The experience itself was amazing, totally worth the long drive, the tricky parking, the late night. It was so so incredible! The company was absolutely fine, but didn’t seem to distinguish from any of the other 8 companies that had people out there at that time. The guide was good, driver was good, but obviously the stars were the manta rays. So I would say that whatever company you go with, your experience will probably be awesome; but every group around us seemed pretty much the same. The only thing I would say is that the directions were “look for the white van with lights on the top” when you get to the pier. As a woman, walking around a dark pier in the middle of the night and approaching strangers at a white van to see if they are supposed to take you out in a boat goes against pretty much all of my instincts. Put a BIG SIGN up on or near your van. There were a bunch of tour groups at the same time, many of whom had white trucks with lights on the top so for nervous solo travelers I would say this would be a big help. Other than that, it was great!
Réponse de l'hôte
Aug 2021
Aloha and thank you for the feedback.
Regarding signage, we are not allowed to place signage on state property. We agree it would be a better customer experience if we had a big sign near our van, and we are working on more creative ways to make sure we can easily be found without violating any state laws.
Regarding the comment that we "didn't seem to distinguish from any of the other 8 companies" at Keauhou Harbor, there are several important differences for guests to consider when evaluating their options.
1) Our boat holds a maximum of 12 passengers, which is a small-group experience that's far more private than the "cattle boats" with dozens, or even 100 passengers. With a smaller group, the group can get into and out of the water more quickly, allowing for more time in the water. Also, large groups are less mobile in the water, and can not easily move to the best manta ray viewing sites. The larger boats typically put their large groups of people in the water near the boat and don't move, regardless of where the manta rays are. Our swim guide will bring our passengers to the best manta ray viewing areas.
2) Some of the boats at Keauhou are running tours that are 30-45 minutes total, including 20-30 minutes in the water. Our tours are 1 hour long, and guests are in the water for 30-45 minutes, which is a longer period of time in the water than most boats in Keauhou.
3) We rent GoPro Hero 9 Black cameras, and we sell waterproof cellphone pouches, allowing our guests to capture memories for a lifetime. Most of our competitors do not provide these additional services.
If anyone has other questions about Hawaii Oceanic vs. the competition, please give us a call and we'd be happy to discuss.
Mahalo