Kona Snorkel Tour: Captain Cook Reef Snorkel, Dolphin & Sea Caves

Great time snorkeling, out captain, Koa, and skipper, Lucas, were super cool guys that knew the island well enough to give us sweet information and history insight on our tour (R.I.P. Jerry Garcia) They also hooked us up with free bottled water and nectarines! It was a blast, would go again!

David and Lucas were amazing guides. They did not rush us at all and even gave us delicious pineapple.

Best snorkeling ever. We saw so many fish and snorkeled with a pod of wild spinner dolphins. Jake and Koa were excellent guides. Friendly, professional, knowledgeable, and safe! Highly recommend. Best excursion on the Big Island!

Small group, Awesome Tour guides, great snorkeling tour on a clear and warm water, David and Lucas know their history they are truly awesome. Saw dolphins swimming around us. I don't know how to snorkel (They have all the tools you need to get comfortable in the water for a small rental fee, But they provide the snorkel mask ) anyway, next thing you know, i was doing it like a pro. I'm so glad I purchased this. ☺️

Jake and Koa were the most wonderful guides! They were friendly, helpful, and funny. The snorkeling was breathtaking. We saw a variety of sea life and enjoyed the water and snacks. We will absolutely be back!

Our captain, Koa, and tour guide, Jake were extremely knowledgeable and made our tour incredibly fun! We saw dolphins swimming around us really close and enjoyed their hospitality. I'd recommend anybody book this 100%!

My husband and I had a great time on the snorkel tour and saw a lot of beautiful fish and coral in Kealakekua Bay and another spot out in the ocean, off the coast. The tour operator was communicative and sent frequent texts the day of the tour to make sure we were well informed and had a direct line to ask questions. Gave a decent lead time to push us to a later tour. Additional equipment was available for a fee (life jacket, wet suits, prescription snorkel goggles, sunscreen, GoPros, fins), but you are given a pool noodle before you get in the water, which is a fine enough flotation device for most swimmers. I will say the listing is misleading for saying you will go to the sea caves. After booking you get a lot more info, which explains that might not be possible due to water conditions. My one piece of advice is to keep the snorkel tour to the main location at Cook’s Cove if NOAA has issued a small craft advisory. The open ocean area we snorkeled had strong currents and big waves that made snorkeling difficult and disorienting, and it was harder to see fish due to there being much less coral and it being much further in depth. Overall we had a great time, just felt we would’ve gotten more out of it if we’d stayed at cook’s cove. Also, take motion sickness meds half an hour before your tour time, and eat early. The boat ride is fast and choppy.

Absolutely amazing! We even saw dolphins. They were very knowledgeable and helpful. Also very personable and funny! Bring lots of sunscreen and be ready for a good time!

Such a great day! I love to snorkel and the Rory and Lucas were so fun!

Captain Roy did an awesome job of keeping everyone entertained and informed as we went through several stops along the coast. It was a little difficult to figure out where the pickup was exactly because we saw no signs of where it was, but some of the other tour companies were able to point us in the right direction.

Very easy going guides as well as informative. Gear and snacks were good and had a great time. Full booking

They were very flexible and worked with us when we had to reschedule. The time on the water was wonderful. At Captain Cook’s site the fish were plentiful and the coral was very healthy. We had a blast.

We have snorkeled in many places around the world, and our second stop, Captain Cook Reef, was among the best—rivaling our experience at the Great Barrier Reef. The snorkeling alone makes this activity worth recommending. Unfortunately, several aspects of the tour fell well short of the setting. **Last-minute schedule change:** We booked a 10:30 a.m. tour, but the operator moved it to 12:30 p.m. and notified us by text only hours beforehand, when we were already on our way. At check-in, the staff member blamed our third-party booking, saying they had been unable to contact us. That explanation made little sense: we had received several messages from them through Tripadvisor in the weeks before the tour. Had we been notified before the 24-hour cancellation deadline, we would have canceled and booked with another provider. Being told so late effectively took that choice away. **An uncomfortable check-in focused on upselling:** We stood in the scorching sun while being encouraged to rent fins, lifejackets, phone cases, and other extras. The pitch also contradicted the operator’s earlier messages, which said fins were unnecessary and even discouraged them because they could scare away marine life. At check-in, however, we were told that if we rented only one item, it should be fins. We declined the extras and had no difficulty snorkeling. **Lifejackets during the boat ride:** This was my biggest concern. Passengers sat on the side tubes of a rigid inflatable powerboat as it traveled at speed over the waves, holding a rope along the side and bracing their feet beneath another rope on the floor. On similar boats we have taken elsewhere, wearing a lifejacket during transit was mandatory. Here, lifejackets were presented as an optional rental, and we were not required to wear them during the ride. Whatever the applicable requirements, this setup did not feel adequately safety-conscious to me. Flotation equipment for snorkeling is one thing; passenger safety during a fast, bumpy boat ride is another. In my view, lifejackets should be provided at no charge and required during transit. **Poor snack distribution:** The advertised snack consisted of pineapple and oranges cut aboard the boat. That would have been perfectly fine if everyone had received a reasonable share. The tray repeatedly started with passengers at the front and was largely empty by the time it reached the middle. Those farther back had little opportunity to get any. Starting from the other end occasionally, or setting portions aside, would have easily solved this. Our crew members were friendly, and the snack issue was minor. The communication, contradictory sales pitches, and approach to lifejackets were more concerning. Captain Cook Reef was exceptional. I would happily snorkel there again, but I would choose a different operator.

