Lanai Snorkel and Dolphin Watch from Maalaea
Badge of Excellence
Maui, USA
- 5 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Get ready for fun in the sun on this guided, 5-hour dolphin watch and snorkeling adventure. Sail away to one of the best dive spots in the world — the beautiful blue waters off the island of Lanai. See Hawaiian Spinner, bottlenose and spotted dolphins swimming alongside the boat, then jump in for a snorkel above a coral reef with a wide variety of marine life. All the required equipment is included, plus enjoy a continental breakfast, lunch, and refreshments along the journey.
- Enjoy a dolphin watch and snorkeling adventure
- Sail along the waters off the island of Lanai
- See a variety of marine wildlife in their natural environment
- Breakfast, lunch and refreshments included
- Fun for the entire family
What's Included
- Certified Marine Naturalists on board
- Premium snorkel gear, including optical masks for eyeglass wearers
- Flotation devices, snorkel instruction, fish i.d. class
- Onboard Jr. Naturalist Program for kids
- Continental breakfast: banana bread, assorted pastries, fresh island fruit, juice, Maui coffee
- Lunch: chicken, vegan burgers, hot dogs, potato mac salad, Asian edamame slaw, and dessert.
- Unlimited soda, juice, and filtered water
- Gratuities
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- 4 oz. Reef-safe sunscreen in a fully sustainable tube from sugarcane available for $17 onboard
- Affordable rentals of wetsuit shirts, underwater cameras, binoculars
- Alcoholic BeveragesThis tour is currently BYOB. You may bring your own tetra packs of beer or alcoholic beverages (no glass). Bottles of wine may be brought as we have glasses. All alcohol will be stored in ice chests.
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Harbor Shops & RestaurantsMaalaea, HI 96793, USA
Check-in at the PWF retail store in Ma'alaea Harbor Shops next to Maui Ocean Center Aquarium shared parking Check-in 45 minutes prior to departure time
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Itinerary
Maalaea Harbor (Pass By)
1
Lanai
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- Children 4 and under are free (one per paying adult). Children ages 5-12 pay child rate/all children must be on reservation
- Please check in 45 minutes prior to your departure time at our Pacific Whale Foundation Ocean Store located in the Harbor Shops at Ma'alaea, adjacent to the Maui Ocean Center Aquairum.
- To protect the reef environment and in support of the statewide ban on sunscreens, we will no longer allow the use of any non-reef safe sunscreen on board any snorkel eco tours. 4oz Reef safe sunscreen will be available on board for $13
- You will need to bring your own towels and credit cards for any onboard purchases as the vessels are cashless except for gratuities
- For safety reasons, the use of full-face masks is not permitted on our snorkel ecotours. We do provide high quality snorkel gear on board for all guests.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 70 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
Featured review
Monica_T
This was a great trip!! The crew was amazing! Incredibly polite, knowledgeable and did not skip a beat in service. Boat was super clean and spacious! Great lunch! Best captain! We had many dolphins sightings as well! Highly recommend!!
Reviews
4.4
based on 235 reviews
paul_d, May 2025
We ended up on the Molokini crater tour as we had difficulty following the directions. Make sure to read all the directions carefully as they weren’t totally clear until clicking a couple extra spots.
The Molokini experience is geared towards beginner snorkelers. Very limited in the area to swim around and not much in the way of sea life to view. Stop two by Mākena had more coral to check out and a couple people said they saw a turtle. Again was lacking sea life.
Breakfast and lunch were included but very limited. We were later in line and were left a couple slices of orange and pineapple for breakfast and the option of a hot dog for lunch as the veggie burger and chicken were gone before our turn in line.
The crew seemed a bit frazzled and at the end we found out they were short to employees.
Response from Host, May 2025
Aloha Paul and thank you for letting us know about your experience. I am so sorry to hear about you missing the Lanai Snorkel & Dolphin Watch, but happy we were at least able to get you on another trip, although disappointing. We always want our guest to have an amazing experience and try to make tit right when that doesn't happen. Please feel free to reach out to me directly at johngaskins@pacwhale.com and I would be more than happy to offer you a partial refund.
Paul_M, Nov 2024
The captain, staff and boat were all professional and great. Our only issue, but a huge one, was that this is promoted as a snorkeling trip to Lanai. We didn't go to Lanai but to Lahaina. The wind was too strong to go to Lanai. Upon checking in, we were not informed of this likelihood nor possibility. The captain and staff should have informed us and given us the option prior to departing, of this fundamental change in plans, that we only learned once we left.
Response from Host, Nov 2024
Aloha Paul and thank you for your feedback. I did speak with our port captain, and even though it was windy in Ma'alaea Harbor, it was not a given at the time of departure that the channel wasn't crossable. It's very difficult as times here on Maui to know what the winds may be like from one area to the next as it can change quite quickly.
