Big Island of Hawaii Boat Tours

BEST SNORKEL ON THE BIG ISLAND! Captain Skyler took my lady and I on the best snorkel trip we have ever had. His knowledge of the island, its history, and best spots to go was top tier. My only regret is that we did not book the manta rays with him and sea quest. Highly recommend sea quest and ask for captain skyler as he made an already good trip, the greatest.

This manta ray tour was easily the coolest thing I’ve done during my time in Hawaii. I went solo, but the entire crew made me feel welcome and safe from start to finish.Our guide, Meredith, was incredible. She was fantastic with the kids from other families on board, explaining all the safety rules and instructions so clearly that everyone could understand easily. She is incredibly knowledgeable and gave us a mini-lesson about the mantas using a book, along with tons of interesting ocean facts. She also made sure no one was intimidated by the size of the mantas, and whenever anyone in the water needed a hand, she was quick to assist. Captain Raj was also great, super friendly, welcoming, and helpful to everyone on board. The actual "show" was mind-blowing; we saw so many massive manta rays swimming right up to us. It’s hard to put into words how majestic they are. To top it all off, the boat ride back under a massive blanket of stars was a sight in itself. Huge mahalo to Raj and Meredith for an unforgettable night!

Best tour I have been on in a while!! The Mantas were beautiful and so majestic. Meredith and Scott were amazing! I really appreciate how knowledgeable Meredith was, and it was amazing having a real marine biologist giving us the facts. I really enjoyed every minute and hope to come back next year.

20/10 — One of the Most Incredible Ocean Experiences We’ve Ever Had!I honestly don’t know how to give Scott, Kate, and Kona Ocean Adventures enough stars for the experience they gave us tonight. Five stars doesn’t even come close. This was a 20/10 experience from beginning to end.We booked their private sunset snorkeling trip, rustic dinner, and nighttime manta ray experience, and the entire evening was absolutely incredible.A little perspective: we’re from Florida, we’re scuba divers, and we spend a lot of time in and around the ocean—so it takes quite a bit to really blow us away. Scott and Kate absolutely did.The sunset snorkel alone would have made the trip worth it. We saw an unbelievable amount of marine life—puffer fish, purple tangs, yellow tangs, unicorn tangs, blue boxfish, angelfish, foxface, all kinds of wrasses, urchins and so much more.And then there was the monk seal.A HUGE monk seal came right up between the boats and literally used the line between them to brush her teeth! 😂 We just sat there watching her work the rope through her mouth like dental floss. It was one of those completely unexpected wildlife encounters you know you’ll be talking about for years.But somehow the night was just getting started.The nighttime manta ray experience was absolutely unreal.We had at least SIX different manta rays swimming with us, and when I say close, I mean INCHES FROM OUR FACES.They came straight toward us and did barrel roll after barrel roll directly underneath us. At times they were so close you could look straight into their mouths as they rolled beneath you. They actually made physical contact with us multiple times as they passed.We have video of it, and even watching the video doesn’t completely capture what it felt like to actually be there.There were moments when you’re floating on the surface, looking down at these enormous animals coming straight toward you, and your brain is telling you there’s no possible way they can get any closer—then they roll at the last second and pass just inches underneath you.Again. And again. And again.It was spectacular.What really made the evening, though, was Scott and Kate. A private charter is supposed to feel different from being shuffled through a big commercial tour, and this absolutely did. They made the entire evening personal, relaxed, fun and memorable. You never felt rushed or like you were just the next group being moved through an itinerary.The sunset, snorkeling, dinner, wildlife, manta rays and the personal attention from Scott and Kate all came together into one of those rare vacation experiences that completely exceeds what you thought you were booking.We’ve done a lot of ocean activities and diving over the years, and this is easily one of the coolest marine experiences we have ever had.If you’re coming to Kona and considering a manta ray trip, do yourself a favor and book the private experience with Kona Ocean Adventures. Especially if you want something more personal than a large-group excursion.Scott and Kate — thank you for an absolutely unforgettable evening.We came hoping to see some manta rays.We left having watched at least six of them barrel roll inches from our faces, had a monk seal stop by to floss her teeth, saw an incredible variety of Hawaiian marine life, and made a memory we’ll be talking about for the rest of our lives.Five stars isn’t enough. 20/10. Absolutely phenomenal. 🤙🌅🌊🤿

We actually had to reschedule and wound up going on the Captain cook tour instead. It was so fun and the crew was amazing! The dolphin watching and snorkeling were awesome! We had three kids (3.5 and 7) with us and they had a great time. Highly recommend!

