A great experience that my family of 4 really enjoyed. Kids are 8 and 9 and both also really loved it.

We were assigned to work with the incredibly handsome and in-shape 20 year old Noah. He let us rub his belly and play games with him in the water. We got to hold on to his strong back as he swam and took us along too. Kisses goodbye and then some amazing back flips concluded the experience. Noah was our dolphin. Such an amazing experience. The trainer, Alicia, who swam with us and led the experience couldn't be more perfect for her job. Patient and just genuinely in love with these animals is what she certainly demonstrated to all of us on this tour. Noah is an amazing animal. What a memory too. We played some memory games with shapes with him and he was as accurate as he could have been. This is a once in a lifetime experience. All ages were present. You're in a 14 foot deep lagoon but safely secured in life jackets. There isn't much to navigate in the way of mobility issues. Just a few slippery spots from where you enter the water from the small dock you sit on. The trainers take excellent care of everyone. read more

Dolphin Quest - Tours Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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I got to swim with dolphins and kiss one of them. Lono was so sweet! Can't believe he is a grandpa and his granddaughter is at the Hilton Waikoloa Village dolphin quest. The marine biologists and service desk are so accommodating and friendly. The dolphins are well trained, obedient, and well behaved. They love treats! I recommend this to all guests of Kahala hotel, locals, and tourists even if you're not staying at Kahala hotel. Walk through the lobby take a left and go down the stairs and then keep right out the doors and that'll lead you straight to the dolphins. There are hotel rooms surrounding the dolphins area. So free show for them right when they come out onto the balcony. read more

An absolutely amazing experience. The trainer was very informative and made sure everyone got time with the dolphin. Would do it again.

This made for an outrageously awesome birthday surprise for my 10-yr old daughter. She has always wanted to swim with dolphins. We drive around Waikiki and Kahala a lot as a family and the Kahala Hotel is on our usual route. We've come to swim here, eat here and always check out the dolphins, but actually getting into the water and swimming with them has always been a bucket list item that we would watch other people do. Well this was such a treat for my daughter! She absolutely loved it. The staff were so attentive and caring. It was a small group of three that got to go out and swim, play catch, dance and hitch a ride with the dolphins. The total session lasted about 30-45 minutes. They got to feed the dolphins and get up close and personal. It was an ultra memorable activity for sure that totally made the highlight reel for a birthday girl! read more

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Super knowledgeable staff that care quite a bit for the dolphins Something the kids will remember for a lifetime read more

This was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Our dolphin was Nai Noa, and he was the sweetest, most gentle and patient creature. It was a privilege to meet him. We could not stop smiling the entire time we were in the water. Not only did we meet and get to touch him, but we learned about dolphins from the trainers. They know so much and it shows how much they truly love their work, and they give individual attention to each guest. The only thing that could improve this experience would be if it lasted longer - we didn't want to leave! As our vacation progressed on O'ahu and then Moloka'i, we would ask, "What's your favorite thing so far? and the answer was always Nai Noa. Incredible! read more

It's so clear how much the staff loves these animals. Our family really enjoyed swimming with the dolphins and learning about their lifestyle. I would recommend this adventure to all ages. It truly is a unique experience. read more

Had an amazing time!! It was fun, educational and amazing experience. The staff was great!! Thank you for the amazing time.

My husband and me did the private dolphin adventure and it was a once in a lifetime experience. If you love dolphins this is a must when in Oahu. read more

Took my son to Kahala because hes 5 and he REALLY wanted to swim with the dolphins. I was hesitant. We shouldnt have come, as we left sad. Dolphin Quest likes to paint themselves as eco friendly animal protectors, but they aren't. First thing we learn is that the males and females are seperated from eachother. Females sent to big island, males on oahu. Im no marine biologist but breaking up the pod seems messed up on its face. My son noticed injuries all over the dolphins. He asked why and was told that the dolphins occassionally attack eachother. ATTACK EACHOTHER? Maybe because their enclosure is too small? Maybe because they are separated from their mothers at weaning? We stayed at the hyatt centric in waikiki. One of the managers used to work for dolphin quest. She told us that after the mother was seperated from her male baby, she cried for weeks. It was so heartbreaking that the lady quit. Anyway, when my 5 year old asked about the injuries as a kid would, the 'trainers' acted uncomfortable and speechless. Really? You dont have a canned, cute response? This is the first kid to ask this question? Same for when the sex organ popped out. Uncomfortable all around. Later they tell us we can 'ride the dolphin' although technically 'riding' the animals, or grabbing onto them is not allowed. Instead we are told to put our hands at the front of their side fins and 'don't grab on, just push really, really hard on their body' to make ourselves grip onto the dolphins. After our encounter, we realized we didnt have towels and dolphin quest doesnt provide them. We were out of luck. We tried to go into the hotel bathroom but were told that as dolphin quest customers, we were forbidden from entering the hotel WHO'S GROUNDS THEY OPERATE ON! Ok, my little guy needs to use the bathroom and put some dry underwear on. We figured out ourselves that if we had a burger in their restaurant, Kahala Mandarin would not only let us use their bathroom but also give us a towel. Sorry but the dolphins seemed sad, lonely and too cooped up. I am not an animal activist. You could sushi these guys and Id eat them, but my heart felt for how they were being treated. read more

