Oahu: Swim with Dolphins on the West Coast
Recommended by 95% of travelers
Oahu, USA
- 4 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Overview
Discover the beauty of Oahu's coastal scenery—and spot its marine life, including pods of dolphins—on this half-day swimming and snorkeling boat tour. Following pickup from your hotel, head to your catamaran and hop aboard. After you set sail, embark on a swimming or snorkeling session to see fish, octopuses, and other marine life in its natural habitat.
- See the coastline of Oahu from a vantage point on the water
- Have the chance to see dolphins, sea turtles, fish, and other wildlife
- This family-friendly tour is suitable for kids and adults alike
- Snorkel for an up-close look at the wildlife (keeping a respectful distance)
What's Included
- Swim with Dolphins
- Pick-up and drop off from designated hotels
- LunchMini Special Hawaiian Lunch (Kalua Pork & Cabbage Bowl with Sweet Potato)
- Bottled waterJuice
- Use of Snorkeling equipment
- Snacks
- Sun screen
- Hat
- Towels
- Private Tour
Meeting and Pickup
You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup
Operating hours.7:30 am
What To Expect
Hop aboard a spacious, 42-passenger catamaran as you set sail along the coastline of Oahu.
Relax and enjoy the comfortable ride as you keep your eyes peeled for the pods of wild dolphins that inhabit the waters around the island.
Take a dip in the refreshing water and snorkel amongst tropical fish and other types of marine life, including sea turtles. Experience swimming with wild dolphins in their natural habitat from a respectful distance. You may spot bottlenose dolphins, spotted dolphins, and rough-toothed dolphins.
Please note that while spinner dolphins also inhabit the area, to abide by the 2021 Marine Mammal Protection Act, the tour will keep a minimum of 50 yards away from their pods and the boat will quickly reposition away from the spinner dolphins should they appear near the vessel.
Refuel with lunch onboard the catamaran, and snap photos of the scenic views before returning to port.
Relax and enjoy the comfortable ride as you keep your eyes peeled for the pods of wild dolphins that inhabit the waters around the island.
Take a dip in the refreshing water and snorkel amongst tropical fish and other types of marine life, including sea turtles. Experience swimming with wild dolphins in their natural habitat from a respectful distance. You may spot bottlenose dolphins, spotted dolphins, and rough-toothed dolphins.
Please note that while spinner dolphins also inhabit the area, to abide by the 2021 Marine Mammal Protection Act, the tour will keep a minimum of 50 yards away from their pods and the boat will quickly reposition away from the spinner dolphins should they appear near the vessel.
Refuel with lunch onboard the catamaran, and snap photos of the scenic views before returning to port.
1
Waianae Mountain Range
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Infants must sit on laps
- Most travelers can participate
- Feel free to bring your own food and non alcoholic beverages on the tour, we will also provide water, juice and light snacks for you.
- Please note that BANANAs are prohibited on the boat due to Hawaiian superstitions. It will bring bad luck.
- We have snorkel gear on the boat for you, but if you have your own snorkel, mask and fins, please bring them.
- We do not have a wild dolphin and other wildlife guarantee.
- The time required for the transfer between Waikiki and the harbor is approximately 1 hour. (Depends on traffic conditions)
- Weather and wildlife conditions may delay our return to harbor.
- Starting October 28, 2021 regulations under the Marine Mammal Protection Act banned the 50-yard approach to Hawaiian spinner dolphins. Therefore, if we encounter a spinner dolphins, we will keep a distance of at least 50 yards and our boat will move away from the spinner dolphins quickly. On our tours you will experience swimming with other species of dolphins such as bottlenose and spotted dolphins. Dolphins are wild animals, so the species you can see will vary depending on the situation of the day. Please note that the above rules apply when seeing Hawaiian spinner dolphins. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation for the protection of wild animals.
- During peak travel seasons, we may occasionally add special additional tours in order to accommodate a higher volume of guests. As a result, tour times may differ from the standard schedule shown at the time of booking. If there is any change to your tour time after your reservation is confirmed, we will notify you by email as soon as possible. These adjustments are made to allow more guests the opportunity to participate, and we sincerely appreciate your understanding and cooperation.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 25 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
Andrea_B
Such a friendly staff, super outgoing! We really loved our experience. Would absolutely recommend this family crew.
