Small Group Turtle Canyon Snorkel in Waikiki (Boat Tour)
Recommended by 100% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Oahu, USA
- 2 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Overview
Enjoy one of Hawaii's most magical experiences on this small-group snorkeling tour in Turtle Canyon. Board a powerful catamaran in Waikiki and head for the protected waters where turtles gather. Cruise the coastline watching for spinner dolphins and humpback whales in season, and learn fascinating facts about Hawaii’s marine wildlife. Jump off board to swim around sea turtles and tropical fish—and if you don't see turtles, you can take a second tour at no additional cost.
- Benefit from your guides' expert insights into marine life
- Enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of a small-group tour
- Includes use of snorkeling equipment and bottled water
- Relax under the shade of the catamaran and sip included local juices
What's Included
- Use of Snorkeling equipmentUse of Snorkelling equipment
- Hands on snorkel instruction
- Bottled waterLocal juices and soda too!
- Shaded Cabin
- Marine Bathroom
- Parking Fees ($2 per hour - do not park in reserved stalls)
- Hotel pick-up and drop off
- Towels
- Prescription snorkel mask (Can be rented at near by shops in the harbor)
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Hawaii Ocean Charters1125 Ala Moana Blvd, Honolulu, HI 96814, USA
Meet Point is the gate entrance of Pier "C" for our 6-person tour option, and Pier "A" for our 18-person tour option in Kewalo Basin Harbor. Type Hawaii Ocean Charters in Google or Apple Maps to locate the harbor. Please arrive early in case of delays, check-in is 15 min prior to departure.
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.What To Expect
1
Waikiki Beach
2
Diamond Head State Monument
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Near public transportation
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Most travelers can participate
- Basic Swimming ability required (We provide Snorkel flotation )
- Snorkeling is a physically strenuous activity, you should be in good health to participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 6 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
Alicia_G
I have never been snorkeling. In fact I’m afraid of the water. This crew was amazing! Being in a small group made it so easy. They really took care of us and made us feel at ease and welcome! They were very personable and informative. I would highly recommend this excursion. Well worth the cost!!!
Reviews
5.0
based on 392 reviews
Patti_M, Apr 2026
Ella, Sam, and Mossy were awesome! Definitely recommend this tour to everyone. We saw so many turtles!
Esther_W, Apr 2026
There are multiple options for this activity, choose this one!! The staff is awesome, super friendly and knowledgeable. Answered questions and told us all about the area. The boat is perfect, tons of great places to hang out with a great view and they don't overbook so you have plenty of room to move around and spread out. Shade or sun, whatever you want. All the cold water and local juices you want. Nice equipment in great condition. Knew exactly where to take us - saw turtles, fish and more. Felt sorry for the big crammed tour boats we passed. This is the one, don't hesitate.
Danya_K, Apr 2026
We had so much fun snorkeling. Everyone on the crew was super chill and knowledgeable. Haley was our guide in the water. You could tell she was in her element and loved what she did. I would highly recommend booking with this crew. We even got to seem some spinner dolphins.
Nadine_G, Apr 2026
We had an amazing time on this turtle tour! We saw so many turtles, which was absolutely incredible. On the way to the turtle spot, we even spotted dolphins - such a special moment!
During the tour, we also saw a pufferfish, a small reef shark, a cute octopus, and lots of beautiful fish. There was so much to see the whole time.
The crew was super friendly - the two guys were great and made us feel comfortable from the beginning. The instructions were clear, and everything on the boat was well organized.
Overall, it was a fantastic experience and I would definitely recommend this tour!
Kelli_H, Apr 2026
Smaller boat and a friendly crew make the experience much more fun! Captain Sam and crew were super helpful, knowledgeable and entertaining. Only 15 people in the group made it much more personal and chill. Absolutely LOVED our snorkel tour.
Vanessa_S, Apr 2026
Lovely Girls who were very knowledgeable. Great small group experience. Would definitely recommend..
