West Maui Snorkeling Experience By Boat From Ka'anapali

Excellent tour! Guide Shasta was extremely knowledgeable and friendly. Smaller group that allowed everyone more attention if needed. Loved the spots we stopped we even saw first whale of the season and a bunch of dolphins! More than we expected! Would definitely recommend !!!

This was the first time I kids went snorkeling and they had a fabulous time. I was very happy they got to see turtles. The boat's kind of small and there wasn't much protection from the Sun and everybody got quite sunburned. It would be nicer if they had a larger boat and a better food spread than walking around handing out food. But I did appreciate the fact that we got to snorkel before and after everyone ate

There’s a reason this snorkel experience is 5 stars: it’s the crew! We had Will and Shasta. You do take a dingy out to their amazing Coast Guard boat. My husband has mobility issues and they absolutely got him safely to and from the boat. Though my husband has snorkeled before, he was so afraid to be in the water. Shasta supported him and made him feel safe. When he was struggling with his gear and swimming in the right direction, Will jumped to the rescue and got him to the turtle feeding station. It was amazing for me, but I could just relax and snorkel! We saw both turtles and spinner dolphins twice! We saw amazing fish. Shasta was in the water with us and showed us wildlife and taught us about the wildlife. It was so much more than—here are the turtles, here are the dolphins! We had a lot of first time snorkelers on our excursion and Shasta saw to it that every single one was successful and had a good time. It’s also very safe bc they have every flotation device available including a boogie board which helped my husband a lot. I would pick this over the packed catamarans that land on the beach any day. Maolo Shasta and Will!

Magic Merman is a smaller charter, allowing them to spend far more time with each guest, with excellent attention to safety of swimming skills, and all of the snorkeling sites they described were perfectly accurate! Good food, perfect amount of time out on water, excellent equipment quality, lots of attention, safe, and very family friendly!

This was the best snorkel tour I have ever done - and I've been on a lot. The water was so clear. The locations were excellent, and we definitely swam with turtles, lots of turtles. Our guide Shasta was great. We chose to follow her and she told us all about was we were seeing. I would definitely recommend this tour.

I'm so happy that I booked a smaller more personal snorkeling experience for my family. About 12 of us on the boat and they took us to a personal experience. Which was out of this world amazing. Great people making it the best experience for everyone.

My experience with Magic Merman was excellent; I would highly recommend to this company to anyone. The owner and his assistant were immediately friendly and encouraging, introducing us to Derek (the captain) and Jess (Marine Biologist and advance diver), who were so welcoming, knowledgeable, and helpful in ensuring that everyone on the small group excursion felt safe and comfortable. Unlike most of the other snorkeling excursions in Ka'anapali, Magic Merman only takes a maximum of 20 participants, making sure they can provide individual attention to everyone. They quickly learned all of our names before we even left for our destinations and made sure to gain information about our experience and what we hoped to get out of the half day experience. Pointing out different sea animals as we encountered them, we ended up snorkeling with a playful monk seal who befriended our boat, sea turtles, and a myriad of tropical fish. They found a group of dolphins who followed our boat for a while and jumped merrily by us. The fruit, banana bread, and lunch they served were delicious as well, and they made sure to keep us all hydrated. If you're looking for a smaller, more intimate experience, this is the one for you. I will definitely use them again when I return to Maui and refer them to all my friends.

Great snorkeling trip! We saw dolphins, turtles and oodles of exotic fish. Captain Makiya and guide Shasta were top notch, attending t our comfort and making our experience perfect! Shasta swam with us pointing out wildlife and educating us. Best snorkeling trip we've taken!

We were a family of 5 snorkeling for the first time. In our group I couldn’t swim and was terrified to even get close to the water. Everything felt so overwhelming but kudos to Jess who made me feel so comfortable and confident enough to try it. It was a beautiful experience to say the least. Both Mike and Jess cared for everyone’s comfort and constantly checked on us. They served delicious food and drinks! Thank you for a lovely time :))

This was an amazing snorkel tour! Great captain and naturalist and attentive service. They picked 2 terrific snorkel sites. We saw so many turtles, sharks, countless types of fish and beautiful coral.

