Waikiki Small Group Turtle Snorkeling & Sailing

Great experience, we saw not only turtles, but lots of fish, and dolphins also.

Small group is far better than with a large group. There were only 6 of us. We left the marina at 7, which is an hour before all the large groups showed up. Had the ocean to ourselves.

This was a fabulous way to begin our day. There were only 6 total guests with the captain and two crew. We saw at least 7 turtles and thousands of tropical fish! Highly recommended for seeing these beautiful turtles in their natural habitat!!

It was a great experience with Captain Tony and Abe. Leaving early and avoiding the crowds is the best option. We were out and viewing sea turtles and dolphins before any other charters showed up. Very relaxing to not have anyone else in the water.

Awesome experience. We did a ride with him twice on our 10 day trip. He was very helpful and made it fun for the family. He also knows what he’s doing with a lot of experience so safety is not a concern either. He watched our youngest son which gave me a chance to snore as well. We will definitely be going with him next time we’re in Waikiki! PS. The drone footage is 100% worth every penny.

Tony and Abe were wonderful. They made our experience worthwhile and we appreciated beating the crowds in the water. It ended up being a private tour for just us and was very relaxing! Saw many turtles that day and it was an easy adventure

This experience exceeded my expectations! The captain and tour guide were extremely knowledgeable and we seen a handful of sea turtles and other fish. This cruise was the first boat out at sea, and we were able to enjoy all of the sea life to ourselves. It was worth the price for the duration of how long we were out there.

Captain Tony and Abe were awesome! We left early in the morning to see sea turtles and many schools of fish. They provide you with all the information and equipment to feel at ease and have a great time. It was my first time snorkeling and would recommend to someone that’s experienced or new. Mahalo!!

Tony and Abe were super chill and very informative. One of the coolest experiences I’ve ever done. Tony is better than the other boats out there because he gets you out there before anyone else and you see the turtles just for yourself.

Captain Tony, and Abe the turtle guide are awesome. They made our experience the best possible. Funny, knowledgeable, and patient if you don’t go with Tony and Abe, you’re making a mistake

June 30, 2026. We had the best time. My wife, son, and I booked an early morning tour and headed out at 7am. Captain Tony and Olin were fantastic. Parking was easy, right in front of his slip. I love his boat. Small group, he can take 6 people. The other 3 had a travel issue and couldn’t make it so it was just us 3 and Captain Tony and Olin. Very safety conscious, and very professional. We had a beautiful morning cruise out to the reef. We were the first boat out there and it was very peaceful. The water was so clear. We saw at least 8-10 turtles and hundreds of fish. We were in the water for about 45 minutes or so. My wife is not the strongest swimmer and they made her feel so comfortable. They provided all the flotation and snorkel gear, and we had an absolute ball. I can’t tank them enough, and I give them the highest recommendation. Book your tour with them if you can. They are so reasonably priced, especially for a small group tour without 50 other people! Thanks again! You made our vacation.

7am start and max of 6 guests on boat create an opportunity to enjoy the quiet beauty of the harbor, sea and rich world of turtles, fish and coral. Captain shared info about other places to visit as well.

We had an early morning snorkeling tour with Captain Tony and Summer as our guide, and it truly was an extraordinary experience. The tour was private with just our family, which made it feel special and relaxed from the start. Captain Tony communicated clearly the evening before, making the meeting point easy to find and the entire process seamless. From the moment we set out, he made the journey enjoyable and stress-free. Summer was an outstanding snorkeling guide—she stayed with us the entire time and expertly led us to where the turtles were. We were thrilled to see several turtles up close. Getting to the canyon early, ahead of the larger tour boats, made a big difference. It allowed us to enjoy a peaceful and uncrowded experience, which we really appreciated. The smaller, more personalized tour made all the difference, and we would absolutely book with Captain Tony again.

We had an early morning snorkeling tour with Captain Tony and Summer as our guide, and it truly was an extraordinary experience. The tour was private with just our family, which made it feel special and relaxed from the start. Captain Tony communicated clearly the evening before, making the meeting point easy to find and the entire process seamless. From the moment we set out, he made the journey enjoyable and stress-free. Summer was an outstanding snorkeling guide—she stayed with us the entire time and expertly led us to where the turtles were. We were thrilled to see several turtles up close. Getting to the canyon early, ahead of the larger tour boats, made a big difference. It allowed us to enjoy a peaceful and uncrowded experience, which we really appreciated. The smaller, more personalized tour made all the difference, and we would absolutely book with Captain Tony again.

