Sep 21, 2026
Aces all around - Great snorkeling at this location, which is VERY difficult to reach by foot, moderately difficult to reach via kayak, and easy to reach via boat.
Pluses:
- Micah (our boat operator) rocks, as did her first mate (Leleani?). They love their jobs ( and it shows), and they love to share the history of the bay, Captain Cook, and the beauty of the island, its features, and its wildlife.
- They will rent you corrective goggles if you are nearsighted. If you are, pony up. The reef goes deep and it is magnificent to see all the way down.
- They supply flippers on the boat. These will help you motivate in the water, the bay covers a wide swath of land.
- They supply you with a pool noodle. You don't have to exert yourself much to see amazing things on this trip. That said, there is ample diving opportunities in this spot as well.
- The boat rips. If you have the need for speed, you will get your fix.
Keep in mind:
- We rented fins from the van b/c we didn't know they supplied flippers on the boat. Fins are better than flippers but we probably would have passed. They did give us a discount upon our return.
- Bring a swim shirt and sport (mineral based) sunscreen and use them. The Hawaiian sun laughs at your paltry attempts to protect yourself. Seriously.
- There are more pauses on the way back to see the lava tubes, caves, and discuss the history of the area and the island. If you need to pee, do it before you get back on the boat. The fish won't mind.
- They also do a night snorkel with manta rays. Might give you a discount if you ask ;).
-The boat rips. If you want a gentle ingress and egress to the bay, a catamaran or similar may be better. Ditto if you have small kids who may be spooked by racing over the water in a twin engine craft used by Navy Seals ;).
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sep 21, 2026
Just book it!! And their manta night tour too!! - 10 out of 10. No notes. The experience, and the crew in particular, were so on point that we ended up booking their manta ray night snorkel tour later that night, and we had already done a manta ray night snorkel tour with a different operator a few nights prior. The Captain Cook snorkel tour was so fun, super informative, and extremely well run. The boat we were on was small, fast, and nimble. Which is what you want. That means less time getting to the snorkeling and more time in the water. It also means less people in the tour. Which is a huge plus. Smaller tours are ALWAYS better. We saw tons of wildlife and learned a lot from the crew. If I remember correctly, the Captain was named Alexis and tour lead? (not sure what her title was) was named Caleigh. They were AMAZING. Crazy informative, super competent, funny, and overall really chill people that clearly love what they do and are seriously good at it. I've done about 15, mostly snorkel tours, across the Hawaiian islands and they were probably the best crew I've ever encountered. Can't recommend Hawaii Oceanic enough, ESPECIALLY CAPTAIN ALEXIS AND CALEIGH!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sep 20, 2026
Good stuff!! - Fantástica experiencia. Todos hacen del tour una experiencia súper padre. Gracias a Deavon, Rory and Luke.
All very informative and professional. Glad we took 2 tours with this company!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sep 17, 2026
Fun and lots of fish at... - Fun and lots of fish at the spot. I recommend going on the earliest trip because the place you go in the water gets overcrowded quickly. Lucas and Ericka were great and even helped coax my wife into the water. We got to see some dolphins on the way back. Pack light and use sunscreen before leaving the dock.
Review provided by Viator
Sep 16, 2026
Great tour. - Eric and Lucas were great guides. We all had so much fun. Great spot to snorkel with plenty of schools of fish. Good history lesson of the area as well.
Review provided by Viator
Sep 16, 2026
Great snorkeling!! - Had an amazing experience with Micah and Cody! We went out with about 12 people including us. We fit comfortably on the boat with the people and everyone’s bags! Left at around 4:20pm. We rode out to the bay to snorkel where they gave us goggle masks, snorkels, pool noodles, and flippers. She told us about her favorite fish to see and we all snorkeled for about 45 minutes. They gave us pineapple and water and she told us the story of Captain Cook! Then we headed back to the launch and stopped on the way to look at sea caves and the red hill. Micah and Cody shared stories and descriptions of all the places we went and were both very personable! We got back to the launch at about 6:30pm
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sep 16, 2026
Mica our vaptaim was... - Mica our vaptaim was awesome and shared many interesting things about Kona. The water and snorkeling were wonderful
Review provided by Viator
Sep 21, 2026
I enjoyed the snorkeling... - I enjoyed the snorkeling but I don’t think it was worth the price that we paid.
Our Captain was not very friendly, she was more aggressive. There is a way to be stern without being rude. People are paying a lot of money to do this, most of us are new to snorkeling and were so excited. The other boats seemed like a good time their captains sounded happy to be there and to have them on their boats.
I wouldn’t choose this tour if I could redo it
Review provided by Viator
Sep 18, 2026
Beautiful Experience, disappointing start - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Our experience on the Kona snorkel tour was definitely a mixed bag.
When we arrived, no one was at the designated meeting place, and the guides seemed somewhat disorganized and unprepared. They gave the impression that they had just rolled out of bed and weren’t particularly enthusiastic about being there. The required Coast Guard safety briefing also seemed to be more of an inconvenience to them than an important part of the trip.
What concerned me most was the attitude toward safety. Two other guests asked for life jackets, and the response was essentially, “You really want a life jacket?” That did not give us much confidence that safety was their top priority.
The guides also didn’t do a great job explaining what to expect from the trip. Because we weren’t really told how the boat ride or route would go, the initial ride was pretty unnerving. They were traveling at high speed and getting very close to the rock walls and lava formations, which felt concerning when we didn’t know what to expect.
Once we reached the snorkeling location, however, things changed for the better. Everyone seemed to relax, and we had a really enjoyable time in the water. The snorkeling itself was a lot of fun and ended up being the highlight of the trip.
The ride back was also much more enjoyable. The guides pointed out some really interesting lava tubes, local wildlife, and shared some of the local history and lore about different areas along the coast. That part added a lot to the experience and made us appreciate the area much more.
Overall, the snorkeling and scenery were great, but the lack of organization, communication, and the apparent attitude toward safety took away from what could have been a really outstanding experience. With better preparation, a clearer explanation of what guests should expect, and a stronger emphasis on safety, this could be a fantastic tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sep 18, 2026
Better have options as this operator may cancel your trip. - Booked an afternoon snorkel trip and was canceled by tour operator because of low attendance. At least we were able to get a refund.
Review provided by Viator
