Turtle Town After Dark: With Lights & Stars (Turtle Guarantee)

What immediately stood out to me about Zephyr was their honesty, integrity, and prioritization of safety. When we arrived in Maui, there were rains and storms, which made me nervous that some plans might fall through anyway! On the day of our excursion, plans did indeed change- Zephyr called several hours before to let us know that our initial meetup spot wouldn’t work due to poor conditions. They offered a reschedule, or a change of the meetup spot, which we were happy to do. When we arrived at the new spot our guide, Payson, already had the kayaks and gear set up, but explained that, due to shifting winds, he would have to make another adjustment to the original plans to make sure we stayed safe. He also offered to reschedule if we weren’t amenable to the changes. As a client based professional myself, I was very impressed that Zephyr as a company would rather take a loss for a day than be unsafe or disappoint. (Also of note is that they offer a turtle guarantee- if you don’t see what you came to see, they will take you out again sans additional charge) Even with the changes, everything worked out and we ended up having a great day of it! What we saw was even more beautiful than I had imagined! I think this is in great part due to Payson’s extensive knowledge of the area. We were taken to a beautiful coral reef filled with parrot fish and other smaller fishes. He was able to educate us on the reef and the wildlife. We were even able to hold up a pencil sea urchin, super cool! We also saw plenty of turtles, including one that was being cleaned of algae by small fish! Payson took plenty of pictures and videos, which we were able to purchase afterward for a reasonable fee. Overall, we are super impressed with Payson as a guide and are incredibly satisfied with our experience with Zephyr! This will most certainly be the highlight of our trip, can’t recommend these people enough!

This was so much fun, and the greatest experience ever swimming with the turtles! My husband and I were the only ones on this excursion! Alex was so patient with us and pulled a few living creatures to the top for us to see. We saw so many turtles. I would highly recommend this to anybody.

Such a fun experience!! Our instructors Robbie and his assistant were nothing short of fantastic! They loaded sure we were safe, comfortable and didn’t miss any part of it! We were beginners, so they took the extra time to make sure we understood the process and check in along the way. He also captured incredible pics and videos that we will Cherish for many years To come!

It was amazing! Joe was great and we lost track of how many turtles we saw. There was a huge one and a little one and lots of everything in between! Great experience and the sunset was beautiful! We will do it again!

guide Robbie was exceptional super. saw a lot of fish turtles. saw more things on this trip than on the big boat tour

Awesome experience, would definitely do it again. Experiencing turtles on this snorkel journey was fun.

My daughter and husband went on this tour as 1st time snorkelers. They had a great time and said their guide, Joe was very patient and helped us out. We loved seeing the turtles and holding a sea urchin

Alex was a great tour guide!! We were able to see a lot of turtles, fish and other sea creatures. This was a phenomenal tour and memories that we will reminisce forever!!!

I went snorkeling in the morning and at night: two superb experiences. Robbie is a very experienced, calm, patient, and helpful guide. We saw an octopus, sea urchins, a starfish, and numerous turtles. It's really worth buying the photos of the trip and renting the underwater scooter to make swimming easier! Highly recommended! Thank you very much!

Robbie was very laid-back and it made for a great way to see turtles at night!

Amazing, unique experience! Robby was knowledgeable and patient with our group! Would highly recommend! We saw so many turtles and my kids loved being out at night. Beautiful sunset and lots of great pics to remind us of the fun.

Fun experience and guides were great, very safe and very attentive. Fun to see turtles at night and other sea life. Guides were always checking in to make sure everyone was seeing turtles/sea life despite the larger group with two guides. The only thing that could make it better would be smaller more private group and I would be willing to pay for it! Mahalo!

It was great experience and the turtles were so close to us! Joe and Robbie were great guides and made my friend feel comfortable despite her initially being nervous to try snorkeling. It was a great time!

The team did a great job getting us out in the water and we did see a few turtles. Outstanding! Robbie was a great guide for our crew. Very memorable !

This was amazing!! My husband and I lucked out and were the only two on the tour!! So many amazing things to see! Alex did a great job and answered every one of our questions! We got to see so many turtles & lots of other sea animals! It was so cool being able to snorkel at sunset so you got to see when it was light and dark. Definitely recommend if you have the time!