We went on an early morning snorkel trip with Captain Tony and it was so wonderful. I read a lot of reviews and saw he only had 5 stars which was a major reason I chose his tour. He called me a few days in advance to update me on the weather and we had to cancel but he stayed in touch and found another morning we could make work during our trip which ended up being my son’s birthday! He got to wake up and snorkel with turtles to start his day which was so amazing! I appreciated all the intentional things Tony does like early morning and small groups. Because we had our young kids, it was important to not overwhelm them. The other worker, Olin, was in the water with us and towed our kids on boogie boards so my husband and I could snorkel a little bit too. We saw lots of turtles so close and fish too. Tony also gave some great recommendations for other activities to do for the rest of our stay. 100/10! Book with Tony, you won’t regret the experience!

We spent two weeks in Hawaii and this was definitely a highlight. Paul and Summer gave us a tour that we will never forget. I would highly recommend this tour for others. The water was beautiful, we saw many many turtles, and even more fish.

What a wonderful experience! Tony knows his stuff. We were the first boat to get to the turtle den, saw many turtles, tons of fish, had the place to ourselves for quite awhile. We were done by the time the big boats came carrying many people. Loved the small group experience. Highly recommend

We had a great time with Captain Tony… we got out on the water early (the first boat out) so we had the entire area to ourselves. There was an abundance of turtles and sea life, and we had a couple large pods of dolphins swim through… such a great experience! Highly recommended!!

Absolutely amazing experience with Captain Tony Turtle Snorkeling! Captain Tony and the crew were friendly, knowledgeable, and made everyone feel safe and welcome from start to finish. The snorkeling spots were beautiful with tons of sea life and crystal clear water. We even got to see turtles up close which was unforgettable. The boat was clean, organized, and the whole trip was relaxed and fun. Highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Hawaii and looking for an incredible snorkeling adventure.

Book with Captain Tony and beat the crowds! This is the only snorkeling trip that is at 7 am. Parking was no problem at this time and the price was very reasonable. Yes it is early but we were the only ones in the water until closer to 8:30 am when it was time to return to the dock. The bigger boats with lots of people come around 9 am. The five of us had the whole ocean to ourselves to view the numerous turtles and schools of fish. We were required to wear a floatation belt which helped preserve energy. The boat is a small sail boat and Captain Tony only allows 6 people at time. There was one other couple on board with us. Captain Tony's assistant got in the water with us while he stayed on the boat. Side note: I did not get sea sick on the boat; however, I did at the end of snorkeling. Perhaps it was due to too much bobbing my head in and out of the water with my phone to take pictures/videos or heavy breathing in the snorkel gear along with salt water. My pictures did not turn out too good, but the video did. Captain Tony's assistant rents GoPros which might have been a better choice. One of the other passengers gave me a Dramamine which saved me because I was surfing 4 hours later and caught a bunch of waves on a board which did have a GoPro attached.

Amazing! Learned so much about sailing in a few hours. Would recommend!

We had a wonderful time with Captain Tony! Him and mark were very welcoming and showed great hospitality! Tony books small groups and makes the experience well worth it! We definitely recommend Tony. He also dropped a pin of all the amazing things to see and do 🤩

Captain Tony was great and the tour was all we could have asked for. He worked with us ahead of time as the day we originally booked the tour for it was going to be too windy and would’ve been bad conditions. He let us change the day of our tour and refund those in our group that couldn’t attend on the new day. While the boat itself is smaller and would be hard for anyone with limited mobility to maneuver around, it was also great because it was felt way less commercial. Captain Tony made sure we beat the snorkel crowds and gave lots of great information and pointers about other things to do in the area. Highly recommend this tour, especially for those staying near Ala Wai Harbor!

My boyfriend and I went in January, and it was incredible! Super easy to find and easy to communicate with. It ended up just being the two of us on the trip, and I can’t recommend this over the large snorkeling groups enough. 10/10 recommend.

