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    Iruka Hawaii Dolphin

    4.3 (119 reviews)
    Open 7:00 am - 9:00 pm

    Iruka Hawaii Dolphin Photos

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    Zhuqjn L.

    We booked a dolphin tour through Indigo Ocean Hawaii LLC. The night before departure, we suddenly received a text saying our booking was transferred to another company. We only got a vague email after 10 PM, and the next morning we almost missed the bus because the phone line said "not working hours." Very unprofessional and stressful. We were handed off to Iruka Hawaii LLC, which was even worse: * Two guides - one only interacted with white customers, the other only with Japanese customers. As two Chinese female guests, we were completely ignored. * We clearly told them we were beginners, but once in the water, no one helped. My mask leaked, I choked several times, and no one cared. Extremely unsafe! * The captain told people "don't hesitate, just jump," but no real guidance or safety support was provided. * Equipment quality was poor. * The worst part: at the end, the Japanese guide handed dolphin keychains to every Japanese guest (adults and kids), but skipped us. We only got one after we asked for it ourselves. That kind of treatment felt discriminatory and disrespectful. Later we learned this is a common scam in Hawaii's tour industry: companies take bookings, then dump guests on others if group sizes don't fit, pocketing the price difference. Real quality and safety are not guaranteed. And it's not just us. Other tourists have reported the same issues: last-minute tour transfers, lack of care, discriminatory treatment, and serious safety concerns. Bottom line: Both Indigo Ocean and Iruka Hawaii are unprofessional, unsafe, and discriminatory. We strongly do NOT recommend them. If you value safety, fairness, and respect, avoid these companies at all costs.

    M W.

    Iruka was amazing to work with! Our originally booked tour never showed up. Iruka was at the same location as the one that never showed. Iruka's staff bent over backwards to help get us on one of their Oahu dolphin tours that was leaving that same morning. No one made us feel badly for the all-extra effort spent getting us onto the boat. The staff on our boat were: Tim, Tim, Travis, Drew, Gaylen, Fuko, and Yuya. During the tour all staff were amazing and friendly. They clearly explained what to expect during the tour and what to consider before jumping into the water. For example, to be in the water near the dolphins, you will need to jump into the water while the boat is moving and them swim quickly away from the boat with the staff. This information was really important because it allowed my mom to make the smart decision to stay on the boat instead of going into the water as originally planned. Despite staying on the boat, Mom enjoyed watching the dolphins swimming and jumping. In fact, she probably had a better view of the dolphins than those of us in the water. The staff were wonderful with both adults and kids. I watched them help kids who started to panic in the water. They were great at calming them down and provided any additional assistance they could to make everyone's tour enjoyable. I greatly recommend this company to anyone looking to do tours.

    Lovely and sweet dolphins
    Summer F.

    A wonderful experience with wonderful crew! Drew, Sean, Ken and especially Captain Steph provided exceptional customer service. They insured all passengers on our speed boat were able to swim with dolphins! Safe, friendly, and so respectful to the ocean. My family and I loved them!

    So beautiful!

    Army of dolphins is what we saw along with turtles! We Swam with them both 3 different times! Stef Ken Cristen were all amazing !! Recommend !

    Excellent service and amazing experience. Staff was absolutely perfect, from booking, pick up, boarding , boating, snorkeling and even picture taking. They focused on the people on the boat. 10 out of 10

    Spinning dolphins

    The crew was so friendly and funny, it made the amazing dive trips so fun that I did another trip with them 2 days later.. The dive with dolphins was the best dive I've ever done in hawaii !

    Koko M.

    I have now done the Oahu dolphin tour 3x and the Oahu turtle tour 1x. I first discovered them a year ago and had the absolute privilege of meeting the owner herself! What a treat, Yuriko is the sweetest and I'm ever so thankful our paths crossed. The dolphin tour out of Waianae Harbor is most definitely a show stopper! It was my first time ever swimming in open water with dolphins. I've been lucky enough to see spinner and spotted dolphins on this tour! The last time we lucked up on a nursing pod and there were wee babies too!!! Absolutely breathtaking experience on the double decker boat with a slide, climbing wall, paddle boards etc. While we were cruising around we crossed across another pod and one spotted dolphin in particular was having a ball jumping through our wake a few times! Hahahaha it was fantastic first time experience for me on that one too. I swear he was giggling at all of us squealing at how cool he was! Lol The dolphin tour comes with a light lunch, juice, and water. The turtle tour goes out of Waikiki and its a much smaller boat, really enjoyed the small group for that tour. Max and Nate make a great team! We got the early morning tour so had a nice sunrise cruise out to the turtle spot. Lucky enough to get there so early because it got super crowded after about an hour and a bunch of other boats showed up and those guests from the other boats were loud and splish splashing and well rude. After swimming around and away from the gobs of people our group got blessed with a young turtle that popped up right in front of our group and hung out for a bit before we packed it on up and headed back. The cruise back was just as beautiful as the ride out with the sunrise. Such a peaceful and beautiful experience. Bring your own light snacks and water bottles on the turtle cruise. For both tours. All gear is provided so just bring some reef safe sunblock, wear your swimsuit and enjoy the views. Highly recommend and cannot wait to take my next swim!

    had a great time during our experience! the crew was great, shout out to Wiley, tanner and Jake for making our time in the water safe and enjoyable!