Beginning with booking the tour and then meeting Austin on the beach, we had an idea it would be a good tour. Then we met Will, the captain and Shasta, the Guide. All three made the experience delightful. There were only 11 of us plus Will and Shasta on a boat that seats up to 24 (they don’t ever take more than 20). It was a nice and mixed group with some of us, a lot of snorkeling experience, and at least one person who cannot even swim. I would rank this as one of the best snorkeling tours we have ever been on. Food freely/frequently passed around including homemade banana bread and fruit snacks, assorted drinks, (no alcohol -byob) and delicious sandwiches and chips toward the end. We stopped to snorkel twice along with Shasta, who is amazing in the water diving deep down, to point out eel, and unique fish. We all followed her red floaty and over and over Will from the boat and Shasta from the water inquired to be certain we were ok. Fish. Sea turtles at a fish cleaning station and at the end lots of dolphins playing by the boat. We loved it and highly recommend it.

It was a great morning for my wife and I. All the treats and food provided were very nice and the peppermint scented hand towels were a perfect touch at the end. The guides knew everything about our adventure and the beautiful sea life. In addition to the dozens of turtles, we also saw lots of dolphins, including babies! See Video. Highly recommended.

This was the best snorkel trip I’ve taken. The captain, Will and crew member, Shasta were so knowledgeable and attentive! Shasta pointed out interesting sea creatures and even brought up a pencil urchin for us to see! The excursion ended with a bottle nose dolphins accompanying us on the way back to the beach and Will stopped the boat so we could really enjoy their company! I would highly recommend this company for anyone looking for a great adventure! Anne Robinson

Amazing experience and a must do for especially first time visit to Maui. Sasha and the crew were wonderful and the best! Sasha made this experience so wonderful and was so supportive throughout the ride although myself and my husband are non-swimmers. Its a small group trip and worth it! I would love to go back and do this activity again. Lot of food, snacks and beverages were a bonus. Amazing crew and would recommend this trip!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Fantastic Snorkeling Trip – Absolutely Recommended! We had an absolutely fantastic snorkeling trip and enjoyed every minute of it! The entire crew was incredibly friendly, welcoming, and professional. They created such a relaxed and fun atmosphere and made sure everyone had a great time. The snorkeling itself was amazing – one of the highlights was seeing sea turtles while snorkeling, which was an unforgettable experience! 🐢🌊 The food and drinks were also excellent, with plenty to enjoy throughout the trip. Everything was well organized from start to finish. A perfect combination of beautiful scenery, great snorkeling, delicious food and drinks, and an awesome crew. Definitely one of the highlights of our vacation. We would absolutely do it again and highly recommend this trip! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The trip was amazing. Will and Shasta were amazing. They made us feel so welcome. We will be booking again.

Amazing day snorkeling, Shasta was very knowledgeable about the sea life and made sure everyone was comfortable and at ease the whole time. Swam with at least a dozen turtles! Highly recommend!

Amazing experience. Very friendly and catering crew coupled with some beautiful dive spots. We saw dolphins, sharks and sea turtles amongst many beautiful fish! Would highly recommend for couples or families

Loved it. Had a great time. Highly recommended

I've been on a lot of snorkel trips. This was very well run and organized, smaller group, nice boat, good captain and crew. Simple and easy. I am an experienced snorkeler and I liked how they pretty much let me do my thing and also were there to help out the newbies. Good spots to snorkel, didn't see anything huge (other than turtles) but lots of fish and saw a cleaning station which was awesome. I would definitely book again. 5 stars for sure.

Great crew! They were very passionate and knowledgeable about the island and ocean life and very caring and attuned to passenger needs. The owner was very communicative when the pick up location had to change due to weather. He sent a very detailed text with instructions, a link, and then did a follow up call the morning of to make sure we for the text. The food served for breakfast and lunch was great, the vibe on the boat ride was great, and our ocean guide (Shasta) was wonderful. The trip was timed out very well and the captain (Will) was very organized and sweet. This was worth every cent for the experience we got and we would highly recommend this company. We would absolutely do this tour again!

This was such a great experience! On our tour we went to Oluwalu and Mala Bay, and both were incredible locations. We saw so much sea life, and the guides were so knowledgeable and shared information about what we were seeing. At the end, we went further off the coast and soon enough were surrounded by dolphins on all sides of the boat. It was truly amazing!

Nice tour with experienced and nice staff members/tourguides. Coral snorkeling was good, but had expected to see more of the sea turtles. This can probably not be controlled by the tour organizers, but would be good if they had more alternatives to see turtles when the destination did not deliver much. Anyway, great staff, boat and organization.

A great time snorkeling! The smaller boat was perfect to see animals and our captain and Shasta were amazing! We saw so many turtles, even stoooes to see spinner dolphins, and lots of colorful fish! The banana bread didn’t disappoint and the lunch was a perfect treat! Would highly recommend a day/morning on the water with this group!!