After I posted the review stating the facts — Chris phoned me. He refunded my money and offered me several complimentary tours in place of the one we missed. Very much appreciated. That is the proper way to do business. Nice correction

Erika and Jack were amazing during this tour! They thoroughly explained all the rules and regulations as well as took is to different sites and their history was interesting. Great birthday gift! Thank you Erika and Jack for this amazing experience.

Lucas and Koa were Amazing! Hold on tight! They have a speed boat and they use it! I enjoyed all the history they gave throughout the tour.

The snorkeling is all in the bay, not in any caves. But there are lots of fish around and the the boat ride back has amazing views including several stops at lava tubes/caves.

We had a wonderful time on this snorkeling tour! The boat ride took us to a beautiful protected reef with crystal-clear blue water and an abundance of colorful tropical fish. The snorkeling was fantastic! What made this tour especially enjoyable was the combination of natural beauty, adventure, and fascinating Hawaiian history. Our captain and guide shared stories about Captain Cook's arrival in Hawaii, how he was initially welcomed as a god, and how a later visit ended in mistrust and his death. We also explored the coastline, saw impressive sea caves and lava tubes, and learned stories about Hawaiian royalty using the lava tubes as hiding places. It was also fun to see places and marine life that served as inspiration for Disney movies like Moana and Finding Nemo. This was so much more than just a snorkeling trip! We loved the combination of beautiful scenery, amazing marine life, and interesting history and storytelling. It was a wonderful experience, and I highly recommend it!

Had an amazing time on the boat tour and snorkeling, I had never done nothing like that but Koa and Jake made sure we had a great time. Took us to a great snorkeling spot and gave us plenty of time to swim around and look at everything, even had pineapple and water bottles waiting on the boat once we finished snorkeling. boat ride was quite fun definitely a bit rough but nothing crazier than a roller coaster. Highly recommend had a great time.

Jake & Koa were great! Awesome day snorkelin.

It was incredible! We have a 12 year old and he thought it was one of the coolest experiences. Thanks captain Ericka!

Erika and Jake were awesome leaders! They were so kind, great with my daughter who was a little nervous to jump off the boat, and super knowledgeable and took us to a bonus snorkeling spot away from all the people which we loved! We saw tons of fish and had a lot of fun! Our family said this was the highlight of our trip!

Highly recommend this excursion and ask for captain Dave. This excursion takes you to the Captain Cook coral reef followed by another, deep water reef. Both were fantastic. It was very clear that captain Dave has great respect for the reef and the ocean; stopping several times to pick up floating garbage. He is also a great story teller.

Great trip out to a snorkel spot we could never hope to reach on our own as well as a great boat trip with some Hawaiian history mixed in. Love it. Thanks so much for the wonderful memories.

Captain Erica and Jake were very knowledgeable about the history of the area. Plenty of time in the water.

This experience was amazing! Definitely a must when visiting the big island! Our hosts made sure our family was well taken care of, and were very patient with us. Lucas took extra care of our needs as I built the confidence to dive on in. Kudos to the whole team, you all rocked!

Only shortcoming was finding the van, but once we did, it was all smooth. Boat driver and assistant were knowledgeable and personable. Got all we wanted and had a great time!

Captain David and Lucas were amazing! Very helpful, always felt safe, awesome customer service! You should go!

This was an open boat. They tour guides were amazing. we enjoyed the snorkeling. would recommend this

Not only where the site’s beautiful. But on the way back, we also stopped at multiple historical areas and were told about some of the islands history. There was water and pineapple waiting for us after our cleaning adventure. Overall, it was a great trip and great experience!