    Anrana S.

    We used this company to snorkel with sea turtles. And had an absolutely amazing time. This is a smaller company with a smaller boat. So we were only 7 people on this trip. (Other boats out in turtle canyon had upwards of 50 people. Yikes). We had a nice ride out to Turtle canyon. Sean, our swim guide, was super helpful getting us all set up. We saw lots of turtles and lots of fish while out snorkeling. Plus we saw a pod of dolphins swim by. After we were all done snorkeling, the captain took us out to chase dolphins for a bit before heading back to port. It was a really amazing morning.

    What a great crew we had for this trip. Capt. Ali, Vivian, Parker, Maki and Sam. Mahalo to you all. Safe and comfort for all of their guests onboard.

    Captain Nate and Max!

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    Fun experience. The crew is extremely friendly and nice. Highly recommend!!! We did the sunset tour and the kids loved it.

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    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - Iruka Hawaii Dolphin

    Review Highlights - Iruka Hawaii Dolphin

    Extra brownie points to Captain Nate, Maki, and Max for making my first snorkeling experience wonderful!

    Mentioned in 6 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    Hawaii Ocean Charters

    Hawaii Ocean Charters

    5.0
    (142 reviews)
    0.3 mi
    Locally owned & operated
    Certified professionals

    Semi-Private Snorkel Tour --7:15 AM Departure…read more If you're debating whether the early departure is worth it-- it absolutely is. Being the first boat out in the morning makes a huge difference. The ocean was calm, conditions were excellent, and we weren't surrounded by multiple tour boats. For long stretches it genuinely felt like we had the reef to ourselves. Sam and Ella were in-cred-ible. Professional, knowledgeable, and very clearly people who love what they do. They struck the perfect balance of being attentive while still letting everyone enjoy the experience naturally. We felt extremely safe the entire time, and they were just genuinely joyful humans to spend the morning with. And I have to mention the turtles. We saw at least eight. Not just in the distance-- they were everywhere. Below us in the reef, gliding past us at the surface, popping up for air unexpectedly. At one point we were actively looking around just to make sure we weren't about to bump into one. Also...calling them "little" would be inaccurate. Some of these turtles were big-- absolutely stunning animals. Swimming alongside them, surrounded by hundreds of reef fish, was one of those rare travel moments that sticks with you. A core memory, without question. -- San Diego

    Sam and Maci were amazing tour guides. Highly recommend booking on their smaller -6 person max…read morecatamaran for a much more elevated experience. Top notch snorkel gear, comfortable catamaran with awesome seating. Maci was awesome at pointing out all the sea life to our group. Sam was a very welcoming captain. I only wish we did this earlier on in our trip and were able to book a second adventure.

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    It's Turtle Time! Come swim with these massive creatures on our Turtle Snorkel Adventure
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    Hawaii Nautical - Waikiki

    Hawaii Nautical - Waikiki

    4.6
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    my sons and I went snorkeling to see sea turtles. We had a great crew Captain Topher, Greta and…read moreNatalie. Everyone was super helpful especially when one of my boys got sea sick and had to be swam back to the boat. We had a very private tour since there was only 8 people, but when we went to snorkel there were 100 people from 4-5 other catamarans. We were very lucky Natalie kept an eye on all of us and helped point out turtles. We had a great experience highly recommend

    We had such a great time snorkeling with the turtles! The day started off really well--the driver…read morewas on time and in the correct location. The only small suggestion (not really a complaint) would be to let guests know the exact pier and gate ahead of time, as we were just dropped off without much direction. The boat itself was beautiful and very clean. The staff was fantastic--friendly, professional, and they gave clear directions along with a thorough safety briefing. The ride out to Turtle Bay was absolutely beautiful, with great music that really set the vibe. It also wasn't crowded, which made the experience even better. The snorkeling was amazing! We saw tons of fish and even spotted two turtles, which was definitely a highlight. Afterward, the light lunch was perfect--just what we needed after being in the water. Captain Nick (I think that was his name!) took us a bit farther out, and we were lucky enough to see whales, which made the day even more special. Huge shoutout to the crew--Hadley and Andrea were wonderful. Hadley even joined us in the water, which made the experience feel more personal and fun. Overall, it was an excellent day with an incredible crew. Highly recommend!