This attraction is pricey, but the small group size means you get more interaction. I took my 5-year-old son, and we both loved it. The trainers were great about making sure everyone has interaction (for pictures) and learns a bit more about dolphins. I do feel bad that the dolphins are in such a small enclosure, but hopefully there was a larger space for them that I didn't see. The pictures are super pricey, but I expected that. You also get 4 hours of free parking at the hotel, so we took the opportunity to enjoy the lovely and calm beach. read more

Dolphin Quest - Tours Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

What a FUN and educational experience! To be honest, I was initially torn about spending money towards a "dolphin experience" but after speaking with the employees of Dolphin Quest and having the chance to observe the dolphins and their trainers, I went for it and I'm so glad I did! My first interaction with Dolphin Quest was with a friendly and very helpful guy named Ben! He was patient and extremely informative with all of the questions I presented him with -- ranging from questions about the dolphins and how they are cared for, to safety protocols due to COVID19, to the different programs available, etc. I ended up going with the "Dolphin Encounter" program option and this allowed for 25 minutes of interaction with the dolphins. As an added bonus - we signed up to do this during the week and we were able to take advantage of the "buy 1 get 1 free" deal. (Thank you, Ben!) Our experience was AWESOME. We were paired up with one of the trainer's -- and her terrific energy definitely added to the adventure!(Thanks, Alexa!) The dolphin we were lucky enough to interact with was named Lono and WOW - what a majestic creature. The 25 minutes were spent in the water (above and below) and Alexa provided several different opportunities for us to interact with and learn more about Lono. She was also extremely informative and her love for these animals was crystal clear. Note: due to COVID19, a number of health and safety protocols were put in place but this didn't take away from the experience at all! If anything - it was really nice to go into this without all of the typical crowds! This was a terrific experience and if you are looking for an up close and personal encounter - Dolphin Quest Oahu won't disappoint. Additionally, it's beyond clear that they care deeply about the dolphins they work with on a daily basis, and they are eager to share their knowledge. Thanks again, Dolphin Quest Oahu! read more

I took my mom here for her 68th birthday, as she's always wanted to swim with the dolphins. She had such a fun time and the trainer was very helpful in assisting her in and out of the water. It was one of her favorite activities from our trip - highly recommend! read more

I'd always been curious to meet a dolphin and I'm so glad that I did as I now have a newfound love and appreciation for them. The dolphin encounter exceeded my expectations. We were able to swim next to, feed, and play with the dolphin. The trainer was extraordinarily kind, patient, and a wealth of information. You'll want to add the photo package to savor the memory. Plus, know that part of your expense goes to dolphin research! read more

This was literally one of my best experiences yet, deff one for the checked bucket list. The staff were so friendly and engaged with the whole group and the environment was very nice! MUST GO!! read more

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Awesome experience for our 2- 13 yr old grands Would highly recommend we did the 1 hour experience swim with dolphins Girls loved it I have researched a couple months ago for the best dolphin experience this one out of five I researched was the one we chose Annette exceeded our expectations Do it read more

