Re: Snorkelling Tour Options

Looking into our options for Snorkelling Tours on the BI. Have narrowed it down to:

1. SeaQuest - now advertising on their website a new AM Expedition South Kona tour of five hours which goes to 3 snorkel sites? Has anyone done this one yet?

Is the third site worth it?

How many other boat groups will be sharing the site(s) with them?

2. Dolphin Discoveries - have read they are the first to arrive at the Capt Cook Monument snorkelling.

Is this the main selling/deciding feature for DD?

3. Sea Paradise - love the small group catamaran idea as it seems more comfortable.

Do they arrive with many other groups to the sites?

From an email communication with them, I was told they also do a second site at Red Hill. What is this site like for snorkelling?

I%26#39;d love some updated feedback on a comparison of these companies given the new tour offered by SeaQuest.

Thanks in advance.

Re: Snorkelling Tour Options

I%26#39;m booked on the South Kona SeaQuest tour next Wednesday. I%26#39;ll post an update after the tour.

Re: Snorkelling Tour Options

Great! Looking forward to reading about your experience.

ask your self.....whats the reason your are taking the tour... to snorkel?

Red hill is deep, exposed and surge... I like it for diving but personaly not for snorkel

My vote is Dolphin because of the fact you are the first boat to capt cook and remain so for an hour. then down to Place of refuge where you are the only boat.... 2 best sites in the state and you are the only show in town.........

Paradise is much slower and offers a great meal but wont get you as much snorkel time... Capt cook will be rather active when they arrive

Same with SeaQuest.... they go first to Place of refuge then to Capt cook You will be with 3 to 4 other boats and god knows how many kayakers.

To me timing is everything....thats why I choose Dolphin Discovery

After HawaiiDan%26#39;s recommendation, I also booked a tour with Dolphin Discoveries. I did that tour today. The five hour south Kona tour with SeaQuest is tomorrow.

The DD tour left more or less on time from Keauhou Bay. Captain Jessica and First Mate (though really a Captain, too) Dave. It was an awesome tour! Headed to Kealakekua Bay. Looked like another boat might get there, first, but then it turned and headed back out. Dave and Jessica said, when other boats do something weird, we pay attention, that%26#39;s weird. Sure enough, there were a pair of humpbacks blowing just outside the bay. The blew a few times, then dove under. Great views of the tails as they turned down. Dave started timing, and told people to watch in different directions. A bit later, we saw blows back toward the bay. Another, smaller pair was inside the bay. We finally saw the larger pair much further out to sea.

We had about 45 minutes in Kealakekua Bay. A few kayakers, but we were the only boat. Jessica told us to start near the east short, and work our way out. she moved the boat around so you didn%26#39;t have to swim all the way back.

As we started out, we say a pair of dolphins in the sanctuary to the south. Jessica got the boat a little closer. They were bottlenose dolphins. Dave said it was the first ones he had seen for quite some time. We also saw a pod of maybe 8-10 spinners. After watching those for a while, we headed to Honaunau (place of refuge).

We ended up being a bit short on time there, about 30 minutes. Great site, and I%26#39;m sure I%26#39;ll head back down there. The surf is pretty at our condo (Hale Kona Kai), but it was much calmer at Honaunau.

On the way back, we saw the whales again at Kealakekua Bay. We watched them for just a bit, but we were running very late by this time. Dave reminded Jessica there was an afternoon tour and paperwork for the sightings. So, we hoofed it back north.

Just as we were getting back to Keauhou Bay, we saw some more spinners. They surfed in our wake for a while, and one came right alongside the boat.

We ended up being about a half an hour late getting back.

We did stop and look around at Red Hill, but didn%26#39;t snorkel there.

Overall, this was a great tour. There were 11 pax on this trip. The boat was a bit crowded, but not uncomfortable at all. Sodas and water were provided, along with Oreos, fruit, and chips. Gear is provided, though I use my own. It was very relaxed. I%26#39;m sure not every trip will see all the whales and dolphins we saw, but I have no reservations recommending these guys.

I%26#39;ve previously been on Hula Kai, which is a very fast and fun boat, and on Fair Winds II. This was a much more personal experience than those larger boats. I was a little worried the small boat would be too rough. It is certainly rougher than Fair Winds II. Not too different than Hula Kai. All these are great fun. I%26#39;d be out on one of them every day, given the chance.

JH - Thanks for the posting regarding your experience with Dolphin Discoveries. Based on this and the numerous other reviews, I%26#39;m leaning toward this company. A review of your Sea Quest tour would be much appreciated.

OK. Well, I%26#39;m pretty sure I can recommend NOT doing two of these trips back to back! I am beat tonight!

The SeaQuest trip was very good, too. Honestly, I don%26#39;t think you can go wrong with either trip. I%26#39;m not sure the third snorkeling spot is worth the extra time, but you do hit Kealkakekua after most of the other boats have left. Fair Winds II was still there, but they had been their for a while and most of the folks who were still in the water were near the boat. We were dropped off further out.

Since its later in the day, the sun is more nearly overhead, so I felt like the light was better.

The boat was a smaller one than the DD trip. I%26#39;m not sure what length either of these boats was, but the DD boat had two 225 horse motors while the SeaQuest had two 150s. Seas were very similar both days. The ride in the smaller boat was rougher, but I sort of like that.

We had 12 pax on this trip. On the smaller boat, it was pretty crowded. Most of our packs and gear got stowed away in a large chest in the center of the boat. We could still get to it when stopped, but this was less convenient than just having it out as on the DD trip.

We headed out on time with Captain Matt and Mate Dray (sp?). We hit Honaunau first. There were a couple of smaller boats already there, but not much of a crowd at all.

We then headed south to an unnamed black sand beach. But, as it turned out, it was too surgy to put into the beach as planned and the water was somewhat murky, so the passengers voted for going to another location with better visibility.

Heading back north, we did see some whales blowing in the distance. Continuing north, one came up RIGHT next to the boat! Just ahead of the boat, and we buzzed by him (or her, I couldn%26#39;t tell even if we had a close look) close enough to touch! Definitely got everyone%26#39;s heart racing, especially Captain Matt%26#39;s. He said he didn%26#39;t though those would come up again for a while, so we continued north. Saw a couple of others and waited for them. They ended up coming up fairly close to the boat, so we had a good look. After that, it seemed like the dike broke, and we just kept seeing them. We didn%26#39;t end up waiting around again, but saw multiple blows.

We ended up at a spot a like north of Kealkakekua for the second stop. Not bad, but nothing compared to Kealkakekua Bay or Two Step.

Then back south to Kealkakekua Bay. We had about 45 minutes there. There were too many badly behaved kayakers there. Parked on the shore and stepping on the coral. But the light was good and the water was clear and there were tons of fish. Probably more fish than the previous morning on the DD tour.

We had some warps, chips, cookies, sodas and water after reboarding.

Ended up back in Keauhou Bay just about right on time.

So, I%26#39;d say I like the better viewing conditions with the later stop at Kealkakekua Bay, but you will have less company with the earlier one. The DD boat was less crowded. The DD crew was a bit friendlier, but I have no complaints at all about the SeaQuest crew.

I probably wouldn%26#39;t do the five hour trip again, but I wouldn%26#39;t hesitate to go out again with either company.