Reviews
4.8
based on 1,134 reviews
Lynnette_L, Apr 2026
Fabulous experience! Crew was friendly and helpful! They tried to ensure all guests got a great experience!
Thomas_K, Apr 2026
Great experience! We got to see dolphins very up close. Could hear them clicking! Steven was super nice and gave us great tips for other places on the island.
Johnelle_W, Apr 2026
This was a great experience for our family of 6, including a 12-yr old and 3 teenagers. The crew was attentive, funny and proactively engaged with my teens and they loved it. I felt safe the entire time and they made a huge effort to ensure we saw dolphins. The smaller quantity of people on the tour/boat made it feel person and we received a lot of 1:1 attention. As a bonus the Hawaiian lunch was really tasty! Would highly recommend this provider for future families.
Brooklyn_H, Apr 2026
This experience was so fun !! We loved it, the crew was great and made us all feel super safe. 10/10 recommend!
Andrea_B, Apr 2026
Such a friendly staff, super outgoing! We really loved our experience. Would absolutely recommend this family crew.
Rick_P, Mar 2026
This tour was absolutely incredible from start to finish. We didn’t just get what was promised—we got an unforgettable experience. We saw whales, swam with dolphins, and had an amazing snorkeling session in crystal-clear water.
The crew truly made the day exceptional. They were knowledgeable, fun, and clearly passionate about what they do. The highlight for me was when I accidentally lost my GoPro—and one of the crew members free dove nearly 80 feet to retrieve it. That level of effort and care is something you just don’t see every day.
Everything was well organized, the lunch was great, and the entire experience felt seamless and relaxed. If you’re even considering this tour, book it. Easily one of the best experiences of our trip.
Brooke_E, Mar 2026
This was a once in a lifetime trip for our family, I made a mistake and booked the snorkel tour on the wrong day. When I contacted the company as soon as I was aware of my mistake and asked if we could rebook on the correct date they were very unhelpful. The tour cost our family over $500 dollars and they would not work with us. I was not asking for a refund, and I know it was my mistake but what they did was simply unethical. They were hard to communicate with and very unhelpful or flexible. Not sure if the other companies are any better, but go with some one else!!!
Response from Host, Mar 2026
I sincerely regret that you were unable to participate in the tour.
As I explained to you via email...We exchanged correspondence several times to confirm the details of your reservation. During those exchanges, I believe you had ample opportunity to notice that the reserved date was off by one month.
On the day of the tour, you were scheduled to meet at the harbor.
When you failed to arrive by the designated check-in time, our staff—concerned for called you, at which point the wrong was discovered.
At that point, your reservation was treated as a same-day cancellation.
Our tours operate with a very limited number of seats, and once a reservation is confirmed, those seats are held and no longer available to other guests. For this reason, same-day bookings fall under our cancellation policy, as those reserved seats represent unavailable inventory once secured.
While we are unable to waive the fee for schedule changes, we offered a discount applicable to your next reservation to help offset the change fee. However, you declined this offer.
We appreciate your understanding regarding our operations.
Mahalo nui,
Jillian_W, Mar 2026
Great experience! The crew was amazing and very helpful!! Swimming with dolphins was the highlight of my trip to Hawaii. The delicious lunch was also a great perk of this trip
Jade_B, Mar 2026
100% recommend!!! Crew was awesome and we got to swim with bottle nose dolphins twice! Definitely would book with them again!
Josh_S, Feb 2026
Uncle John and Nicole are great tour guides and know all about where the dolphins love to hang out. An unforgetable experience, for sure!
Laurie_C, Feb 2026
Family run, friendly outing. They were extremely kind and patient with a nervous first timer and I highly recommend this experience.
T_G, Feb 2026
I had such an amazing time today! The crew was so sweet and friendly! They really made the experience better than ever. We were fortunate and saw several dolphin groups and so much other sea life! I highly recommend this team!
Tonya_M, Feb 2026
Check in and safer briefings were smooth efficient and effective. Our gear was stored in baskets in the cabin of the catamaran boat and easy to access. The crew was fun and engaging and felt like close family towards each other. There were a couple captains, a couple swim safety persons, a couple crew and a photographer. We had 3 swims with progressively better sightings of dolphins, then were taken to a sea wall near the harbor for snorkeling. After the dolphins we had a snack of chips and water and an after the snorkeling a small delicious bento box with kalua pork and an another beverage odd water or juice. Very personable and friendly staff. Highly recommend the tour. Our teenaged mids loved it.
