Marine Biologist Guided Snorkel Tour from Shore at Turtle Town
Recommended by 100% of travelers
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Maui, USA
- 2 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Embark on a thrilling, small group 2 hour journey of discovery, taken with an expert marine biologist as your guide. In an area called Olowalu awaits Hawaii's oldest and most vibrant reef where you'll enjoy close encounters with sea turtles and brilliant coral gardens teeming in color and life, all while learning invaluable lessons about marine biology and conservation. No previous experience is necessary but basic swimming skills suggested and complete snorkeling gear is provided along with start-of-trip instructions (groups limited to 8 people or fewer).
- Snorkeling equipment is provided so you don't have to worry
- A marine biologist guides your experience, learn from an expert
- Get photos of the tour, keepsakes from your holiday
- Convenient central meeting point in Olowalu
What's Included
- Use of Snorkeling equipmentUse of Snorkelling equipment
- Flotation
- Reef-safe sunscreen
- Marine Biologist guide
- Snorkeling instruction
- Photos from Tour
- Clean sanitized gear
- Guide gratuities not included
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- RC32+RX OlowaluRC32+RX5 Olowalu, HI, USA
You will receive a pin of the exact location via text the day prior to tour, as well as a picture of company vehicle. We will be going from an area called Olowalu. Look for mile marker 14 along the Honoapiilani highway, and park on the ocean side of the road.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.Start time.8:00 am
Itinerary
RC32+RX Olowalu (Pass By)
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Most travelers can participate
- Not recommended for non-swimmers
- Flotation provided, but basic swimming skills required
- Ages 8-65
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 8 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
We had an amazing time! Paul was great, very attentive and professional. His experience and passion for the marine life was top notch. He took his time to explain everything we came across with great detail. The turtles were so beautiful and it’s an experience our family will cherish forever! Also, the gear was clean and sanitized. We couldn’t have asked for a better tour guide! Highly recommend this snorkeling tour!
Reviews
5.0
based on 212 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
Paul was well prepared, easy to find, and very knowledgeable. We enjoyed the two hours. It was exactly as advertised.
Paul was an amazing tour guide for an amazing snorkel experience! We had 3 inexperienced snorkelers and he was very instructive and patient with everyone. He works at the nearby Ocean Center full time and has so much knowledge of conservation biology related to the reefs you explore. One note: the trip does involve a good bit of swimming (nothing our out of shape group couldn’t handle), but you have a flotation device to assist! Paul included photos from the tour and they turned out beautiful as well. 10/10 recommend this snorkeling trip if you’re in Maui!
The snorkeling tour was absolutely amazing!
It started with Paul giving everyone a thorough safety briefing, introducing us to the equipment, and explaining the marine life we were likely to see. We were under the impression that this would be one of those tours where you’re simply dropped off to snorkel and then picked up later, but wow, it was so much more than that!
We swam out to where the sea turtles were, and along the way we saw beautiful coral reefs and so many colorful fish. Paul shared interesting facts throughout the tour, making the whole experience both fun and educational. His coworker, who was also a marin biologist, was in the water keeping an eye on everyone, making sure anyone who needed help got assistance and that no one got too close to shallow areas where they could get hurt.
The entire team made us feel safe, and the experience was unforgettable. I would 100% recommend this tour to anyone visiting Maui!
This experience greatly surpassed expectations! Paul, our guide, was very knowledgeable and kind. He was patient with all of our questions and took the time to help us find special fish and many turtles! He took photos that he shared as well as guided us to so many cool spots on the reef. The gear available for use was very high quality, and he had so many helpful suggestions to allow us to get the most out of the experience. I had multi generations on the tour, and everyone had a wonderful experience. Highly recommend this tour. It was a big highlight of our trip.
What an amazing way to experience Maui! We’ve done the crowded boat & snorkeled on our own, but chose this for our first family trip to the island. Having Paul take care of all the details, guide us & explain what we were looking at was such a treat. Having another set of eyes on my family & someone else to take photos made it so I could really just relax & take it all in. I highly recommend this tour for anyone really wanting a relaxing & informative way to experience the ocean. 100% worth it!
Great experience with such a knowledgeable person. He knows all the fishes and marine creatures in the ocean.