This was an amazing trip! The captain and crew were outstanding, knew everything you needed to know, plus more! We felt well taken care of, safe, and the excitement from Will and Shasta when we found dolphins, turtles, and so many other creatures, was contagious! I couldn’t recommend this tour more. You won’t regret it!

This snorkel excursion was awesome! I’m a terrible swimmer but the staff made me feel very safe and comfortable. I was nervous about a smaller boat and my sea sickness, but had no issues at all! We saw plenty of turtles and spinner dolphins. I would go again with this group in a heartbeat!

Great trip from start to finish. Beach pickup was super easy as we were greeted y one the owners, Austin. Then on to the boat with Captain Will and 1st mate Jess. We traveled to three separate spots. They served fresh fruit on the trip out to sea. The first stop was beautiful corral and amazing fish. Then the next two were a lot of turtles and great corral and fish. It was windy and Captain Will took good care of us. 1st mate Jess handled most everything else and was great. She was in the water with us, too, pointing out fish and other cool things. After our last stop, lunch was served and then back to shore. Outstanding trip!

This was by far the best snorkeling trip we’ve ever done. Loved the small, personalized attention. Shasta was an amazing guide - she was in the water with us pointing out turtles, fish, sea urchins, reef shark and more. She was so knowledgeable and obviously really loves her job. The crew made sure we did two great, different snorkel stops and even added time for some fun jumps into the ocean. The banana bread and wraps were delicious and the crew kept us well-hydrated with lots of good beverages. The photographer on board also took great photos (for an added fee but well worth it). This snorkel adventure was the highlight of our trip and so much fun.

We booked this after a recommendation from our hotel concierge. We’d taken a RIB boat before to Lanai so we were looking for something similar. This trip didn’t disappoint. We met the owners on the beach at Whalers Village. They were great. Once our entire group arrived, the captain met us on the shore and took our party of 5 on a zodiac out to the big boat moored 50 yds off shore. We were greeted by Christy and Jess. The boat had plenty of room for our party plus all the other groups. They don’t sell all the seats so there was extra space to move around. They have dry spaces under your seat to store any bags or other items. They provided snorkel gear for guests. We visited two sites on West Maui. One was north of our launch site and the other was south of it. The first was a calm cove, great for people new to snorkeling. Christy has experience in marine science and was a wealth of knowledge. Jess got in the water and pointed out an octopus and a giant starfish to handle. Our second spot was more to my liking. It had tons of turtles and a unique snorkeling experience. On our way back to shore, we took a little detour because there was a report of spinner dolphins in the area. Captain Will took over and sure enough, the dolphins were jumping and spinning. You could hear the dolphins squealing as the played in the water. Amazing bonus experience. Overall, super impressed and happy with our experience. We wanted a bit of excitement in the boat ride, versus a catamaran ride - they delivered. My mom didn’t come on the trip due to concerns about sea sickness. The boat handled the waves, wind and rain with no problem. The cover over the boat provided shade and was very comfortable. The captain and crew were great. It was very safe, educational, and fun. I’d do it again. Don’t hesitate on the experience!

It was a dream of mine to swim with sea turtles. Not only did we get to do exactly that, but we watched Spinning Dolphins play, saw a host of other reef life and had a splendid time with Captain Will and Guide Shasta. The two were a fabulous team who took care of everyone (great snacks and lunch) and enjoyed the day just as much as the rest of us. If you come to Maui- take this tour!!

Very intimate, great instruction and captain. Loved the smaller group size compared to other charters I’ve been on in the past. Shout out to Shasta and Will.

The whole experience was amazing!!the staff was very helpful and made the experience even better I’d do it again

It was our first time snorkeling, it was an amazing experience ! Thank you to Derek and Shasta who made the experience memorable. Both are very knowledgeable about the islands and sea life. I felt safe Both in and out of the water. The fruit, banana bread and lunch were very good! The playlist on the boat was also great !! I would definitely go again and highly recommend it, especially for those first time snorkeling ! 😃

The pontoon boat is only suited for older children and able-bodied adults. There is a terrible, emergency-only toilet on the boat, so make sure to take care of that before boarding! That being said, the trip was outstanding, in that the naturalist would actually dive down to the ocean floor and pick up sea cucumbers and urchins and things like that. The photographer was in the water and could take underwater shots of the family, for a $120 or something like that. In addition to the snorkeling, we also saw spinner dolphins and a few turtles. The banana bread and fruit were fresh and tasty, while the wraps were bland and devoid of any meat. Overall, a fun trip as long as you understand the limitations of the boat ahead of time.