Taylor_F, Feb 2026
The tour was phenomenal! They mention their success rate and the crew really strives to give you the best chances to see what you set out to see! We did the dolphin tour and managed to see them 2 of the 3 drops and then also 5 very large sea turtles!
Our group also had some anxiety about the fear of the deep ocean and then a few who had sea sickness the crew were amazing and kind about helping the one who had anxiety see the sights and then get back on board and then providing everything they could to our friends who got sea sickness! The crew made the trip 20x more special with all the jokes and conversations we had!
Can’t speak highly enough about our experience that I will remember for a lifetime! I hope to come back but if I don’t I will definitely be sharing this with all my friends and family who are out here!
Amanda_B, Feb 2026
Great day out on the ocean. We saw pilot whales, spinner dolphins, green sea turtles, octopus, and then some! The crew were amazing- very friendly, great sense of humor, and knew where to go to make the most out of our day. Would 100% bring friends and family out in this trip again when they visit us in Honolulu!
malibru, Jan 2026
Great weather, great crew, great experience. Some of us didn't get to see the dolphins under water, but such things aren't guaranteed, so not exactly a criticism. We were able to swim with the turtles, however. Very cool. The boat forgot to bring dessert (okay, that is a criticism), but not a big deal. Everyone on the boat was kind, Uncle John was a great photographer, JB was a great "dive master," and the whole experience was definitely worth it.
Matewai_W, Jan 2026
Amazing experience! Breathtaking views! The crew are very kind, welcoming and knowledgable. They are also very respectful and ethical towards sea creatures. We saw spinner dolphins which are protected so we didn't get to swim with dolphins this time. The crew tried their best to find another pod, we were just unlucky but we got to swim with turtles instead! I would do the tour again! They offer snacks food and drinks. Everything was amazing!
Amy_L, Jan 2026
It was amazing! The crew and the photographer John made this event memorable and we saw the rare dolphins called the pygmy killer whale and we got to hold a baby octopus!!
Kimberly_A, Jan 2026
Do not use this company. The crew had no clue what they were doing. Rushed us into the ocean multiple times only to scare away the dolphins and rush us back in. They rushed us in so quickly that one woman jumped on top of me, giving me a bloody nose and concussion. They handed me ice and that was it. They were extremely rude. One person on the boat was throwing up and instead of offering help, one crew member said "well, that's the ocean." There are plenty of great crews that will make this experience memorable. Don't make the mistake of choosing this one. They did not find us dolphins. Spent the majority of the time on the boat bobbing up and down. Relied on another tour company to find the dolphins. Then showed up and scared the dolphins away. On top of it, they provided very unsafe conditions in the process. And were VERY rude. Stay away.
Heather_S, Jan 2026
Crew was very nice and seemed to love their job. They made sure everyone had a wonderful experience.
Angela_Z, Jan 2026
The driver and photographer were great. The boat was ok, kind of small and old. We only had one drop for dolphins that swam off as soon as we entered the water. Then we went to a reef with turtles and never even looked for more dolphins. The food was cold and not very tasty. The driver also threatened to leave people who didn’t tip at a different location.
Response from Host, Jan 2026
Aloha Angela, Thank you for joining our tour and feedback.
We are sorry for you that was not your expectations.
During the tour that day, we attempted to swim with bottlenose dolphins, but they seemed to be in a particular mood and swam away shortly after we entered the water.
After that, we stopped trying to approach the bottlenose dolphins.
Since these are wild animals that are not fed or trained, dolphins are like humans, have their own moods. We would appreciate your understanding that we are the guest into their life and need to respect.
I apologize for any misunderstanding that may have occurred.
Our driver is a veteran driver with 20 years of experience.
He was born and raised in Hawaii and grew up interacting with tourists from all over the world.
We have been working with him like family for over 10 years, and he is not the type of person to demand tips or threaten customers.
Hawaii is an island nation.
It's a treasure trove of beautiful weather, hawaiinei, and abundant wildlife.
We look forward to having another ocean adventure with you!
Mahalo and a hui hou!
Bill, Jan 2026
The crew of the boat were great. The boat ride gave you beautiful views of Oahu. We saw whales, dolphins, turtles and fish. The lunch was very good and filling.
