Kona Snorkeling: Explore Kealakekua Bay's Marine Sanctuary & Captain Cook Monument

Embark on an exhilarating Zodiac tour to Kealakekua Bay, home to the Captain Cook monument and a vibrant marine sanctuary. Snorkel with tropical fish and explore sea caves along the stunning coastline.

Duration: 5 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Honokohau Small Boat Harbor - This is the original rafting company of Hawai’i, with our family run office set up for checking in each of our excursions. Our office allows indoor seating, air conditioning, convenient restrooms, reef safe sunscreen, children entertainment, souvenir shopping and one fluffy friendly golden retriever, if you are missing yours back home.
What's Included
  • Snorkel gear including masks, fins, and flotation devices
  • Complimentary snacks such as chips, cookies, and beverages
  • Eco-friendly Reef Safe Sunscreen available pre-trip
  • Extended time for marine mammal sightings
  • Turkey sandwiches, with vegan and vegetarian options
  • Eco-conscious: bring your reusable water bottle
What's Not Included
  • Hotel pick up and drop off
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

Embark on a thrilling Zodiac tour in Big Island towards Kealakekua Bay, the location of Captain Cook monument and Hawaii’s top marine sanctuary. Revel in snorkelling alongside a spectrum of tropical fish amidst the stunning coral gardens in the bay’s pristine, transparent waters. Relish the pleasant picnic snack offered before setting off again. Our Zodiac rafts enable us to closely follow the shoreline and access spots unreachable by other boats. Come along with us to discover extensive sea caves, lava tubes and the untamed allure of the coastline.

  • Minimum age is 4 years
  • Not recommended for participants with back or neck problems
  • We apologize ahead of time but due to the bouncy nature, pregnant individuals are not allowed
Location
Captain Zodiac Snorkeling and Whale Watching tours
Kealakehe Parkway
Captain Zodiac is located at 74-425 Kealakehe Parkway, suite #16. We are in the Honokohau Marina and small boat harbor located approximately 5 miles south of the Kona Airport and approximately 2 miles north of the town of Kailua-Kona. Meet at our office in the Gentry's Kona Marina parking lot.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(191 Ratings)
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669kelsieb
Jul 31, 2024
Well worth it, highly recommend! - Definitely worth it! The crew was amazing- they fully cater to you and allow you to also do your thing and enjoy the beautiful views and snorkeling! Took my 11,12 and 13 year old and they also loved it! You ride the boat out, snorkel have lunch, snorkel some More and the reefs and scenery are delightful! I wouldn’t advise this trip for anyone with back problems.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Roxyc529
Jul 22, 2024
MUST DO TOUR ON BIG ISLAND! - Aloha! If you want to experience the most phenomenal snorkeling on the Big Island along with the GREATEST Captains EVER, then you have found your tour! Our Family of 11 experienced one of the highlights of our first trip to the Big Island with Captain Rick & First Mate Kalia! They made our trip exceptional with their incredible personalities, wonderful skills & spot on advice! We saw breathtaking reefs filled with incredible wildlife! We felt like we were swimming in an aquarium! We even saw bottle nose dolphins, spinner dolphins & sea turtles! The Zodiac Raft trip itself was so much fun!! And the tour included stopping points to see sea caves, lava tubes, hear some of the history of Kona & honor the beautiful culture of this Island. We cannot say enough amazing things about this tour! Please BOOK IT & create the incredible memories that we did!! Mahalo Captain Zodiac, Captain Rick & First Mate Kalia for the most memorable day ever!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
H2731qdbrianb
Jul 18, 2024
This is the tour you want to take if you hate crowds. - This is a GREAT tour to take if you'd like to snorkel without 1000 other tourists in the bay. We were the only boat for over an hour, which was amazing. Captain Rick and Kalea are the bomb. Plain and simple. This was our second tour with Captain Zodiac, and it's a "must-do" every time we're on the BI. Everyone in our family is still talking about what a great time we had.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lawrence_o
Jul 15, 2024
Snorkel expedition with snack - The trip to and from the snorkel was a lot of fun as was the snorkeling and the sandwiches and snacks at the snorkel site were tasty. Overall a great experience. I highly recommend it as long as you are fit - it does tax the arms some :)
Review provided by Viator
Nicole_d
Jul 9, 2024
Amazing Experience! - So fun! Beautiful coral and fish! We even saw dolphins! B and Gabe were great and we learned so much from them as well! Highly recommend!!
Review provided by Viator
Davidsq2930kf
Jun 30, 2024
Highly recommend Marco and Nolan! - Marco and Nolan were the absolute best! I've never been on a raft or snorkeled but they made my visit to the Big Island so exciting and memorable. It's clear that they love what they do, which made my experience that much better. Thank you both for your hospitality and awesome vibes. 10/10 would do again!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Katyd885
Jun 27, 2024
Above & Beyond with Captain Marco - Our Captain Marco & First Mate Nolan made the whole experience one our whole family from ages 10 to 75 will never forget. We saw a tiger shark, pilot whales, spinner dolphins, white tip shark, and a sea turtle not to mention the amazing views through our snorkel masks. It was the perfect amount of time for each activity.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
John_d
Jun 22, 2024
Perfect day and Beautiful Adventure - Great adventure... Great team... Awesome location and experience... Safe fun family oriented. A must do experience... 100% rating... The most beautiful reef ever with lots of diffent species.
Review provided by Viator
Maggysut
Jun 18, 2024
Great snorkeling place - Great experience and great company! The guides were very nice, the boat was in good condition and the snorkeling was wonderful with thousands of different types of fish.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kristine
May 30, 2024
Best snorkel trip ever - This was such an amazing day , Captain Rick and Davonte were so fun and also professional. We had a blast on the zodiac and they both made us feel very well taken care of. The snorkeling was out of this world - an experience I’d love to do again
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
September 2024
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