Reason I give this 1 star rating is because of the Management not because of the Dolphins because they were amazing! My son (14) and I are from California and just visiting on Vacation. This is the second time here in Hawaii and unfortunately last time we were here back in 2019 we didn't get a chance to swim/interact with the Dolphins so this time around we made sure it was included in our plans! Now as you know some Teens aren't very excited to do much of anything especially with Mom or dad now a days (Typical Teen) so I was extremely pleased when my son agreed to go swim with the Dolphins! So I made the appointment for today March 5th 2021. Our appointment was at 2pm and unfortunately we had a slight delay with the parking garage upon leaving our hotel which caused us to be late. We got a phone call from Jade the General Manager in Hawaii at Dolphin Quest at exactly 1:55 asking our ETA which i said we were 10 min away. We did arrive at 2:05 as promised but had to Valet because we are with my elderly mother of (71) and needs assistance in walking and taking out her walker from our vehicle so by the time we finally made it to the Dolphin Quest it was 2:10. By the time we dressed out and signed our paperwork we were in the water about 2:15. 2:30 comes and we were told our Dolphin experience was over. Ummmm.... we were in the water for 15 min and paid full price of $229 per person. Once we got out and asked about why it was only 15 min Jade the manager informed us because we were late. My question was well if we were informed that our time was cut in half due to the fact that we were late then I would have simply rescheduled. She then said it would have been $75 to reschedule which if I was informed of it before hand I would have done so! The problem i have is I was late yes, but was not informed that I had the option to reschedule because I would have simply done so. I wanted my son and I to have the best experience of a lifetime being this was our first time but instead it turned into a nightmare! No one informed us that since we were gonna be late it was taking time away from our experience with the dolphins because would I have known I would have paid the $75 and rescheduled! Then at that Jade didn't offer us anything for the miscommunication or even an apology! She was extremely rude and unprofessional especially for being a General manager! She offered us to come back on Sunday and get our "10 min in that we missed" Go figure. Nothing else was offered for the miscommunication which was extremely disappointing especially being for the price you pay.. i acknowledged i was late but she didn't once acknowledge that she should have informed us that time would be taken away from us being late.. I am extremely disappointed in her not informing us we could simply reschedule for a fee or even informing us that if were late its taking time away from our experience. That information would have been extremely helpful. So caution beware that if you are late you will end up not getting the full experience that you paid for! I'm more disappointed that for our first time it was a complete nightmare! The Dolphins were amazing though and the trainers were great! The General manager definitely needs some more training and to learn that being nice and having compassion takes you a long way! Not to mention communication! Life happens and im sure im not the first or last to be late. In the end she offered a refund of half my money back which I accepted but if you think about it I basically paid for half the time $229 for 15 min. read more

The plus is the dolphins are clearly extremely well treated and taken care of. This is one of the only certified humane dolphin encounters. However - I can't say we had the best experience. We were randomly split into two groups and the group across from us was extremely interactive. They swam out with the dolphins, learned a variety of hand signals and had the chance to use some of the various toys and training tools. Our group had the opportunity to pet and pose for a lot of pictures. I completely understand and respect that different dolphins on different days have different energy levels and abilities - but then please have the two groups swap places so everyone has the same experience. I had a very sad 10 year old who couldn't understand why the group - with same age kids - got to do so much more. read more

The wife and I had an amazing time. Did the hour encounter and it exceeded my expectations. Spent a lot of time with the dolphins as we were lucky enough to be the only ones who booked that time slot. Once in a lifetime experience and even though it is not cheap. Was well worth the money we spent. I would highly recommend everyone who ever wanted to do it, to do this one. It was great and the people who run it were amazing. Afterwards there is a beach at the resort that is pretty amazing too. So you can make a day of it. read more

It was very nice! We had our party of 3 plus 2 others. We got one on one time, fun opportunities and amazing photos. My granddaughter got to swim with the dolphin, Noa. We really did love it and highly recommend! read more

Dolphin Quest - Our Dolphin - Tours Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Honestly one of the best experience from our trip. The staff is so sweet and helpful. They were able to take all of our group at the same time despite having different schedule times. I recommend buying the pictures, they take plenty and it's so worth it. read more

Wonderful experience! Wee for Tots was a bit expensive for 10-15min, but it was very fun, the trainers and employee were extremely friendly and hospitable. Looking forward to receiving my pictures soon! read more

We had so much fun interacting with the dolphins. Our trainer was very knowledgeable and made sure everyone in our group was comfortable. She eased my daughter, who was a little nervous, into the water by starting her out with some basic interactions. This was by far our favorite memory from our trip to Oahu! read more

This was an awesome experience for our family! The staff was awesome and truly showed their care for the dolphins. Getting in the water with these awesome animals in a friendly way toward them (don't ride them, swim alongside and give them commands to do tricks they've learned). Can't say enough good things about this. If you're looking for a unique experience for you and your family, this is a must do! read more

