Itinerary
The adventure begins the moment you set foot on our vessel! Our tours are set up safari style which means from the start of the tour we are going to be scanning the gorgeous and dramatic coastline of Kona for any type of wildlife to observe and interact with. With the rapid and deep drop off of the sea floor along the coast, we have the potential to see shallow water animals as well as pelagic (deep, open ocean) marine life. While nature is unpredictable and we cannot guarantee any specific interactions or observations, we have the potential to see sea turtles, various fish species, dolphin and whale species, sharks, and manta rays. We’ll have four hours on the water to provide you with the best experience imaginable. Please note we go into deep water for open ocean wildlife on nearly every tour & the search for pelagic life can take some time. Please note you should be able to swim, have a degree of athleticism, & climb up a ladder to participate in the water. This may not be the tour for beginners or some children. *Please review our cancelation policy & if you are joining from a cruise ship you need to confirm with them 24 hours prior they will let you off of the ship.
See Availability.
74 Kealakehe Pkwy, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740, USA
08:00 AM
4 hours(approx.)
Returns to original departure point
Not wheelchair accessible
Service animals allowed
Near public transportation
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
We have a 4ft height limit for children
We have an in-water weight limit of 300 lbs- must be able to climb ladder
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
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 6 travelers
Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Posted By : W577ETkarenh
Had an amazing time. I went as a rider only - my husband snorkeled- still saw the whales and sharks from the boat. Even if you’re not comfortable in the water I highly recommend going as a rider - they were great - so much fun
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Posted On : 2024-05-12
Posted By : A6724VTjenniferf
In the words of our hard-to-please teenager: "write them the BEST review!" Take her word for it, and book this ocean safari!
Four hours on a small, intimate boat (our family of 5 essentially got a private charter), was so much more memorable for us than being among 20 - 30 people on commercial boat. It affected the presence we had in the water, so that we didn't disturb some amazing animals, which would have likely taken off if we were a larger group. Devon and Kay were extremely knowledgable guides, who could spot a shark in the water from >100 ft away (all five of us were scanning the gorgeous blue waves but it was always Kay or Devon who spotted the tiger shark, hammerhead, and pilot whales!). They had snacks, drinks, and explained exactly which species we were and were not allowed to get in the water with under state law, and why. As a result, we were extremely fortunate to swim with turtles, pilot whales, and even oceanic white tip sharks! An INCREDIBLE trip!
(And get the Go Pro package! Devon's footage was a wonderful keepsake)
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Posted On : 2024-05-11
Posted By : Lindsay B
We had an incredible experience with Kaimana! We snorkeled off a reef where we saw an eagle ray, green sea turtle, white tipped reef shark, and even a massive tuna! They then worked hard to find us some pelagic creatures - swimming in the brilliant blue open ocean was so cool! We were lucky enough to swim with a pod of short finned pilot whales and then some bottle nose dolphins for a short time. There were also some nocturnal spinner dolphins, but it’s illegal to swim with them. But it was still very cool to see them from the surface!
The ladies at Kaimana (all female team 💪🏻) were so knowledgeable and amazing! They work hard to give back and protect the ocean and its inhabitants 💙 and they even provided us with yummy snacks and drinks 🤤
@mermaid.kayleigh
@camgrantphotography
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Posted On : 2024-05-10
Posted By : KBowieMom
If you do one thing on the Big Island, I would do this! We went in March with my my kids ages 15, 13, and 8. We didn't actually have any major expectations other than hoping to see some sea life and maybe get in some snorkeling that would be a more private experience that the giant snorkeling cruise boats. This FAR exceeded all our expectations and my kids keep talking about "when we go back to Hawaii we have to do this again!!!" First of all, the Kaimana staff are professional, knowledgeable, experienced and will keep you safe! They will make sure you have a great time! (Just a bonus that they offered us great hospitality and fantastic pineapple and snacks!) We had the amazing opportunity to see a baby whale breaching over and over and playing, we swam with a pod of pilot whales, and with oceanic white tip sharks. My son even had a blue marlin jet by him! We did get in the water near a hammerhead but it was shy and swam away. Also while in the water we heard the whales singing underwater and it was absolutely amazing!!!!! None of us will ever forget this experience and will certainly book again when we come back one of these days! Keep in mind what you "see" will be dependent on ocean conditions and time of year, etc. I would never hesitate to recommend Kaimana to anyone!
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Posted On : 2024-05-10
Posted By : Kendra_B
This review is about 3 months overdue! If there is one thing to do on the Big Island, this is it! My husband and my 3 kids ages 15, 13, and 8 booked this excursion hoping to see whatever sea creatures we could and we had the BEST experience. The crew are amazing naturalists and are interested in educating you about the ocean animals and keeping you safe with them. We were a bit adventurous and had the opportunity to swim with a pod with pilot whales, some oceanic white tip sharks, and for a moment with a hammerhead that swam away quickly. We heard the sounds of a whale underwater which was amazing (couldn't see it but just hearing it was so cool). We saw a baby whale breaching over and over and while in the water a blue marlin swam right by my son. My whole family agreed we needed like another day to spend with this wonderful crew! Thank you for making us feel safe to try such an amazing thing as swimming with sharks! Your hospitality was outstanding. We couldn't stop talking about it! (FYI pictures were too large to upload here).
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Posted On : 2024-05-10
Posted By : Eddie_H
What an amazing crew and experience. Very friendly and professional from start to finish. While snorkeling, we got to see rays, turtles, a large Tuna, shark, and multiple whales including a mother and her calf - all due to the knowledge and experience of the guides. Outstanding excursion at Kona!
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Posted On : 2024-05-07
Posted By : Inspiration658316
Cannot recommend this enough! If you’re solo, with a partner or group it was such an educational, fun, thrilling experience and being in the water with professionals just makes swimming with wildlife so much more enjoyable and fun! Love love love
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Posted On : 2024-04-26
Posted By : ryantI1973GY
Instagram influencers with a boat who love sharks. Although some of the information they shared felt like they made it up- they seemed to be decently educated, but one girl was from Montana so I’m not too sure lol... Price is worth it if you have a unique encounter with wildlife, but we didn’t see much besides basic stuff. I could see how this could possibly be a great experience for adventurous ocean lovers.
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Posted On : 2024-04-12
Posted By : fraserkelly
Stop scrolling and book your excursion with this highly professional, family-owned and operated company.
With your safety and respect for the ocean (and its inhabitants) at the forefront, this knowledgeable team will get you and your group out to all of the amazing spots on the Kona coast.
We had an amazing crew help us get the most out of our day. Capt Cam was able to locate a pod of Pilot Whales and we were fortunate to have a once in a lifetime experience in the water with these beautiful and thoughtful animals. Always wary of “fast movers”, our crew kept a lookout and ensured our safety at every stop along the way. We will not take our good fortune for granted.
Give this company a follow on social media, along with @mermaid.Kayleigh on IG.
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Posted On : 2024-04-01
Posted By : 681allic
We had a fantastic day on the boat with Kayleigh as our guide! Our Captain Shelley was super fun and knowledgeable. We were unfortunate enough to have Pilot Whales, Oceanic White Tips and a hammerhead! They pulled a rabbit out of the hat for us today on Easter! Definitely recommend:)
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Posted On : 2024-04-01
