We just did a tour with Captain Zodiac in Kona and it was honestly such a special experience. Our guides, Ashley and Alec, were incredible. They were so knowledgeable and friendly, and they really took the time to answer every single question we had. Both Ashely and Alec have researched whales in Alaska and Hawaii, so hearing specific researcher knowledge was really cool. Ashley was also just so enthusiastic. She really made us understand how special it was to be out there witnessing these animals. The water was a little rocky at times, but we still saw so many whales, including one that got within 30 yards of our boat. The best part was actually on the way back. We were already at time for the tour, but Ashley noticed a group of boats congregating and went to investigate. It ended up being a whale shark that came right up by the boat, which the guides told us is an incredibly rare event. It was just an awesome thing to see. You can really tell they have so much reverence and respect for the whales. If you have any interest in seeing these animals up close and hearing from specialists who work with them full time, this is the company to go with. We have so much respect for the work Ashley and Alec do. read more

We had an incredible tour with Captain Sandy and Jada. So much fun and amazing sightings - we will always remember the dozens of pilot whales we got to observe for an extended period. We were fortunate to have perfect weather as well and the whole experience could not have been better. read more

Everything was great! Big shout out to Gabe & Michelle! They were both knowledgeable, kind, considerate and funny! Kept all on their toes on safety! We got to see Tiger shark, several sandbar sharks, lots of spinner dolphins and several bottlenose dolphins! The place we snorkeled at had a great abundance if different fish! We had an amazing time! read more

This was such an amazing experience. The captain and crew are not only knowledgeable but work to better their environment and share this knowledge. Highly recommend for people looking for a fun adventure and an ethical, local company. My group did the 10 AM mid day tour and it was the best! Colin knows how to safely work with the animals and approach in a manner that is not stressful or disturbing to them/ the environment. Thank you Colin and Amy for such an amazing experience. read more

Captain Zodiac - Snorkeling Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

See all

Rick and Davonte were amazing!!!! Their knowledge and humor kept the group entertained all afternoon. Highly recommend this Kona experience. read more

I have to say I'm a little surprised by the impeccable rating. We did the 5-hour "beat the crowds" snorkel tour. Were told to arrive 15min early but ended up just waiting around at the shop. Scheduled for 10-3 but actually ended by 2:30. The boat ride with marine life sightings was fantastic -- we thought the open-air speedboat was perfect and didn't feel unsafe. The 2 snorkel drops (45min-1h long, can hop back on the boat early if wanted) were amazing -- despite unfortunately no octopus in sight. We didn't think Captain Rick and Shelby were the best guides, however. Shelby felt rather aloof and unapproachable (not sure if she was having a bad day?), and honestly I had to wonder what she realistically added to the tour. Captain Rick was more enthusiastic/upbeat but also didn't offer much that felt personal -- just rote information that one can tell he's repeated a thousand times. We had a Japanese family on our tour that barely spoke English, and the guides didn't do much to make sure they understood. The above probably would've evened out to 3.5-4 stars, BUT we were burned -- literally -- by the guides actually discouraging us from re-applying sunscreen prior to the 2nd drop. I was about to grab my reef-safe sunscreen after lunch, and Captain Rick said "I wouldn't". The reasoning was that, unless we were going to sit around and wait for 10min, the sunscreen would just wash right off and be bad for the reefs. What they DIDN'T emphasize was the intensity -- and REAL DANGER -- of UV at 1-2pm at a location so close to the equator!!! Of course I should've just ignored them and put on sunscreen regardless (even if it meant waiting 10min), but if they had even offhandedly suggested the importance of sun safety (which I should think is KEY in what they do!) I would've second-thought jumping right back in for another hour of snorkeling -- and then both myself and my spouse getting the absolute worst sunburns of our lives. Worst of all, this happened on the FIRST day of our trip, which really made the rest of our vacation much less enjoyable than it should've been. We're now back after a week, and the peeling is just horrific. Honestly wish we could leave a better rating, but here we are. read more