This was an amazing experience. We met Paul on the beach and he quickly got the group geared up and prepared for the snorkel tour including briefing on the area, safety, tips for wildlife viewing, and ensuring snorkel gear was on correctly.
Once we headed into the water, very quickly we were surrounded by colorful reefs, fish, and turtles. Paul stopped several times to detail things about the ecosystem below us as we went. This trip was highlighted by swimming out to the sea turtle cleaning station and watching the fish clean the turtles. That felt like a once in a lifetime experience. We saw 7-8 turtles altogether.
My wife and I snorkel 1-2x a year so we have a little experience, but some in our group it had been a long time and one person it was their first time ever. Paul did a great job at accommodating everyone and making sure everyone had the best experience. The photo package was included in the price and I thought that was a nice gesture you don’t see much on these tours.
I could not recommend this tour enough for any skill level of snorkeler. You do swim a fair amount, this is much more of a swim tour than a float tour. But in my opinion that just makes it better as you get to see more landscape and wildlife. In the event my wife and I make it back to Maui we will certainly look to do this tour again.
Great job, Paul!
Very personal guided tour. Paul did a great job explaining and making sure the kids were ready to go out. Because we had three kids they added a guide to make sure we were able to be guided back to shore early if needed ( we did because it was one of their first time out.) . The other kids had an amazing experience. Highly recommended!!
Thoroughly enjoyed this experience. Our guide. Paul, was very accommodating and knowledgeable. I particularly enjoyed being able to walk into the water from the beach.
We very much enjoyed our experience with Paul!! He is very knowledgeable and took his time explaining snorkel safety and technique as well marine facts about the reef, fish and turtles that we saw!! We would definitely do it again!!
Great for everyone, the seasoned scuba folks as well as those who are afraid of open water (we had both in our group). Paul was very informative, understanding and helpful with those less comfortable with being out in open water. He has everyone wear a belt which aides with floating, although some took it off, and offered yet another floatation board. We saw fish and turtles galore! The whole experience was 10 out of 10, from the communication before hand to the talk after our session to go over what we saw. Paul was a pro and I would suggest this adventure to everyone!!
Paul is wonderful, very informative, professional, I highly recommend it. The journey was unbelievable. Lots of adventures and made amazing memories I would never forget.
We had such a great time and this experience was one of the highlights of our trip! Andie was so kind and knowledgable on everything that we saw while snorkeling so we learned a lot too. We saw a lot of sea turtles too, which was amazing.
Such a great tour! Paul is patient and has a wealth of knowledge to share about the ocean and its inhabitants. We had a range of snorkel abilities and he was able to keep the group cohesive. We were lucky to have calm weather to see many fish and turtles!
Paul made our snorkeling experience absolutely spectacular! From the moment we met him, we felt completely safe and confident in his expertise. He’s incredibly knowledgeable, explains everything in a way that builds trust, and truly makes learning fun. He was especially amazing with the kids—encouraging their curiosity, inspiring their dreams of becoming marine biologists, and mentoring them with patience and enthusiasm. An unforgettable adventure with an incredible guide and mentor. Highly recommend! 🌊🐠
We had a spectacular first time snorkeling experience where the water was warm and clear, whereby we saw the first coral colony about 50-70 yards away from shore and we were greeted by the first of 6 large green sea turtles! Our guide Paul (the marine biologist) was truly amazing. We were educated about the reef's propensity for life and its' accompanying sea creatures. He pointed out many variety of fishes that we saw and their distinguishing characteristics. Paul is knowlegeable and professional. We felt safe and secure in the water as Paul is proactively keeping his eyes on all of us, making sure we are comfortable (me, an inexperience swimmer) and that our gear is fitted well, providing pointers to my husband on leg movements to help further him a long. My daughter felt nauseated near the end and he reassured her that it can happen to anyone. After leading her back to shore, he provided a ginger candy to soothe her stomache. He is thoughtful and caring. We recommend this tour for everyone, and if we could give 10 stars we would!
Great for beginners. Very informative. We learned about the coral and the different fish. Paul was excellent!! Very patient and friendly. Would stop and point out types of fish. We got to see turtles on our tour. He takes pictures and video and those are included in the price. Definitely recommend. It was the highlight of my trip. Thanks Paul!!
