Waikiki: Small Group Turtle Canyon Snorkel Boat Tour

I went on a small group snorkeling excursion, which was the best decision that I’ve made. The captain and Kasha were very friendly and informative about the fish and turtles that we saw.

What a brilliant experience, memories that will last a lifetime. We loved every minute and were so lucky to see so many turtles. A big thank you to our guides, Kelsey and Francesco for making the day so perfect too. I would recommend this your to everyone.

Excellent would definitely advise people to go to this

The Captain Sam and Kasha were fantastic. They were informative and entertaining. The sights and reefs were also fantastic.

Amazing people and crew. Very helpful and guided us throughout various spots. We saw spinner dolphins and at least 15 turtles! Amazing time and I highly recommend.

Sam and his partner were fantastic. We saw over 10 turtles and more fish than I expected. He also went out of his way to show us the spinner dolphins he spotted near by. His partner helped point out the turtles and fish so we didn’t miss them. Very friendly. Definitely go out on first boat of day. Very popular spot so a ton of people came as we were leaving.

So much fun and definitely worth it if you are thinking of booking with your family definitely do! Our guides were super patient and informative about everything we did and showed us the best spots to swim. We had a five year old and nine year old and they both had a blast swimming and being the boat!

Excellent experience, small group of only 9! Tour staff were well informed and captain Carlos, Erica and Jack were amazing. We saw at least 10 turtles to see only metres away! Highly recommend!

Adrianna and Chelsea were attentive, knowledable and attentive!!! Great experience!! Would do again!!

A fun trip out to turtle canyon with an amazing crew. Super friendly and fun, with clear instruction and even guiding when in the water. They had great knowledge of the local waters and were very attentive, providing ginger and refreshments if needed. Great views of diamond head too!

Amazing crew, they took time with my family member who was new to snorkeling. beautiful experience, lots of fish very close.

We really enjoyed our small boat snorkel trip. We had two awesome guides Adrianna and Masha who were very professional and knowledgable. Our group ranged in age from 11-70 and they made sure that everyone felt comfortable in the water. We saw many turtles. The only issue we had was some sea sickness possibly due to the swell after the recent hurricane. But still a great trip and would definitely go again if the water was a bit calmer.

Sam and Kasha were amazing! We had a wonderful time and definitely enjoyed the small group setting. Would do it again in a heartbeat!

We had such an amazing time on the sea turtle snorkeling tour! 🐢🌊 From start to finish, it was an incredible experience. We got to see beautiful sea turtles up close, and being able to snorkel alongside them was something we’ll never forget. The crew was friendly, helpful, and made everyone feel comfortable, whether you were an experienced snorkeler or a little nervous getting in the water. They were knowledgeable about the turtles and the area and really helped make the experience even more special. The views, the water, the turtles, and the whole experience were absolutely unforgettable. If you’re visiting Hawaii, I would definitely recommend adding this tour to your trip. It was one of the highlights of our vacation! 🌺🐢🤙

Staff was amazing, kind, patient, kind, kid friendly & caring. Showed all hospitality, and even offered suggestions and other pointers.

Saw many turtles and dolphins. Staff were professional. Would recommend this tour to anyone wanting to see Turtles. The area is crowded with many tour operators but the staff did their best to manage this.

Friendly, helpful and passionate staff. Did not see many turtles and fish tho. I guess it was an unlucky day.

Wonderful small boat experience! Everything is provided. We saw lots of turtles and lots of fish. Plenty of time in the water.

Everyone was fantastic i learned along from them.

Crew was awesome and attentive, nice boat, very fine day in a very windy ocean.

This was a fabulous experience for a beginner snorkeling event and a not so strong swimmer. The crew was so patient, friendly and confident 10/10 recommend.

This tour was one of the highlights of my trip! I did the earliest tour, which gave our group some alone time in the water before the crowds showed up. The crew was amazing! Sam was incredibly personable and funny, and the boat ride out to Turtle Canyon was so relaxing and beautiful. The in-water guide Hailey was very knowledgeable about the marine life and great at pointing out the sea turtles to us. My photos really don't do it justice because we were able to get SO close to the turtles and fish around the reef. I loved every second of it, and I will absolutely book this tour again on my next trip to Oahu.