The sunset whale watching tour with captains Ashley and Shelby was amazing! They were awesome and great at spotting whales. :) We saw many breaches from multiple groups of whales. It was windy with large waves and we were in a very small boat, so we all got soaked head to toe (which actually added to the fun of the trip). Good to bring Ziplocs to put your stuff (wallet, keys, phone when not taking pictures, etc) in to keep them dry in your pockets. read more

See all

Captain Ashley and first mate Shannon were amazing. Safety was priority and then awesome snorkeling. If you've never been on a zodiac highly recommend read more

See all

Had a great day with captain Sandy and her crew Randy. The boat ride is fast and exciting. They're friendly and very professional. My only complaint was that the snorkeling time is a little short and the spot was very crowded. At least the day we went. There were lots of other tour boats in the same cove, so it was LA traffic trying to bop around the reef. But Sandy gave us a great time beyond that, even stopping to show us some sand bar sharks swimming around the boat, as well as some awesome spinner dolphins jumping nearby. Fun day all in all. Insider tip - get Sandy to drop some dad jokes on you. They're awesome. =) read more

This was the highlight of our trip! We did a tour with Captain Zodiac almost 20 years ago in Kauai. And to our surprise, they moved to Big Island. The tour was just as fun as years ago. Now traveling with teenagers, they also loved the experience. We saw dolphins, flyfishes, and almost got to see a whale! We had a blast with the tour guides! They took us to a great spot for snorkeling. Highly recommend for those looking for a fun and adventurous experience in a small group setting. read more

Captain Zodiac - Snorkeling Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

We had an amazing afternoon chasing whales with Captain Zodiac! Brit and Jason were great, and they were very informative and kept everyone engaged during the times we didn't see whales. read more

See all

fabulous trip. everyone from check in and through the trip was gracious, professional and hospitable!! Captain Collin's was super. great information on whales, ecology preservation, and sights. he was superb at finding whales! crew Liz Bwowm very attentive, helpful and welcoming. we loved the trip!! thank you Captain Zodiac for this incredible experience!! read more

See all

What a fun and friendly crew! I went on a Captain Cook Monument snorkeling tour with Marco & Devante. They're so awesome for making us feel comfortable. They're knowledgeable about the area. I thought we were only going straight to the Monument, but the tour actually took us to other spots that I unfortunately forgot the names (like the "waterfall", the lava goddess, etc.). This was the highlight of my trip! One suggestion if I may is to offer life vests to wear on the speedboat. Unlike the rest of the guests, I was a bit apprehensive about being in the open ocean without a vest (though I'm sure they would have given it to me had I asked). Highly recommended read more

Captain Zodiac - Snorkeling Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

See all

My wife and I just did the 5 hr snorkel tour with Captain Gabe and his crew of Garth, and Rianna, sorry if I misspelled any of the names. The day was great and the captain and crew were very attentive, and knowledgeable. We've been doing the Captain Zodiac tour for quite a few years, but never the 5 hour tour, which we enjoyed immensely. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone interested in a great time on the water. read more

Captain Rick and Davonte were great!!!! Took the Zodiac snorkeling trip to Kealakekua Bay. Also stopped at some incredible volcanic coves on the way back. Rough ride, but that is half the fun!! read more

It was so much fun! I didn't know what to expect with whale watching. We found a whale and her calf not even 30 minutes into our tour. Our captain, captain Marco, was super chill and funny. But you could tell he had a real love of these animals. He gave the whales the respect that they deserved. We saw a total of about 4 different whales on the tour. It was a very cool experience. Something that I wasn't expecting was just how enjoyable just chilling in a boat was going to be. It was a beautiful day to be out in the water, we got to appreciate the big Island from the sea. Captain Marco also gave a little tour of kailua-kona. He pointed out the first church, king kamehameha's home, some snorkeling spots, and where to get the meat mai-tai. If you do get booked for a whale tour. I hope you get captain Marco. I'd highly recommend it. read more

