Ko Olina Ocean Adventures

Had a great time on the morning snorkel. Saw a pod of spinner Dolphins. Captain Todd and his crew were great. Friendly and timely. When they say be there at 8 they mean be there at 8. Have fun, and bring your sunscreen.

One of the best experience out of our Hawaii trip! We were a big group (14 in all) Captain Mark and the staff were so friendly, helpful and amazing! We’ve seen turtles and lots of fishes. And we were able to swim with the dolphins!!! Great experience! My kids loved it!!! Thank you guys!!!

Best experience I have ever had. Period. Amazing crew members, amazing people, such a great vibe. Fortunately we only had about 16 people on board with us, not including the crew members. It was very spacious and meant more food for us lol.
The advertisement for this tour mentioned Dolphins, which was one of the main reasons we chose it. We did see a few Dolphins but they were too far away for any of us go really see them. That didn’t ruin the trip at all for me and my family. Snorkeling was CRAZY FUN. We saw a big and cute turtle and swam with a lot of fishes.
My mom doesn’t know how to swim and is kinda scared of the best ocean (but loves Dolphins which is why she agreed to this tour) at first she wasn’t so sure she wanted to snorkel but with the help of a crew member, she felt confident enough to be in there alone. They gave her a floaty thing she was able to hold onto and was swimming so far my dad had to keep up with her. She loved it and would do it again!
When we looked into this tour we didn’t know «snuba» (snorkeling and scuba diving) was a thing available for us. Me and my sister were the only ones in my fam that agreed to it because why not. It was an extra $ 70 for each that we had to pay at the end. My sister and I have never done anything like this so of course we were nervous. The instructor (I forgot his name) was so chill and made us feel comfortable and confident. IT WAS AWESOMEEEEEEE. He was awesome! Idk if it was worth the $ 70 because we were only down there for 27 minutes. he put a lot of effort into making sure we were good and able to do it so idk.
Overall, awesome and memorable so I recommend this for everyone.

Out of our 7 day stay on Oahu, this has to be the best time we had. The captain Todd and his entire crew were so friendly. I’ve never felt so welcome on any boat in my life. They were super helpful in and out of the water. Not to mention the killer bloody Mary’s!
It’s worth every penny, they treated us like we were their family on their boat!
The food was tasty but most importantly we got to see plenty of fish and even got a turtle and dolphin sighting!
Any time I come back to Oahu I would hop on this boat just to hang with the crew again. If you’re thinking about it stop, just book it! You won’t get better snorkeling at any coves, trust me we tried it!!!

John and captain Mark were both very informative for first time snorkelers! They interacted with us the entire time making us laugh and ensuring our safety! As always there is never a guarantee to snorkel with dolphins but Captain Mark and John made it happen! It was AMAZING we saw a pod of about 22 dolphins. We even saw a turtle! I even love that they threw out a fishing line and said we could reel in any fish caught! This is so an adventure for locals and tourist to do and one to check off the bucket list!

Crew was extremely friendly and knowledgeable. Photographer was great. Got us close to see some spinner dolphins and sea turtles. Highly recommend!

This was the best thing on our Oahu trip! We booked the snorkeling with Dolphins and Turtles tour. Captain Mark and Steve were awesome. We made 3 stops.
1^st stop was on top of this coral reef/​cave where were saw a ton of fish. I liked snorkeling here because I’m afraid of coral cutting me. I’ve gotten cut from coral before in Cancun and been scared since. The water is about 30 feet deep so although there are corals, you can still swim very easily above it. They give you bread to feed the fish so you can attract them but if you just hold your hand out the fish will still swim to you. I think they’re used to the hand gesture.
2^nd stop was where the dolphins were. We were told to put on our life vests, masks, but no fins and they dropped us off into the water one by one as the boat was moving so we don’t disturb the dolphins. It was like a military mission. We just floated in the ocean and the dolphins swam by us. It was one of the most amazing experiences in my life! There was a school of them. They’re spinner dolphins so they are much smaller than the bottlenose dolphins but still amazing to see, especially in their natural habitat. You can hear them «talking» in the water too.
3^rd stop was where the turtles were. I did not get off the boat here because I was already feeling super seasick and I was just trying to keep myself from throwing up. But my husband and friends had a good time and said they saw 3 big turtles.
They serve you a lunch afterwards. Teriyaki chicken sandwich or a Kalua pork sandwich, chips, fresh fruit, and soda. Don’t get the Kalua pork sandwich. It was really salty. The Teriyaki chicken was pretty good!

