View dolphins in their natural environment with guides who respect these intelligent creatures’ boundaries. After feeding in deeper waters at night, spinner dolphins come close to the Kona shore where they often interact with boats, playing in their wake. The utmost respect and care are given to our aquatic friends to assure that we do not disrupt their rest, nursing and breeding behaviors. Depending on where and when we locate the dolphins there may also be time for a quick snorkel at one of the many beautiful reef areas along the Kona coast line, quite possibly Kealakekua Bay.

Combination dolphin and snorkeling adventure
See wild dolphins in their natural environment
Naturalist guides who respects the ecosystem
Lunch, snacks, and beverages included

What's Included

Naturalist guides
Snacks, fruit, juice and bottled water
Mask, Fins, Snorkel, Flotation Aids included

Gratuities for your crew always appreciated
Please bring towel, cover-up & easy to remove shoes
Use reef safe sunscreen only (zinc based recommended-no oxybenzone or octinoxate, lotion, NO spray)

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

787100 Kaleiopapa St
787100 Kaleiopapa St, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740, USA
We launch from the boat ramp dock at KEAUHOU BAY, Kailua-Kona. Parking is on the street. Walk past boat trailer parking to boat ramp. Look to your right for our crew checking in guests at picnic table next to restrooms. Always allow 20-30 minutes’ drive time from airport or downtown Kailua- Kona.

Start time

07:30 AM

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Minors must be accompanied by an adult
Minimum age requirement is 6yrs old
Must be comfortable swimming in the ocean
Near public transportation
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions

Most travelers can participate
Electronic Waiver required to be signed prior to tour
We do not offer refunds in the event we do not see dolphin as they are wild animals.
Must be under 285lbs
Must be able to climb up a metal ladder to get back in the boat
Our vessels are RHIBS (zodiac style boats; seating is on a pontoon).
We have full discretion to refuse service to guests based on attire, behavior, physical fitness & condition
Not recommended for travelers with neck problems
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 14 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Marci_B

Loved our tour guide! Fun, fast boat ride. Guide was very knowledgeable. Snorkeling was great. Snacks were great. A fun day!

Reviews

5.0

306 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

Showing 1-10 of 306 reviews

Tour canceled

Clementine_M, Jul 2023

I booked the tour for my last day on the island, and it got canceled the evening before, so no possibility to rescheduled. Very very disappointed about it.

Response from Host, Jul 2023

Yes, we have required minimum number of guests to run a charter as stated on your ticket. We offered you a different tour for the same day, same time, same length of time. You chose not to attend the offered tour. Therefore, a full refund was issued. We made every effort to accommodate you. We don't feel a 1 star review is warranted. Safe travels.

Sweet trip

Anonymous, Apr 2023

Excellent crew very knowledgeable about the island also kind and courteous not pushy about moving on to the next spot. Thank you guys for a great time.

Great experience

Peggy_I, Jan 2023

This tour was amazing. We saw dolphins and had plenty of time to enjoy snorkeling. Just a great experience from start to finish! Would definitely recommend!

Dolphin Tour was a blast!

Caron_S, Oct 2022

We had a great morning! The best things about this tour were: 1) the boat was small and not crowded with people 2) Captain Shelley was fun and a wealth of information 3) we found lots of spinner dolphins 4) the snorkel was great and well managed All in all, I didn’t want it to end! I will be back next year!

Amazing experience!!

Troy_L, Aug 2022

This was a great time for all of us! Our group had a wide range of swimming experience and the guides were very helpful. We all felt safe and enjoyed the amazing snorkeling! This turned out to be one of our favorite days!

Snorkeling was great,...

Jason_I, Aug 2022

Snorkeling was great, very beautiful, and watching the dolphins up close was also very cool. I would recommend it to anyone

A great combination of snorkeling and sea-life viewing!

Julia_V, Aug 2022

This was a wonderful experience for our family, including my 7 year old twins. We chose this outing because of the sea-life component as our kids love all animals. Not only did we see pods of spinner dolphins, but we also saw a pod of pilot whales, which I understand is a rare experience. It was mesmerizing! The snorkeling at the Captain Cook monument was great too. It was my kids' first experience with snorkeling and they loved it. A great experience to cap off our Hawaiian vacation!

My husband was able to...

Denis_L, Jul 2022

My husband was able to live his dream and snorkel for the first time. He was able to see a sea turtle

Great trip, great...

Amy_W, Jul 2022

Great trip, great captain. So much fun! My boys had a great time-We would book again in a heartbeat. Only thing that would make it better was to actually swim with the dolphins!

Wonderful Adventure!!

Amy_R, Jul 2022

Incredible trip! Captain Shelley was amazing!! We were able to see dolphins and tiger sharks! Snorkeling was wonderful!

Fun adventure!

Marci_B, Jul 2022

Loved our tour guide! Fun, fast boat ride. Guide was very knowledgeable. Snorkeling was great. Snacks were great. A fun day!

Amazing Excursion!

Ursurla_B, Jun 2022

Bianca and Kai (hopefully I spelled that right) were awesome captains. They were very sociable. Kai was a wealth of knowledge about the island and the animal life. I was scared in the beginning but they set me at ease. My son loved the snorkeling. Kia gave wonderful tips and hints to encourage my son. Definitely worth the money.

Fun and informative

David_H, Jun 2022

This was so much fun. Everything is just as described. Tour guide is passionate and knowledgeable. They even waited on everyone to arrive an took care make sure everything was comfortable.

Amazing Adventure

GaNesha_H, Jun 2022

Our captain was great. Snorkeling with the family was so fun. The trip was easy to book. They called us because we were late and waited for us. Amazing experience overall.

Great Value and must do while in Hawaii

Joe_B, May 2022

Shelly and Jen were great hosts and gave a very informative tour. We got to see a lot a dolphins and sealife at Capt Cook monument.

wonderful history and natural beauty

Ronald_C, May 2022

Captain Kai was very knowledgeable about Hawaiian history.He took us into caves and told us the history about each cave. he was also very friendly and a very good navigator!

A must do!

Paige_K, Apr 2022

A must do!! Captain Manu was excellent! We so many dolphins and the snorkeling was incredible. He was very knowledgeable about the marine life in Hawaii and took time to teach us about Hawaiian history and culture. A trip we’d definitely do again!

Once in a life time experience

Maddie_S, Mar 2022

It was such a great experience. We saw humpback whales, lots of spinner dolphins, and we even got to see bottle nose dolphins. Our guide Allen was amazing!

Great time!

Richard_R, Mar 2022

We saw two different types of dolphins along with a bonus pair of humpback whales. Our guide Alan was very informative and even had a device on the boat that allowed us to listen to whale song from under the water. Fantastic experience. The snorkeling was also very nice. We stopped at multiple places. We all had a great time. Rich

This was a great tour. ...

Talbert_K, Feb 2022

This was a great tour. The boat was very well organized and took time at each spot so no one felt rushed. Hopefully, everyone gets to take this tour.