Phalguni_A, Jan 2026
The crew was very friendly and before we went into the water I had no idea how to snorkel but the crew taught us how to snorkel. They also directed us where the dolphins were and which way to look and before we even jumped into the water they would tell us where to swim. Once we got to the spot they told us which way to look whether the dolphins were below us, in front of us, or behind us. For example, I was swimming and the guy said LOOK DOWN! so I did and I saw a whole family of dolphins below me. Along the trip we spotted spinner dolphins jump out of the water which was really cool, we also saw a whale since it was whale season. And if you wanted to do some regular snorkelling they take you to a really nice snorkelling spot where you can see fish, turtles and reefs. On our way back, we also saw a really cute seal. So if you are looking to not only dolphins but all kinds of sea creatures, I would really recommend this.
Jen_R, Jan 2026
Friendly, professional, knowledgeable staff. Felt special to experience dolphins, whales, and turtles in a warm, close knot group.
Karla_M, Jan 2026
Absolutely the best experience ever! The crew was amazing and welcoming, would do it again. We got to see whales, dolphins, turtles and even octopuses. The food was great too. The entire experience was 10/10, the crew made it feel like a family trip.
Natalie, Jan 2026
This was an incredible experience. The crew was amazing and made the whole trip unforgettable. Being able to see dolphins in the ocean was truly magical. Thank you Uncle John, JB, Captain Nicole, Julie, and the rest of the crew. I will never forget this!
vrm97pjchj, Dec 2025
We had an absolute blast . The pick up crew Julie and frank were wonderful and so funny . The boat staff truly is a little Ohana . Captain JB Sasha and their little ones and close family were working hard on the water. The food was good the swim was good. We were safe, educated, and catered to. The ocean is unpredictable but they do all they can do make it worth your buck. On our ride we were the only boat lucky enough to swim with hundreds of dolphins . My only regret was not bringing more in tip money we will have to return on our next adventure .
Tara_R, Dec 2025
This was truly the highlight of our 2 week Hawai’i stay. And I want to call out we did multiple snorkeling tours but this one really took the cake. I’ve been talking about it to friends and family for the last 3 days. The team at Indigo ocean was very professional, attentive and friendly right from pickup to drop off and provided us all the information we needed about animals we were going to see, and how to see them legally and respectfully. We got to see so many animals up close - spotted dolphins, a turtle, whales in the distance and even got to hold an octopus! The photography add on package is so worth it so you can really stay in the moment with the dolphins instead of trying to capture your own footage. Also I really appreciated this was a full team in board with safety swimmers in the water with us so we felt completely safe in the deep ocean at all times. I would 100% recommend this tour and would do it again if possible!
christina_s, Dec 2025
Great crew on board. The weather was not great but they tried their best to make it fun and enjoyable.
SERENAPARK, Dec 2025
Amazing experience, we saw spinner dolphins, humpback whales, spotted dolphin, octopus, sea turtles, and fish! The crew were so much fun, the weather was beautiful and the waters were warm and calm! We loved every minute of this excursion! One tip: take motion sickness pills/patches before you go even if the waters are calm, as first timers we got a little sick but once pills kicked in it was great. Would do this again and again!! Steve took great photos for us and Julie and Nicole the captain and crew were so friendly and fun!!
From $187.43
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
Compare Similar Experiences
Current
Oahu: Swim with Dolphins on the West Coast
1,134
4 hours
Free Cancellation
From
$187.43
Customers Who Bought This Tour Also Bought
Attractions in Oahu, USA
- Kualoa Ranch Tours & Tickets
- National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific Tours & Tickets
- Manoa Valley Tours & Tickets
- Halona Blowhole Tours & Tickets
- Haleiwa Tours & Tickets
- Ali'iolani Hale Tours & Tickets
- Waikiki Aquarium Tours & Tickets
- Eternity Beach Tours & Tickets
- Tropical Farms (The Macadamia Nut Farm Outlet) Tours & Tickets
- Waimea Falls Tours & Tickets
- Dole Plantation Tours & Tickets
- Lanai Lookout Tours & Tickets
- Polynesian Cultural Center Tours & Tickets
- Duke Kahanamoku Statue Tours & Tickets
- Hawaii State Capitol Tours & Tickets
- Battleship Missouri Memorial Tours & Tickets
- King Kamehameha Statue Tours & Tickets
- KCC Farmers’ Market Tours & Tickets