We had the most incredible experience with Living Ocean Tours during our last visit to Oahu. We had…read moregone to Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve on a prior trip, but had not done anything guided and did not have any luck seeing turtles (though it was still beautiful and we saw plenty of fish). My partner loves turtles, which is why we were so eager to find a memorable experience during our next trip. We found the Living Ocean Tours Turtle Canyon experience through Viator and paid about $80/person which we felt was incredibly reasonable. We saw prior reviews stating that the best time to go is early morning, so we decided to take the first boat out. This was honestly a pro tip as we were not only one of three small groups on the boat, but were also the first boat out to the canyon making the experience feel intimate and memorable! We met the amazing crew who were so knowledgable, friendly, and safety-savvy. The ride itself took about 15 minutes each way. Once we arrived, we felt totally confident swimming out with the provided snorkels, life jackets, and flippers after completing the safety lecture. The crew also emphasized protection of wildlife, instructing us to do our very best to stay 10 ft away or more from the turtles. At times, the turtles would come close to us without our knowledge, so we were also instructed on how to gently swim away when this occurred to maintain safe distance. We spent about an hour and a half total in the water, which was more than enough time to see loads of turtles. When it was time to return, we enjoyed complimentary snacks and drinks on the boat. Thank you Living Ocean Tours for providing us with the experience of a lifetime! We would recommend Living Ocean Tours to friends, family, or anyone looking for a safe, comfortable, and immersive turtle viewing experience!

Amazing crew! Thats the number one thing, you can get on a boat and snorkel just about anywhere in…read moreHawaii and see amazing reef fish and wildlife, but to have such an educated and attentive crew was a big change compared to my usual snorkeling/diving excursions. Lola was our main guide and not only was she well educated, attentive, and a great tour guide -- she also would go above and beyond to make your tour incredible. None of the other guides from other companies got off their boards, let alone free dove 40ft to try to get the reef shark to leave its rock so everyone could see it. She also provided many of our crew with their own free dive instruction so that they could try as well. Amazing trip, amazing sights, even better crew!

Amazing service, very helpful, and quick! We got beach towels and a cooler for the week :) We will…read morealso come back to get our snorkel gear! I forgot the employees name but she even showed us how to navigate on the website! Would def recommend this place!

Great experience, excellent gear that fits comfortably. The clerk gave us some good tips for my…read morebeginner snorkeler too! I love that they have a night drop box, if needed. Will be back next time we're in town.

I think it's a pretty cool beach to hang around if you are in the area. You get a good view of…read moreWaikiki and Diamond Head. I personally stop by here when I run for a break to chill and watch the waves. Definitely a cool beach to chill. There's a lot of tourists at this location - just a forewarning which is why I don't like to stay too long. Wherever there's tourists I absolutely cannot - but definitely if you happen to be in the area and you see it along the way it's worth a moment to stop and enjoy the views.

Nice to see the monk seals. At least they moved around a bit before the sunset. No rain so just…read morecool trade wind. Glad I found parking. Seals will be here a few weeks.

I was so surprised how much I enjoyed this excursion! I live in Hawaii but I wanted to do something…read morenew when my son was with me. We ha d a great time with the captain and the ladies who worked there. Outgoing personality and the best part was the dog named Sushi! We were extremely lucky to see some dolphins on our way back and they swam so close to us! We saw some turtles when we went swimming but I have to say that it was sort of crowded with the other boats around. It was difficult to really swim around with so many people. Other than that, we saw a few honu's and enjoyed the lovely swim! Highly recommend this excursion!

It was my first snorkel experience and I am so happy we did it. Cap'n Crash was awesome and made…read moresure everyone was safe and Shannon and Lucy were so attentive to everyone and informative. I highly recommend! We also went on the sunset tour with Cap'n Crash and Lucy and that was also beautiful! Thank you for making this an awesome experience!

Lanikai beach is by far one of the most beautiful hidden beaches on Oahu! It's a half-mile strip of…read morepowdery white sand and turquoise water on Oahu's windward coast in Kailua, Hawaii. The beach itself features iconic views of the twin Mokulua Islands. On a clear day you can actually see the sandy beaches on Mokulua Islands. The popular Lanikai Pillbox Hike sits right above the neighborhood for amazing panoramic coastal views. Please note: zero amenities exist directly at the beach (no public restrooms, showers, lifeguards, or trash cans). Fortunately, some of the locals have placed trash bins near the beach entry ways. Parking is easily accessible if you don't mind walking. Parking directly on Mokulua Drive and Aalapapa Drive is permanently banned. Visitors typically park at Kailua Beach Park (about 0.8 miles away) and walk or bike over. We found parking on a side road a few blocks away (didn't get towed) and we stayed for several hours.

Soft sand, warm water, turquoise water, and beautiful views…read more The only downsides are that there are no bathrooms and no dedicated parking. However, we were able to find street parking in the nearby neighborhood pretty easily. There is another beach close by with restrooms if you need to wash up and clean up afterward. I love how calm this beach is with no waves. Easy for weak or non swimmers.

Nyle was an amazing guide! We had such a great time! She was super accommodating and helped my…read moresister who was nervous to snorkel and she stayed by her side the entire time. We saw fish and even got to see two turtles!! Definitely would recommend!!!

I feel like we lucked into having the best experience of all the people we saw in Hanauma Bay that…read moreday. Nyle was the difference maker - I felt sorry for everyone else who only got to see what was in close. She showed us so much more and we had a great time. Nyle was everything you'd want in a guide and she even sent us great photos and videos afterward. If you aren't going to snorkel with Nyle, I would recommend doing something else.