We had a peaceful time exploring the reef and swimming with all the fish! Captain Tony and his deck hand Scott guided us to see turtles and so may amazing sea life. We had an amazing time!

Great crew and boat. Really enjoyed this snorkeling trip with just our family on board. Attentive crew and great experience. The fish and turtles were awesome.

Fantastic snorkeling trip! We left early in the morning with a small group, which made the whole experience super relaxed and enjoyable. The captain was awesome—friendly, knowledgeable, and gave great recommendations about the island. Our guide made everyone feel comfortable in the water, and we ended up seeing tons of turtles. Overall, an amazing experience and one of the highlights of our trip to Hawaii. Highly recommend!

Captain John and Olan were outstanding!!! Highlight of our trip’! Captain was excellent in keeping us safe but also making sure we saw lots of fish! Olan was great leading us to the turtles! We even saw dolphins!!!! Worth every penny!!!! Highly recommend!

Tony was a great Captain and his helper Olen. We got to see many turtles and fish, we got an early start to beat the crowd so we had a good time and the fact that he carries max 6 people makes it very enjoyable. Will definitely come back and choose again.

We loved our experience snorkeling at Turtle Canyon and saw so many turtles and fish at the reef. It was great to be in a small group (of six). Abe was in the water with us and did a great job taking us around and even dove down to bring us a sea urchin to hold. He was awesome! The captain, Tony, didn’t seem like he was in a great mood to start. His rules, while reasonable, (like staying certain distance from turtles) were delivered with an “I don’t care it’s my rules” kind of way. Maybe he’s had poor experiences with others but for us we felt his delivery just needs some work. He was nice when we got back in the boat and gave us lots of suggestions for exploring Oahu later which was appreciated.

Wow! This tour was a great find! It was a great price for our group of 6 people! The trip was about 2 hours long, Captain Tony and our snorkeling guide, Abe, were fantastic! They were extremely knowledgeable about all things related to the water, snorkeling, and sea life, but they also provided great tips and information on the best things to do (and not do) while staying on Oahu. They had snorkel gear, life jackets, and drinks/snacks. With it being a small group, it really felt personalized. My family has never snorkeled before, and it was a fantastic first experience especially since my one son and I have quite a bit of anxiety when it comes to swimming anywhere but our local pool. My kids even wanted to go back and do this tour again, but I already had a full itinerary planned. Captain Tony does offer a discount to go again, and he also offers sunset cruises. I am so happy we had this experience. We saw so many turtles!!! We highly recommend it!

We left the harbour at 7am and beat all the crowds. Upon arrival we were the only group in the water at that time and we had amazing views of the turtles up close and acting naturally with no crowds around them. It was an incredible experience that you won’t get in a larger group.

This tour with Captain Tony & Abe was hands down the highlight of our entire vacation! I had originally booked a different tour that started later in the morning…but am SO glad I switched! By starting at 7AM we were able to get out in the water before the other tours started. My son had never been snorkeling and both Tony & Abe explained everything so well and were patient, knowledgeable, and fun. Originally there were two others scheduled to tour with us, but they cancelled and Tony still took us out—that’s right—we literally had a private tour!! Abe was in the water with us the whole time and knew everything about the turtles and so much more. We saw at least 15-20 turtles, maybe more..and felt safe and attended to the whole time. I am recommending this to all my family and friends. Captain Tony even sent me recommendations for other hikes, beaches and favorite local places after our tour. You won’t get this kind of treatment on any other tour. We did three tours on our vacation and this blew them all away!!!

We had the best experience with captain Tony and his crew. It ended up being just my husband and myself, and we were one of the first boats out to turtle canyon. We saw SO many turtles on the reef, tons of fish, and a white tip reef shark. It was such a magical experience. The whole time, Abe was telling us about Hawaiian culture and the animals we were seeing. This small group excursion has been one of the highlights of our trip and I definitely recommend this over the big boats with 50-100 people. Thank you, captain Tony!