MUST DO! We were originally scheduled for Sunday ⁴⁄₁₈ but received a call from staff on Wednesday ⁴⁄₁₃ noting that due to needed boat maintenance, the ⁴⁄₁₈ tour is cancelled. She offered 2 rescheduling options: ⁴⁄₁₅ or ⁴⁄₁₉. We chose ⁴⁄₁₅ 7am tour on the Dolphin Speed Boat. Worked out very well because ⁴⁄₁₈ was pouring rain and windy all day. The reschedule change dropped our number on the boat from 39 to about 15 people! This worked to our advantage because the crew didn’t have to worry about a huge group.
Captain Mark, crew Austin, and photographer Asia were EXCELLENT! The captain gave us numerous opportunities to jump in the water to swim with pods of dolphins, fish, and turtles! We just lined up along the rubber sides and waited for his que to slide right into the blue. His timing and organization was perfect. He knows his snorkel spots very well and kept everything organized. Austin was great with making sure everyone was safe without impeding in your freedom to snorkel in every direction you desired. Asia managed to catch some awesome shots of our amazing experience in the ocean. This crew created such a special day that we’ll never forget. And we have a disc ($ 68/​disc) of many shots that Asia took underwater and on the boat to look back on for years to come!
It seemed like we were snorkeling in at least 50 feet of water but the conditions were so clear that day, the dolphins were easy to see. Sometimes they came within just a few feet in front of us! We also saw some colorful coral with turtles feeding in and around them. Fish were everywhere. We took off from the dock at about 7am then returned at about 11ish. Warm meals, chips, and drinks were waiting for us at the dock. They also offered free water bottles on board. Food/​drinks is part of the package. They also offered wetsuits for all ages for an extra fee. The conditions were so perfect that day that we passed on the wetsuits. A suggestion that was posed to me via a Unilocal user was to jump in the water every time, all the time. Glad I did! Bring a towel, any recording device (iPhone/​camera), and hat. There’s small storage compartments under each seat to keep your personal belongings.
The reviews on Unilocal is what made me commit to the tour and I’m sure glad I did! This is a must do while on island. Be prepared for possible cancellations and have a flexible schedule to accommodate a reschedule date… it’s well worth it! Just keep in mind that nature has its own agenda so go in with an open mind and enjoy the sights, even if it’s just the beautiful coral or the bluest water you’ll ever see!

By far the most fun I have had on a vacation! 10/​10, would recomend for anyone trying to have the best time possible on their vacation. The crew was super professional, fun, and positive the whole time!

Not sure if it’s company policy, but thought it was odd the captain was drinking along with the guests on the boat. I would have thought drinking on the job would be prohibited.
Had a great time on this Snorkel Cruise. We went on the afternoon boat so we didn’t get to see any whales, but ended up seeing spinner dolphins on the way to our second snorkel spot. I was hoping the captain would stop and let us swim them but he didn’t which was a bummer. The crew was great and Asia, the photographer, was awesome. She got great pictures of everyone.
The snorkel spots were great and got to see a lot of cool fish.
The food provided was excellent. Would definitely do this again.

My family and I went out yesterday for the snorkeling with the dolphins and turtles. Our guides were Jen and Austin, who were not only incredibly welcoming and engaging, but very obviously concerned for our experience.
We set out on a pontoon after a quick snack and short explanation of safety and guidelines, and headed around the coast to the northwest toward Mā’ili and Wai’anae. The first place we stopped was around a place I believe is called the Arch, where we got to snorkel and look for turtles. Along with information about safety, Jen and Austin also told us about the environment and the health of the wild animals and sea life (in other words no touch)! But we also got food to feed some of the fish (not the black ones for the bite!) and after a short while we got back on the boat and continued around the coast past Mā’ili to find a pod of Spinner Dolphins making their way around the «shallower» (90+ ft.) waters and out to open ocean. It took two tries before we could be in a position to spend time near the Dolphins, but both Austin who was captaining and Jen who was in the water with us were encouraging and very positive.
We spent a long time with the dolphins as they paraded their young by, and due to time constraints we didn’t spend much time at the last location, which had the most live and vibrant coral and even more fish.
Overall the group was friendly and willing to work along with the guides, which helped make the experience fun.
If you have the chance, I highly recommend Jen and Austin as your guides!

We were aye hoping to see some turtles or maybe a few dolfins. Boy oh boy, we had a family of whales so close we could touch them for about an hour just hanging out with us! I have never been so close, and the staff said it was truly epic! Mama, baby and male swimming under the boat and giving us the most amazing show! I will never forget this special boat ride. The staff was fun and helpful and the food was great. I highly recommend these guys for your boating adventure.

This is a great company to choose! Great captain, very friendly and helpful crew. Clean catamaran and lots of fun!

My family and I went on the sail and snorkel tour and had an AMAZING time. The crew was extremely nice and knowledgeable providing us a relaxing morning. During our tour we saw humpback whales, turtles, monk seals, and countless fish. Beautiful spots to snorkel and dive and fun for all ages, they even had prescription masks allowing for my mother to snorkel! The pictures taken by Asia were fantastic and a must buy! Highly suggest Ko Olina Ocean Adventures to everyone on Oahu!

We had a great half day catamaran sail with snorkeling in two locations and great dolphin sightings along the way. Captain Todd and his crew were terrific — friendly, accommodating, and service-​oriented, while always mindful of the safety of all onboard. Highly recommended!

