We heard about this tour from a lot of people on the Island and we were glad to have booked it in advance 3 months ago. We opted for the snuba dive at the tour itself and it was the best decision of the day. Our Snuba guide, Mike, was very knowledgeable and gave us a detailed 15-minute training on what to expect and how to go about the snuba dive safely. He made sure everyone was on the same page during the dive and showed us some amazing corals, sea urchins, octopus, and a lot of colorful fish. He was also checking our pressure gauge at regular intervals during the half hour snuba dive. After that wonderful experience, we still had around 15 to 25 minutes to snorkel around the bay. We had a great time overall and enjoyed the scenic views all around us. We also managed to catch a glimpse of a hammer head shark on our way to the bay. During the return trip to the shore, we were delighted by the presence of dolphins around the boat whilst enjoying delicious fruits and chips as a snack. We also saw a baby Manta Ray in the bay from the boat !!!!
We actually swam with swarms of dolphins - we were so close to some we could have even touched them -- but one does not!!! It was a wonderful and unforgetable day for our family of 20!
Janet B.
We had a fantastic experience on the afternoon snorkel cruise. As we left the boat at the end of our cruise, my 7-year-old grandson said This was so great. Let's do this again the next time we come to Hawaii! The boat crew was friendly, helpful, and professional. We were fortunate to see a humpback whale breaching as we made our to the Captain Cook Monument site. At the site, we had about 90 minutes of snorkel and fun time--it went by quickly! My grandson loved the slides and high dive. My husband and I enjoyed some amazing snorkeling. We snorkeled at a few other sites on the Big Island during our vacation, but this was definitely the most spectacular. As we began our snorkel, the boat captain drew our attention to a few spinner dolphins nearby. He asked that we not chase them, or try to get closer to them, as they come to the area to rest. It was a thrill to see them close by, both at the surface and underneath the water, but I was glad when the captain asked some of the snorkelers who had started to follow the dolphins to stop. I really appreciate this commitment to minimal impact on wildlife.