Awesome time with Alex! Great and knowledgeable on the water and local fish and animals. Long tour with personalized fun! Will 100% recommend and be booking with Zephyr again!!

We had an AWESOME time snorkeling. Joe and Robbie did an amazing job and took great photos of us. We saw lots of sea life.

10/10 experience! Payson was incredibly patient, knowledgeable, and helpful throughout the entire trip. He made my first time snorkeling an unforgettable experience, and I’m so grateful for how comfortable and confident he made me feel. I couldn’t have asked for a better guide. Highly recommend!

This was an epic birthday experience, my first time to the island. The pricing was phenomenal and the guide, Payson was so awesome and helpful. 10/10

My husband and I had Payson as our tour guide and absolutely loved the experience. The tour actually started just before sunset so we got to snorkel out while there was still some daylight and see the coral and some fish. We even got to see a whitetip reef shark before we saw 8 turtles. While waiting for turtles to come out in action (and get super close to you!), Payson would also spot other neat wildlife like a red slate pencil urchin and bat star fish and let us hold them while he took our photos. I'd highly recommend this tour to anyone looking for a unique activity in Maui.

Do it!!! Robbie was an amazing guide and photographer. Our pictures came out amazing. The turtles were definitely out swimming and we had a blast watching them. Beautiful beach also!

Very fun to see the turtles close up several times. Also saw a ray! Payson was very knowledgeable and enthusiastic !

It was cool to see the turtles. The guide got a lot of good pictures for a decent price. The sunsets were really amazing and the guide shared a lot of cool beach sites

Perfect combo of day and night snorkling. See all the fish and turtles on the way out and turtles on the back

Super lovely coastline snorkeling as the sun set, and we were fortunate to be right up close with 7-8 Hawaiian green turtles! Our guide Payson was great with our group of four. He was thoughtful and attentive to the varying levels of comfort and experience within our group, which mattered all the more with some choppy surf conditions. And he got some great shots of the experience!

I just had one of the best experiences of my life! My girlfriend and I got to see turtles up close and personal, and we absolutely loved every moment of it. Truly unforgettable!

Alex was such a great guide. He made us feel safe and we got to see so many turtles. 10/10 recommend

Amazing experience super knowledgeable and friendly guide Joe got great photos with lots of turtles.

Had a really good time with Robert! He really went out of his way to make sure everyone felt safe and he was knowledgeable about the area as well, would definitely recommend! They will also take cool photos of you

Everything was very nice. Bobby was great. He made us feel welcomed and safe. A knowledgeable and friendly guide. My criticism is the tour described in on lone advertisement is not what was offered. I understand the jelly fish are a problem, but the description needs to match the experience. " Evening snorkel, enjoy the..... while you watch a beautiful Hawaiian sunset" etc

Great experience. Definitely recommend for novice and experienced swimmers. Loved the turtles + sea cushions + sea urchins

Alex was excellent! Super friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. Saw some sea turtles, puffer fish and even a spotted eel. Cool excursion!

Great snorkeling trip. Lots of turtles. Our guides were helpful and friendly. And, a beautiful sunset, as an added bonus!

We had a great time. It ended up just being my husband and I with our tour guide, Robbie, so we got a very personalized experience. We saw turtles up close, held starfish, and could even hear whale calls in the water! It's a short swim to the area where the turtles hang out. There is an option to purchase the photos/videos (and our gude took a ton), so you don't have to worry about bringing a waterproof case for your phone.

Great experience with Alex! Fun, informative, safe! I went with my teenage son and he had a blast. Turtle sightings and swimming under the stars.

Amazing experience Payson was an excellent guide and very knowledgeable and professional took amazing photos and videos. We were able to enjoy the whole experience without our phones and he captured every moment which was amazing. We saw whales turtles fishes, and all the gear was top notch definitely recommend booking this adventure.

Alex was top notch fantastic!! He was knowledgeable, patient with myself and my young kids and very kind. We had a great time and saw some really great sea creatures! Thank you, Alex!

Alex was a terrific guide and my teen son and I felt safe during this unique night experience. Alex worked hard to show us the various creatures living in these waters. Thanks!

