Makena Turtle Town Eco Adventure in Maui

Overview

Observe Hawaiian green sea turtles in their natural environment on this family-friendly 3-hour eco tour. From Makena, you'll travel to Turtle Town via kayak, paddling on South Maui’s calm, clear waters, before you plunge into a protected reef and snorkel alongside sea turtles, dolphins, rays, octopuses, and eels. Small-group tour limited to ten people.

City: Maui

Thu 26 Sep

Other dates

You can choose the date already on the booking website

Starting at $98.00

Make a reservation

Thu 26 Sep

Starting at $98.00

Make a reservation

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What's Included

Use of kayak and snorkel equipment

Bottled water and snacks

Professional guides with lifeguard, CPR and first aid training

Additional Info

Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Specialized infant seats are available
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Not recommended for children under 5 years old
Subject to favorable weather conditions. If canceled because of poor weather, you will be given the option of an alternative tour date or full refund
***** Please check-in 15 minutes early at 6:45am for 7am start time. *****

Cancellation Policy

If you cancel at least 3 day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.
If you cancel within 2 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 0% refund.

Traveler Photos

Reviews (649)

Charissa_C

Jan 2021

Highly recommended! My group was lead by John S. who took us to two spots to snorkel and really took his time explaining things and answering questions. He was very informative and supportive throughout the tour and we were able to see so many sea turtles! The spots he took us to were great for snorkeling and we had beautiful views of the coral reefs/wildlife (including an octopus). I went on another snorkeling excursion on a boat the next day and saw 0 turtles in a spot that wasn’t great for snorkeling. I loved kayaking and snorkeling in a small group and would recommend this excursion to anyone who is feeling more adventurous.

ANISHA_N

Dec 2020

John was a great instructor and tour guide. We got to see a whale, a few dolphins and turtles during our trip

kevin_h

Dec 2020

John S was our guide, and he was fantastic. He was concise yet thorough in his pre-trip briefing (here’s how to get in the boat, here’s how we’ll get you off the shore and out into the water, here’s how to get back on the boat after you’ve snorkeled, etc). He kept our group (our pod :-) safe, and provided lots of info and insight about our location. He’s lived on Maui for over 10 years, so has experience to back up the info / knowledge of the area. My wife and I have paddled sea kayaks in Alaska and Hawaii, and i’ve been a white-water kayaker for many years, so we have some experience from which to base our opinion that our guide for this trip, John S, was exceptional. Our trip was the first one after several days of cancelled trips due to weather (wind and large waves make the ocean near shore murky and not good for snorkeling), and John was very open and transparent that the snorkeling conditions perhaps would not be good. The only way to find out for sure would be to go and see. When we got to our first snorkeling spot, our fears were confirmed, the water was not clear due to weather. At that point, I was disappointed, but thought, “hey, let’s see how this goes. We’re paddling kayaks on Maui. Life is still good!” Since snorkeling was not good, we switched gears and focused on looking for sea creatures. We found Hawaiian green turtles and watched them. John suggested that we paddle a little further out from shore to see what we might find. While doing so, John heard other tour boats (big boats) on the local radio frequency talking about seeing spinner dolphins (he carries a radio to stay in touch). John accurately assessed the situation, and he directed us to paddle in a specific direction to intercept the dolphin pod. The result: for 20-30 minutes we paddled with a dolphin pod! They would surface and swim alongside us, sometimes they’d jump out of the water and spin, 10-15 feet away! It was awesome! The dolphins would check out the different kayaks in our group, and it really seemed like they swam close to each and every kayak! We also saw a few whales, which was cool, but 1) it was early to be seeing LOTS of whales, and 2) they were further offshore than we wanted to paddle. But, we saw them breaching and blowing and smacking the water with their tails, from maybe 1/4 to 1/2 mile away. A good guide has a plan and follows it. A great guide has a plan, but is adept at adapting it to what’s happening here and now. John S. was great. When conditions weren’t great for snorkeling we changed gears, and when opportunities to see really cool stuff arose, John knew how to make that happen. Plus, he was very knowledgeable about local eateries and beaches, where to go for what food and what kind of beach you wanted to experience etc. My wife and I would definitely book a trip with John S again! Thanks for making our sea kayaking trip exceptionally cool!