| Dolphin & Whale Watch plus Snorkel Trip |
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| Dolphin & Whale Watch + Snorkel |
(5 Reviews)
Read Customer Reviews
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Dolphin & Whale Watch plus Snorkel Trip |
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¹ Ages 6-12. Children 5 and under may not participate.
² This tour is for both adults and children at same price.
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A fun ocean cruise and marine life encounter! Explore the Kona Coast, sea caves and lava tubes en route to Captain Cook's Monument at Kealakekua Bay. Don on your mask and snorkel and swim with the turtles and tropical fish that inhabit the bay. |
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Dolphin & Whale Watch plus Snorkel Trip
You'll have the chance to snorkel in crystal clear water among rainbows of colorful tropical fish, eels, and turtles that live in and around magnificent coral reefs. If you go on this trip during mid-December to mid-April, you'll also get to see the majestic Pacific humpback whales that migrate to Hawaii every year all the way from Alaska. You will learn about dolphins, whales and other ocean wildlife from the on-board naturalist, and also observe these intriguing creatures in their natural habitat.
You can choose between two cruises. The Morning Dolphin & Whale Watch plus Snorkel Trip is a 4+ hour cruise and includes 2 great snorkeling locations. First, you'll cruise along the historic Kona Coast and view spectacular sea caves and lava tubes en route to Captain Cook's Monument at Kealakekua Bay. The bay is a marine sanctuary and also a prime snorkeling spot that is one of the most beautiful in all of Hawaii. Then snorkel eye to eye with the "Honu” – the green sea turtles at the beautiful coral gardens in Honaunau Bay, the Place of Refuge. |
The adventure continues as you head out to find the year round resident dolphins and whales, including spinner, spotted and bottlenose dolphins, pilot whales, melon headed, false killer, and beaked whales and seasonally the magnificent Humpback whales (Dec-March). Fresh tropical fruit, snacks & cold drinks are included.
The Afternoon Dolphin & Whale Watch plus Snorkel Trip is a 3 hour adventure cruise, including the same itinerary as the morning trip except it is an hour shorter and you will visit only one snorkel site – Cook's Monument and marine sanctuary at Kealakekua Bay.
Adventure Crafts
These 28' rigid hull inflatable crafts are comfortable and take a maximum of 14 passengers to ensure a quality, personalized experience. |
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| Map, Location and Schedule |
Map |
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Keauhou Bay, Big Island, Hawaii |
Here's what the reviews said:
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| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday |
| Start Time | 8:00am | | End Time | 12:00pm |
| Start Time | 12:15pm | | End Time | 3:30pm |
| | Start Time | 8:00am | | End Time | 12:00pm |
| Start Time | 12:15pm | | End Time | 3:30pm |
| | Start Time | 8:00am | | End Time | 12:00pm |
| Start Time | 12:15pm | | End Time | 3:30pm |
| | Start Time | 8:00am | | End Time | 12:00pm |
| Start Time | 12:15pm | | End Time | 3:30pm |
| | Start Time | 8:00am | | End Time | 12:00pm |
| Start Time | 12:15pm | | End Time | 3:30pm |
| | Start Time | 8:00am | | End Time | 12:00pm |
| Start Time | 12:15pm | | End Time | 3:30pm |
| | Start Time | 8:00am | | End Time | 12:00pm |
| Start Time | 12:15pm | | End Time | 3:30pm |
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Please check-in at least 15 minutes prior to departure time. |
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No timeshare presentations... and guaranteed lowest price! |
| Details |
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Activity Highlights:- A fun ocean cruise with stops for snorkeling
- AM Tour - 4+ hours
- PM Tour - 3 hours
- Explore the Kona coast and view sea caves and lava tubes
- View dolphins, whales, turtles and tropical fish in their natural habitat
- Snorkel gear, swim aids and instruction provided
- Fresh tropical fruit, snacks and cold drinks included
- Plenty of above and underwater photo opportunities
When?- 7 days a week
- Morning Trip: 8:00AM am – 12:00 pm
- Afternoon Trip: 12:15 pm – 3:30 pm
Where? - Keauhou Bay boat launch ramp
Tip: - Bring a towel, camera, sunscreen (no oils please) and a smile!
- Whale Watching in season (mid-December to mid-April only)
- Please no pregnant women, children under age 6, or those who have back problems or have had recent surgery. Participants should be physically fit.
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| Driving
Directions |
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From Kailua-Kona, head south on Kuakini Hwy (Hwy 11). Go 5 miles and turn right on Kamehameha III Hwy. At the second signal turn left and go for about 1 mile to Keauhou Bay. Follow the signs to the Dolphin Discoveries boat ramp.
