Kona Snorkeling: Beat the Crowd to Kealakekua Bay
Overview
Available languages
5 hours
Mobile ticket
Skim across the waves on an exciting Big Island Zodiac tour to Kealakekua Bay, site of the Captain Cook monument and Hawaii's finest marine sanctuary. Snorkel with a rainbow of tropical fish among beautiful coral gardens in the bay's clear, crystal waters. Enjoy the delightful picnic snack provided before you head out again. Our Zodiac rafts allow us to hug the shoreline and get into areas where other boats can't. Join us to explore vast sea caves, lava tubes and the rugged beauty of the coastline.
Additional Info
Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Minimum age is 4 years
Not recommended for participants with back or neck problems
We apologize ahead of time but due to the bouncy nature, pregnant individuals are not allowed
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
This is the original rafting company of Hawai'i, with our family run office set up for checking in each of our excursions. Our office allows indoor seating, air conditioning, convenient restrooms, reef safe sunscreen, children entertainment, souvenir shopping and one fluffy friendly golden retriever, if you are missing yours back home.
What‘s Included
Snorkel masks, fins and flotation devices
Snack on chips, cookies, soft drinks and water
Reef Safe Sunscreen available in the office before the trip
Extra time to view resident marine mammals like dolphins and whales
Turkey sandwiches (vegan and vegetarian upon request)
We no longer offer single use plastic bottles, please bring a reusable water bottle
Hotel pick up and drop off
Gratuities
Options
10am Beat the Crowd Tour
Beat the crowd 5-hour tour departing at 10am.
Reviews
234 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Snorkeling
Steve T,Mar 24, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Shelby & Shannon were great. Lots of fish to snorkel with. Captain Shelby told a lot of the history which was very interesting.
Perfectly timed adventure to snorkel Captain Cook!
robynmb1,Mar 19, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Captain Rick and DeVante made this experience spectacular! Their jokes and constant fun facts about Hawaii, Kona and marine life were entertaining and informative. This actual day was in between two storms and while the water wasn’t the clearest they made the trip a MUST do. The timing of this adventure is perfect - we got there right when the big party boats left and we almost had the bay to ourselves. Lunch and snacks hit the spot as well. Plus we had some wonderful whale watching on the way back. This is the BEST way to snorkel Captain Cook!
The boat ride and...
Natalie H,Feb 28, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00The boat ride and snorkeling was amazing. Captain Rick and Davonte were so much fun! Highly recommend.
Must do!
Jennifer F,Feb 16, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00What a great day! Captain Rick & Kim were wonderful! The best snorkeling I have been on to date (we saw an octopus!)! The boat was really fun too. The boat has room - so bring your backpack (towels, water bottle and sweatshirt for the ride back). Put ample sunscreen on before you board the boat (there is complimentary reef safe sunscreen in the marina lodge where you check in). On the way back to the marina we saw 6 whales and Captain Rick even took the time to wait for them to breach multiple times for us! Thank you for an amazing day out!!
Awesome day
Scott D,Jan 12, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Captain Mark and Devante were a blast =we had a great time ...great snorkeling and we were lucky enough to see a breaching whale just a couple hundred yards from the boat. Highly recommended .
If you prefer a small...
Ted D,Jan 5, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00If you prefer a small group setting, this is the place. Highly recommend the "beat the crowd" tour. Not only do you get to spend more time snorkeling but the chance of having the bay to your group and not surrounded by 10+ other boats.
Fish Galore!
jetmama58,Dec 28, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Shelby and Sean were excellent tour guides sharing their information about pelagic species and other information about the rock formations along the Kona coast. We were able to see some spinner dolphins and other sea mammals as well. We had a great day. Thanks for a fun adventure.
Crossed up
sisyphusmpn,Oct 15, 2025
- Review from Viator
1.00Caveat emptor. Booked well in advance but the day before they messaged that due to ‘staffing issues’ they had to cancel. They did try to accommodate us on other dates but there were no opportunities for us to participate. As a result we missed our chance to snorkel on our vacation.
Great Adventure!
Kathryn H,Oct 3, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00Very fun excursion! Captain Marco was super informative. Can't beat the small boat with limited people to really give you that personal experience. 10/10 recommend!
Great day with Fun Hosts
bobn679,Sep 23, 2025
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00Fantastic ride out to our snorkeling spot. We had a great time with Marco and Fatsu (sp) They were excellent hosts. Very knowledgeable and entertaining. The snorkeling was incredible. This definitely was one of our highlights of the trip. I would highly recommend this tour and these hosts.
-15% off
From US$142.40Was US$167.53
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