See all

Boat should not be a life boat to whale watch . Considering the waves in the pacific you are hanging on ropes without the pilot telling you to actually put your life jackets on from the get go. Also they don't know where the whales are actually predominately seen so you spend the whole time boating fast to find a place and it's very bumpy and dangerous . You need a normal sized boat for this . read more

Outstanding snorkeling trip with Capt Chuck! His knowledge of the area added to the amazing views seen underwater. Very much recommended! read more

See all

Captain Chuck and Demetrius were outstanding. They provided an awesome adventure for our family, and we're super sweet with our kiddos. Highly recommend this for any one visiting the island. This is my second trip, 25 years apart and it's still amazing. read more

Captain Zodiac - Snorkeling Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

I chose Captain Zodiac because they were able to host my 6.5-year-old (while other companies might only accept children aged 10 and above). We saw about 6 or 7 different whales, and it was an unforgettable experience for us. We enjoyed it very much. Thanks, Captain Marco! read more

This is much more than a snorkeling trip! It is a fun, roller coaster like ride along the Kona Coast with beautiful views and wildlife spotting. We saw spinner dolphins and white tail tropics birds. It was too early in the season for whales. The snorkeling in Kealkekua is the best on the island. I highly recommend Captain Zodiac. read more

Ashley and Shelby led a fabulous sunset whale watch! they taught us so much about whale behaviors and we saw so many whales!! we also saw spinner dolphins, bottle nose dolphins and flying fish Highly recommend!! read more

Saw at least 10 humpback plus Spinner dolphins and a pod of bottlenose dolphins. Speed of boat made it possible to get to very distant spouts quickly. Guide and pilot were personable and knowledgeable. Got to pet dogs in office! read more

What an incredible trip!!!! I attended the "Beat The Crowd" 5 hour snorkel and boat trip from 10am to 3pm. The boat ride was SO much fun and the snorkeling was an amazing experience. Of course the scenery, landscape, ocean, and wildlife was gorgeous. But, Captain Chuck and Captain Marco really made the entire trip an absolute blast. Very kind and attentive, fun and funny, watched out for our safety (solo travelers and children, and making us feel included and attended to). I will come back to Hawaii just to do another trip with them. Cannot recommend enough!! read more

Captain Zodiac - So many fish!! - Snorkeling Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

See all

This was our fourth time going out with Captain Zodiac. I highly recommend this company. We have done the Kealakekua Snorkel 3 times & have always loved it! It's a great snorkeling spot & it is so fun to ride the Zodiac to get there. In the past we have seen honu, spinner dolphins, pilot whales, a hammerhead shark, and humpback whales all on our way to or back from Kealakekua. This time we did the sunset whale watch tour since it is whale season. We saw so many whales & some spinner dolphins. The captain also put a microphone below the water so we could hear the whales!! As we headed back to the harbor, we had a rainbow to the east of us and a beautiful sunset to the west of us. The captain stopped the zodiac to let us enjoy the sunset & while we floated there a humpback whale swam right past our boat, blew its blowhole and dove into the water showing its tail. It's like it was the final show before we went in to the harbor. It was amazing! Our Captain & Crew were so fun and knowledgeable. Thanks A-Team, Aryn & Ashley, for an epic experience! read more

Captain Marco and Shelby were amazing. Their knowledge of the area and the sea life we saw enhanced the experience. They were professional, fun, and interactive with us. Their commitment to ensuring we had a great day led to seeing dolphins, a tiger shark, an albatross, and whales. We even got to see a baby humpback breech from a distance where we could see but respected the animals needs as well. Would definitely do this again next visit and hope to have the same crew. read more

Captain Rick and First mate Devante were awesome tour guides. The zodiac ride was great and the snorkeling was amazing. When we get back to Kona, we'll definitely be booking with them for more tours read more

Captain Zodiac - Snorkeling Near Me - Kailua Kona, Hawaii

This was a great whale watching tour! Captain Jason was amazing and Liz was great! So many whales!