We are a family ranging from 4 to 73 y/o. We enjoyed the boat ride although sitting for awhile in a bumpy ride is not so comfortable still we had fun. Captain and crew were very friendly and informative. We saw a lot if dolphins and fishes while snorkeling at captain cook. We wish we even had more time snorkeling. My niece 6 y/o and nephew 4 y/o was their first time snorkeling and they were experts right away. I was kinda scared for them going into the water but they actually had the most fun. There was enough lunch and snacks and drinks for our family. We even brought home the leftovers. It’s also easy to find the location and once you book, you just show up and they were really nice. They even gave us sun screen to use. Also everything is provided for the snorkeling.

Kevin and his crew were amazing today. Good vibes and patience with a strong willed kiddo. We saw turtles and a manta ray, so cool. Thanks for making it a great experience!! Loved this adventure. Highly recommend!!!

Extremely knowledgeable captain and guide. Our all female crew was so engaging and did a fantastic job explaining to us the Captain Cook story and pointing out anll of the incredible sea life. Our family of four took the 7am tour. It was absolutely exceptional! Will definitely be back for another excursion.

Our guides were wonderful! The fish were incredible. Our snack and lunch was delicious.

BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!!! My boyfriend and I went out for the 7 am tour (HIGHLY recommend the early slot, we were literally the only people out on the water!!) with Hana and Meredith who were absolutely AMAZING!! Since we got out before all the other tours, we saw an eagle ray, a Galapagos shark, two octopi, AND A SEA TURYLE!! It was quite literally the most glorious day of my life and Hana and Meredith could not have been better guides. If/when we come back, we will most definitely be booking w Kona again!!🌸☀️💕

Trip was great! saw lots of beautiful reefs and fish!

This was such a great tour with loads of info and personal touches from Kaleo. It was nice to be with a smaller group on a locals boat getting the hometown knowledge and history! When we spotted a pod of dolphins he was happy to facilitate us hanging out as long as we wanted. Skip the big boat tour with 80 tourists - get out on Kaleo’s boat and have an epic few hours on the water in Kona.

This was hands down one of the best experiences of our trip to Hawaii! From start to finish, the crew made us feel safe, welcome, and excited to be out on the water.Captain Mitch did an amazing job getting us to the best snorkeling spots while making the trip fun and informative. Diego was incredibly friendly, helpful, and made sure everyone was comfortable throughout the tour. A huge thank you to Tamae for capturing such an incredible video of our adventure it’s something we’ll treasure forever!The snorkeling was absolutely unbelievable. We were lucky enough to see dolphins, a Hawaiian monk seal, beautiful coral reefs, countless colorful fish, and even reef sharks! It truly felt like a once-in-a-lifetime experience.If you’re thinking about booking this tour, don’t hesitate you won’t regret it. The crew went above and beyond to make the day unforgettable, and we couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Mahalo, Mitch, Diego, and Tamae, for giving us memories we’ll never forget!

We dove with Kona adventures in January and then again this week in July and both experiences were top-notch. They were friendly professional and accommodating. Both dives we saw Tiger shark turtles eagle rays rock fish and all the other animals of the sea. This trip we got to jump into a pot of dolphins and swim with them for a little bit. The post refreshments have never been better. Highly recommend this group.

Over all great experience! Highly recommend!! The boat was super fast!!! Quality equipment!! I’ve always had issues with the mask leaking but NOT on this trip! Was able to enjoy the snorkeling!! Mitch and Riley lead us to spinner dolphins! Will book again next time we are back on the Big Island!

A wonderful charter experience that was easy going and supplied everything we needed so was stress free Led by Captain Mitch and Riley as guide. The 10 person boat was great to avoid crowds and get in and out of site with ease. We had one family member not comfortable with the ocean/snorkleing but the guide and captain made her uncomfortable with the experience she was in the water the entire time! We saw beautiful coral reefs and a multitude of fosh along with spinner dolphins chasing our wake. The captain and guide were top notch and very knowledgeable about the marine life and history of Hawaii. Can’t wait to call them and book next trip to the Big island.