This trip was amazing! Koa & Lucas were great guides & made sure we were safe & enjoying our adventure. They also provided us with fresh cut pineapple. The cost for this small group adventure was well worth it. Would highly recommend it.

We had an absolute blast with Koa and Lucas! We saw so many fish in the bay and got to explore some of the lava tubes in the area. It’s honestly a must do in Kona, and they also do manta ray tours at night, which was AMAZING. Would definitely recommend for anyone, solo, family or however.

Rory and Lucas were our boat captain and snorkel leader and both were really personable young men. We arrived via cruise ship and took the 2:30 p.m. Captain Cook snorkeling tour. We did need to take about a a 10 or 15 minute Uber ride to get to the Outrigger reef resort which used to be the Sheraton Outrigger. We had what seemed to be almost an hour time in the water at Captain Cook and the snorkeling was worthwhile. The zodiac boat got us there quickly but be prepared to hang on in transit to the snorkeling area. We stopped at several coves and long about local history and the lava tubes on view there.

We had a blast on our snorkel tour! The crew was super helpful and told us the history of each of the places we snorkeled at. They provided clear instructions and made sure everyone had a great time! Highly recommend!

Booked with Viator but Viator wasnt supposed to book it for that day because the boat was in for maintenance. So we showed up and nobody was there. The tour company immediately made it right even offered to have someone come meet us and bring snorkel equipment and recommended a good snorkel spot. We ended up doing the tour a couple of days later. Eric and Lucas were great. Eric seemed to have as much fun driving the boat as we did riding on it. We saw a couple of pods of dolphins on the trip to snorkel. Captain Cook monument was a great place to snorkel water was very calm and there was alot of fish. Lucas cut up delicous pineapple for everyone. Saw some sea caves and historical sites on the return trip. Would definitely recommend this tour.

Genuinely the best experience we’ve ever had. Scary at first but quickly got over that once we were in the water. Such an honor getting the opportunity to experience the coral reefs. Will do again soon!

Lucas and Eric from Captain Cooks adventures were amazing! Deavon from captain cooks was the best to work with on bookings. Adventure was amazing, fish everywhere and the cave tours were great boat ride was exhilarating and exciting. We got lucky and got to see several dolphin pods as well! Well worth it🤙🏼

Such a beautiful experience. Being out in the water and snorkeling and seeing all the fish and swimming! My kids really enjoyed it and it was easy for them to swim around. Our tour guides were amazing and very knowledgeable and providing us with history!

For the amount of upselling/renting equipment etc on the front end, we were ready for a nice time snorkeling and swimming in the beautiful waters of Hawaii. The guides on the boat were nice enough, but there was no cover of any sort on the boat and we only got to get in the water once to snorkel. The brief stops on the boat ride back didn’t suffice as a replacement for the opportunity to swim and snorkel off the coast of Hawaii. Only giving it a 3 because the two staffers on the boat save it from being a 2/5 experience. Do not recommend for the price paid v the experience.

Had an amazing time snorkelling at captain cook. The water was crystal clear and we saw so many fish. I was gutted that we didn’t see any dolphins and there was no mention of dolphins being part of the tour at any point, which did confuse me as it is in the tour name. Though I did really enjoy the snorkelling and I thought Eric and Lucas were great, I’m not sure it was worth what we paid as it was very expensive to only get 1 hour in the water.

Great snorkeling at this location, which is VERY difficult to reach by foot, moderately difficult to reach via kayak, and easy to reach via boat. Pluses: - Micah (our boat operator) rocks, as did her first mate (Leleani?). They love their jobs ( and it shows), and they love to share the history of the bay, Captain Cook, and the beauty of the island, its features, and its wildlife. - They will rent you corrective goggles if you are nearsighted. If you are, pony up. The reef goes deep and it is magnificent to see all the way down. - They supply flippers on the boat. These will help you motivate in the water, the bay covers a wide swath of land. - They supply you with a pool noodle. You don't have to exert yourself much to see amazing things on this trip. That said, there is ample diving opportunities in this spot as well. - The boat rips. If you have the need for speed, you will get your fix. Keep in mind: - We rented fins from the van b/c we didn't know they supplied flippers on the boat. Fins are better than flippers but we probably would have passed. They did give us a discount upon our return. - Bring a swim shirt and sport (mineral based) sunscreen and use them. The Hawaiian sun laughs at your paltry attempts to protect yourself. Seriously. - There are more pauses on the way back to see the lava tubes, caves, and discuss the history of the area and the island. If you need to pee, do it before you get back on the boat. The fish won't mind. - They also do a night snorkel with manta rays. Might give you a discount if you ask ;). -The boat rips. If you want a gentle ingress and egress to the bay, a catamaran or similar may be better. Ditto if you have small kids who may be spooked by racing over the water in a twin engine craft used by Navy Seals ;).

