Amazing time. Crew was very expressive on the trip and was very professional. Showed us dolphins when they didn't have to. Made sure everyone on the trip enjoyed and experienced something wonderful. Offered insight on anything, let us enjoy the water before showing us the manta rays. 10/10 experience and highly recommend! read more

We had a wonderful time with Tyler and Captain Alan. Really nice, down to earth people. We got two swims at lovely coves and a spin To Kona. Highly recommended. A memorable day. read more

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I had heard night snorkeling with the mantas was the most fun activity on the big island so we asked our hotel concierge to book it for us. They have it right at the Mauna Kea where we are staying, but require all snorkelers to be 12+. My newly turned 9 year old was eager to join in the fun so the concierge suggested the company that's for 9+. It was a 40 minute drive from the hotel, but worth it so the entire family could participate. We had a little trouble finding it, but after calling they told us to put "Jacks Diving Shop" into the gps and then it was easy. There are a few Jacks Diving Shops so make sure you have the right one. We arrived and the friendly man who checked us in couldn't find our name and then we realized that we were a day early. The problem with a fun vacay is that you don't know what day it is! Oops! He was super nice and tried to squeeze us in, but the boat was completely full so we had to go back the next night. The next night we make the drive (again). When we get there my middle child tells me he feels nauseous and throws up inside Jacks Diving Shop, which to be honest wasn't a bathroom i'd want to get sick in (not that i'd want to get sick in any bathroom). We decided putting him on a boat when sick wasn't the best idea so I drove him back to the hotel and missed out on the mantas again. Clearly not meant to be for me! A few hours later I went back to get the rest of my family and all claimed it was indeed the most fun activity they had done in Hawaii - and we had done a ton of activities during our trip. They did see a bunch of mantas, which apparently isn't always guaranteed and the night before there had been none so i guess it's good they didn't find room for us on the boat. Sad I missed out on the fun, but glad my husband and 2 of my kids absolutely loved it and I look forward to swimming with the mantas in the future. read more

I literally can not say enough positive things about this company and crew every single time we go out with them we are impressed. This is our 7th or so time boating with Wahine. This time we took a whale watching morning tour. Our captain was able to show us multiple whales, dolphins and even fit in a little snorkeling! My twin boys who are 4 have been out with Wahine 4 times, the first time when they were only 10 months old! This time the boys immediately took to Cade, he quickly became their friend. He was patient with them and allowed them to participate in the things he was doing. My boys cried when they had to get off the boat and leave their friend. My boys can't wait to go back to Hawaii to boat with Cade, let just hope he is still there when we come back next year! We will never boat with another company. Every single person, crew, we've ever experienced with Wahine has been fabulous. We highly recommend Wahine to everyone. If you are looking for a fantastic one of a kind experience, you need to book with Wahine. What are you waiting for, go book now. They are the absolute best. read more

Wahine Charters - Beautiful day on the sea with Wahine Charters - Boat Charters Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

COMPLETELY UNPROFESSIONAL & MONEY HUNGRY. Seemed so nice and helpful, they offered to reschedule us when I had questions about my child being ill, they OFFERED to re-book us to the next opening, which was then cancelled due to weather. They refused to refund us after that, because "we missed our originally scheduled time, and didn't cancel within 48 hours". I explained they offered to reschedule, and weather is a refundable issue. They FOUGHT and HARASSED me while I was on vacation, I ended up hanging up, they continued called saying they will NEVER refund us, and they will fight the charges to their last breath. I had to Block their harassing calls simply to fight with me. I contacted my credit card company, and they were appalled to hear the company treated me this way, took notes, promised an investigation, provisional refund immediately, permanently refunded me within 2 hours, and within a a couple hours of my initial phone call, I received a phone call from a different number from Wahine charters, apologizing to me, stating that I will be refunded by them by the end of the night. I didn't feel a need to discuss anything with such horrible people and insane business practices, nor did I want to talk to them and let them ruin my vacation forever than they already had, so I have no idea what happened. Initially, she laughed at me and didn't care at all when I informed them I was going to rebut the charges with my credit card company; because it clearly stated that canceling due to weather WAS a refundable issue. But for her to go from screaming at me and harassing me with multiple calls to then apologizing, not sure what happened as she indicated she was the top person (sounded very young). I decided to take a bit of time and reflect on the situation, before I posted this review. Because I originally went with them because of their positive reviews. It just goes to show, reviews are not all they've cracked up to be. Proceed with caution with this company's lack of business ethics and immoral practices. In response: it WASN'T a hurricane. I NEVER cancelled. I was OFFERED -without asking- to reschedule because there weren't enough other passengers anyhow! Always excuses with you guys. You have your timing all wrong with the credit card info. It was all settled that day with the credit card, can you have any more details wrong? I'd also appreciate you NOT using my PERSONAL INFO i.e. name - as I didn't. But thanks for putting PRIVATE information in your response like dates and other factors. SMH Continue to prove my case with your response! read more

