Small-group Snorkel At Kealakekua Bay In Captain Cook, Big Island

Really enjoyed the guides, Alexis and Carmel. Very knowledgeable and entertaining.

Terrific experience and tour provider! Captain Sarah and Guide Kayleigh of Hawaii Oceanic were top-notch. We had 1.5 hr snorkel time in the water, in addition to time on the boat spotting dolphins and even a manta ray from the boat. Snorkeling was fantastic: the water was crystal clear, we saw about 50 different types of colorful fish and some eels, and a pod of dolphins swam right under us in the water, too. The water was calm and it was sunny out — great conditions. On the way back, the boat we pulled up close to historic lava cliffs and cave and Sarah and Kayleigh told us the stories and history. Wonderful trip! Great staff! Highly recommend!

Alexis and Carmella were the best of the best!! They were so informative and allowed so much time for snorkeling & fun! Pineapple, snacks, and drinks were provided. 10/10 experience would highly recommend.

It was such a great experience. The ladies that took us out were very kind and had a ton of knowledge regarding the history, safety and fun.

We had a great time. Smaller boat with less people helps you arrive on site sooner before the big boats arrive. Snorkled for about hour and forty five minutes. The two ladies who took us out were exceptional. Highly recommend and it was only $99 dollars when we went.

12 people in our group, a full boat but not overcrowded. Safe, thoughtful and simple drinks/snacks included. The gear was high quality

The boat ride alone, to and from the snorkeling site (near Captain Cook's monument) was worth the trip. The guide, Carmelle, and captain, Alexis, were exceptional. They not only did a great job narrating the local scenery and history, but they also managed to locate a pod of bottle-nosed dolphins that swam alongside of our ship prior to reaching the snorkeling site. The variety of sea life was amazing - some folks even saw an octopus. We had one person in our group who was not experienced with snorkeling and the guides were very accommodating and helpful to ensure that the inexperienced guest was able to see the wide variety of fish. This was the best snorkeling adventure we had on the Big Island.

This snorkeling experience was 10/10 guided by Alexis and Carmelle!! A small group of 12, amazing stories and history, and plenty of time in the water. Fun snacks after swimming and we saw dolphins on the trip back! Simple, easy, and such a pleasant experience!! Definitely recommend

Great time snorkeling! Sarah and Caleigh were very friendly and knowledgeable. They were constantly on the lookout for sea life as we motored to the bay for snorkeling. We saw a rare whale shark! Lots of sea life in the bay including an octopus. Snacks were a variety of prepackaged chips, cookies, etc. and drinks were a variety of canned soda and bottled water. Plenty for everyone although if you are looking forward to fresh pineapple, it wasn’t offered. Not a big deal for us! The small number of guests (12) made it exceptional. They did not offer flippers, only good quality snorkel gear; again not a big deal for us, but bring your own flippers if you want them.

What a wonderful experience! Lexi and Chamelle were terrific! They made everyone comfortable and safe, providing a wealth of information on Hawaiian history, the reef system and all it offered. After a 20 minute ride from the harbor, we arrived at Kealakekua Bay. Using provided snorkels, fins, and noodles, we jumped into an amazing reef with all kinds of fish. After the swim, we were provided drinks and snacks as well as more history and sightseeing. This an experience one should seriously consider if you're on the Kona area.

During our stay on the Big Island, there were several excursions we wanted to be sure to do. Snorkeling in Kealakekua Bay was one of them. We booked through Viator, and decided to go with the small group option. The name of the outfit doing our tour, was Hawaii Oceanic. During our stay, we had some challenges with hurricane Nolo, but Hawaii Oceanic worked with us to reschedule our excursion to earlier in the week. I'm glad they did, because it was the perfect day. Started off on the wrong foot, with the tour operators telling us to be at the ramp 15 minutes early....and they showed up with the boat 5 minutes late. When we got on board the boat, we were a bit unsure, as the boat seemed very small and old. But once we were underway, the concerns quickly melted away. Alexa was the Captain, and did a great job of sharing stories and history about where we were going, and what we would be seeing. Cody was the first mate, and made sure we had everything we needed. We were again concerned when we were getting in the water and Cody told us we didn't need any swim fins. Have snorkeled a dozen times, but never without fins. But both she and Alexa said the water in the bay was so calm, we wouldn't need them. They were absolutely right, and it's so much easier snorkeling around without the fins. Now, they had plenty on the boat, and offered them to you if you wanted. But everyone tried without, and no one came back to get them later. A big benefit of the smaller group (it was capped at 12 people), was if very easy and efficient getting into and out of the water, and I'm sure we had extra snorkel time as a result. And the snorkeling was great. Alexa told us we were going to a 100 Reef, which means a reef with over 100 different types of fish. Now, we didn't see all 100 different fish, but I bet we saw 30 or 40. And we saw hundreds of them. Of the 17 days we spent on the Big Island, my wife said this was her favorite thing of the trip. It was definitely in my top 3. So spend a little more and do the small group tour, instead of the "cattle boats", as they call them. It's worth it.