OMG!!!! It was the best experience I've ever had. Try try try this!!!! No more questions!!! Just once in your life time!! Great tips! 1. Kama aina discount (bring your ID) 2. 30min is enough (when you pay more, you will expect too much) 3. Photo is super expensive( one print-$19 : crazy) With Kama aina rate, 30 min was about $200 but it worth!!! You will meet 2 dolphins and touch them and interact with them. Those volunteered cute creatures were soooo amazing. If you are two, I would recommend each person do different time session so that the other can take some pictures. You can't bring your water proof camera. My husband took my pictures near the lagoon but I bought 3 printed pictures ....$45....Boo. It was 2:00, the strong sunlight reflected to the water which gave him hard time taking my pictures. read more

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Some little girls want a pony, when I was little I wanted a dolphin for our pool. I've been dreaming of swimming with dolphins for a long time, so my date with the dolphins couldn't come soon enough. We were also considering the Royal Swim with Dolphins at Sea Life Park since you get to do the "foot push" and "dorsal tow" with 2 dolphins...but we opted for less tourist traffic at Dolphin Quest. We did the Dolphin Duo - didn't want to share no dolphin with other strangers. Nuh-uh! :P Our trainer was the sweet Debra. She was great at explaining the differences between all their dolphins, how they care for them, and positive reinforcement training techniques. The dolphins never do anything they don't want to do. There is an album of all the dolphins and Debra taught us their names, personality traits, and distinctive markings. From a sample album, you get to choose 3 different poses for your photographs. There is a photographer taking pictures throughout the session. You're not obligated to buy, but you're really going to want a memento of this truly unique experience. Before the dolphin interaction, we also chose the type of activities we wanted to do with the dolphins. We picked tricks and medical check-up. Seeing and touching the dolphins up close was amazing. They are so smooth and powerful. We saw one dolphin at a time. Debra showed us some hand signals and we got the dolphins to perform some tricks. You're also given a life jacket, snorkel, and goggles so that you can see them swim underwater. I wish the session was longer. The Dolphin Duo is only 45 minutes. It was all over too soon, but it's still worth it if you're a big dolphin lover. If you're not a Kahala hotel guest, take a look around and walk along the beach - it's a beautiful property. If you park in the lot, make sure to get your parking validated before you leave. The parking attendants out front gave us a hard time about validating. They said we needed to go back to Dolphin Quest, but by that time, they had already packed up for the day. So they go, "okay...that'll be 12 dollars." What? I just dropped 700 freakin' bucks at the hotel and parking was supposed to be included. They said we needed to talk to the concierge. Over at the concierge desk, she was busy with a wedding and didn't understand why we were sent over to her. We went back to the parking guys and showed them our Dolphin Quest receipt. After scrutinizing it, they finally they gave in. Pretty ridiculous. Don't know why they couldn't have asked us for the receipt on their own. For your dolphin photos, you can view and order online or you can go back in person a few days later and they'll print out your pics while you wait. We went back and a lot of the photos turned out great. All the girls working there were so nice and friendly. Especially the girl taking pics...didn't catch her name, but she has a bf from Maui, a friend living in San Mateo, and a piercing in her hand...anyways, she was awesome and really took care of us! Thanks chica! Highly recommended. read more

Dolphin Quest - Dolphin Quest at The Kahala - Tours Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Worth every bit of the $500 for 2 price tag on this activity. For about an hour, you along with 4 other mammals (not counting the dolphins) frolic about the pool with dolphins and their trainers while feeding, petting and swimming right along side them. You don't get to hitch a ride on their dorsal fin as they do laps around the pool like you see on TV. That ain't right anyway. How would you like it if I hooked a wagon on your side belt loop so you can cart me around the city---yeah, didn't think so. The beautiful and elegant Kahala Hotel hosts Dolphin Quest. Come a little early and stay after the program and enjoy some of the luxuries this hotel has to offer: a pool steps away from a public access beach with little to no crowds, beachside chairs and towels and your very own hot poolboys, many of whom I've aptly named Coco. read more

My daughter wanted one thing for her birthday on our trip to Hawaii. To swim with dolphins. We were all glad that she did. We had 5 in our group, and we had the greatest time in the world. The trainers and employees were all just spectacular in the way were treated and made sure that we had a great time. One down side. We were told we could use the hotel accommodations for the day, except the pool, but a hotel employee kicked us off the beach in an incredibly rude fashion. We will never go there again, but would consider doing the Dolphin Quest again for sure. read more

Fun experience. They follow all COVID protocols. The adults and kids enjoyed the dolphin experience. Swimming with the dolphins had a minimum age limit of 5-years old and we had one that was 3-1/2 so we opted just for the dolphin experience on the dock. Staff was friendly and knowledgeable and explained everything very well and were very helpful with any questions. Experience wasn't too long (maybe 10 minutes or so) and included some dolphin tricks, touching, and feeding of the dolphins. I think its worth it to do once in your lifetime and I guess the price is to help them properly care for the dolphins. read more