Amazing! Allen and Tyler were great snorkeling guides. They were both full tips and information to make our experience the best. I got sea sick, and they went out of their way to make sure I still had a wonderful time! read more

Wahine Charters - Dolphins - Boat Charters Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Excellent experience on a snorkeling trip with the manarays..since this boat is docked further away from other boats, we were actually able to see a pod of whales pretty close! Manarays were plentiful. The Captain and guide were outstanding. We were a small group and we're not packed into a boat.. Highly recommend this team. Tom H read more

We had a great day out searching for Whales! The staff was great with communication and answering questions before the trip. read more

I cannot say enough great things about this group. We first booked the night manta ray experience based on ratings and reviews. I totally messed up the nights and Sam went out of her way to get us setup on the night I thought we had booked. Tyler and Alan took us out and we had one of the most memorable experiences of our lives. It was such a great experience that we then booked a snorkeling excursion. Again, memories made that we will never forget. This is a first rate organization that we will always use when we come to Kona. Book with them, you will not be sorry. read more

Wahine Charters - Boat Charters Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

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We did the sunset manta snorkel and had a great time! The team provided wet suits, snorkel gear, and noodles to help float. There was also some light snacks and drinks provided. The boat was a good size and clean. We were able to see quite a few Mantas and couple came right up to us to feed! I would use them again in the future. read more

Went on this Friday night firework tour! Staff was great I don't remember anyone's names but loved the guy who was driving the boat! He made it worth it. read more

Wahine Charters - Fireworks - Boat Charters Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

All went smooth and informative. Would recommend this company to all looking for a great safe excursion for Manta experience. Lexus Justin Sarah & Kenichi we're all casually professional and put us at ease.Coming from Kauai I would do this again with other friends. Thank you crew!!! Isidro & Dawn read more

The Manta Experience with Wahine Charters was so amazing. Alexandra was so knowledgeable, kind and super helpful. Capitan was also a super great dude and they even brought us hot cocoa for after the swim!!! If ur looking for a laid back and fun experience, definitely go with this crew! read more

Wahine Charters - views from the sunset tour - Boat Charters Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

Capt Alan and Tyler were awesome guides on our charter. Safe and well run. Highly recommend to anyone seeking a sea adventure. Great snorkeling and experience! read more

Amazing time with this fun crew! the Mantas were inches from our bodies for nearly the entire time! Sunset Manta snorkel was so lovely!! I highly recommend this company. read more

An awesome trip and the crew was amazing! We saw mantas and more-Definitely go if you are considering a night snorkel, super fun time!

My group booked Wahine Charter's dolphin tour for our trip to the Big Island and we were very excited. When we showed up to the meeting spot earlier than the time listed, the boat and crew were no where to be seen. Someone who I think works in the harbor on one of the boats said that the charter is usually early, but he hasn't seen them at all for the day. Not a great way to start. After multiple phone calls sent to their voice mailbox and 20 minutes of waiting later, we left as we didn't want to waste anymore precious time. Sent an email and left more voice messages--no response 4 business days later. Highly do not recommend, looking at other reviews, it seems like they don't honor their system of "guaranteed to see dolphins or we'll take you out again for free" offer anyways. Dodged a real bullet there. read more

I had a wonderful experience on Wahine Charters! I booked the Moonlight Tour; however, due to cancellations, I was moved to the Sunset Tour. I didn't mind at all. I did have hard time finding the place; but, all good. I got there in time, and was provided a wet suit, snorket gear, noodle to float, light snacks and drinks. All the equipment appeared well maintained and clean. Beautiful sunset, did not disappoint. The boat was big and clean; there were 10 passengers including me, the captain, and our guide, Taylor who was friendly, super helpful, and very knowledgeable about the marine life in the harbor, and MANTAS. We saw mantas, and some swam right up to us (close up!); so awesome. We did have to go south on this trip along the coast line, a 45 minute ride to an area where the mantas were spotted. Bring warm clothes for the ride back. Also, a waterproof backpack or tote for your clothes and towel/s is advised. No need to bring reef shoes you have to go on the boat with no shoes/slippers. Communication was clear and helpful. Overall, I was very pleased with the tour. Highly recommend Wahine Charters. read more

I cannot say enough about this awesome experience. Seriously once in a lifetime. Captain Alan was awesome. The highlight for me though was our water guide Bronson. He was really chill but definitely inspired confidence. I felt very safe and I felt like my kids were safe. He swam us around to make sure we saw as many mantas as possible. As far as Wahine Charters goes, I really appreciate the fact that they are looking out for the ocean and it's beautiful creatures as the number one priority. I can't recommend them or Bronson enough!! read more

