Captain Cook Snorkel Tour in The Pristine Water at Kealakekua Bay

Recommended by 95% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Big Island of Hawaii, USA

4 hours (approx.)
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Overview

The vibrant coral reefs and crystalline waters of Kealakekua Bay make it one of Hawaii's most popular snorkeling spots. Discover the underwater wonders for yourself on this half-day cruise and dive in to swim, snorkel, and admire the colorful fish. There is space for just six passengers on this small-boat cruise—book all six, and you can enjoy a private cruise customized to your preferences.

Magnificent views of Kealakekua Bay from the water
Enjoy up to an hour in the water to swim and snorkel
Select a midday departure to avoid the morning crowds
Intimate small-group tour with a maximum of six passengers

What's Included

Use of Snorkeling equipment

Use of Snorkelling equipment

Bring your own towel, hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, and swimsuit.

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

Coral Reef Snorkel Adventures
74-425 Kealakehe Pkwy, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740, USA
Please meet us at the Honokohau Small Boat Harbor located on Highway 19, two miles north of Kailua-Kona or five miles south of the Kona Airport. Follow directions to the Boat Launch ramp area restrooms and pavilion.

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Kealakekua Bay Marine Preserve

The Captain Cook Monument

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions

Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
Must be able to swim without the assistance of a floatation device.
Maximum weight of 280 pounds per traveler.
Not recommended for travelers with neck problems
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 14 travelers

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Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Karan_B

Loved seeing the white-tipped reef shark, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, and the amazing and beautiful variety of fish. Brent and Shelley were excellent guides. They steered us away from the crowded areas and provided helpful fish ID and Hawaii history. They are great stewards of this beautiful coral reef that was a highlight of our trip to Big Island. The only suggestion I have to make it even better is to start a half hour earlier to avoid the crowd. Great snorkeling trip and would do it again! Thanks Brent and Shelley!

Reviews

4.9

based on 118 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Great trip.

Kelly_J, Aug 2024

Adam and Carmella were great guides. They went above and beyond our expectations. They took us to see whales and sharks and gave us a lot of history about the area. The snacks were great too. All around great trip. Communication and texting us to make sure we knew everything we needed to do before trip. Thanks Carmella and Adam.

Sea creatures!

Anna_M, Jul 2024

Had lots of time at the site with a small group. Saw tons of different fish and even an octopus. The captain showed us a few other sites on the way back and even stopped to allow us extra time to enjoy dolphins who swam right up to our boat. Great tour!

Great snorkeling!

Theresa_G, Jul 2024

The snorkeling was amazing! Hundreds of colorful fish, easy to see in crystal clear waters. I was expecting more information from the crew. The tour description says “ Along the way, your Captain will call out historical sites and discuss the fascinating history of the Kona coast. ” We got none of that from Captain Sean even right at the Cook monument. Even so, the snorkeling made the trip worth it.

Response from Host, Sep 2025

Mahalo for sharing your experience with us! We’re so glad to hear you enjoyed the incredible snorkeling at Captain Cook Monument—those crystal-clear waters and colorful fish truly make it one of the most special spots in Hawai‘i. We appreciate your honest feedback about the narration. Our captains normally share history and points of interest along the Kona coast, and we’re sorry to hear this wasn’t your experience on the day of your tour. We’ll be following up with our team to make sure future guests enjoy both the beauty of the reef and the stories that bring the coastline to life. We’re happy the snorkeling itself made your trip worthwhile, and we’d love the chance to welcome you back for an even more complete experience next time.

Great snorkel and boating experience.

Marcy_P, Jun 2024

Jacob and Captain were knowledgable and respectful of everyone. Snorkeling was great! The bonus was we saw a pod of dolphins and hung around them for about 10 min!

Captain Cook’s

Bethany_H, Jun 2024

Captain Adam was great. We had an amazing time. Everyone was super friendly and made the experience so much fun

Fantastic Experience!

whitenic, Jun 2024

Fantastic experience! Captain Andy and guide Carmelle were just wonderful! They are so knowledgeable and loved sharing all about the island and marine life! I was a little worried about getting back in the boat after snorkeling as I am a larger woman, but the ladder was very sturdy and went down far enough that I had no problems getting back in the boat! Saw lots of beautiful fish and sea urchins! Also saw spinner dolphins as we were leaving the harbor. Fresh pineapple, snacks, and drinks were offered when we got back on the boat! Definitely would do this excursion again!

Snorkeling in paradise

Jill_D, Apr 2024

The captain and his shipmate were absolutely beautiful people. Four hour tour included snorkeling, sightseeing and a well informed captain. You won’t be disappointed

Swimming with God's most Beautiful Creations in the Sea.

PATRICIA_O, Apr 2024

Small group made the whole experience comfortable and easy going. 8 people in our group. We have enjoyed snorkeling for 40 years, while visiting all of the Hawaiian islands, Grand Cayman, Aruba and Grenada, but Captain Cook's Bay was indeed a perfect snorkeling paradise.

Beautiful day on water

MicKenzie_C, Mar 2024

We had a great experience. We went with younger kids, 8 and 11 and (2) 15 y/o. It was definitely a forever memory, seeing all the different fish and coral. The captain and guide were extremely knowledgeable about the island. They incorporated things from the movie Moana so the kids could relate. Highly recommend!!

Best snorkeling experience I’ve w ever had

Sheri_L, Mar 2024

Sprain Bob and Sara were our tour guides and they were friendly and made sure we were comfortable. The Snorkeling was the best I’ve done in my life. The reef had thousands of fish and other sea life. Saw turtles and dolphins too. Great experience! Thanks Captain Bob and Sara!

