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Oahu: Cage-Free Shark Swim on the North Shore

Recommended by 97% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Oahu, USA
High interest
Booked 5+ times today.
  • 1 hour 45 minutes (approx.)
  • Mobile ticket
  • Offered in: English

Why travelers loved this

4.9
·
· Aimee_D ·
Mar 2026
Absolutely amazing experience! Very calm & serene— our divers were very personal and really wanted us to have a natural encounter viewing the sharks on their own terms. They were willing to go further out to find clear water and took great pictures and videos so we could just be in the moment. I went with my 3 kids (13, 15, & 17) and everyone loved it!
· Max_M ·
Feb 2026
Excellent guides, super helpful and kind. I felt safe at all times, 100%. We saw at least 4 large sharks and the crew took great pictures and videos. Also happened to see dolphins on the way in. Awesome crew and well worth the $135.00 cost.

Overview

Leave your preconceptions about sharks at the door and get up close to these sleek creatures on this unique ocean experience. Head out from Haleiwa, on the North Shore of O’ahu, and spend around half an hour swimming with the sharks living in the area. Don’t worry, though: even if you aren’t swimming in a cage, you’re still in safe hands, with a guide on board and a safety diver swimming with each group.
  • Enjoy an intimate encounter with these creatures on this small-group experience
  • No need to visit the dive shop beforehand: all snorkelling equipment provided
  • With multiple sessions a day, make this experience work to your schedule
  • Easy-to-find meeting point at the Boat Harbor on the Haleiwa waterfront

What's Included

  • Cage-Free Shark Swim
  • Use of Snorkeling equipment
    Use of Snorkelling equipment
  • Local guide
  • Safety diver
  • Free Photos and Videos
  • Live Commentary on board
  • Free parking is readily available near the dock
  • Swimsuit - come ready to swim
  • Sunscreen - apply prior to boarding to limit excessive scents/oils in the water
  • Hotel pick-up and drop off
  • Bottled water
  • Private Tour

Meeting and Pickup

Meeting point

  • Island View Hawaii
    Small Boat Harbor, 66-105 Haleiwa Rd, Haleiwa, HI 96712, USA

    Meeting time is 15 minutes prior to your tour. Meeting place will be at the Haleiwa Small Boat Harbor, North Shore, Oahu. Meet on the left side of the harbor next to boat launching ramp/loading dock. *Free parking is readily available near the dock

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Swim with sharks in a natural, cage-free environment on this small, intimate, family-run snorkel adventure. There’s no need to be afraid, since the sharks and other marine life you’ll be swimming with are harmless to humans.

Your tour starts when you show up at the departure point to meet your small group and guide in Haleiwa, on Oahu’s North Shore. You’ll be given snorkel gear to use, so you don’t need to source that separately.

You’ll head out to the deep blue water where you can watch people swimming with sharks, then get into the water yourself. You’ll spend around a half hour in the water with the sharks, unless you want to come up to the boat sooner, which is always an option.
1

North Shore

2

Haleiwa

Additional Info

  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking
  • Not wheelchair accessible
  • Near public transportation
  • Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
  • Minimum age is 5 years old - must be accompanied by an adult
  • Get a good night's rest before your adventure!
  • We kindly ask you leave behind any preconceived notions about sharks and experience this adventure with an open mind
  • Always be attentive and present in the water, keeping your ears above water and paying close attention to the Safety Diver's instructions
  • If you are prone to seasickness, please take Dramamine 1 hour prior to the tour
  • A minimum of 2 people per trip is required for any trip. If you are booking as a single passenger, we will contact you if the minimum trip requirements are not met.
  • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 8 travelers

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

Andrew_N
What a great excursion, do not hesitate to book. The guides were extremely knowledgeable and attentive. My husband had a great time overall, he was super excited and has been boasting about this excursion nonstop to family. I for one hate snorkeling, but the guides were so attentive and caring to make sure that this was a comfortable experience for me between handing me a float to teaching me how to properly utilize the equipment so I’m not swallowing ocean water constantly. Overall, great excursion-great guides and an unforgettable experience!

Reviews

4.9
based on 1,094 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

Yes, do it!!!

Rebecca_W, Apr 2026
Absolutely fantastic experience, from someone who is (was) terrified of sharks! Staff are caring and attentive to make sure everyone is comfortable. They are knowledgeable of the environment and took the time to answer any questions. This is a family owned business which made the experience even better! 100/10 recommend. Will definitely do this tour again! Thanks so much!!

Swim with Sharks

Jasmine_C, Apr 2026
It was great and the divers were really reassuring and making sure everyone is having a great time and make sure we’re all safe!

Unreal experience

Maya_D, Apr 2026
The most amazing experience in Hawaii! Swimming with these beautiful creatures was surreal. Even my husband who was adamant of not going in the water eventually came in and is so happy to got to experience this. This definitely helped me overcome my fear of sharks and deep water. I felt so calm in the ocean especially with the safety divers right next to me. If you’re going to book ONE activity, make it this one!

