Captain Cook Snorkeling Tour in Kealakekua Bay

The Captain Cook snorkeling tour is an excellent adventure for beginner snorkelers, couples, families, friends, and groups that want to experience snorkeling in a marine sanctuary. This adventurous retired Navy Seal boat will have you zipping down the coast to Kealakekua Bay in no time.

Experience this Captain Cook Monument snorkeling tour by swimming through the warm clear waters among schools of golden yellow tangs. Hover a few feet above the well-preserved rainbow-colored reef.  This is widely considered Kona’s Best Snorkeling, Kealakekua Bay!

The ride to the bay can be exciting, and sometimes bouncy, time out on the water depending on ocean conditions.  Sometimes the ocean is like glass and sometimes has a bit more oomph to it, especially during the winter.  Those that are pregnant or have back and neck issues should sit this tour out.

• Basic swimming skills – must be able to swim or float unassisted
  • Non-swimmers are not permitted to enter the water

• Mask, snorkel, fins, additional flotation
• Snacks, juice, sparkling water

• Swimsuit (please arrive in it)
• Sunglasses
• Hat
• Sun-protective cover-up
• Reef-safe non-aerosol sunscreen – Please read for further info on choosing safe sunscreen (toxic sunscreen is illegal in the bay)
• Towel
• Waterproof camera (GoPro’s avail to rent)

Storage space is limited on the vessel.

When you put your face in the water, you’ll be amazed at all the beautiful and colorful life that lives just beneath the surface. Get your camera ready to film bright schools of fish, octopus, eels, as well as see the different varieties of coral found in Hawaii. The marine life includes angelfish, lizard fish, schools of butterflyfish, and many other species. The protected *Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins will come into Kealakekua bay to sleep in the morning. You may see them in the distance doing their spinning jumping aerial tricks. The large cliffs that make up the dramatic scenery of Kealakekua bay have a history of their own and make for a dramatic backdrop to one of the best snorkeling spots on the Big Island. This Captain Cook snorkeling tour is one of Kona’s most varied and impressive. Most of the best coral is in 5 to 20 feet of water. This means you can easily see it from the surface of the sea. Young kids and novice snorkelers will still have a great experience at this magical one-of-a-kind location.

There are many places to snorkel along the Kona coast but none like the Captain Cook Snorkeling experience. The dramatic cliffs, protective bay, steep drop, and shallow reef combined with the historic Captain Cook Monument make for an intoxicating combination you won’t ever forget. Add in the occasional marine life sighting and you and the family will always fondly remember your trip to Kealakekua Bay on the Big Island, Hawaii.

**Please note that the spinner dolphins and whales are protected under the marine mammal act and we can only observe from the designated distance.  If dolphins try to engage we have to take evasive measures to disengage from them.

We set out on an exhilarating cruise along the Kona coast, keeping a watchful eye out for the protected Hawaiian spinner dolphins in their natural habitat as they head to protective coves and bays to rest after a long night of hunting. We will then cruise out into the blue in search of pelagic animals like bottlenose dolphins, pilot whales, spotted dolphins – you just never know what the ocean will deliver – maybe even a whale shark! During the winter months we often encounter Humpback whales with their calves and their escorts spouting, tail slapping, and sometimes if we’re lucky, breaching!

Finally, we will continue down the coast to Kealakekua Bay, a marine sanctuary and home of the Captain Cook Monument. You will be snorkeling in one of the top-rated places in the world where you can expect to see numerous types of fish, beautiful coral, and many other underwater creatures. This Captain Cook snorkeling tour is noted for its beautiful colors and shallow reef snorkeling. The monument is easily accessible by sea and can be easily seen from the water. We will provide snacks and drinks while our crew recounts the final moments of the famous explorer.  You’ll have an hour or more of snorkeling time.

On the way home, we will explore the dramatic cliffs and coastal sea caves made by old lava flows and entertain you with fascinating Hawaiian history myths and legends.

Are you interested in another memorable encounter? Perhaps something you won’t get anywhere else in the world? Look no further, Kona Snorkel Trips offers the world-famous manta ray snorkel. Snorkeling with manta rays is like nothing else available in the world. These massive rays are graceful and harmless. They are undaunted by humans and can come within a few inches! You won’t believe it until you find yourself giggling with giddiness at the sheer amazement you will experience having a creature this large do a slow-motion flyby underneath your face.

On the way to Kealakekua bay during this Captain Cook Snorkeling tour you may see whales, during the months of December – April, but another great way to see whales, and not have to get wet, is our whale watching tour that Kona Snorkel trips offers. We specialize in finding whales and we do our best to give you the best viewing experience we can. Keep in mind they are wild animals and you never know what they will deliver. Whale watching Kona can be hit or miss with some days being epic and others where the whales are more elusive. We are sure to run our whale charters during times of the year when the whales are more likely to be around so you’re going to be more likely to see some amazing activity from these ocean giants.

Full payment is due at the time of booking. You may make changes or cancellations to your reservation up to 48 hours prior to your trip and receive a full refund.

We enforce a strict no refund/no reschedule policy with less than 48 hours’ notice before the trip, with no exceptions. We are a small business and every seat counts.  Thank you for your cooperation.

No-shows will not be offered a refund.

What if we cancel?

We reserve the right to cancel for any reason including, but not limited to weather, ocean conditions, passenger count, mechanical issues, safety for you, our guests, and our crew. We’ll do our best to reschedule your trip based on availability or you’ll be issued a refund in full. We will contact you via the phone number and/or email address provided in the reservation. We are not responsible if we can not contact you for important information regarding the charter.