My kids join the "kids aquatic adventure" under age 10 program. This program is only once a day start at 9 am. If u are lucky like us, my kids were the only 2 signed up and it's like a private tour :) In 90 minutes program, only 20 mins are with the dolphin which is enough for little kids, but the rest of the 70 mins are pack with fun and educational too .. Learn about sea turtle life cycle and feed the sting ray, understanding different type of whales size and check out the extracted whales teeth. The best highlight of our Hawaii vacation read more

Dolphin Quest - The only 2 trained stingray in the whole world with the sweetest nicest trainer - Tours Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I was at the Oahu location at Kahala Resort. Was so impressed at the humane conditions the dolphins had and how they were treated. I had the 35 min Adventure and it was incredible! So much touching, hugging, kissing, giving commands, swimming with the three dolphins in lagoons. Trainers were wonderful! Def recommended read more

Dolphin Quest is absolutely amazing. It's clear that the employees there absolutely love their jobs and love what they do. They take good care of their animals and are so educational based. I recommend giving them your business. It's so amazing. If you ever see a blonde interpreting American Sign Language there, that's me! The educational experiences are so great. They are really geared towards animal preservation and sustainable environments. They really do have a great area and its completely natural. While they do not do the entertainment aspect, it is so much more intimate and touching. They had Liho on the beaching mat and let my family have a picture with him. These guys instilled in my son that he can help animals. He is determined that in 13 years he'll be volunteering for Dolphin Quest. He thought petting Liho was the coolest thing ever and has his little career pamphlet on his wall. He's 5. If you can, do the stingray experience. seriously, it's one of the coolest experiences ever, aside from swimming with the dolphins. Stingrays are one of my favorite animals so I'm a little biased. Again, give them your business, they're great. Thanks guys! See you again soon :). read more

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Incredible experience and had an amazing time. All the trainers and guides are fantastic and so caring for the sweet, happy and playful dolphins read more

I booked the kids only session for Dolphin Quest. Our kids (8 and 11 y.o.) loved it. The first hour is education. This may have been longer than necessary. Then the last half hour is in the water with a dolphin, trainer and 5 kids total. The kids got to kiss the dolphin, play fetch with him, and get him to do tricks. I wish the interactive part was longer. The trainer was great. Very good with the kids and knowledgeable. Few tips: Parking is validated for 4 hours. During the first hour of the session, you don't have to be with the kids. Hubbie and I went to restaurant to have coffee and fruit plate. If you are a AAA membership show your card and get a 10percent refund. At the end, they sell you pics. We went with the three digital images for $78(incl tax). Then I loaded the files to Costcophoto and ordered large prints for cheap. read more

Favorite part of the trip for my daughter by far. Photos were amazing. Our guide (Taryn - probably not spelled correctly) was awesome. She answered all our questions and was great with us and the dolphins read more

I would actually give it a 4.5 if that option was available- only for the $$ factor and 1/2 hr exactly! The trainer was excellent and did make it fun and interactive for myself and younger granddaughter~ and that is what I wanted ((Just other spots on the island are not quite as costly.)) read more

Wow, what a fantastic experience. My wife and I were looking for a great place on Oahu to swim with the Dolphins, and I couldn't have asked for a better place to do so. We got to spend 30 minutes total with two different dolphins, and we were thoroughly impressed with how well trained and amazing these creatures were. The trainers were very professional and the experience overall was amazing, I would highly recommend this experience to anybody visiting Oahu. This place is a must visit, my wife and I had the best time! read more

My daughter loved this experience. The people who run this are fantastic, knowledgeable and super friendly. I didn't realize the location is inside a 5 star luxury hotel. Beautiful grounds and beach location. Definitely recommend!! read more

We decided to swim with a dolphin here after being referred by a friend, and I am so happy we did. We went with one other couple and there was a man and his kid that joined our group. We liked That there were different things to do with the dolphin, such as feeding him fish, waving or moving our hands so he would do all sorts of tricks, swimming next to him, watching him twirl around under water, and holding his flippers for a photo op. The one thing I would change is that because you are in a group setting, certain members got to try different things, but not everyone did the same thing. For example, some group members were able to swim next to the dolphin, while others were just splashed by him. We purchased the top tier package and it went by wayyyy too fast. I wish we could have had at least 15 minutes more in the water with him. That would have made me completely satisfied. Overall though, it was a memorable and amazing day. I think it is a must try experience, at least once. read more

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