Kona: Dolphin And Whale Watch

Capt. Shelly was amazing and very informative... we saw some really fun groups of of dolphins really close and learned about the history of Kona. Great excursion

Capt. Dennis was great. Did not see any whales or dolphins but the water was very rough during the Kona Low. He did take us to historic sites and we saw lava holes. Experience was nice, but whales would have made it spectacular

Knowledgeable boat captain, got to see dolphins. The boat is quick but more appropriate for hardy sightseers.

Captain Shelley went above and beyond to give us the maximum experience. We saw dolphins and whales, but none of the whales were feeling particularly social and they would deep dive and be gone after a couple of breaths. No fin slaps or breaches, but we saw a lot of humpbacks. We had a lovely morning on the water, and the captain did everything possible to find us more humpbacks.

Great trip! We saw a pod of dolphins and unfortunately we didn’t see any whales however our guide, Seth, tried hard to find us one! Highly recommend

I cannot say enough good things about how they went above and beyond to help my mom have the experience of a lifetime. My mother is 84 years old and is mobility challenged, but they helped her on and off the boat and she had the time of her life seeing dolphins up close. This is the first and possibly last trip she will get to take in her life and I’m so glad we came to this experience ce in particular because it was so worth it! No whales, but we had a great time and Capt Dennis and crew were very kind, knowledgeable, and happy to share what they knew. I’d go again and again!!

Great tour. Learned a bit and got to see dolphins. Remember there are two stops to get on the boat, registration and boarding. Dont need special clothes or supplies but do want sunblock and or hat.

We weren't lucky enough to spot any whales but the spinner dolphins put on a pretty great show!! Captain Dennis was very knowledgeable about the area and pointed out many interesting and beautiful spots along the Kona Coast. Our thanks for a trip well enjoyed.

Amazing experience!! Beautiful scenery!! Captain was extremely knowledgeable about the island culture and history...along with explaining everything about the dolphins and whales. Would HIGHLY recommend!! Great fun!!

Shade, cold beverage, learned about the geology, whales. All while enjoying the beautiful coast! Great Captain Dennis and Addie mahalo.

Was very good extremely interesting and informative Captain very knowledgeable Got to also see very beautiful scenery

The crew was really knowledgeable and provided a lot of great information. Unfortunately, we really didn’t see the whales other than a couple of spouts. But the boat ride was a lot of fun.

Capt Shelly and First Mate Valerie were excellent. They both searched intently with commitment until they finally found us 2 whales traveling together and then kept them in our near sight as long as they could. I’m an older woman and they both kindly assisted me on and off the vessel. Their information was very good as well as their interactions with their passengers.

Make sure you have your own transportation from the check-in office to the dock location! Very very confusing, not clear directions about that or the times. Unprofessional and not well run. Most people ad confused as I was. Only said 10:45 yet never said small Zodiac raft (also not described) actually took off at 11:35- they said we should have known tour was at 11:30. Also said 3 1/2 hours yet it was 2 1/2 hours. No info about how rough the boat ride would be- no one with a bad back should go. Also no bathroom. No whales that day. Staff too casual. Never again.

The tour was billed as a 31/2 hour tour departing from a location 20 minutes from the pier ( a$23 Lyft ride, $56 by Uber) at 10:45 . We got there to check in and were informed that the actual tour leaves at 11:30 from another area , a $ 15 Lyft ride. The tour started at 11:45 and returned back at 2:10; less than 2 1/2 hours tour!!! Captain Dennis was nice and offered a lot of information, but we did not see any whales and we saw a group of spinner dolphins from quite a distance , nothing up close. The zodiac was fast and took us around the island, but we did not accomplish the main objective of the tour, and incurred more expenses than we planned for ( for total of 3 uber/ Lyft rides) , in addition to a shorter tour and later departure than it was advertised. I encourage trip advisor to demand better transparency and more clear information from this tour operator. Thank you.

Fun experience following humpback whales up and down the Kona coast. Crew was knowledgeable and entertaining! A great outing.

We had a wonderful experience. Our captain, answered all our questions and gave great insights and info about land and whales and dolphins. Moreover, we used sonic device to hear whale sounds. We had fun and saw multiple dolphins and humpbacks sights.

Fun time on the water seeing wildlife. The boat captain (?Nick?) and guide Bruce were very knowledgeable about the area, history and ocean animals. We lucked out with a beautiful day and lots of whales doing their thing.

after looking for the place to meet for 45 minutes then having to drive snatcher 10 minutes then not being able to find the boat and it didn’t get any better.

This is a great tour - very manageable size of group and length of adventure. You will need transportation to the shopping center for check in and then down to the bay to get in the boat.

Our Captain and crew were awesome and very informative! We had a wonderful time and I would recommend this company. The reason I didn't give five stars is that they were late in having the boat ready for our group.

We saw whales but mostly in the distance. Was hoping to get one next to the boat and get a couple good pics. Also harder when there's a lot of people in a small boat. Meeting point wasn't clear once got to the boat ramp. Everyone was sitting on a wall near the bathroom. Not sure if I missed that but luckily they found us.

Our tour had a fantastic crew. They knew the local archeological history of prominent places and also were very educational about the whales and the migration patterns.