Although parking is available at the end of Kamehameha III Road, it is recommended that you park at the Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort (hotel). From the Sheraton, it is a 6 minute walk to the kayak launching point.
Directions to the Sheraton:
From Kona International Airport, turn right on to Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway. Remain on "Queen K" for approximately 10 miles. As you head up a slight incline, get in the right lane, watch for the sign (and traffic light) for Kamehameha III Road where you'll turn right. Follow "Kam III Road" to the bottom, to Ali`i Drive, where you'll turn left at the light. Follow Ali`i Drive past Kona Country Club golf course & club house. Watch for a small green roadway sign on the right hand side indicating an upcoming right turn for Keauhou Bay where you'll turn on to Kaleiopapa Street. The entrance to the Sheraton Keauhou is just at the bottom of Kaleiopapa Street on your left at Ehukai Street.
Leaving the hotel, walk down the street toward the bay. At fork in the road, stay to the right side. At dead end of street, there is a parking lot with boat launch ramp. |
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| Reviews |
Write your own review
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up close with a pod of pilot whales
Reviewer: sasima
(California, USA)
June 25, 2008
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As soon as we left the harbor, we encountered a small group of manta rays. A few of them swam towards the boat to check us out. A good beginning.
It was fun to be on a raft rather than a boat. And they let you ride straddling the side of the boat, which was really fun at full speed.
Both snorkeling spots were great. The water clarity was excellent at both location. Kealakeakua Bay can get super busy, especially when there's a cruise ship. This operator is always the FIRST one to reach the bay in the morning, so you get to have it all to yourself before the rush.
After snorkeling, we headed straight out into the open ocean to see if we could find any animals. In what seemed like only 5 minutes, we came across a large pod of pilot whales. Cute things that look like half whale, half dolphin. We got very close to them, as they didn't swim away. And they stood straight up so they can bob their heads out of the water to check us out.
The crew & land staff were great. |
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big island
Reviewer: dash
(california, USA)
April 2, 2008
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awesome trip...great guides...will book more activities with you. |
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DOLPHIN & WHALE WATCH PLUS SNORKEL TRIP
Reviewer: mauiwowie
(Orlando Florida, USA)
February 9, 2008
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The boat ride was great. There was a small group (only 6 total on this excursion) four of us were traveling together so it felt like a private charter. However, only one whale (from far away) was seen. Basically, a snorkeling tour - but this was actually great for snorkeling. I would recommend this for someone seeking a good snorkeling experience, we did go to a couple of areas. Boat was dry and comfortable. Guide was friendly and shared history of the area. Also able to see stingrays! |
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All it advertised and more
Reviewer: Nickers
(Waikoloa, HI, USA)
February 7, 2008
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What a great trip. The snorkeling was amazing. Saw sea turtles everywhere. We saw several pods of dolphins and it didn't take long to spot the whales. All in all it was a blast and I will bring all my visitors to the big island on this trip.
Thanks for the memories. |
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Lots of whales and dolphins!
Reviewer: Jan Obelenski
(Montgomery, AL, USA)
October 25, 2005
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The boat starts out slowly with a guide telling a bit of the habits and behaviors of the whales. As the boat cruises out of the harbor, many people will be looking to get a spot on in the front. It is a good area for viewing. When we were close to a whale I liked being on the side of the boat… it was more "intimate".
And seeing whales we did!! "Thar she blows!!" That was the call of long ago at the sighting and hunting of whales. Yes, they do "blow". You see them blowing water out of the tops of their body, known as blow holes, when they come up for air. This is how we sited them in the distance. Remember these are mammals and not fish, they breath like we do. It is really cool seeing them do this. The boats then go in for a closer look. We got to see about ten different whales on our trip. One breached, came out of the water, right in front of us. It looked like he was watching us through it's tiny eyes. It was very ,very cool. The kids and my wife were very excited as I was.
The commentary on the boat was very interesting and informative the whole trip. We have had very informative guys each of the three times we have gone out on this boat. We were told of the coast line, the kinds of fish in the area, what the whales did in the area, and some of their breeding and eating habits.
The guys also defined how they can recognize different whales by markings on their tales and bodies. It was also exciting looking for the whales and listening to others as they spotted them. People would all be so excited as they jockeyed for position to see the latest finds.
We were also fortunate to find a pod of dolphins feeding on a school of fish. Well at least I believe they called the group of dolphins a pod. Anyways, there were about fifty of them diving in and out of the water! That was very exciting. We happened upon more again later.
These were great trips for us. How many times do you have your children wanting to share the same experience with you year after year. I hope you are as lucky and as fortunate as we were! |
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