Must Do It!

Kristen_C, Apr 2026
This was by far my family of 5 favorite thing we did while in HI. Everything was perfect! Captain n staff were all great.

So cool!

Kaylie_M, Apr 2026
Such a cool experience 😁 The guides were great. Friendly and knowledgeable. Saw several sharks. It’s nice that pics are included.

Amazing

Afriend, Apr 2026
This was a great experience and you could tell the crew really cared about and put effort into making sure the guests had a great experience.

Unreal experience! Cannot...

Emma_C, Apr 2026
Unreal experience! Cannot recommend enough. The crew was awesome and alotta fun but also made you feel incredibly safe throughout. Loved that it was such a family oriented business.

Such a great experience...

Alex_G, Mar 2026
Such a great experience and highly recommend! The guides were really personable and very knowledgeable they did a great job of giving instructions and following up with everyone. we always felt super safe throughout the entire swim/ride and got to really enjoy the experience as a whole.

Absolute must do

Aimee_D, Mar 2026
Absolutely amazing experience! Very calm & serene— our divers were very personal and really wanted us to have a natural encounter viewing the sharks on their own terms. They were willing to go further out to find clear water and took great pictures and videos so we could just be in the moment. I went with my 3 kids (13, 15, & 17) and everyone loved it!

Unforgettable Shark Dive Experience

Michael_J, Mar 2026
Amazing experience. The crew was professional, the dive felt safe, and seeing the sharks up close was unforgettable. Highly recommend.

A must go in Oahu

Yaroslav_P, Mar 2026
This was one of the best experiences in my lifetime. Swimming in open ocean is a beautiful thing by itself, but swimming in the open ocean with these amazing creatures all the way around you is a must. I felt very safe, the crew is amazing. I also saw more whales on this trip than an so-called whale watching tour from Honolulu. One of the whale jumped out from the water maybe 250 feet away from us, that was great as well.

Contemplating swimming with Sharks? Don’t hesitate to book this!

Andrew_N, Mar 2026
What a great excursion, do not hesitate to book. The guides were extremely knowledgeable and attentive. My husband had a great time overall, he was super excited and has been boasting about this excursion nonstop to family. I for one hate snorkeling, but the guides were so attentive and caring to make sure that this was a comfortable experience for me between handing me a float to teaching me how to properly utilize the equipment so I’m not swallowing ocean water constantly. Overall, great excursion-great guides and an unforgettable experience!

4 sharks circling and many whale tails! Wow!! So freaking cool!

David_D, Mar 2026
The 3 guys that took us out were great! They explained everything very well, kept everything organized, safe and fun. We never felt unsafe in any way. The weather from a couple days earlier made the conditions less than perfect in the water so we went deeper and it was great. The guides were on high alert to point out whales which we saw many. Incredibly cool bonus! They took all the pics and videos and gave them to us for free. Plenty for all. Just a fantastic experience for my bucket list trip with my wife to Hawaii. I was disappointed that we were the only ones that gave the operators a tip. Seriously, people give $1 for making a coffee at Starbucks but you can’t give a tip to someone for full service shark swim with pics included? Bring some cash for tip everyone. They earn it.

The greatest experience...

Kelly_P, Mar 2026
The greatest experience ever! The crew was absolutely amazing and made everyone so comfortable in the water. Cannot recommend this enough.

10/10 recommend !

Olivia_P, Feb 2026
An absolutely breathtaking experience, the guides are so knowledgeable and make you feel so safe. It’s definitely a once in a lifetime experience that I hope to experience over and over. This is my second time coming with this company and I will definitely be back!

Amazing day out with 🦈

Millie_W, Feb 2026
The experience takes you out to open ocean to search for sharks! The 3 guys managing the boat is knowledgeable, professional and easy to work with! We went out on their first trip of the day -8 am! We saw whales spouting and breaching along the way but the goal was to look for the sharks! Like any trek in search of nature - we had to be patient - the first search we enjoyed the water around us but after a bit we go back on the boat and looked around again! The second stop yielded 2 Galapagos sharks! Mission accomplished - just seeing them swimming around was perfect! Since it’s a 2 hour ride we had to return to the doc by 10! it was an educational trip knowing that these great water giants are out there! Shout out to the 3 guys who took their time with us!!!

Great tour!!

Justyn_K, Feb 2026
The experience was amazing! Highly recommend this tour group for shark diving they are the best, they know where to go to see sharks, and the most experienced. We saw 4 sharks, 1 sand shark and 3 Galapagos sharks. We even saw a dolphin underwater swim right past us! Coming back into the land after the shark diving, we saw 2 whales jumping out of the water and splashing. 100/10 experience.