Alex was able to accommodate beginners while entertaining also advanced snorkelers. He pointed out lots of animals we would have missed and even found some unique starfish that he passes around. Perhaps our best time on Maui.

My wife and I had a very nice experience "night snorkeling" with Robbie. The tour is intimate, and in fact due to a cancelation, it ended up being just the two of us plus the tour guide this evening. Although we have a good deal of experience snorkeling, my wife was tentative about being in the ocean after dark (can we all say "Jaws"?), but Robbie put her at ease after explaining how everything worked. One nice change the company has made is to start the snorkeling before sunset. Plenty of light to get use to the surroundings. Robbie provided high-end snorkeling gear, including flashlights for us. We snorkeled an easy 1/4 mile one way, near the shore and across coral-laden waters, to a cave where sea turtles were found swimming in and out of. Robbie dove down to the seabed and came up with a few sea creatures for us to hold and examine with his excellent knowledge of all-things ocean. We did end up seeing a 4-foot white-tipped reef shark swimming 10 feet under us, but it wanted nothing to do with us. Robbie took photo stills and videos of us and some of the sea animals we were encountering. It was a well-spent extra $75. By the time our cave destination was finished (you don't go "in" the cave), the sky was dark-ish, and flashlights were in use. Overall it was great experience and worth the money. Robbie was excellent and should be requested. The only reason it is not a 5-star is that we experienced swells during much of the snorkeling. My wife was fine, but I get a little nauseous. If I would have thought of it, I would have brought and worn my "Relief Band" which is a great product for those who get motion sickness.

This was an incredible experience, and our guide, Robbie, was awesome! He patiently taught the newbies in the group and helped us feel comfortable in the water. We saw 10 or so turtles, lots of fish, and got to hold sea urchins and sea stars. Buy the photos - it’s so worth it!!

Alex was great, really cool dude. This is one of the sickest experiences I’ve ever had. My brother and I had the greatest time. Thank you !

The snorkeling was great and Alex was a super guide! He spotted some really cool critters and made sure we had a great time. He also got lots of photos throughout the tour. The snorkel was not strenuous and the sunset was beautiful. Would definitely do this again!

Alex was great! We went in January and it was the best snorkeling ever. We saw so many turtles and had a great time!

Our time on the kayaking tour was amazing!! We first went paddled out far into the ocean and saw SO MANY WHALES JUMPING!!! We even got just close enough to watch a mamma whale and her baby swim around our kayaks!! It was so amazing and not what we were expecting at all!!! We were so grateful for that experience!!! We then headed back in towards shore and made it to the turtle cleaning station for an amazing view of all the under water sea life! Payson was our awesome tour guide and we would highly recommend him to take you out on the water for this excursion! He was very knowledgeable about the history of the surrounding islands and who lives there and what grows in the areas! He even went out of his way to give us lot of tips for after the excursion for dinners and places to go to make our Maui experience amazing!!! Best excursion we could have went on, thank you Payson!!

Highly recommend! Rare night time snorkel experience. Saw six different sea turtles up close and countless fish. Payson was an excellent guide!

We had an amazing snorkeling experience. Payson was great!!

From the turtles to octupi, it was a beautiful sunset snorkeling. The guide (Robbie) was amazing. Reassuring, knowledgeable and an unbelievable photographer Also, very small group. It was only 5 people on the excursion. Only thing I Would change is titwl...it is a sunset experience not nighttime.

The location was absolutely perfect, with a stunning sunset that made for an unforgettable snorkeling experience. The gear was comfortable, and the dry-top snorkels were a real lifesaver—thankfully! We had the opportunity to do a truly unique night snorkel as the sky transitioned from vibrant oranges to deep blues, with honu (sea turtles) gracefully gliding beneath us. Even as dusk settled, the water remained pleasantly warm, and we used each other's flashlights to find our way back to shore. This was by far my favorite and most memorable adventure. If you’re not free diving, I’d definitely recommend using a swim belt to make floating a little easier. Payson’s fun and engaging leadership made the whole experience unforgettable—without him, it wouldn’t have been the one-of-a-kind memory that it turned out to be!