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You’ll have a solid one and a half hours to snorkel along the bay, taking in the colorful fish and abundant marine life. Along the way, humpback whales (seasonal) and spinner dolphins are likely to make an appearance. You’ll also learn fun facts about the local history including Captain Cook and the nearby burial grounds of Hawaiian chiefs. Join us aboard our 40’ vessel at beautiful Honokohau Harbor or 22’Catamaran at Keauhou Bay. Be amazed by the beautiful cobalt blue and turquoise bay waters and the palm fringed shoreline. Chat with the captain about the day’s adventures then sit back and enjoy the dramatic beauty of the Kona coast, cliffs, lava tubes and sea caves.
Epilogue: Best Captain Cook Snorkel Tours in Kealakekua Bay
The boat was comfortable and clean and there was plenty of room for our gear. My husband and I are omnivores, but we thoroughly enjoyed the vegan lunch and bre...akfast! The snorkeling was so much fun and we were fortunate enough to have perfect weather.
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If you can, bring a light sweatshirt or long sleeve shirt just in case. Besides the beautiful underwater nature, Kealakekua Bay has strong historical significance. Hawaiian ali’i, or royalty, are said to be buried in the cliff walls.
Location & Hours
The Fair Wind vessels can easily accommodate pregnant snorkelers with spacious stairs that let you easily get in and out of the water, as well as large on-board bathrooms. This award-winning company has been providing exclusive Hawaii snorkeling excursions to Kealakekua Bay for 31 years. If you need instructions on how to snorkel, there will be a 5-10 minute snorkeling class with a crew member before you enter the water. Register and enjoy smoother booking, as well as being able to save your wish list and recently viewed activities. I've lived from fire (Big Island Hawaii) to ice (Alaska) to the lukewarm (Washington State). I've traveled Europe, Scotland and England being my favorite, Costa Rica, Cancun, Canada, various US states, and more.
Most Captain Cook snorkeling tours will include all of the snorkeling gear you’ll need and typically snacks and non-alcoholic beverages, although some tours also offer full meals. This tour is a great mixture of kayaking and snorkeling with about 1.5 hours of both. Although you can DIY this kayak tour (which we have done) it’s also nice to have guides around to lead the way, add in some local history, and provide all of your gear.
Captain Cook Kayak Rental: The Kealakekua Bay Experience
Easter cruise special with Captain Cook Cruise - The Fiji Times
Easter cruise special with Captain Cook Cruise.
Posted: Thu, 25 Mar 2021 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Kona Coffee is world-renowned and consistently rated among the very best gourmet coffees in the world. Visiting a coffee farm for a tour is a great way to learn more about (and taste!) this famous coffee. Parking places are sparse here, which makes finding a spot difficult, especially during the hour before sunset.
They offer two tours, the morning option which is 4.5 hours, and the afternoon tour which runs for 3 hours. Morning tours also include lunch and non-alcoholic drinks while the afternoon tour provides appetizers (also known as pupus) and non-alcoholic beverages. A cash bar opens up for 1 hour on the ride home for both tours.
Hawaiian Island Cheat Sheets
Then you are taken through the processes that are needed to go from a growing coffee bean to a cup of coffee (drying, processing, and roasting). Many tours end with a (free) tasting of the coffee, very close to a showroom or visitor center where you can buy the local coffee if you’d like to take some home. Ka‘awaloa Cove, the spot with the best snorkeling at the bay’s northern boundary just north of the Captain Cook monument, can be accessed only by hiking in, or over the water. If you want to make the trip yourself you can find people offering kayak rentals on the side of Hwy 11 and along the road down to the bay (route 160). The list of permitted vendors changes often so please make sure to ask whomever you choose if they have a current commercial use permit.
Choose Your Time of Day
And unless you plan to chill by the resort pool the entire time, renting a car is pretty much a necessity on the Big Island! I recommend Discount Hawaii Car Rental, as they have some of the best prices around. Some allow infants to ride in the boat and allow kids as young as 4 years old to snorkel. Bag – pack all your items in a bag to keep it consolidated, safe, and in one spot. Ideally use a water resistant/proof bag and not a cloth canvas bag that will soak up boat water and get your belongings inside wet .
Kona Snorkel Trips provides snacks drinks, snorkel gear and floatation. Don’t forget the reef safe sunscreen or a sun shirt to wear in the water. You’ll feel safe knowing that the captains are licensed by the United States Coast Guard (not to mention they have a great sense of humor!). It’s so much fun jumping from the second story of the boat into the water. After snorkeling, enjoy lunch on board with the beautiful Bay as your view. One of the most exciting moments on a Captain Cook snorkeling tour is spotting the spinner dolphins!
This protection means that fishing and other consumptive uses are prohibited or severely limited so that all aquatic live can grow and reproduce. MLCDs are thus home to a great variety of species, and the fish in these districts are fairly tame, often showing little fear of humans. This explains why an MLCD is such a popular destination for snorkeling, diving and underwater photography. Our most popular tour is by far our Manta Ray Night Snorkel! Contrary to popular belief, this tour will allow you to just relax at the surface of the ocean while manta rays to barrel rolls underneath. Weather you choose to go early or late in the day there are great options for the adventurous sightseer.
Join us at Keauhou Bay for an amazing Kona Manta Ray encounter on the Big Island of Hawaii. A surreal creature, Mantas are attracted by plankton and our lights after the sunsets. With a population of less than 75,000, Kauaʻi is truly a small-town island, littered with open space, protected preserves, and old plantation history. We share our favorite tips and images on Instagram, click here to go to our instagram account.
The bay’s transparent waters are filled with coral, and schools of colorful tropical fish. Spinner dolphins sightings are common as they use the bay as a resting area. A MLCD is a part of the ocean with an especially abundant reef habitat, where the fish population is given special protection against human interference.
We are Hawaii travelers who have lived on Maui and Oahu sharing our adventures, travel tips and resources, and honest reviews so you can easily plan your dream vacation to Hawaii. If you’re heading to the Big Island, let us help you plan your best vacation. Our done for you itineraries take you on the best excursions around the island on a planned our route, so you can make the most of your visit. Remember to keep your distance from the spinner dolphins, staying at least 50 yards away from them at all times! It’s also a great idea to bring your camera, especially if you have a GoPro, for snapping underwater pictures and videos!