We had just the best time! Our guides Sara and Kailey were just perfect! They made every opportunity to educate about the island and gave us the best chances of seeing wildlife (the dolphins playing with the leaves were perfect). Could not recommend this experience enough! It also helps that the weather was perfect, no one else there (at first), the water was calm and clear. Our favorite thing we did on the Big Island. Thanks!

Great crew! Fun boat ride, we saw spinner dolphins along the way, and interesting lava formations along the coast. There was plenty of time to snorkel and good snacks afterwards. Cody and Alexis were our crew and we enjoyed their stories and expertise!

Great morning. Small boat, and had a nice long snorkeling period. We got in before the more crowded boats so we had the bay to ourselves. Highly recommend this trip.

We thought it was a good snorkeling guide but the spot we went to was packed with snorkeling groups so it would’ve been nice to be told that before booking. It didn’t seem to be an area where you see a lot of activity while snorkeling. But service was great

Captain Alexis and Guide Eliza are an excellent team. They explained the history of the Captain Cook area plus were well informed about the fish. They kept a watchful eye on all of us as we snorkeled, offering help if needed, They obviously love their jobs, making it enjoyable for all of us. I like the small boat experience. I was there to see the fish not party. Seeing the spinner dolphins were an added bonus. I highly recommend this company.

The captain and her first mate were both wonderful! We were the first boat to the bay & we spent almost 90 minutes snorkeling. The fish & coral were beautiful. After we saw several spinner dolphins that wanted to show off, including a baby dolphin!

Great crew. Wonderful snorkeling.

Capt Cook snorkel was incredible !! Hawaii Oceanic's Capt Alexis and Caleigh were so great ---they told us about the history of the area and were very engaging and funny !! It was a small group on a small boat , which was Perfect !! Very personal experience , I would highly recommend Hawaii Oceanic

This snorkel experience was absolutely incredible! We got to spend so much time in the water, the views were gorgeous, and staff was funny and friendly. They even brought us along the coast line on our way back and provided us with some history of the landmarks we passed. It was the perfect amount of people on this boat, not crowded at all! Very much worth the money and perfect for all ages.

Loved it! Saw a lot of different fish. The guides were awesome

Fantastic experience !! Small group is the way to go to Captain Cook Our guides were very personable and knowledgeable about the history of the area

Guides were excellent! Snorkeling amazing! Highly recommend this tour!

Fantastic crew, Sarah and Haley. We got a tour precise as we expected saw dolphins 2 times and at lit of colourful fish at the snorkling spot. Can really recommend this tour!!

Be prepared to be comfortable in the water. It was a great boat ride with friendly and informative crew.

Very friendly, polite staff with experience. For the money you even get some drinks & snacks for the boat ride. Takes about 2 hrs And if you get the small group it’s not overwhelming with people. Also book earlier in the day as it gets crowded at the snorkel spot later in the day.

They were very kind helped me and I’m 12. They were also very informative which I liked. They all were helpful which was very good for my first time snorkeling on a boat.

Great experience! Loved that this was a small group 12 total with 2 guides. Saw tons of spinner dolphins! Got to the cove before everyone else- saw so much cool sea life! Octopus was the highlight. Would totally recommend.

Fun trip. Would book again for the next trip.

Our family of four took a snorkeling tour to Kealakekua Bay with Captain Dylan and Caleigh. It ended up being an unexpected private tour, which was a nice bonus. Captain Dylan and Caleigh were friendly and attentive throughout the trip. They shared several interesting facts about the island's history and geology, and Caleigh served beautifully presented fresh pineapple after our swim. On the way back, we also got a brief tour of the local coastal grottos and nearby points of interest. Overall, it was an enjoyable, informative morning on the water for our family.

Alexis and Rachel were excellent guides and knowledgeable about the fish and surrounding area. They worked well together and made it a fun trip.

This was a great trip and the crew was great! Would do it again in a heartbeat. We got right down to the snorkeling spot and then got some great local information on the trip back. Perfect with a small number of other guests!