I am sorry to hear that Lanai wasn't doable that day and I am happy to provide you with a partial refund. It does not appear to be the fault of the captain on that day based on prevalent conditions at that time.
Please feel free to reach out to me directly at johngaskins@pacwhale.com to discuss a partial refund.
Amber_Z, Oct 2024
Amazing experience. We ’ve been to Hawaii 6 times and this was the first time seeing spinner dolphins. The snorkeling was great and the captain and crew were wonderful.
Michael_B, Sep 2024
Awesome snorkeling by the reef and the crew was fabulous! They taught us about Hawaii and taught us about different kinds of fish. Fantastic experience and we will highly recommend the company!
Debbie_K, Jun 2024
Our trip was canceled due to weather. Please refund my credit card. We were never able to experience this adventure.
Dominick_G, May 2024
Great trip! Food, drinks for adults and kids! We saw dolphins and Captain Emily was awesome! She made our daughter honor Captain and let her sit up in the captain seat and engaged with her the hole time! #captainEmilyforpresident!
Mikayla_O, Apr 2024
We unfortunately did not have a fun experience and do not find it worth the money. We have had better experiences for less money, and regret trying somebody new.
The first error I accept as mine, but was still disappointed with the description- parking. We were told to share the parking lot with the aquarium. It’s my fault for not understanding that “sharing” meant, pay for the parking because we don’t own it and somehow believed we were an exception with the reservation, but we were not. Please if you do this excursion, listen to the million and one pay to park signs and know you will have to pay for parking on top of your reservation. They do not redeem the parking for you, which I have found every other activity so far HAS done.
Secondly, the food. We didn’t have high expectations, but we didn’t have no expectations. Even the food that was meant to be hot was cool or cold. Most everything was tasteless, and bland, the one soda I asked for was given to me but it was just carbonation and no syrup. We were expecting your typical grilled out meal, and I personally find it hard to screw that up but it was nothing impressive whatsoever. Quantity was not a problem- mostly because most people didn’t eat or finish their food because upon discussion, they felt the same way.
The trip. When I initially booked this trip I wasn’t expecting hours jetting through the water to an island just for barely an hour to snorkel, but that’s what it was. They mentioned before we left on “what to expect” that there was 90 minutes at least, which also felt short, but we didn’t even get that. It’s a snorkel trip, but you will barely do that. The reef was hard to see, and I saw a max of five fish from very far away. I struggled to understand why we even go over there considering there were much better reefs around Maui.
The service people were nice, the provisions for floats and goggles were good, and they were very educational.
We saw no dolphins. Two whales jumped out at some point but only once and almost nobody saw them. They were convinced we would see dolphins and no whales but we really got neither. It’s the end of whale season- which is why I booked a dolphin tour… but they can’t control that it was just disappointing.
It was cold during the boat ride and hard to stay dry anywhere. I never could dry off because there wasn’t enough time and you were always getting re wet while racing through the water, which even on a hot day feels cold.
They let us know when we got there that turtles weren’t super well known for the area- which I wished I would have known because previously, seeing the turtles is one of the coolest parts.
We read a lot of reviews prior to going. I’m sure some people see more and have better experiences, but ours was disappointing. We kept saying “well at least we will get food” and when that came back bad, we were a bit at a loss, cold, queasy, and wishing we had just booked something shorter around Maui that would have been cheaper, and actually given us the opportunity to snorkel longer.
It was a lot of money. I spent the whole year saving for this trip and doing the activities, and this was a bigger one because it felt like it was a longer snorkel time and a good way to get on the boat. Neither was enjoyable, and the snorkeling was little to none.
Response from Host, May 2024
Thank you for bringing your disappointing experience to our attention. It sounds as if it started off bad from the get go, although our confirmations clearly state the parking information and that it is paid.
I am sorry to hear that the marine life viewing was disappointing that day along with the ocean crossing conditions, but I am disappointed to hear of the food quality since is the entrees are grilled onboard. In all cases though, you were disappointed and we want all of our guests to feel that they receive fair value. Please reach out to me directly at johngaskins@pacwhale.com so I can learn what day you went out and process a refund. I look forward to hearing from you. Thank you for your time.
Earl_C, Apr 2024
Whales, dolphins beautiful fish and friendly humans , great food and great stories and money went to a great cause
Deborah_M, Mar 2024
Great snorkeling! Crew was very nice. Only complaint was the food, but still an overall good choice.
Kaelyn_M, Feb 2024
Best high light of the day was seeing dolphins and baby dolphins 🐬 by the boat and of course snorkel as well definitely recommend! 😍
Tracy_M, Jan 2024
Incredible staff ensured we had what we were taken care of, they shared information about the wildlife and ensured that we not only got pit to the reef (lanai), but that we saw tons of dolphins and whales
Kathy_G, Jan 2024
The spinner dolphins that came up to the boat were a joy! So much fun🐬
The staff was great and the boat was clean and safe.