Absolutely loved the snorkeling tour with Captain Jason. It was such an awesome tour, he was so professional , friendly, knowledgeable, and went the extra mile to make our experience fantastic. He stopped when there whales to see and then off to snorkeling at Captain Cooks Monument which was stunning, beautiful , and amazing. We will definitely book with Captain Zodiac and Jason next trip and will recommend you to everyone. Which we have been already. Mahalo!! read more

Rick, our guide was knowledgeable and made a point to get us to K Bay first thing to beat the rush. He gave us some great history lessons on the way back. read more

See all

This was a fantastic experience. The snorkeling was great however the site-seeing was even better. We saw hammerhead sharks and several pods of whales. So good! read more

Must book tour while on the big island. This is my second time on this tour and it didn't disappoint. Jason is an amazing tour guide and gave us such a fun ride on the zodiac. Highly recommend! read more

My husband booked a trip for us to go snorkelling and we got lucky to have Captain Shaggy & Aryn as our hosts! This was a 3-4 hour trip where Captain Shaggy (Tim) brought us out to a specific area to snorkel for an hour. I can't really swim but he made me feel super comfortable with just the noodle and I wasn't nervous at all!! They also provide snacks/drinks with your tour and gave us a super extensive history of Big Island and other parts of Hawaii so we learned a lot that we definitely would not have thought to research or look up ourselves. I highly recommend this tour - you will get a history lesson and see some really cool fishes! read more

Awesome tour, a ton of whales! Day was gorgeous, nice clouds, and the hydrophone was SUPER COOL!!! read more

Incredible experience. Our Captain and Mate were skilled navigators, swiftly getting us to a pod of whales. They were also friendly and knowledgeable. This is a can't-miss experience. read more

My husband and I enjoyed the whale watching tour with Ashley and Kaleeah (I'm sure I spelt her name wrong, sorry!) Both Ashley and Kaleeah did an amazing job keeping everyone entertained while still being professional. We were able to see pilot whales, Humpback whales, dolphins and even Manta rays. Be aware that you are not on a boat but a zodiac raft so the ride is a bit uncomfortable at times. It was a windy day for our group which meant holding on tight to the rope. Also, be aware that you don't have an actual seat so again, not the comfiest of rides. Again, our group had a pretty bumpy ride due to the wind so I'm sure not every ride is quite as bumpy as what we experienced. The great thing about the raft is that it only holds a small group so it was a way better experience to have a front row view the entire ride. Needless to say, we will return for another zodiac raft experience! Thank you Ashley and Kaleeah! read more

WOW we highly recommend booking a private 5 hour zodiac tour. And request Marco!!! He was amazing! We did this with our 2 teenage daughters. This was their favorite thing we did on our trip to Kona. We had the best snorkeling, seeing caves, and a bonus of seeing short fin pilot whales and oceanic white tip sharks. BEST DAY!! read more

Great Expedition. Most sucessful whale watching trip. Many whales (mothers and calves, single whales, pods) seen over 4 hours. Very knowledgeable captain who had excellent understanding of whales habitat, migration patterns, diet, etc. - a true marine biologist. We took the sunset cruise to avoid a hot mid day sun and saw the most spectacular sunset on our route home accompanied by huge pod of dolphins who were ready to play and just hang out with us for a while. A very big thank you for captain zodiac's excellent voyage read more

Our tour to the Captain Cook snorkeling area is among the greatest experiences I've had. Captain Rick and Devante provided excellent skippering and historical details, as well as funny conversation. The snorkeling was BY FAR the best I've ever had. The site is phenomenal. The ride back along the coastline was interesting and instructive. I could not recommend any experience or crew more - it was an 11 on a 1-10 scale! read more

Captain Zodiac is a great tour company. Captain Rick and first mate, Devante, provided a great exhilarating zodiac ride to the Captain Cook snorkel site. Kealakekua Bay offers some of the best snorkeling in Hawaii with very clear visibility and all kinds of fish, eels and coral heads. The ride back along the coast was fun as we visited various geological sites and ancient lava flows. If this is your first time on the Big Island, a snorkel trip to Kealakekua Bay is mandatory. This was our second trip to the bay and Captain Zodiac is the best tour company to take you there. read more