Fun and fascinating snorkeling trip!

Lisa_K, Dec 2023

Beautiful snorkeling at the monument, lovely playful boat ride there, storytelling by captain Adam, kindness and competence by him and crew member Sarah…big fun!

Amazing snorkeling

Angela_S, Dec 2023

The snorkeling was like swimming in your own fish tank! The guide was very knowledgeable and passionate about the Hawaiian culture.

Great tour

Tara_K, Nov 2023

Great location to snorkel and the tour company was friendly and knowledgeable. We ended up being only 1 of 2 boats there the day we went.

Personalized experience without the cost!

Dana_B, Oct 2023

We had an AMAZING trip! We were a group of 6 and were the only ones in this tour so it was like a private tour just for us! Captain Jeff was awesome along with his guide who’s name escapes me, but she was great and very knowledgeable about the island. We found a pod of spinner dolphins playing and went over to see them and another pod was playing in our waves on the way back so captain Jeff stopped to play with them. Also amazing snorkeling, beautiful reef and tons of aquatic life we were able to see! Thank you for an amazing time!

So much fun!!

Annette_R, Aug 2023

Such a great trip with this company and the crew of three (Jordan Andrew and a third awesome guy whose name I can’t remember … a super fun and fast boat and the small group size is perfect. I’ve been on large boat snorkeling before and this is much better. The crew all provided great Hawaiian history and tidbits that made it even more interesting! Highly recommend!

Snorktastic!

Sandra_R, Aug 2023

We loved our snorkel and bowt adventure with Captain Bob and Jordan. They were so much fun and informative about the land, history and culture. The snacks were amazing, especially the pineapple display! We love it!

Amazing!

Sarah_S, Jul 2023

Peña, our captain, and Jordan were excellent! He made the entire experience unforgettable. He is very knowledgeable and shared history and stories of the island that we couldn’t have known otherwise as well exciting-Highly recommend!

Whales and snorkeling adventure

Brian_M, Jul 2023

Dylan and Jaena were awesome and very friendly as well As helpful. Took us out to see a pod of pilot whales in the area as well As a few sea caves on the way back

Family fun at a great price!

Dianna_W, Jul 2023

This was a great excursion! The captain and crew (of 1) was knowledgeable, friendly, and made the experience fun! It was a good area to snorkel to see many different fish, eels, crabs, sea urchins and an added bonus dolphins! The snacks (fresh pineapple and chips) and drinks were good after we got out of the water. Highly recommend this to other families!

Swimming with the fish

Maressa_G, Jun 2023

This was the best small boat tour! It was a little hard to find the loading but once we did it was amazing. We loved every minute of our four hour tour

Definitely would recommend

Robyn_C, Apr 2023

The tour was amazing! We loved having the small group experience. Our guide and captain were so friendly.

Great Snorkeling Trip!

Karan_B, Mar 2023

Best day of vacation on big island

Lori_C, Mar 2023

Absolutely loved this small group snorkel with Cap'n Jeff and Jacob. Best day of our vacation..saw our first whale. Would strongly encourage everyone to use this outfit. They even has prescription goggles for my son!

Capt. Cook Snorkel

Nick_P, Jan 2023

Awesome Captain and crew, much better and more personal going on a small tour like this, than some of the larger vessels offering these tours.

Fantastic Experience!

William_C, Dec 2022

Our family of 5 had a great time on this private/small boat tour. Our guides were fantastic, showing us a wide variety of fish as we snorkeled. 100% recommend this tour.

Christmas Eve Cruise

Jennifer_P, Dec 2022

We had a great time on the Christmas Eve cruise! Thanks for the memories and history lessons about Captain Cook! Mele Kalikimaka! -The Pennington Family

Excellent December Tour!

katy_h, Dec 2022

Great December outing as a small, private group. The Captain was fantastic and the snorkel guide was knowledgeable and fun- great historical stories along our tour, plus we saw whales and dolphins!! My 5 year old daughter snorkeled until she became too cold and the Captain let her come aboard and hang out while we finished out snorkeling. She had so much fun and was completely safe- she was a little skipper!! Great outing all around!!!!!! Oh, and the snorkeling was AMAZING at Captain Cooks bay, so much to see- as good as any diving we have done!

Terrific snorkeling hosted by professionals

CHRISTOPHER_V, Oct 2022

My wife and I went on this tour on our wedding anniversary. The crew and other passengers were incredibly nice and helpful at all times. The snorkel experience was excellent and the boat ride was perfect (not bumpy like a Zodiac but small enough to accommodate just a few people). The crew provided historical and cultural context to the location and several other locations along our route. They were also very helpful, professional, and often hilarious. To complete the experience, we were lucky enough to see whales and dolphins on our way back.

Great adventure

reneerad, Apr 2022

Captain and first mate were great. We snorkel with the fish an eel and an octopus.. Awesome adventure. And thank you Captain for recommending Don's Mai Tai. Even we got to see the spinner dolphins jumping.

Great crew, great experience, rough ride!

John_S, Mar 2022

The crew were excellent, the historical information was appreciated and gave context to the trip. The swimming was great, lots if friendly fish. This is a small boat; the trip is rough on even a “calm” day, and a 45 minute ride seems much longer than it sounds when you are on shore. And with a small boat, you get onboard, sit down, and that is where you stay for the next bumpy three quarters hour. Not a deal breaker, just be prepared. On the plus side, the small size means you will often be snorkeling with just family and friends! A much more personal experience than those larger boats.

Likely to Sell Out