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    Prince Kuhio Tours

    Prince Kuhio Tours

    3.9
    (268 reviews)
    0.1 mi
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    Location 3.5: Kewalo Harbor off of Ala Moana Blvd in Honolulu Oahu, Hawaii. This is a few miles to…read morethe west of Waikiki beach and not a short walk from there. You can drive, take a taxi, bus or Uber, or the Prince Kuhio staff can arrange pickup and drop off for you at an additional cost. There is plenty of paid parking at the harbor. Service 5: Super nice and friendly staff, all the way from the reception team to the photographer, the servers, the bartender, the chef and the captain. Ambiance 5: The enthusiasm of the staff rubs off on the guests. It is a happy gathering with breathtaking views. We took the Friday night dinner-cruise which lasted longer (and was more costly) so that we could enjoy the Hilton Hawaiian Village fireworks. The ship 3: The Prince Kuhio was first commissioned in 1984 as a passenger ferry. In 2020, she became part of the Prince Kuhio Tours family and was converted for use in scenic dining cruises. It can accommodate up to 138 passengers with plenty of outdoor and indoor space for dining, cocktails, and sightseeing. The upper, open deck where we sat, has 2 person and 4 person tables with all bench seats facing forward. The set up is optimized for sightseeing which is great. Viewing-wise, every seat is a good seat. Accommodation-wise, the setup is simple and not really fine-dining; hard seats with no cushioning, no tablecloths or cloth napkins, no metal silverware and no glassware. There is a bar facing the dining tables which at the time of our visit in August 2025 only served soft drinks and non-alcoholic mixers. For some undisclosed reason no alcohol was being sold on board but guests were encouraged to bring their own, which we did! Not sure if this is a long-term situation or temporary. The alcohol situation is not clearly stated on their website so if you plan to be drinking you might want to inquire ahead of time whether you should bring your own. The lower deck is enclosed and views are limited compared to the upper deck. The admission price for the lower deck is a little less ($115 vs. $132 at the time of our visit). The restrooms are aft on the lower deck. Again pretty basic. Boarding and seating 3: We got there plenty of time ahead of the scheduled boarding but there was already a long line outside. There was very little supervision. The line was disorganized and people were cutting in and jumping the line. We were greeted cheerfully at the entrance, checked in, and photographed for a separately-sold souvenir photo. Although we had paid for upper deck seating as a family of four, by the time we got there all tables were taken. Again there was no supervision by the staff and it was kind of a "free for all". We had to personally negotiate with the other guests (who had spread out over multiple tables) to secure a 4-seat table. This was a little chaotic and unexpected. Food 4: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner have different menus. We had taken the Sunset Dinner Cruise. Dinner included a garden salad, an entrée and a dessert (cheesecake). For the entrée, you are limited to Fish (Catch of the Day) or Beef Short Ribs. We all had the fish and it was delicious and nicely plated. Given the amount of people that they feed in as short as a time, I do not know how they do it but it came out really well. We met the chef who was going around and meeting the guests after the dinner was served, and he told us that everything is done fresh and on premises in real time. Hats off to the chef and the staff! Drinks 3: As mentioned earlier, they only served soft drinks and mixers at the time of our visit in August 2025. No alcohol was sold on board but patrons were encouraged to bring their own. Suggest you check ahead of time with Prince Kuhio Tours whether this is still the situation. The Last Word 4: The breathtaking views, the friendly crew and the delicious (albeit limited in options) food offerings elevate this experience to a solid 4. I wish they could do better with the boarding process and the seating arrangements. Overall a great experience!

    Food: AMAZING! We had fish. It was tender and moist. The chef told us he was grilling it as we ate…read moresalad. The wasabi cream sauce made the dish with bok Choy, edamame beans, and rice. The salad had a really yummy sweet papaya sauce. Cheesecake standard but very yummy too! Best food on a boat. They even got our baby some fish and noodles and Cheetos. Service: Alex was so kind and attentive. My son got sea sick and she packed his food, gave me barf bags and a towel. She showed a spot where it was less rocky. She was lovely interacting with the children. Showed them all she decorated. Ambience: very chill vibe, clean bathrooms, Desiree was a cool bartender making everyone comfortable. It was very fun experience for our family. We got great pictures with Diamond head and the sunset. Captain was kind to take pictures while steering the ship. Loved it and will do again when Oahu!

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    Diamond head

    Iruka Hawaii Dolphin - snorkeling - Updated August 2026

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