Kirt_C, Apr 2026
Great staff, short boat ride and lots of fish! We saw lots of turtles as well. Highly recommend. A+!!
Landa_C, Apr 2026
It was great. Highly recommend. Sam and Mossy were terrific. Turtles were awesome. Abs even saw dolphins.
David_W, Apr 2026
Sam & Ella were awesome! We enjoyed the small boat and saw many turtles during the trip. We also encountered a pod of spinner dolphins, and they followed us swimming right along side the boat. Also saw many other fish.
This is the best way to experience Turtle Bay
Lisa_B, Apr 2026
Amazing crew. Great at accommodating different abilities. Great for instructions and encouragement. Shout out to Francesco, Ella, and Katia!
Cynthia_s, Apr 2026
Great snorkeling trip- the crew was awesome! We saw a bunch of turtles and got lucky to see a humpback whale on our way back. It was nice that the boat maxed out at 18 people- there was plenty of space to relax.
Jian_D, Apr 2026
Great experience with small group attention. Flexible arrangement and friendly crew for wonderful experiences.
Stephanie_T, Mar 2026
My husband and I loved the small group snorkeling tour! We are lucky enough to have been to Oahu a few times and experienced multiple snorkeling activities, and this was by far the best experience. The intimate setting allowed for better one-on-one attention and the crew was extremely accommodating to us. I personally did not get into the water since I don’t know how to swim, and was six months pregnant, and the crew was still able to show me some fish from the safety of the boat, and we also so plenty of dolphins! This will be the only snorkeling experience I would recommend to family and friends.
Alyssa_W, Mar 2026
If I could give 6 stars I would! Sam and Ella were phenomenal with our family. We did this on the last day of our trip and I’m glad we did because nothing else on our trip came close to this experience. My youngest son has autism so we booked the 6 person charter to have a more personalized experience and Sam and Ella didn’t disappoint. He panicked the first time in, but we were able to get him back on track to enjoy the rest of his experience. Not only did we get to see a ton of fish, turtles, and a sea urchin that Ella brought to the surface. We also got to see a rainbow 🌈 on our way back as well as several whales. We will be talking about this experience for years to come and I got emotional several times with how beautiful everything was and how easy the crew made the experience for our family!
Dean_L, Mar 2026
Quality of boat = Excellent
Quality of captain and crew = excellent
Quality of equipment provided = excellent
Knowledge of area to snorkel and surrounding areas = excellent
There were 2 crew members in the water with us to guide us and keep us away from boats and other groups.
When we went it was right after a storm so the currents were strong and a lot of sand in the water. Totally out of their control and they still found sea turtles for us to see and observe them swim around. The Captain saw whales in the distance and took us out to see whales which was amazing!
Suzanne_M, Mar 2026
The crew (Francesco, Nick and Andres) were super cool 😎. Boat clean and good condition. Would recommend 💯
Billen_H, Mar 2026
We had an amazing experience on the Turtle Bay snorkel tour! Adriana and Ella were absolutely fantastic. They took great care of us from start to finish and made sure our whole family felt safe and comfortable—especially with our young kids. They were attentive, friendly, and clearly very experienced. The kids had such a great time, and we really appreciated how patient and supportive they were. Highly recommend!
Rob_K, Mar 2026
Small groups it’s much better for everyone. Large groups bad. Captain and crew were very knowledgeable in every aspect, friendly, considerate to all. Great times and we saw numerous turtles and tons of fish. I’m glad we went.
Rebecca_C, Mar 2026
Our snorkel tour was amazing! The captain and crew were friendly and very knowledgeable, and took care of all our needs. It’s a nice, small-sized group, with plenty of room on the boat to sit up front/on deck up top or in the shade. If you’re new to snorkeling they make it easy! The boat ride itself was a lot of fun, seeing the skyline and Diamond Head, but the main attraction of course is those turtles!! We saw SO many. Even if some non-swimmers in your party stay on the boat, they’ll see them floating around. If you’re looking to see turtles with a small group & a great crew, this is the tour do. (We got a great pic of a turtle just in the marina even!)
