We booked the Ocean Encounters (or was it the Bite Me Company ... hard to tell .. they seem to use both names and boats) mid-day snorkel tour in March using a combination of a Groupon, an additional discount and a Groupon credit that reduced the cost to less than $10 for the two of us. I wish I could say it was worth that much. We have dived & snorkeled in the Caribbean, Fiji, Cook Islands, Australia, Bali, Central America, Canada, and I have to say that I have never encountered such a poor selection of dive sites, a staff so uninterested in their customers or such unethical behaviour. Where to start?
First, the dive sites – one just south of the harbour entrance and one in an area just south of the airport – were barren with virtually no live coral, few fish and very poor species diversity (although clarity wasn't bad, it wasn't much of a benefit with little to see).
Second, the crew's interaction with their customers almost non-existent, consisting of a very brief introduction to explain procedures then ... nothing. When the boat was running, they disappeared – either forward near the head staring at their electronic devices or talking to each other, or up on the flying bridge with the pilot. When we were snorkeling, they were off on their own, totally ignoring their customers as they looked for their prey. When we were re-embarking, they were out of sight, offering no help to the people climbing up the ladder with their gear (and many were inexperienced and needed the help), something I have never seen before with any other operator.
Third, and in my mind, most importantly, was the unethical practice that we observed. One of the staff caught an octopus, which she showed to a few customers as she brought it back to the boat. We watched her as she swam surreptitiously to the bow, hoping to get a photo when she released the animal. We were quite shocked when she killed the animal and passed it in a plastic bag up to the pilot standing in the bow. Now, I don't know what the Hawaiian recreational fishing regulations might be, but that isn't the point. This was advertised as an ocean encounter, not a hunting trip. I had to wonder if the sites were chosen, not for what the customers might see, but for what the crew might take home for dinner.
In summary, bad snorkeling, bad crew, and an apalling level of unethical behaviour. Avoid this one regardless of the price.