We had a great snorkeling adventure. Caleigh and Sarah were great guides. The water was amazingly clear. The reef was filled with all kinds of beautiful fish. We got to spend plenty of time snorkeling before heading back and stopping by a few interesting sights. The small group aspect was very nice, we got to know the other people in our group.

All around great experience! I would highly recommend this company

This was fantastic! My 8 year old was very skeptical about coming out and the staff kept her company while she gathered some courage to come out with me. The group was a small size, keeping the experience more intimate and less crowded.

Very good experience, We had a nice snorkeling experience. Eliza and Alexis were very professional in the tour.

We got some history and AMPLE time to snorkel. We saw so much! Best spot we’ve ever been to see the most beautiful fish! Alexis and Eliza were fantastic!

Great experience! Our guides Caleigh and Allen were great. We also came across a whole pod of dolphins swimming right next to our boat that put on a show. We did the 8am trip option which was nice to beat the crowds and heat. Highly recommend you book this trip!

We had a lovely time with a small and friendly group. Our captain and guide were personable and inviting. Views were great and we felt like the time alottment was just right. I was a appreciative of the quality equipment they provided. Also snacks were a nice touch to take the appetite and blood sugar after swimming for an hour or so. The best excursion we've done in our week here (and we did the manta ray one too).

We had a great experience on a snorkeling trip in the Kealakekua Bay with Hawaii Oceanic. Because the trips are capped at 12 max, we had a very personalized experience from our wonderful guides, Alan and Sara. Our 5-year-old is not yet a strong swimmer but they patiently enabled us to take him in the water with a life vest and he was super excited to see lots of fish! I would book again in a heartbeat!

Such a great snorkeling trip! Communication was excellent, our guides were knowledgeable, safe, and helpful. The smaller group was so nice. We would definitely book again!

The snorkel trip to Kealakekua Bay was amazing. We went on the early tour and there were only a few others in the bay when we got there. Very peaceful with calm water. I saw dozens of different fish. I wish I had studied the names ahead of time so I could better identify them when I was in the water. Going to the bay, we saw a small dolphin pod that we slowed down to get a good look at. We saw a different pod leaving the bay. On the way back we enjoyed the coastal views along with some history. I rented a Go Pro, which allowed me to capture images safely. It was worth it. Alexis and Eliza were amazing as captain and guide. We would definitely do this tour again.

The snorkeling at Capt. Cook was by far the best we experienced on the big island. The crew were very friendly and knowledgeable. The smaller boat makes for a great experience.

Terrible experience The zodiac didn’t offer any shade, the captain Rudy was racing with it , the information shared very poor. They dropped us in the water and seemed very bored. The speed on the way back was insane and injured my back. I would not recommend.

This has to be our best snorkeling ever! There is so many fish in this bay and so much to see, you could literally spend hours here! Our guides were great and answered so many of our questions. They're very knowledgeable on the fish and marine life in this area.

Alexis was great loved the history

This was a highlight of our trip. Captain Cook is a wonderful location to snorkel with a huge variety of fish and sea life to experience. And on the boat ride back, we encountered a pod of dolphins that were happy to swim around and play with our boat! Also, the tour guides were absolutely amazing. One of them had a degree in marine science, and the other had a degree in Hawaiian history, so they brought a wealth of knowledge and stories to the experience. And they were super friendly and accommodating. We couldn't recommend this tour more.

Did the oceanic snorkel with Alexis and Carmel and it was awesome. They were super helpful and prepared everyone for the adventure with tips and tricks. Alexis was our historian and she shared so much knowledge about the Hawaiian culture, traditions and legends. Carmel was very helpful and friendly as everyone prepared for the tour. I loved that these ladies were gentle and helped calm my friend’s anxiety as it was her first time snorkeling. I liked that this tour did not require flippers, it was an option. When we got back in the boat, the ladies had a cooler ready with cold drinks like water, a variety of sodas and island drinks like POG. They also provided fresh pineapple and snacks like chips and fruit snacks. On the way back, Alexis continued to share history about Captain Cook and Pele. Carmel made sure the boat was organized and helped everyone gather their items and locate their shoes. All in all, I would book this tour again. We saw a ton of fish that Alexis helped us identify using the fish guide. We were out on the water for about an hour and a half. I had so much fun! Highly recommend this tour again:) ps. Bring a water case for your phone if ya want footage :) and please do not step on the reef !

Amazing experience. Justin and Caleigh were patient and kind when our 9 year old was scared in the open ocean. Really appreciated everything, including a tutorial on how to cut a pineapple for sharing.