Rohan_J, Mar 2026
Excellent trip. Lots of tropical fishes with a focus on Hawaiian Sea Turtles. Great boat and lovely crew……Adriana and Ellen made us feel so comfortable. Definitely worth paying for the small group experience. Strongly recommend. A+
Joleen_R, Feb 2026
We had an outstanding excursion - not only was the weather perfect and the water clear, but the crew was the best! Very friendly, helpful and informative. One of my boys got seasick and they were all super understanding and attentive. Couldn’t have asked for a better tour! Thank you so much!!
Kejia_W, Feb 2026
First time to Hawaii! Highly recommended!Crews and their service are professional! Small group is better for both professionals and beginners! We saw couples of turtles and got the good video! Very nice tour and I will tell my friends to join it next time .
Sarah_M, Feb 2026
We had a great time snorkeling! We did the 16 people tour and it still felt small and intimate. The crew was great and made sure everyone was safe and had fun. We saw a lot of turtles! Would definitely recommend!
WILLIAM_P, Jan 2026
First Class service and personal. They went out of their way by rescheduling our Snorkel trip. Sam and crew were personable and professional. I would recommend this trip. Saw fish Turtles and they even tried tries to whales
Talked about local history and customs.
Response from Host, Feb 2026
Thank you for taking the time to leave such a great review! We’re glad we could accommodate your schedule and that Sam and the crew made your trip special. So happy you enjoyed the turtles, fish, and local stories. We really appreciate the recommendation and hope to see you again!
Carrie_R, Jan 2026
Captain Francesco was very friendly and explained everything to us in detail that we were going to do. We had a wonderful experience, snorkeling and saw many beautiful fish and some turtles.
Randi_J, Jan 2026
Have you ever accidentally come across something and don't want to tell anyone about it because it's great and you want to keep it for yourself??? That's how I felt about this tour company. I had been out on the water the day before and had seen a lot of boats packed with people at Turtle Canyon and was a little nervous about what to expect. My expectations were shattered upon meeting our Captain and his crew.
1. Boat: The boat was in great condition, clean, had a spacious bathroom to change, a cooler full of drinks and a spot to put your items in for each group. I loved that you could sit on the bow, in the back or up top
2. Crew: The crew was fantastic, friendly, knowledgeable and funny. I have snorkeled many places before. One of the travelers in my party has not had the best snorkelling experience in other places (he claims his mustache prevents the mask from sealing). The crew helped him, made him feel comfortable and showed him how to do this properly and now he lovers snorkeling and will gladly do it again
The Turtles: We saw so many turtles and so many cool fish. They aren't scared of humans and will come right up to you, but we were taught to stay 6 feet away from the turtles to give them the respect and space they need. I felt like I was swimming in a tropical fish tank..but a really big one
Why this is a diamond in the rough: There are lots of options for this excursion, this one does a max of 16 people, when you get to the canyon, there are alot of people and boats there...This crew kept us away from the crowds as much as possible while giving us an experience more than we ever could have imagined. We felt safe, supported and had a fantastic time
Milan_S, Dec 2025
The boat and Crew were really nice and we saw alot of turtles. Just the Spot where we saw them was too crowded. Would still do it again an recommend it
CK_G, Dec 2025
So beautiful, love the small charter experience! Maciel & Sam were a fun & knowledgeable crew that gave us good local recs too!
Shaun_M, Dec 2025
Great staff and we had fun! Saw dolphins and turtles and fishes. Nice boat. The staff were really nice and professional.
Sarah_M, Nov 2025
Loved the small group experience. The crew were so friendly and kind. Only complaint was I wish it was longer! I had a great time.
From
-12%
$74.80
per personWas $85.00
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Small Group Turtle Canyon Snorkel in Waikiki (Boat Tour)
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