Itinerary
Enjoy the two best snorkeling locations in one trip. Providing guests with snorkeling, as well as cultural, and environmental information relevant to the island of Hawaii and its history. Your captain will also show you several spectacular, unique volcanic geological phenomena including sea caves and lava tubes.
KEALAKEKUA BAY: Kealakekua Bay is a well-known historical site and underwater marine sanctuary. The large bay is situated to ensure calm waters year round and one of our best Kona snorkeling tours. The waters here are clear, offering great visibility. Kealakekua Bay is home to over 100 different varieties of tropical fish. As we leave the bay, we may even spot some dolphin.
HONAUNAU BAY: Located off Pu’uhonua O Hōnaunau National Historic Park often referred to as the “Place of Refuge” is a famous snorkeling location. Honaunau Bay is a uniquely beautiful. Snorkeling here is quite different than snorkeling Kealakekua Bay and the waters have exceptional visibility most of the year. You get to explore beautiful coral shelves with white sandy patches in between. It is here that you might get to see a Honu (Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle).
Must have swim experience.
Stop At:
• Dolphin Discoveries, 78-7138 Kaleiopapa St Keauhou Bay, Boat Launch Ramp, Kailua-Kona, Island of Hawaii, HI 96740
• Kealakekua Bay, Honaunau-Napoopoo, Captain Cook, Island of Hawaii, HI 96704
• Pu'uhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park, State Hwy 160, Honaunau, Island of Hawaii, HI 96726
• The Captain Cook Monument, Kealakekua Bay, Captain Cook, Island of Hawaii, HI 96704
See Availability.
78-6831 Ali‘i Dr, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740, USA
07:00 AM
5 hours(approx.)
Returns to original departure point
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
Minors must be accompanied by an adult at all times
Not recommended for child under 6
Must be under 285lbs
Must be comfortable swimming in the ocean
Electronic Waiver required to be signed prior to tour
Must be able to climb up a metal ladder to get back in the boat
Our vessels are RHIBS (zodiac style boats & seating is on a pontoon).
We have full discretion to refuse service to guests based on attire, behavior, physical fitness & condition
Restroom facilities not available on boat
Not recommended for travelers with neck problems
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 28 travelers
Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Posted By : Tom_S
My wife and I had an amazing time snorkeling at Captain Cook and Place of Refuge, hearing the history of the various coves and caves and bays we stopped at, and even just riding in the boat with the skillful, helpful, storytelling duo of Dennis—our captain—and Chad—our crewman.
The varieties and numbers of fish, corals, and other sea life we saw in the crystal clear waters was mind-boggling. Dennis and Chad helped us and our fellow snorkelers with everything from gear-troubleshooting and fish identification to thirst and sea-sickness.
I can hardly imagine a better experience for my first time snorkeling—and part of that was never seeing crowds unless we were leaving them behind.
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Posted On : 2024-04-26
Posted By : Johnny_J
My first time snorkeling and I had a blast. We were the first ones in the water at Captain Cook and saw a pod of spinner dolphins. Such a great experience
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Posted On : 2024-04-26
Posted By : Katy_N
We really enjoyed our experience with Jen and her crew. They delayed us an hour due to rain and I’m so glad they did, as it would’ve been miserable doing this activity in the rain! Jen was knowledgable about the area and had tons of tips and stories to share which made the adventure quite fun. My fiancé and I are not avid snorkelers, so in hindsight, we probably should’ve done the tour with one snorkel stop as we were exhausted after stopping twice LOL. Seeing the coral and fish was such an amazing experience and I’d recommend this tour to just about everyone.
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Posted On : 2024-04-15
Posted By : Nicole_L
Okay - there are dozens of places to go for this excursion. However - Dolphin Discoveries - namely Robert and Shelley - were amazing. Incredibly fun, knowledgeable and safe. We were so happy we booked a second excursion with this company. It’s a smaller company which gave a much more fun experience! Thank you so much for a great time!!! Mahalo!
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Posted On : 2024-04-14
Posted By : nicolelove2022
This trip was fantastic. Robert and Shelly were the best. Super fun and knowledgeable.
We saw Spinner dolphins, tons of beautiful fish and coral, and even saw a Manta Ray jump out of the water!
Thank you for such you wonderful time. Kayla, Braycen, Skip and I had the best time!!!
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Posted On : 2024-04-07
Posted By : Vonnie_S
Our tour with Seth and Rahj on the snorkeling tour was amazing!! We saw many different types of fish, including puffers and trumpet fish. Also saw a sea turtle. The boat we rode on was nice and new! The tour was well organized to get our gear at one location and a short drive to the dock. The captains were knowledgeable and fun. Recommend bringing a towel for sure and possibly warm coverup as it was chilly on the way back from being in the water so long. Would recommend!
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Posted On : 2024-04-03
Posted By : Stanislava_T
Lovely sea life, the reef was full of colors and the crew ere helpful in providing directions to ensure we make the best of our time snorkeling. A must do experience for the sea life enthusiasts of all ages.
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Posted On : 2024-04-01
Posted By : Lynn_H
It is to be noted that dolphin discovery sign in for the tour is in a different place (and a different time from when i booked the trip) Captain cook was amazing place to snorkel in, lots of fish and even saw a reef shack!!. The Capt of the boat on our ride back from Place of Refuge gave an indepth description of the history of the coast and we even saw dolphins come up to the boot which was amazing.
I was a little concern that on both snorkels know one from the boat came into the water not only from a safety point of view, but also to let us know what fish we were swimming in the sea it would have made the experience better
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Posted On : 2024-03-27
Posted By : O4316VZmarian
This excursion was fantastic. Our captain was Shelly. He was extremely knowledgeable about many different topics to do with the island, the history, the fish, you name it.
Shelly was very personable. We went with a small group which was nice and we were one of the first boats there. We were take to two different locations. Saw loads of fish and reefs, even some dolphins.
Shelly and Dennis (Captain in training) brought some fresh fruit, chips, and plenty of water and juice for us.
I would totally recommend this tour. Pretty good for anyone that can swim I’d say.
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Posted On : 2024-03-25
Posted By : Gail_B
What an outstanding adventure. I loved being out early and getting to go to two locations. On the way back we stopped and learned about some Hawaiian history. And we saw dolphins up close. Absolutely amazing!
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Posted On : 2024-03-24