Believe the hype. When it says turtles guaranteed, they were right. We deliberately booked the 8am session (Friday 18 September 2026), as this time was recommended as the best time to see the turtles due to calm conditions and when they are most active. The water was so clear that you could see the reef an ocean floor (about 20 feet or 6 metres). You could see the turtles feeding at the bottom, and they would regularly come to the surface to breathe, so close that we would have to back off to be the minimum distance away (10 feet or 3 metres) as regulated by law. To be this close to dozens and dozens of turtles across the 90 minutes in the water was astounding. Definitely one of the best experiences of our lives, and something our kids will never forget. If you are going to book the snorkelling experience, Hawaii Ocean Charters should be your first choice operator. Communication between booking and the tour was clear and timely. As a small group of maximum 20 people, they catered brilliantly to everyone’s ability. We had 3 children who had never snorkelled before, and Erica and Gerald took amazing care of them the entire time. They made sure that all of the gear, including snorkel, googles, flippers, and floatation vest, wear appropriately sized and comfortable. In the water, Erica constantly stayed nearby the kids, happily answering all of their many questions. When my daughter had enough swimming, Gerald happily allowed her to hang onto his surfboard while they paddled around together. Adults also had flotation devices (waist belts), but strong swimmers are best without it. Having some basic swimming experience is suggested, so that you feel comfortable face down in the water, and pick up the kicking action with flippers quickly. With other tour groups out there too, the whole team were fantastic in ensuring our group remained together, and were safe distances away from other boats arriving and departing. Our captain (sorry, name forgotten) was friendly, professional, and highly knowledgeable, picking a fantastic spot to find the turtles, as well as ensuring a safe and comfortable ride. The boat was extremely well maintained and had a range of seating options, from the main deck at the back, to an elevated deck where the captain was, and an option to ride at the front of the boat. Meanwhile, Erica was very experienced in guiding us in the water to find the best spots to see turtles, fish, and other aquatic life around the reef.

There was an error with our Viatour booking but Francesco sorted it out quickly and we changed from the small group tour to the larger group and were definitely not disappointed. Had a great time with the crew, saw so many turtles and fish with the Waikīkī skyline as the backdrop in this beautiful location. If you’re Aussie and looking for good coffee, they can also recommend a quality cafe. Hard to find an activity that will top this mornings experience. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Great experience. The crew was very knowledgeable and helpful in explaining everything. It was also nice that it was a small group

We had a wonderful time! The caption and entire crew are fantastic. The made sure that everyone in our group had what they needed and that we were all safe.

We had such an incredible time on our catamaran snorkeling trip! Jake and Sam truly made the experience everything we hoped it would be-and more! They were fun, personable, knowledgeable, and kept us laughing with their jokes throughout the trip! Thanks to their expertise, we were able to snorkel with sea turtles and see so many different species of beautiful tropical fish. They knew where to take us and made us feel comfortable and well taken care of on our first snorkeling trip. Jake and Sam were an absolute joy and really made this one of the highlights of our Hawaii vacation. 100% recommend this experience! Mahalo for such an unforgettable day! 🌸🤙🐠

This snorkel trip was excellent!!! Crew was fantastic!!! Boat was awesome!!! Equipment was great!!! Highly recommend!

Excellent experience. Ladies were so knowledgeable and safe. Especially for kids. Great for those with no experience.

What an awesome experience! We had a great group- we did the 6 person catamaran small snorkel tour with Adriana and Hailey. We saw so many turtles!!! It was an incredible once in a lifetime experience!! I will be doing this every time I come back to Oahu!!

The crew was very fun and enthusiastic. The boat was clean and beautiful and played great music. The water wasn’t super clear but we still managed to see two big beautiful turtles and two monk seals! It was great!

We seen 3 species of dolphins swam with them and seen seas turtles right up close.

Sam Lucy and Erica were all wonderful. We saw so many amazing turtles and fish. Highly recommend!

