Big Island of Hawaii

Kona's Deluxe Snorkel - Beat the Crowds to Captain Cook and Place of Refuge

Name: Kona's Deluxe Snorkel - Beat the Crowds to Captain Cook and Place of Refuge
Brand: Dolphin Discoveries
SKU: 89864P1
Price: 139.95 USD
Rating: 5.0 (223 reviews)

Badge of ExcellenceBig Island of Hawaii, USA

5 hours
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Overview

Discover two of the best snorkel spots in Kona on this early morning tour departing from Keauhou Bay. Explore the coral gardens alongside many different fish species, and on your return to the shore, your guide will provide a history of the Captain Cook Monument and Place of Refuge. Book ahead to guarantee your spot.

Snacks, fresh fruit, and beverages are served
View sea caves and lava tubes along the Kona coast
Search for spinner dolphins, as well as resident and seasonal whales
All snorkeling equipment is provided for an easy time

What's Included

Friendly knowledgeable guides
Snacks, fruit, juice and bottled water
Mask, Fins, Snorkel, Flotation Aids included

Gratuities for your crew always appreciated
Please bring towel and cover-up
Use reef safe sunscreen (zinc based is recommended- no oxybenzone and octinoxate. lotion, no spray)

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

78-6831 Ali‘i Dr, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740, USA
To Check in: Keauhou Shopping Center, 78-6831 Alii Drive, Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i 96740, Space F-146. Located in courtyard behind Tropics, KTA & Bianelli's. From there, you will drive to Keauhou Bay where the crew will greet you for the tour.

Start time

07:00 AM

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
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 tour/activity will have a maximum of 28 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
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.

Traveler Photos

Featured review

Jay_C

My daughter and I have been on 4 snorkeling tours, and this by far was the most fun and enjoyable tour. He took us the the best places to see the most. Brent was very knowledgeable with the history stories and all around great friendly captain. If there was 10 or more stars this tour would get it. BYW, be on time, best bet get there early morning and be the first out. You'll won't regret.

Reviews

5.0

223 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 223 reviews

Subpar experience

kat_b, May 2024

Don’t label a tour as being five hours long when you allow an hour for check in before you even get on the boat and then arrive back 15 minutes before the tour supposedly ends. Boat was way to full to be a comfortable/ enjoyable ride. The sites we subpar. There was way too much white water at Captain Cook, which made the water unclear. We saw some fish, but not nearly what the tour advertised. I understand the Tour company does not control the weather in cannot track the marine life however, don’t advertise snorkeling with turtles if it’s unlikely to see turtles. The second location was abysmal. The only thing we’re seeing was the coral there is barely any marine life. Tour guides were fine. They were friendly, but not fantastic. Terrible value for the money. Go look up the 4hr tours offered for the same locations. Way cheaper and I would expect it would be better than this even it there was just less waiting around and better guides.

Perfect First-Time Snorkeling Trip

Tom_S, Apr 2024

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.

Great experience

Johnny_J, Apr 2024

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

Great time!

Katy_N, Apr 2024

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.

Dolphin Discoveries was the best decision for this excursion!

Nicole_L, Apr 2024

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!

Fun snorkeling adventure!

Vonnie_S, Apr 2024

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!

You do not want to miss this experience

Stanislava_T, Apr 2024

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.

Capt Cook (mis)adventure

Lynn_H, Mar 2024

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

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Aloha Lynn, Sorry there was confusion about our location. The county of Hawaii Island has prevented street vending effective December 2023, so all snorkel tour operators have had to move off site. We did call you, emailed you, and texted you that our times and location had changed. We're not sure how else we could of notified you, but we will look for ways to improve our communication. It's against Coast Guard regulations for our crew to leave the boat to snorkel with guests, but I'm sure the crew would love it if they could. Safe Travels.

A trip we’ll never forget.

Gail_B, Mar 2024

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!

