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Kona Snorkel Tours No Longer Take Part Swimming with Dolphins Kona Close to Kailua Pier

How many of you would like to rent snorkel gear, walk across the street and jump in the crystal clear water in Kona Hawaii and swim with wild Hawaiian spinner dolphin? Well, because of a new rule put in place by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration you can no longer swim with dolphins Kona, Hawaii on a Kona snorkel tour.

There are so many places in the world that are off limits now due to the virus. As a  traveler, there are many places I will not even think about going to for quite some time. Hawaii, especially the Big Island is an exception to the rule.  We have had no new cases on the island for well over a week now. I heard a statistic today that we were the safest county in the country. With no new cases and the economy opening back up again, why not come to Kona for the ultimate Kona snorkel tour. This can be by boat or right from shore. We have so many wonderful snorkel spots and so much marine life to see. If you don’t travel with your own gear. Rent from Ali’I Adventures in downtown Kona. The rental rate is very affordable. They have hourly rates starting at $4.95 and daily rates from $11.95.

We have manta rays, dolphins, whale sharks, pilot whales and hundreds of reef fish that see regularly.  One of the main questions, is what can I expect to see on a typical Kona snorkel tour? Look at a fish chart and I can almost guarantee you’ll see almost every fish on that chart. Most of the best snorkeling on island is within a couple of miles of downtown Kona.  The average water visibility is usually around 40-60 feet of unbelievably clear and calm water.  With warm air and water temp, and plenty of marine life, you need to experience a Kona snorkel tour for yourself. Some of the morning Kona snorkel tours were generally focused on getting an early start to interact with Hawaiian spinner dolphin. Most mornings around the Kona area are sunny, warm and no wind. The perfect combination for a great morning on and in the water. This particular species of dolphin make their way towards the shoreline in the mornings. This is a safer place for them to relax after a night of mating, eating and playing. They come in close to the shoreline to stay closer to shallow water so they can actively rest and be aware of predators. With a nice sandy bottom, they can see sharks coming long before it’s an issue. They are nocturnal , with opposite sleep patterns as humans. This is unfortunate, due most of all human interactions are with dolphin are during the day. Kona snorkel tours do not interact with dolphins off the Kona coast, but also to educate people about Hawaiian spinner dolphins and their habits. New rules from NOAA have put in place restrictions on the ability to interact with dolphins. It is  especially important to pick an operator with high safety and integrity standards. There is a difference between Kona snorkel tours operators on the island.

If shore snorkeling isn’t your thing. You can always book a Kona snorkel tour with a tour operator. When looking into Kona Snorkel Tours, how do you know who is the best operator?  It’s not always the biggest boat, or the one who serves the best food, or the prettiest boat. You don’t come on the boat for these reasons, or if you do, that’s a whole different blog. You come on the boat for the experience and the memories. The operator that focuses on safety, comfort, educating you on the what and why’s, as well as taking the time to give good and informative briefing to enhance the customers experience. This is the operator I recommend. For the best Kona snorkel tours on island, give Kona Snorkel Trips a try.  I recommend this operator for many of the above mentioned reasons. Kona Snorkel Trips is focused on the safety of the customer as well as the safety of the reef and marine life. All of the guides are life guard certified or carry a rescue diver or above certification. They are all well trained in marine life interaction and safety. There is a difference when choosing a local operator. I would look up Google reviews about the company as well. Although it’s impossible to make everyone happy all of the time, it’s pretty clear when you seek a company out and check out the customer reviews, you can get a pretty good picture who the most reputable operators are based on customer feedback.  You can book directly on line or with Ali’I Adventures. Ali’I Adventures in downtown Kona is an A rated tour booking agency. They can give personal recommendations based on experiences they’ve had with various operators on the Big Island.

Another tip I can offer you concerning booking your Kona snorkel tour with a local Kona company, is to book in advance of coming on island.  Under normal circumstances, the popular tours book up. The most popular tours were the swim with dolphins Kona in the mornings and the manta ray snorkel Kona in the evening but all of the Kona snorkel tour operators that did swim with dolphins Kona now do the Captain Cook Snorkeling tour. Both of these tours are incredible and are a staple here on island.  I would recommend at least one of these Kona snorkel tours while here on the Big Island or both. These are two adventures you will not soon forget.  Both Kona snorkel tours are considered the top aquatic adventures in the world. We are lucky to have them here off the local coast in downtown Kona.

One last piece of advise I can give you is to not seek out the cheapest operator. There’s a reason they are inexpensive. There is an old saying, “you get what you pay for”. This is inevitably true regarding water sport operators. It’s not that you necessarily need to book with the most expensive, but don’t go bargain basement either. This is a unique opportunity to experience an adventure of a lifetime. Pay a bit extra to ensure you have a great experience. It’s worth a few dollars more to experience these tours to the best ability of the operator possible. Two different people can book Kona snorkel tours with different operators and get two very different results. Be the one with the positive result. The is almost always the operator who explains the experience in solid briefings, that goes over safety concerns and that takes the time to talk to the quests and builds a rapport with them. The operator that has the quality guides that are passionate about their job and making sure the customer has a memorable experience that keeps them coming back. Remember to book you Kona snorkel tours with Kona Snorkel Trips the next time you are looking for an adventure in Kona on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Book a combo package with the manta ray snorkel Kona and the Captain Cook snorkeling tour together and save.

Mahalo!