Expedition South Kona

Overview

See parts of the Island most residents of Hawaii never see! Explore further down the pristine South Kona Coast than any other snorkeling tour company and snorkel at 3 incredible locations including Kealakekua Bay, the culturally significant Pu’uhonua O Honaunau, and a third remote location inaccessible any other way. Perhaps you’ll snorkel at a black sand beach and have it all to yourselves. Maybe a stone arch or a spectacular lava rock formation created thousands of years ago.

Explore sea caves and lava tubes in our safe, exciting, and maneuverable custom vessels designed to get you up close and personal with the coast. Scout for marine life such as pilot whales as long as your boat, Hawaiian spinner dolphins, green sea turtles, and more.

Lunch is provided, as are snacks, water & juice throughout the day. All the snorkeling gear and flotation devices you need as well. You simply show up in your swimsuit with your reef-safe sunscreen and towel in hand and away we go!

City: Big Island of Hawaii

Thu 01 Jan

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $200.27

Make a reservation

Thu 01 Jan

Starting at $200.27

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Water & Juice

Bottled water

Snacks

Flotation Devices

Snorkeling Gear

Sandwich box provided to each guest. Please call with your sandwich choices: turkey, tuna, ham, roast beef, or veggie sandwiches available.

Additional Info

Public transportation options are available nearby
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Swimming & Snorkeling Experience recommended
Must be able to climb a short pool ladder
Women that are pregnant and individuals with back injuries are restricted

What To Expect

Sea Quest Hawaii

Explore three snorkel destinations, Kealakekua Bay, Puʻuhonua O Honaunau, and a private black sand beach. Our captain and crew will share the history and culture as they adventure through sea caves and lava tubes.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (199)

cutigers0323

Dec 2024

A fantastic trip! Nat & B were our guides and they were absolutely wonderful! Lunch and snacks/drinks were provided and lots of great information about Hawaii and the history!

Response from Host

Dec 2024

Aloha! Thank you for choosing Sea Quest Hawaii's Expedition South Kona Snorkel Adventure! We are thrilled to hear you had a great experience and a fantastic trip! Mahalo for your appreciation of our Captain and Crew sharing their Hawaiian history with you and their Aloha. We hope to see you again in the future! Mahalo nui loa!

SEIA2DC

Nov 2024

We snorkeled with Captain Kieren in late November. Our group was myself, my husband and our two 11 yo sons. We are all beginners when it comes to snorkeling, and I’m certain we have now set an unmatchable bar for all future snorkel experiences. I chose this excursion specifically because it left a little later in the morning than other tours. The 8:30 am departure time was perfect for us, since we were on a sleeping schedule of roughly 10 pm - 7 am, so plenty of time to grab breakfast at a coffee shop nearby and make our way to the harbor. It was very easy to park and walk to the check-in area. There are restrooms (state park-like style) near the check-in location. We rented wet suits for the group and I highly recommend this. They help you float more easily and in late November the water was a little chilly if you’re more sensitive to the cold. With the wet suits we had no issues jumping right in and adjusting. None of us had ever worn wet suits before but the staff were very helpful in working with us to get the sizes right. They also have prescription goggles available on site as well - my husband ordered a pair for $75 before we traveled to Hawaii and thought they were well worth it since we plan to snorkel on future vacations, but if you don’t want to go that route they have several sets available in a range of prescriptions. Once we boarded there was a short safety review as we got underway. Before we even left the harbor we saw a couple of pods of dolphins who feed offshore and then hit “rest mode” in the mornings in the harbor. Within five minutes we were out on the ocean heading to the first snorkel spot. I have to say this was so much more than just snorkeling. Captain Kieren shared a lot of information about the history of Hawaii and the Kona coast as we traveled between stops. We learned more from him during the tour than the podcasts and other research we had done before the trip. He was very knowledgeable about the ocean, various sea life we were seeing (he also runs whale watching excursions), the traditions and history of Hawaii, the coastline itself, and took the time to get to know our itinerary for our whole visit and recommended some great hikes and local poke spots to try. The three snorkeling spots were quite different from each other. The first was a reef which depths to 200 feet, and felt like we were on top of some underground coral mountains. The second location was farthest south, deserted and much deeper. We saw a sea turtle there. We finished in the famous bay where Captain Cook met his end, which is a protected marine sanctuary. It was crowded but still plenty of room for us to explore. This was our kids’ favorite spot because of the variety of fish and the two giant eels we saw. On the way back we were fortunate to see a humpback whale, which Captain Kieren spotted pretty far off since he is so experienced with whale watching. He detoured us close to the whale so we could watch it for a few minutes, even though it meant getting back a little later than the scheduled end time. He also took the time to show us some sea caves, the sleeping Pele rock formation and the formation that inspired Moana. Finally, after every snorkel stop (35-45 minutes in each place) we had amazing fresh fruit and juice waiting back on the boat, in addition to the provided lunch. I can’t give this tour a high enough rating. Don’t overthink it, just book this one!

Response from Host

Nov 2024

Aloha! Thank you for choosing Sea Quest Hawaii's Expedition South Kona Snorkel Tour and for sharing your wonderful experience with us! We are honored to be a part of your Ohana's vacation and to be able to make lasting memories with everyone! We cannot thank you enough for the glowing review! We hope to see you again in the future. Mahalo nui loa!

DeborahA_T

Oct 2024

MJ and Kevin were so kind and patient with my husband during the snorkel trip. He was able to get in and see a fish. Although he spent the majority of time on the boat, he enjoyed the trip. The spots we stopped had so many fish! Kevin’s commentary was excellent. Thank you for a memory that will not be forgotten.

Response from Host

Nov 2024

Aloha Deborah! Thank you for choosing Sea Quest Hawaii's Expedition South Kona Snorkeling Experience! We are so happy to hear that you and your husband both enjoyed your snorkel trip! Our Captains and Crew love what they do and it is very rewarding to have their hard work and they Aloha that they shared, recognized. We appreciate being a part of your Hawaiian memories. Mahalo nui loa!