Its a small boat. But we had a very informative captain , he gave use useful information for spotting whales. We were able to have one on one conversations with the captain. We went all the way to Catain Cooks monument and shared the joy of being out on the ocean, enjoyeing the beauty of the waves smashing down on the rocks. .

The customer service was extremely helpful and friendly. The boat captain and his crew were knowledgeable and caring. I would recommend this company to anyone that expresses interest in this type of cruise.

Awesome whale watching tour. Saw several humpback whales and a sea turtle. Awesome views of the coast and learned some history about the island.

Saw so many whales jumping. Very knowledgeable captain Dennis. Wonderful experience for the group. Thank you.

We were in a small speedboat with 8 other people.p Not crowded at all. I could hear all information being given about history.

Our Captain and First Mate were kind, knowledgeable, and funny. Captain taught us and my 13 year old son a PG13 vocabulary word for certain whale parts. My son thought that was awesome. The views were magical. The dolphins and whales were shy, very present, and slightly active. Our tour was a short one half day. The sea was calm, weather was fantastic, we can't wait to do it again.

We had an unbelievable time. We had a whale breech about 30-40 feet from our boat. There were literally whales everywhere. Dennis and Bryce were super knowledgeable and very passionate about the whales. We saw Mantas and dolphins. We loved the company so much, we came back for another trip with the Manta Rays at night! We loved that one so much we are going back for snorkeling tomorrow!!!

Oh my goodness was this amazing. We had whales breeching all around us. It was incredible. Dennis and Bryce were awesome. Very knowledgeable with awesome whale facts. I truly cannot believe how many whales we saw.

Amazing experience! Captain Dennis and First Mate Bryce were super friendly and knowledgeable - not only about the whales but also about the island. The boat was comfortable and easy to see from. We got to see lots of whales, as well as some of the shoreline and caves up close. The process from check in to meeting and boarding the boat, etc was easy. Highly recommend!

I was expecting to be on a 25-35' boat, but it turned out we were on a rubber raft which was fitted out for whale watching. Frankly these things are not that comfortable (I am a senior citizen) . The captain was friendly and we had a small group of 6 which was nice. It's just that the accommodations are spartan (No head and limited to beverages). Shoes are not allowed. Also we were asked to be at check in at 10:45 but actual departure was at 11:30.

INCREDIBLE! We saw humpbacks about 40 feet away (about 20 mins after seeing them from afar). Then bottle nose dolphins 10 feet away. Absolutely an amazing experience! Though Captain Bryce said humpbacks that close are rare so maybe cannot expect that often. Narration was wonderful, learned a lot about the area including Moana inspired locations & ancestral stories. 100% would recommend and go on this tour again.

crowded seating on boat and only 11 of us! Imagine if 28 were there. No snacks or water distributed. Luckily we saw whales

Very good. Exceeded expectations in terms of the boat and the comfort and space on board. Staff friendly and efficient. On the part of the trip it is impossible to manage - seeing whales, we were very lucky with 3 or 4 sightings before the ‘icing on the cake’, 2 hump backs doing over 20 tail splashes each close to our boat. A memorable trip.

Reading the description and past reviews, there was supposed to be narration, we received zero narration even after we saw whales, only a couple from a distance, not bad but not as advertised.

Awesome crew. They pointed out whales and dolphins. It was a great trip. We even saw flying fish. A lot of fun!

We had such a fun time!! Raj was our tour guide and he was fun and kind throughout the whole experience!! We ended up with a group of 6 people and spotted two whales and a bunch of spinner dolphins :) it was perfect morning! Would take another tour!!

We had a spectacular time watching the humpback whales! Our boat captain, Raj, was very friendly and did an incredible job of spotting the animals and getting us as close as legally allowed! The tour was very well run and we would absolutely do it again!

The tour was amazing. Dolphin Discoveries is a great company. The tour was over 3 hrs. The boat captain and the guide were amazing and knowledgeable. The tour was worth every penny. The pictures speak for themselves.

Hardly any history and barely 1 whale sighting at 200 yards. Check-in and sail sight different and an hour apart. Too many people on boat, so some had to sit on outside rail blocking view

We saw a lot of dolphins, but unfortunately did not see whales, even though Captain Rob did try hard to find them. We saw some spectacular sites along the Kona coast that we would not be able to see if we were on land. The ride was smooth and enjoyable and there complementary drinks.

That it was great, we don't get to see the whales but it was fun We saw dolphins 🐋🐋🐋🐋😁😁👍😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😉😁😁😁

Thank you, Robb and Micha for friendly guide. It was a great experience. It a bit bummer that whale does not show up big and long enough. But the service was great!

We had a great time on the boat. Really pleased with the tour and stories. Although we didn't get to see whales it was beautiful on the ocean.

Traveling with grandchildren who enjoyed the boat ride, smiled and laughed the whole time. We got to see a few whales which i was hoping we’d see. Loved the small boat experience.

Brilliant excursion with very knowledgeable and charismatic captains Shelly and Craig, didn’t manage to see humpbacks but saw dolphins, sea turtles and much more. Highly recommend.

Very knowledgeable and interactive crew, saw both types of dolphins, and a whale. We really enjoyed ourselves and enjoyed the ride along the coast of Kona.