This was one of the highlights of my trip! Adrianna and Kelsey were fabulous. They made us laugh and feel comfortable from the get go. The boat was great and had three seating options to choose from - bean bag chairs, a net, and lookout corner seats in the front. I admit I tried them all! I chose this specific excursion because they are one of the first to reach Turtle Canyon in the morning and offered a small group setting. You’ll understand why this is important once you get there. We had the reef area to ourself and saw plenty of tropical fish and turtles. By the time we left, multiple boats had arrived with large groups crowding the waters. I will definitely visit again and choose this same charter when I do.

It was wonderful, with amazing tour guides. Highly impressed and would definitely recommend!

The experience was beautiful, we have seen a lot of turtles and the crew was really helpful and kind… otherwise in the water there are too many people.

Awesome experience!! The crew was awesome!! They were very fun yet professional and explained every step from start to finish and made everyone on the boat super relaxed. The people that were novice swimmers turned advanced after only being in the water for a few minutes as the crew were right by your side the whole time. The boat was clean and every aspect of the trip exceeded our expectations. We enjoyed a relaxing yet exciting snorkeling adventure with my family. The amount of marine life we you will see plus about 18 sea turtles made this one of our favorite adventure here on the island. Bring your own water and juice or just enjoy the complimentary drinks they provide onboard. You will be safe and confident with this crew and her captain. A must on the island. We will always come back to your team every year. Great job crew 🤙🏻

The trip was amazing! We saw quite a few turtles and fish. Absolutely beautiful! Our captain, Nate, and our guides Erika and Kasha, were super friendly and very knowledgeable. Would absolulely do this again!

Our Waikiki snorkeling adventure was fantastic! We loved that there was a smaller group on the boat and the hosts/guides were all very friendly, offered us drinks and had lots of facts about Hawaiian sea-life. The boat ride to the snorkeling spot was short and sweet, as someone who gets sea-sick (I also didn't take dramamine, my bad lol) I was able to sit in the front of the boat and feel good - although I did end up needing a puke bag after snorkeling and coming back on the boat. Even with that, the staff were understanding and willing to help ease my nauseousness. Again, the front of the boat helped on the way back to the dock. We were lucky to see some dolphins on our boat ride and a few turtles snorkeling. All in all, this was an incredible experience, my boyfriend and I rave about the personal quality of the staff and the overall tour.

I felt the staff watched over our safety and enjoyment and wanted us to have the best experience. Very engaging, knowledgable, and personable - truly on top of everything. They herded us cats like pros but not overwhelmingly so! VERY FUN 👏👏☺️

there is no better way to get out on the water than this 6 person catamaran snorkel experience. The crew was amazing to hangout with and learn from.

We had a great time in a small group setting (6 of us) with Captain Sam and Kelsey. They did a fantastic job with taking us to a great snorkeling spot. They also explained the basics of snorkeling. When we arrived Turtle Canyon, there were no other groups, so it felt very private, and we saw so many turtles and fish. Thank you so much, Sam and Kelsey!!

Super easy and amazing. Don’t think twice about booking, just do it. You will not be sorry! Great experience. Captain, crew and of course the turtles are fantastic.

The Big Kahuna is a perfect size boat, plenty of space to move around. Calos is an excellent captain, Laini and Brooklynn were great guides. We saw so many turtles, a reef shark, a monk seal...so much fun! Would definately recommend and will go again! Great time on the water!

Such a fun outing, guides are so knowledgeable and friendly, and the snorkeling is guaranteed to be awesome!

So private, great trip, had the reef to ourselves in the morning. The crew was so knowledgeable and we saw turtles, fish, octopus.. best tour!

We had a great time. Great staff there to serve! We forgot to bring towels. Make sure and take with you!

Amazing small group tour with a fantastic captain and crew. Was so much better than a huge tour, we saw awesome sea life including oodles of fish, sea turtles, and dolphins on the way back. Very attentive and educational as well. Definitely recommend!

Brooklyn and Erica were amazing and carlos got is there safely!