Wahine Charters - Sunset tour - Boat Charters Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

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We went out on a three-hour snorkeling trip - our second with Wahine Charters. The captain and team were fantastic - great follow up when booking, and super supportive during the trip! The highlight was the ono we caught while shuttling between snorkeling stops! Would definitely recommend!!! read more

Wahine Charters - Caught an ono on a handline - Boat Charters Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

I've swam with manta rays three times and this experience has topped them all! The staff Bronson, Ikaika and Pena were wonderful and so kind and helpful through the whole process! They gave information about each manta ray while we saw them which made the experience even better!! Highly highly recommend! read more

Fantastic tour!! branson went above and beyond to make sure we had a great time and saw lots of manta rays, they made it fun and educational. read more

So much fun, definitely a must do for anyone on the big island! The guides were really cool and seemed very knowledgeable about mantas and how to experience them respectfully. We got to see several mantas and lots of Little fish; it was magical! Try to work out your hand signals with your group before hand so you can signal where to look, we saw lots of mantas by looking around at the other groups too! They told us that Wahine is one of the few tours run by actual locals and that they take pride in being respectful of the reef and it's habitants. Beware of tours that use UV light to attract the Mantas this is bad for the reefs and illegal. read more

A M A Z I N G!! The guys were so nice and funny, we had a great boat ride out...music, drinks, snacks, it was perfect. Getting in the water was smooth and easy and the Manta were spectacular! Coolest experience ever!! read more

Wahine Charters - Light Board before we got in the water, eerie and beautiful. - Boat Charters Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

If I could give more I absolutely would..!! Bronson and Alex are super knowledgeable personable and their love for what they do for sure shows! And about the mantas what can you even say.!! Just gonna leave you with .. BOOK your TOUr..!! read more

Wahine Charters is the place to book your sea excursions! My wife and I did the Sunset Manta Tour and as my wife is born and raised on Oahu we try to stray away from the "touristy" excursions. After researching the many tour lines available Wahine Charters was the one. Owned and operated by Hawaii Island natives it truly was a winning pick. The tour groups are small limited to only 6 which gave us a way more intimate experience with these beautiful creatures. The men went above and beyond to make sure we received amazing views of the Manta rays (even going as far as swimming & pulling all 6 of us closer to the action). 10/10 will recommend this place over and over again and plan on returning again to tour with them again ! read more

Whale watching was INCREDIBLE. Pena and Paoe were our guide and captain and they were great. Of course they cannot guarantee what kind of show the whales will put on but on our tour we saw 4 and one of them breached EIGHT times. It was out of this world and more than worth the money. I loved that the tour meets at 12:30, isn't supposed to leave until 1, but once the entire group was there by 12:45, we headed out. I also really appreciate that the safety briefing didn't take up 15 minutes like I have experienced in the past. It was informative and to the point but not drawn out to kill time. The boat size and the boat itself cannot be beat. The last tour I went on was with Hang Loose and while it was great, I will definitely choose to go with Wahine Charters over and over again in the future because the boat is so small and intimate. The ride is smooth and I LOVE that it is open air, unlike the boat Hang Loose uses which is completely covered on the top. You can get a good tan while out on the water with Wahine Charters but there is also space for shade on the boat. Our whale tour at 1pm had 7 guests, the guide, the captain, the guides girlfriend, and also two babies. I love that they keep their tours small and everyone is able to enjoy the experience without being crammed. In short, cannot recommend enough. I would go on any of their tours and will definitely be a repeat customer when I am lucky enough to be back in Kona.whalewhwh read more

Wahine Charters - Yummy snacks on the boat! Also had plenty of drinks and you can bring your own alcohol if you want! - Boat Charters Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

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We chose the sunset manta ray tour. we were able to sit right on the front of the boat on the way out, the sunset was so beautiful. It was really exciting and interesting to see the mantas - we saw 5 or 6. Overall I do recommend doing this tour, but I can't give it 5 stars - we did come away a bit disappointed/annoyed because the guy situated next to us was continuously kicking his legs after he lost his noodle about half into our time (the noodle to keep his legs up and straight) and the crew didn't get him another noodle or assist him, he was also kicking my bf and even trying to use my bf's noodle (bf was totally annoyed by this guy, honestly my bf said this was the only part of our vacation that he didn't enjoy which is really disappointing).. I feel like the crew should've caught what was going on and assisted the guy in order to keep his legs straight. And that may have been the reason that we only saw the mantas during the first 20 mins, and then nothing after that. Besides that, the crew was very friendly. I like that this was a smaller group - 12 people with 2 crew members and 1 boat captain. I do recommend going out with a smaller group, it seems more relaxed and intimate that way. They served hot chocolate, cookies and chips after we got back on the boat. I recommend using the provided shorty wetsuit (I didn't, and regretted it) - it does get cold out there in the water, I was shivering. I also recommend getting there a bit early, it was difficult to find because there's so many businesses and so much activity all in one area. read more