Top notch adventure!! Paul was very knowledgeable and well prepared. The equipment looked brand new and he took the time to explain all procedures thoroughly. The tour felt private as there were just a handful of people in it. With the support of his colleague Andy and his expert guidance and enthusiasm we were able to see a variety of marine life and experience swimming among sea turtles!!
We highly recommend this eco friendly tour!
It was such a Great experience ! We got to see everything we could imagine, turtles, colourful fishes and corals. Paul took the time to explain everything and he took underwater picture of everything we liked. The gear was well maintained and we even got a swimming belt so we could enjoy without getting exhausted. We would do it again anytime, definitely worth the money!
Sarah was awesome. Very knowledgeable, great with our son and great overall. Definitely the best! Would highly recommend!!!
We had an amazing time! Paul was great, very attentive and professional. His experience and passion for the marine life was top notch. He took his time to explain everything we came across with great detail. The turtles were so beautiful and it’s an experience our family will cherish forever! Also, the gear was clean and sanitized. We couldn’t have asked for a better tour guide! Highly recommend this snorkeling tour!
Paul and Alisha were great guides! We saw many turtles and different varieties of native fish. They made sure all the equipment was on properly before and during the trip!
We met up with our guide who was friendly, helpful and incredibly knowledgeable. She ensured everyone was comfortable and safe. We were supplied with flippers, facemask and snorkel and floatation. We were given an introduction to all the marine life we might see, we were led out safely to get comfortable with the equipment and then we swam out around 400m to see the turtles, and so much more.
Awesome tour with Sara. We had a group of 7, of which 6 were over 60. They will provide all the equipment needed if you don’t have any. And the gear is better than Amazon! Before we got into the water she pointed out the route we had to take to get out to the cleaning station. You do have to swim about 500 yards to get out to the cleaning station. Fortunately she has everyone wear a flotation belt which allowed us to rest.
We saw over 12 turtles and tons of fish! She also made sure we all were doing OK and were OK to continue on the journey (she offered to tow people if you were tired), and if someone needed help, she was there! She knew our names, and that was special. It was a wonderful way to get exercise and see the glorious creatures of the sea.
My daughter and I were so excited for this adventure. Paul was kind enough to loan her a wet suit since she’s young and lean. She did get cold towards the end but his assistant Julia was so kind and towed her back to shore a little early. They both took such great care of everyone I was thoroughly impressed. We saw lots of turtles which was well worth the swim and he even captured an amazing picture of us towards the end. I’d highly recommend this adventure but be sure to have a wet suit or know your bodies ability to stay warm in open water.
Paul was an excellent guide, very knowledgeable. In addition to leading us through the reef, he took pictures with his gopro of the wildlife that we saw, and it was amazing to have those photos as a souvenir. We saw a sting ray, eel, turtles, lots of fish, and even a seal napping on the beach. Very unique and personal experience compared to the big boating excursions. We went right from the shore, so the whole experience was only about two hours. Highly recommend!!!!
OMG! This is the best snorkeling experience I’ve ever had. I am not a strong swimmer and was recovering from an injury. I told Paul up front and he made sure to check on me throughout but I had no issues. He explains everything before and as you go. He took us to the turtle cleaning station and we got lucky and saw not just one but 5 turtles. I highly recommend.
Response from Host, May 2025
Im glad you enjoyed the tour! It was my pleasure taking you guys out and teaching you about the ocean
Paul was an amazing instructor and tour guide. I have never felt more prepared for a tour, as Paul was proactive every step of the way. Once we were in the water, he was able to guide us to amazing coral reefs and teach about the fish we were seeing on the fly. We will definitely be coming back to see Paul and the reef again next time.
Response from Host, Apr 2025
Mahalo! It was a pleasure taking you guys out snorkeling!
Paul was absolutely awesome. Very informative about the marine life he was showing us. My 10 year old was a little nervous to do this but within minutes felt very comfortable. Great experience and would highly recommend to chose this guy.
Response from Host, Apr 2025
Im glad you guys had a good time, Mahalo for your kind words : )
Had an amazing time! Sarah was great and made everyone feel comfortable. We saw several turtles and multiple species of fish.
Member Pricing
From
$122.55
per personWas $129.00(-5%)
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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