The hot chocolate the captain brought us was delicious.
Kristi_B, Dec 2023
Fantastic trip and worth every penny to be the only boat at a prime snorkeling location.
Would love if we could audit people's sunscreen to ensure they're using reef safe sunscreen too.
Tianyin_W, Nov 2023
Checkin was terrible. Didn’t receive full checkin info from pacwhale or third party booking website and we missed the boat.
Response from Host, Nov 2023
I am so sorry to hear about your obviously disappointing experience. Thank you for letting us know about the incorrect check-in information from the third-party site. Since the Lahaina fire destroyed our operations out of there, we've had to operate all tours out of Ma'alaea location. While we have updated that information on our website, it appears there is an issue from a third-party site. I would greatly appreciate you contacting me directly at johngaskins@pacwhale.com so that I can learn which third-party you booked through and correct the issue. Although we have communicated all of the updated correct information to such partners, obviously something was missed by someone that negatively impacted your vacation plans with us and I will make sure it's corrected so such incidents don't happen again. I look forward to hearing from you.
Christina_L, Nov 2023
The perfect trip! We saw whales, snorkeled and saw tons of fish, ate yummy food and enjoyed Ollie’s cocktails. The staff was welcoming, kept everyone safe, and all did a great job. We had a great time.
Becky_M, Nov 2023
We encountered quite a large pot of spinner dolphins on the ride out and one was a juvenile learning to do is spins and it was fabulous to watch. They came right up to the boat so we could see them underwater as well as some very close spins. The snorkeling was quite good. My only downside, was that there were not good directions to where I was supposed to go and my Google app sent me downstairs from where I was supposed to be and I couldn't find it and I was getting very frustrated. Something like saying it was across from the Marine Center would have been helpful
Deborah_C, Nov 2023
All the staff on the boat were so knowledgeable & friendly. The reef where we snorkeled was great. No crowds like Molokini. Food was good too.
Michael_V, Nov 2023
Awesome experience with seeing dolphins swim right next to the boat!! The staff was extremely kind as well fast with service. Highly recommend for a good time with family, friends, and loved ones!
Laura_C, Oct 2023
We saw dolphins twice, that was cool. And the babies were a bonus! Crew were all very nice, good food and drinks!
Anita_W, Oct 2023
We saw 3 separate dolphin pods. Saw spinner dolphins, bottlenose, and spotted dolphins! The snorkeling was in a beautiful area with calm and clear waters and perfect views. The crew was very informative and friendly. They swam with us and pointed out cool things in the water. The meals were also delicious.
Erica_W, Oct 2023
Great experience. I was not sure what to expect. The crew was awesome, we saw dolphins and snorkeling was like being in a giant aquarium. The 5 hours went by fast and I would pay to do this again tomorrow if I was not leaving. Definitely booking here next time I visit.
LInda_N, Aug 2023
The best snorkeling experience that we’ve been on and we’ve been on several. Comfortable tables and chairs for eating and viewing. The boat was very roomy and clean with friendly crew. Lots of little touches like they brought breakfast and water right to us at the beginning. and prescription masks for free. Lunch was good (and included) w the ability to get seconds and a well stocked bar. We saw so many dolphins on the trip back. Snorkeling eqpt was in good repair. They offered a little snorkeling 101 but didn’t make you stay for it if you didn’t need it. The only thing extra we paid for was a wet jacket which was reasonable ($10) if you wanted it. The best of the best.
Jenni_A, Aug 2023
Crew was excellent. Friendly and accommodating. Very safety conscious. Good food. Fun day! Saw a few dolphins.
Jim_A, Jul 2023
My mother wanted to see dolphins and boy did the captain & crew delivered on this trip (estimated around 150 dolphins)
Emily_S, Jul 2023
The crew were absolutely amazing , the boat was nice with a bathroom . Knowledgeable and and trained for emergencies . Would definitely recommend and do again
Shannon_S, Jun 2023
The captain was fun and caring. The whole staff was super sweet and caring. We were lucky enough to see a group of dolphins before snorkeling and it was magical. The price is right. 10 out of 10.
Brent_S, Jun 2023
Great crew! Great experience! Would recommend to everyone! Relaxing and enjoyable with a bonus of dolphins.
Micah_B, Jun 2023
Great day on the water! I enjoyed the staff, who are passionate advocates for the environment and education.
Monica_T, Jun 2023
This was a great trip!! The crew was amazing! Incredibly polite, knowledgeable and did not skip a beat in service. Boat was super clean and spacious! Great lunch! Best captain! We had many dolphins sightings as well! Highly recommend!!
Christy_K, Jun 2023
We carried a group of graduated seniors to Hawaii. Most of them had never been snorkeling and some not even been to the ocean. (We're from Texas.) Several of them said this was the best excursion we did. So many tropical fish and the spinner dolphins were amazing. Didn't get to see turtles but hey, it was still great!
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