Wahine Charters - Trying to book two tours! - Boat Charters Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

We enjoyed the Moonlight Manta Ray trip. Our guide, Alexandra, was helpful, knowledgeable, and professional. We had a wonderful experience and would absolutely recommend this experience with Wahine Charters. It was easy to find, on time, and comfortable for all. Our group was much smaller than others on the water which was a huge bonus. read more

Had a great experience with this group- They made sure we were comfortable and made sure we saw Mantas! Amazing experience our family will never forget. Bonus beautiful sunset on the way out and sky full of stars on the way back to the marina. read more

Update 10/13/21: The new owners of the company reached out to us with a partial refund! We are much more satisfied with this resolution, and it bodes well for what the new owners will bring to the company in terms of customer service. I sincerely wish that I was writing a 5-star review, as we had hoped the dolphin tour would be the highlight of our first trip to Hawaii in November. However, Wahine's "guarantee" is false advertising to draw customers in, and they will only uphold their end of the deal when/if it is convenient for them. If you are okay taking that gamble you may have a great time, but unfortunately the lying and deception from the owner created a negative experience with this company. Aside from starting about 30 minutes late, we were happy with the tour itself and our captain, though we did not see any dolphins that day. We had prepared for this possibility by scheduling the tour early in our trip with plenty of time to go again. Our disappointment started when we learned that the guarantee is not what it seemed. We were given the option to pay about $120 MORE to come again the next day, or wait for a free tour on the last day of our trip, only to be informed less than 12 hours before that because the other party had cancelled, we would have to pay if we wanted to come again. We spoke to the owner, Cindy, and were offered a partial refund, which we never received. 6 weeks later, she denied ever having offered it. She re-sent a copy of our confirmation email that she claimed stated the guarantee is dependent on availability. This "copy" contained an added disclaimer that was NOT in our original confirmation, suggesting she falsified the copy in order to deceive us. We chose Wahine Charters specifically because of their guarantee to come again for free if dolphins were not seen. For the $600 we spent, I expected better. read more

This is exactly the kind of company we like to book with when doing activities. The crew are local and great fun and Captain Kaupena made us all feel welcomed and kept us smiling. Shout out to Ulu and Micky too for being such great guys. And the mantas? We'll if you don't know how magical they are, and how special the place is where you see them is then you gotta book your trip with Wahine charters already! read more

Wahine Charters - Manta night snorkel - Boat Charters Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

10/10 highly recommend! Crew was super helpful and fun. They provided wetsuits, snacks and drinks. I would definitely book another tour with Wahine Charters next time I'm on the big island! read more

Wahine Charters - Sunset tour - Boat Charters Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

There is a reason Wahine Charts has such a great rating. They do great tours and have great customer service. We did the Captain Cook snorkel trip. It took you South around Kona to Kealakekua Bay with many stops along the way to give historical information about the island. Pena was out captain and Rachel was assisting. Both were very friendly and knowledgeable and created a fun atmosphere for the trip. Thank you so much for such a fun time. read more

We had a great time! The crew was awesome and the manta ray viewing was amazing. Even my teenage son said it 'far exceeded' his expectations! All ages enjoyed it. I would highly recommend this to everyone. read more

Went on a manta ray tour in the evening with wahine charters; we did see mantas which are majestic creatures and must see. Tours are overpriced though, we were in water barely 15 minutes and the tour was done. Definitely not worth the price; only half the time advertised. read more

It was good! 5/5 stars. I went to the nighttime snorkel to see the manta rays, it was amazing! Your only in the water for about 30 minutes or so but you get to see so many rays. They come swimming about 5 inches from your face! The boat ride is also great too! I recommend this! read more

Wahine Charters - Manta ray - Boat Charters Near Me - Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

We had an awesome time on the Wahine Charter Boat the Captain and crew were super cool our teenaged kids enjoyed swimming with Branson and his explanation of the manta rays behaviors. read more

One of the best experiences of my life!! Thanks to the amazing crew Alan, Bronson, and Kayden. Definitely recommend! You won't be disappointed. read more

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We did a day trip to snorkel K Bay and Allen, Alexandria and Bronson were awesome! Can't recommend these guys enough. We had a full family with young kids and the crew made us all feel super welcome and were engaged talking to us the whole time. Book with these guys!! read more