I enjoyed the snorkeling but I don’t think it was worth the price that we paid. Our Captain was not very friendly, she was more aggressive. There is a way to be stern without being rude. People are paying a lot of money to do this, most of us are new to snorkeling and were so excited. The other boats seemed like a good time their captains sounded happy to be there and to have them on their boats. I wouldn’t choose this tour if I could redo it

10 out of 10. No notes. The experience, and the crew in particular, were so on point that we ended up booking their manta ray night snorkel tour later that night, and we had already done a manta ray night snorkel tour with a different operator a few nights prior. The Captain Cook snorkel tour was so fun, super informative, and extremely well run. The boat we were on was small, fast, and nimble. Which is what you want. That means less time getting to the snorkeling and more time in the water. It also means less people in the tour. Which is a huge plus. Smaller tours are ALWAYS better. We saw tons of wildlife and learned a lot from the crew. If I remember correctly, the Captain was named Alexis and tour lead? (not sure what her title was) was named Caleigh. They were AMAZING. Crazy informative, super competent, funny, and overall really chill people that clearly love what they do and are seriously good at it. I've done about 15, mostly snorkel tours, across the Hawaiian islands and they were probably the best crew I've ever encountered. Can't recommend Hawaii Oceanic enough, ESPECIALLY CAPTAIN ALEXIS AND CALEIGH!!

Fantástica experiencia. Todos hacen del tour una experiencia súper padre. Gracias a Deavon, Rory and Luke. All very informative and professional. Glad we took 2 tours with this company!

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Our experience on the Kona snorkel tour was definitely a mixed bag. When we arrived, no one was at the designated meeting place, and the guides seemed somewhat disorganized and unprepared. They gave the impression that they had just rolled out of bed and weren’t particularly enthusiastic about being there. The required Coast Guard safety briefing also seemed to be more of an inconvenience to them than an important part of the trip. What concerned me most was the attitude toward safety. Two other guests asked for life jackets, and the response was essentially, “You really want a life jacket?” That did not give us much confidence that safety was their top priority. The guides also didn’t do a great job explaining what to expect from the trip. Because we weren’t really told how the boat ride or route would go, the initial ride was pretty unnerving. They were traveling at high speed and getting very close to the rock walls and lava formations, which felt concerning when we didn’t know what to expect. Once we reached the snorkeling location, however, things changed for the better. Everyone seemed to relax, and we had a really enjoyable time in the water. The snorkeling itself was a lot of fun and ended up being the highlight of the trip. The ride back was also much more enjoyable. The guides pointed out some really interesting lava tubes, local wildlife, and shared some of the local history and lore about different areas along the coast. That part added a lot to the experience and made us appreciate the area much more. Overall, the snorkeling and scenery were great, but the lack of organization, communication, and the apparent attitude toward safety took away from what could have been a really outstanding experience. With better preparation, a clearer explanation of what guests should expect, and a stronger emphasis on safety, this could be a fantastic tour.

Booked an afternoon snorkel trip and was canceled by tour operator because of low attendance. At least we were able to get a refund.

Fun and lots of fish at the spot. I recommend going on the earliest trip because the place you go in the water gets overcrowded quickly. Lucas and Ericka were great and even helped coax my wife into the water. We got to see some dolphins on the way back. Pack light and use sunscreen before leaving the dock.

Eric and Lucas were great guides. We all had so much fun. Great spot to snorkel with plenty of schools of fish. Good history lesson of the area as well.

Had an amazing experience with Micah and Cody! We went out with about 12 people including us. We fit comfortably on the boat with the people and everyone’s bags! Left at around 4:20pm. We rode out to the bay to snorkel where they gave us goggle masks, snorkels, pool noodles, and flippers. She told us about her favorite fish to see and we all snorkeled for about 45 minutes. They gave us pineapple and water and she told us the story of Captain Cook! Then we headed back to the launch and stopped on the way to look at sea caves and the red hill. Micah and Cody shared stories and descriptions of all the places we went and were both very personable! We got back to the launch at about 6:30pm