Sharks and Whales! Expert Tour Company

John_D, Feb 2026
This outfit is the best! This is my second time going out on the water with them. Ha'a and his two cousins made this so much fun. They're experts at safety, information and genuine kindness. It's clear they love their jobs! We were immediately visited by three whales once we got in the water!! (Apparently this is not common, just to set expectations.) And we got to see multiple Galapagos sharks the entire time we were in the water. It's hard to describe the beauty of seeing these animals in their natural habitat. And this tour company rocks. Can't go wrong

Really, really fun, but make sure it is right for you

Robert_R, Feb 2026
We had a great time with the crew. They were awesome. We did see a few sharks, right there swimming around in the open ocean next to us. It was really quite magical to experience it in the wild. I would 100% do it again. But you have to ask if the experience is for you. What you should know: * The boat ride out can be rough. You are on the open ocean after all. You are on a small boat so you get tossed around and it is noisy. * Once out there, they bring you into the ocean one at a time and you have to stay fairly close to the guide (no more 30 feet or so). * You are in 300 feet of water so you can't see the bottom, just sharks swimming around. * Most of the sharks are harmless, though Tiger sharks do occasionally show up. However, don't fear, sharks don't just launch attacks from the deep and the guide knows how to read them. So if there is an brewing problem, you get out of the water. * A few of us on the boat were nauseous from floating around in the ocean with our heads down in the water. You are only in for 30 minutes so it doesn't get too bad. Once back on the boat we got better. * Pictures / video are taken by a crew member and provided for free. * There are bathrooms / changing rooms / showers at the park next to the boat ramp. As I said, the crew is awesome and the experience is awesome, just make sure the experience is right for you!

Awesome experience with nature!

Mackenzie_D, Feb 2026
Super fun! The crew was great and made you feel comfortable no matter what level of experience you have. They took all the photos which made it so easy to focus on enjoying you time with the sharks!

Wonderful experience!!

Michaela_H, Feb 2026
I was recommended by a friend to do this excursion. It was such a fun time. One of the best experiences to come out of our trip! We never felt unsafe in the water and were briefed on how things would go before even leaving the dock. The guys that were on the boat were all friendly and answered any questions we had. 10/10 would recommend to anyone looking for something exciting to do on their next trip!

Life-changing experience!

Rachel_C, Feb 2026
My husband did this experience and still raves about it 5 years later. Now that our kids are a little older, we will be coming back soon to do it as a whole family! The staff was friendly, helpful, and fun!

Good guides great experience

Park_M, Feb 2026
Wonderful, the guides were kind and the sharks were gorgeous. If you visit Hawaii, this may be a to do list in the North Shore

SO beautiful and fun

Ileane_A, Feb 2026
We had our tour scheduled for 8am but the day before they told us they weren't able to do the 8am tour but they had openings for the 12pm tour, luckily it fit within our schedule and they were really nice with it. Other than that, the tour was amazing!! They were very knowledgeable about what to do and made you feel super safe. They made you feel welcomed on the boat and were very chill. When it came to the sharks, its a free dive so the sharks we seen were so beautiful and they even let us get close to them. Although it was a bit scary, the crew knew what they were doing and didn't seem scared at all. It was such a beautiful experience and so awesome to see such wildlife like that up close. They even get pretty good pics and vids of you and your crew, INCLUDED in your tour. I would definitely do it again. 10/10 experience.

Cage free shark diving- well worth it!

Max_M, Feb 2026
Excellent guides, super helpful and kind. I felt safe at all times, 100%. We saw at least 4 large sharks and the crew took great pictures and videos. Also happened to see dolphins on the way in. Awesome crew and well worth the $135.00 cost.

10/10 experience!

Taylor_T, Feb 2026
This is a must do experience when visiting Oahu!! This is now my 5th time traveling to Hawaii and I wish I had found this sooner because I would have been doing it every time I come! If I wasn’t leaving tomorrow I would book again. The crew was super friendly and helpful and made the trip 10/10! Not to mention all of the awesome pictures they captured.

Do This!

Nancy_P, Feb 2026
One of the most amazing experiences of my life. All new outlook on sharks. They are amazing creatures to watch in their real surroundings.

Amazing!

Jordan_H, Jan 2026
Great crew, made the experience incredible even though we were nervous before we got in the boat. Swam with tons of sharks, saw turtles, whales and dolphins too. Will definitely use them again!

Amazing experience!

Hannah_W, Jan 2026
This was an experience I will never forget! The crew was amazing and so nice, I was by myself and they made me feel so comfortable and safe. Seeing the sharks was truly amazing they are so beautiful and to get to see them up close was indescribable.

Worth it 100%!!

Avi_C, Jan 2026
It is SO WORTH IT!! They give you a brief safety talk and then head out out, its like a 15 to 20 minute ride there and then you spend 30 minutes swimming with these BEAUTIFUL creatures i had such an amazing time the crew made it so fun and amazing and make you feel safe the entire time, and they take amazing photos and videos of you! Definitely worth it and will be going again!!
Likely to Sell Out

From $150.00

per person

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

Book ahead!
On average, this is booked 23 days in advance.

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