Bad customer service

Michael_H, Mar 2024

The captains were knowledgeable and friendly. I enjoyed the first site quite a bit but the second site had almost no marine life. I recognize that’s not their fault but it was a let down. What made it so bad was that I rented a GoPro from them and it was broken. The camera wouldn’t stay in a fixed position and once it started recording the screen went black so I couldn’t see what I was recording. And then the sd card filled up before the first site was even done. And no replacement sd card was available once we were on the boat. The captain said to call the office when we were done and that they would work something out for me. So I called and a rude woman answered and refused to give me any refund or discount. She said when it’s first turned on it says it can only hold an hour’s worth. But I didn’t turn it on. An employee did and handed it to me. No one told me I only had one hour. She refused to offer anything and said it was my fault and that i should’ve known it had limited storage capacity. This was very frustrating and it tainted the whole experience. I will certainly not book anything with them, nor will I recommend them to anyone. But the crew on board were great.

Response from Host, Mar 2024

Aloha Michael, We are sorry that you had a bad experience with your GoPro. All action cameras have limited storage capacity and battery life. We estimate about an hour of video before your run out of one or the other. The screen goes black to save battery life. GoPros are fisheye lenses, so you don't need to be pointing directly at the image, because the way the lens is designed everything is captured. We'll be reaching out to you to hear more about your experience.

Spectacular

Amy_P, Mar 2024

Wonderful staff, knowledgeable and enthusiastic about their work. Although the water was cold, we saw amazing fish and coral. don’t miss out!

Great way to spend half day on the water in Kona!

Jo_M, Feb 2024

We had a wonderful time snorkeling! Very professional and knowledgeable crew made for a ln excellent experience for the kids and I! Highly recommend!!!!!

Worth every penny.

Sarah_C, Feb 2024

Was so worth booking 2 spots and early arrival. Beat the other boats! Staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. Josh was a great captain. Snacks and drinks were nice.

Had a great snorkeling...

Kathryn_G, Feb 2024

Had a great snorkeling tour with Josh and Seth. Both were extremely knowledgeable and professional. We had some great viewings of whale and our time at Kealakekua Bay was amazing. Highly recommend!

Great snorkeling at Captain Cook!

Kevin_M, Feb 2024

We chose this tour because of the early arrival at Captain Cook to beat the crowds. We had a great time there and saw many fish. Definitely the best snorkeling we did on the big Island in the 10 days we were there. We could have passed on going to the Place of Refuge (aka Two Step which we did from shore earlier in our trip). After snorkeling at Captain Cook there was no comparison.

Great Excursion.

James_S, Jan 2024

Brent was a great Captain/Guide. Cooks Bay is like swimming in an aquarium. On time to locations, and plenty of bonuses along the way. Highly recommended.

Great Snorkeling

Jacob_B, Jan 2024

The snorkeling was great at both locations. Very friendly and knowledgeable crew as well. Would recommend!

Awesome!

Phoebe_M, Jan 2024

Our captain was knowledgeable and dedicated to drive that boat to all the good spots! We enjoyed snorkeling with fog free masks and top quality fins. The fish on the reefs were amazing and awesome!

The staff and crew were...

Kelly_K, Jan 2024

The staff and crew were welcoming and organized. The snorkeling itself was marvelous - along with an amazing variety of fish, we saw an octopus, wray and turtles.

Great snorkel trip

Mike_O, Jan 2024

This was a great snorkel trip to two locations that are not that easy to get to on your own. Both sites had abundant numbers of fish and coral and the water was very clear. We saw a wide variety of fish species and a couple of eels. The guides were good and provided us with some history of the area, a view of a lava tube and some snacks and drinks. We were the first tour boat to Captain Cook. One private boat and a couple of canoes were there when we arrived. It was a busy place by the time we left though. There were not too many other snorkelers at the second site. We were a bit further down the coast than most of the snorkelers who get in at two step would swim.

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