We had the best experience with captain Tony and his crew. It ended up being just my husband and myself, and we were one of the first boats out to turtle canyon. We saw SO many turtles on the reef, tons of fish, and a white tip reef shark. It was such a magical experience. The whole time, Abe was telling us about Hawaiian culture and the animals we were seeing. This small group excursion has been one of the highlights of our trip and I definitely recommend this over the big boats with 50-100 people. Thank you, captain Tony!

The experience was great, Tony was very helpful and chill. We got out on the water early so there was no crowds as there can be almost 500 people out snorkeling which makes it’s not very enjoyable, and since we got on the water early we got to see more turtles and fish while in the water.

Start to finish, everything taken care well by captain Tony and Abe. Definitely recommend to do this early in the morning 7 am so you can have better experience with less crowd.

Thanks to Captain Tony and Abe for a wonderful experience. We really enjoyed the morning and appreciated the attention to detail regarding safety and making everyone feel comfortable in the water. Having only 5 people on the tour made it feel much more special. Recommend this snorkel tour over the larger group tours. Thanks to Abe for capturing amazing photos and videos for us 🤙🏼

Captain Tony and snorkel guide Abe were phenomenal!! They contacted us before the tour, were easy to find, and the boat was in great condition. The snorkel equipment was stellar and some of the best weve ever used, which coupled with clear directions made it so we saw everything super clear in the water and had none of the fog out water in your mouth you often get with tour equipment. We saw all sorts of wildlife (from many turtles and fish to even a snack white tip reef shark!) When our daughter got cold she went back to the boat and hung out with captain Tony (who had a towel for her) while we finished the snorkel tour. She says "they are SO nice! Abe gave a great snorkel tour , and Tony was so nice on the boat". Tony gave us many local and travel tips both during and after the tour, he was above and beyond! The early morning time is so worth it to beat the crowds and the small boat (the 3 of us were the only ones with them that day but it only holds a few more passengers so it's always a small group) were exactly what we were looking for and so much better than the larger tours! Can't recommend this tour enough!

Captain Tony and Abe were wonderful! Abe was very helpful in the water, making sure we were able to find the turtles easily, even when the views were less than ideal.

Our family of four, including 8 and 10 year old kids. We went out with Captain Tony and Abe on June 6, 2025. This was a great experience for all of us and we highly recommend to anyone looking to swim with turtles and avoid the crowds. The boat is well cared for and Tony is a safe and experienced guide. Abe swam with us in the water and answered all the kids questions with a smile. He helped us spot numerous turtles, so many I lost count. There were also a lot of fish to swim with between the turtles. Tony helped us spot a pod of dolphins on our way out and got us close enough for a good view. This was a great experience and I'm so glad we booked it.

It’s a MUST on your bucket list. You will not regret it. Captain Tony and Abe were a great crew with lots of experiences under their belt

Fantastic trip. We were the only people on the reef. It was spectacular. Turtles, dolphins and so many fish. Worth getting up early!

It was worth getting up in the early morning to sail with Captain Tony. We saw turtles and dolphins. We were out before it got busy with other boats.

Wow! What a fantastic experience! My husband and I were the only couple signed up, so we had a private tour. Captain Tony took us out on his beautiful sailboat and Abe was our guide in the water. Both of them were so kind and knowledgeable about the sea life we observed and the area in general. We arrived at the snorkel location early to see the turtles waking up. We were the first boat to arrive at the location so it was relaxing and peaceful. If you want to snorkel in Honolulu, this is 100% the way to do it. Admire the fish and turtles in a peaceful setting!

We had an amazing morning experience at the reef. We saw over 10 turtles and a ton of fish. The tour is laid-back and quiet and we were the only ones there before larger tours, so if you’re thinking of doing it, just do it!

We really enjoyed the small group snorkeling experience. Tony and Abe took us to the spot where we saw turtles and lots of colorful fish.

Tony and Abe were fantastic guides! They had a wealth of knowledge that they shared with us and made sure all of us were safe as other boats were coming in. The waves were strong and a friend and I started feeling seasick and they were very patient with us as we made our way back into the boat. The small group setting was perfect as were able to see plenty of turtles and be one of the only ones there

Highly Recommend, Caption Tony was simply Awsome !!! I have been a lot of places and done lots of excursions.... this is simple a top 5 adventure 👏