Omg! This was hands down one of my favorite adventures in Oahu! Tom, Savannah, and Bella were…read moreamazing! They were so accommodating! We were able to bring our own food and drink. Tom was such a great cook! So cool to be able to bbq on the water. Savanah and Bella set out all of our food and things we brought to feast. Loved that they captured special moments and took pictures. Sometimes you're having so much fun that you forget to capture the moments. Also appreciated that I could play my music on the boat. We went snorkeling and sailed for 4 hours! Seems like a long time but it felt more like 1 hour. Time flies while you're having fun! We saw lots of fish and my favorite!... Honu! I definitely recommend using this company! You won't be disappointed! I would love to go back and have this experience again. It definitely created some awesome family memories!

Went on vacation to Honolulu with 10 friends to celebrate a big 5-O birthday. This catamaran…read moreexperience was amazing and perfect for our group. A couple of us jumped in the water (cocktails were involved) and floated on their Lily Pad for a bit. The views were spectacular, as you can see. They also let us choose our own music, BOYB and snacks. Mahalo!

This was one of my favorite spots in Hawaii. 3 different couples were taking wedding photos when i…read morewas there so it definitely has great scenery from the lookout as well down on the beach. It's more of a quick stop rather then a ling beach stay due to the rough currents. There is a small parking lot, but everyone is in and out

With the famous blowhole behind, this is the famous cove used in many movies and TV shows. This is…read morea gorgeous spot to enjoy the scenery and think about the celebrities who have visited! Hey, you can join their ranks! I opted to not join the crowd, so my face is not in the photo.

If you haven't made a visit yet to Kaneohe Bay Sandbar, do it asap because this is a once in a…read morelifetime experience. I had the hesitation to book it due to the fact my son is on the spectrum and wasn't sure how he was going to react during the experience. Took the chance and made a reservation through Hawaii Ocean Sports. They took us on a boat to access the beautiful Sandbar. It's nestled in the middle of the ocean 3 miles stretch of sand. Unfortunately, we ended up doing the afternoon tour where high tides took place water level up to our necks. During our ride there, we were served lunch consisting of a turkey sandwich, fruits, and a cookie. Very filling as we were on to our destination while we listened to live music entertaining us along the way. Snacks, towels, drinks, and a bar are available for additional cost. As we approached the Sandbar, we were required to do a brief safety class before heading into the beautiful water. My kids and I were surprised how magnificent the Sandbar was. Definitely a true paradise where our dreams came true. I didn't think I would ever experience this kind of beauty. My son and I were terrified at first as we entered the water, but our life jackets saved us as we were floating. Lots of activities offered which are part of the package including SUP, kayaking, volleyball, snorkeling, or relaxing at the dock while sipping on drinks. We mainly enjoyed ourselves floating in the ocean. The current did get a little rough as it started to pour rain right before heading back to the marina. One advice is to head out early onto the boat before everyone does because the changing and bathrooms can get wet with dirty grounds. Music was blasting with great hits as we ended the day. Made my son and I stand up desiring to dance. Truly this is an unforgettable magical experience. You bet I will make a reservation again when we return to Oahu next year!

Beautiful place make sure you have enough information about the tides and how high the water is at…read morethe Sandbar Island. Kaneohe Bay Ocean Spots took us there. People who work there have great souls and with them this adventure was great even though the water was high.

Driver accused us of parking in his "space" at the Koko Marina Shopping Center parking lot near…read moreWalgreens. No parking stalls are reserved in that area. He called my husband an asshole. That's not how you treat kupuna who are residents in the area you own a business. Spend your money elsewhere and find a business who treats everyone with aloha. I wish I could give them zero stars.

We love snorkeling and were planning a trip to Oahu this month. We knew snorkeling on the North…read moreShore was out due to the high surf, so that left Hanauma Bay as our best opportunity. We know the state now has a lottery that requires you to sign up 2 days in advance, and the tickets go quickly. We did not want to risk not getting to go, so we booked an excursion, as they are given spaces for their guests.I checked the reviews and choices and booked with Hanauma Bay Snorkel Adventures several weeks before our trip. We know that mornings are best for water clarity and calmer surf - and we've found the fish tend to be more abundant in the AM, so we booked the morning slot. We received emails and were told the van would pick us up at our Waikiki hotel at 5:40 a.m. We were waiting a few minutes, and then the van came to our hotel. We climbed in, and with 2 other couples and the driver, we were off in the dark. First stop was their dive shop - on the way, on the other side of Diamond Head. Snorkel gear was distributed (we brought our own), and then we climbed into the van and drove a short distance to the Hanauma Bay entrance. We gathered as a small group and went into the park together (you'll bring $25 cash each person for the Hanauma Bay ticket - not included in the excursion payment). There is a mandatory short movie (around 15 minutes) that is primarily a primer to keep the reef and marine life safe. We took the free tram down to the bay (you can also walk - a bit of a steep hill). They have bathrooms with changing stalls at the beach. We were on the beach as the sun's first rays shone across the bay - it was a beautiful morning. We got in 3 separate snorkel sessions going out into zone 2 (through the buoys and past the first reef) where it's deeper, and we saw greater numbers of fish. If this is your first time snorkeling or you are less experienced, I would caution you to check with the lifeguards on the beach before doing this.About 3 hours later, it was time to pack up, and we took the tram to the top, where we waited a few minutes with the group we traveled with in the morning. Our van showed up and drove us straight back to our hotel. We very much enjoyed the day, but honestly would have preferred to be on our own so we could choose when we wanted to leave. But for many who visit Oahu and stay in Waikiki, this is a good way to snorkel at Hanauma Bay. NOTE: I do see a number of reviews that speak of rude staff and substandard transportation. Fortunately for us, we did not experience any of that on our trip.