Very, very disappointing in their customer service and communication.
I had booked a special trip for a friend visiting Oahu as this was the number one thing to do on her list.
I booked the trip via phone. So had a full conversation with a human. At no point did she mention that «if» they did not get enough customers for the dolphin snorkel tour they would have to cancel — not a mention, not any kind of explanation on how many people they needed to meet their quota.
So the night before I received the cancellation phone call. After asking why it was cancelling and finding out it was because they did not have enough people booked for that trip — I re-​booked for another day, but not before asking which day she would recommend. I was told to book the following Tuesday as they already had their quota of people and they would «definitely not be cancelling».
So imagine my surprise and disappointment when the night before — yet again I got the cancellation phone call.
Now at this stage — we had no time left in my friends trip. The woman I spoke to was incapable of offering up a normal conversation — she was just programmed to say what was ever told to her to say in this situation. Which wasn’t very good programming.
Here’s the thing, if I was told that my trip could be cancelled when I made the verbal booking I would have been more prepared. IF, somewhere on their website it says they need a quota to make the trip — I would have booked the trip earlier in my friends visit to Oahu to ensure we got to do this.
Bottom line — very, very bad customer service. I work in the film industry here and have friends that work in the tourist industry and I would never recommend this company based on this policy — which is set up to fail.

Must come aboard! Great staff who work together like a team! The drinks are great and the relaxation is speechless! When my husband and I came aboard they made us feel like family and prepared us for everything! If you visit Oahu, you MUST come aboard and see the ocean through their eyes! 5 stars for everyone and everything! Aloha Peeps!!! Captain Todd is the go to Man!

We had a great trip out on the catamaran this morning with our family — 5 adults and 3 children. We saw lots of dolphins, swam with the fish, and saw a sea turtle swimming in the ocean.
The crew was awesome and so helpful the entire trip. Food was great for lunch — they had teriyaki chicken burgers and pulled pork sandwiches with chips and fruit.
The photographer they had on board was also wonderful. She took a ton of great photos of the family both in and out of the water. Highly recommend this tour, especially if you have young children. Definitely get up early for the morning cruise over the afternoon — much calmer and cooler than in the late afternoon.

Awesome catamaran! I’ve on this particular package on this catamaran twice– once in June 2013 and now this past summer. It’s an amazing experience to go snorkeling and/​or snuba diving.
The crew is extremely nice and professional. There is a bathroom on the catamaran, but everyone has to take off their shoes so it may be a little gross for some. They provide lunch of teriyaki chicken or kalua pork with chips, salad, and bread buns. But lunch is at the end of the morning tour (the one I prefer to do since then I will have the rest of the day to have fun).
Before lunch, we hit two snorkeling sites. One is where you are required to wear a life vest and you have the amazing experience to see schools of fish and possibly a sea turtle! The second site is where you could go snuba diving for an extra 75 dollars. Snuba is like scuba except you don’t need a license, you only go down 30 feet, and you don’t have a tank attached to your back. Instead, you have a respirator attached to a hose on a life raft. This experience is unique and fun for those who would like to try scuba, but don’t necessarily know if it’s for them. You have to equilibrate your ears going down (slowly too) and it can be painful for some. For me, it was somewhat disconcerting, but doable and manageable. It was extremely cool and we actually saw a rather large sea turtle while snubaing.
Lunch is after the two sites and it’s included in the package. You can of course bring an underwater camera or buy the footage from one of the crew members.
It was a good way to spend 4 hours on a Saturday and I definitely recommend it for those who love water activities.
Also, it’s illegal to harass and/​or touch the sea turtles– just an FYI for those who have never been to hawaii.

Really want to give a shout-​out to Daniel, Brett & Jake of the Saturday catamaran crew for a great day of snorkeling. We got to snorkel at 2 spots where the visibility was really good & the ocean floor is maybe 20 feet below you, so you can see the bottom without that feeling that you’re in the deep deep ocean. Beautiful fish were everywhere & we even saw 2 sea turtles. A different group saw 2 sharks, which I missed.
Jake speaks awesome Japanese & helped a lot with Baby C. Baby C is comfortable in the water, didn’t panic & was able to use the mask & snorkel we bought for him. The only thing he didn’t do was look down in the water! It’s like we put all that gear on him just so he could keep his head above the water. But Jake stayed with us, steadied Baby C on the boogie board & kept encouraging Baby C to look down. So helpful. Brett was the snuba dive master & took some pics of Mrs C (using our camera) as she did snuba was surrounded by fish.
Lunch is included in the price & served on the boat right after your finish the 2^nd snorkel spot. Unfortunately we didn’t see any spinner dolphins but it looks like other Unilocalers have done a good job capturing those pictures. The whole crew works hard by helping you in/​out if the water, rinsing your mask & snorkel, selecting your fins, serving drinks & making sure you are enjoying yourself, so this review is written in appreciation of their fine efforts!