys were saying when moving, so we almost certainly didn’t hear a lot of interesting commentary. Getting in and out of the boat at the start/end and for snorkelling was also not easy for some (although not a problem for us). I just hop they were warned about it beforehand. Unfortunately didn’t see any dolphins despite the name of the trip, but that’s wildlife for you! We did see turtles at the surface, however, which was great.

Chris was a great guide, who took us to a fine snorkeling area -- Captain Cook monument. The array of fish were amazing! I liked that Chris reminded us to be careful and respectful of the fish and reefs. Altogether a must-do in the Kona area. Well worth the price!

We enjoyed the boat ride and the snorkeling. We saw lots of coral and plants and fish. We had a bit later start. They had noodles to use as floaties. WE had snacks of fresh pineapple and potato chips, ect.

Snorkel around the unspoiled coral reefs. A lot of colorful and beautiful fishes around you. Amazing! Love it. The captain drive fast some times, so we feel like seating at a fast speed boat. Enjoy!