We cannot recommend Magic Merman enough!! Amazing experience, guides and food! Book now… you will not be disappointed. We have snorkeled a lot but seeing a pod of spinner dolphins, turtles and reef sharks was an experience my family will never forgot.

what a great experience. The guides Will and Kristy were FABULOUS! The tour was great, beautiful coral and a variety of fish. Then the pier and the turtle- yes, you swim among them... Plenty of refreshments, snacks and sunscreen- use the sunscreen!!!!! Thanks Merman team.

One of the best tours we’ve ever done! Derek and Shasta provided an incredible experience from start to finish. The snorkeling was amazing, the food and drinks were excellent, and the small-group setting made everything feel personal and relaxed. Seeing dolphins in the wild was an unforgettable bonus. Great service, great vibes, and great memories. Easily one of the highlights of our Maui vacation. Highly recommend!

Absolutely great. Small group, not the "cattle boats". They also were very accommodating to a woman on our trip who needed assistance getting in and out of the boat and water. This is only the second time I have ever done a review, don't like to do them. Says alot about this company.

I have land mobility issues. The entire crew was extremely helpful to my special needs without making me feel like a burden. I can have a little bit of trouble climbing ladders back onto boats because of weakness in my legs. This ladder was the best I have used. It is narrow enough to easily pull with both hands and the railings continue up from the last step, so that I could get traction all the way onto the raft. Five stars for the ladders! Krista and Will gave very complete instructions for first time snorkelers, making sure that they were comfortable with the experience. Krista was in the water with us, pointing out sea creatures in a way that I haven't experienced on other trips. There was fruit passed out before the first stop, banana bread between stops, and a wrap and chips for lunch. Overall, an outstanding experience. I plan to go again before I head home.

The whole crew is super nice and attentive. They are all experienced at sea and made the experience an excellent one!

speed boat provides a fun ride to the snorkeling spots; Shasta was an awesome guide and knew exactly where to take us to see sea turtles, sand sharks and cool fish; our day started by our captain taking us to look for whales and he found a mama and baby humpback; food and snacks were good too!

We booked last minute and glad we did. Very friendly and welcoming on arrival. Shasta was a fantastic guide. Our boat was fairly full but she did a great job spending time with each group. Snorkeling was excellent at both sites.

The crew was so friendly and informative. One even swam down and found my friends ring that fell off

This was an excellent experience. The snorkeling spots were outstanding, you get a water born guide to explain what you're seeing and how it's relevant to Hawaii. The food is excellent as well, which is a nice break from all the restaurants. The boat is well equipped, and there was plenty of choices for drinks along the way. Overall, a wonderful experience and I recommend these people highly.

Could not have been better. Our family includes six adults and 4 grandchildren ages 8, 5, 5, 1. The crew was fantastic, making sure we all had the right equipment, and had a great time. They took the time to learn our names, and did absolutely everything to ensure we had a great time. Shasta, our tour guide, lifeguard, and naturalist was so great to all of us. After the tour was over, our 5 year old granddaughter said it was her best day ever. Could not recommend these guys any higher.

What a great morning. Saw turtles, colourful fish, dolphins and swam in the deep blue sea. Fruit, banana cake, chips and a delicious wrap with unlimited drinks. Derek and staff were the perfect crew , very helpful and caring, nothing was a problem. A wealth of knowledge as well. Couldn't recommend this adventure more highly. My first time to swim in deep blue sea and I loved the experience. Thankyou

Outstanding crew who really cared about the experience everyone on board got. If you want to go with a small group to spots that aren’t super crowded then I highly recommend them!

Great boat and great service. The snorkeling was good even in rough seas. Would definitely go again.

Austin greeted us with such a smile and excitement!! His story is really cool and he’s extremely personable. He sent us on our way to the custom boat (so slay by the way)! Dylan, Will and Kristy were our crew and each and every one of them was so kind and thoughtful. Kristy was extremely knowledgeable and pointed out so many different kinds of fish! One of the highlights for me was that she pointed out two reef sharks who were resting! Everyone took such good care of the tourists. They had great gear and awesome options for floatation including: floatation belts, pool noodles, kickboards and life jackets. The banana bread breakfast was delicious, and the wraps for lunch were scrumptious. Was really surprised at how yummy all of the food was, didn’t disappoint. Loved every part of the tour and would happily recommend this tour to anyone. I felt like we were the best snorkeling boat in comparison to all of the others because it’s a smaller boat, with more attention dedicated to you. Love the mermen!!!!