As a bonus, our DELUXE MORNING ADVENTURE & the EXPEDITION SOUTH KONA tours snorkel at Honaunau Bay, the site of Pu`u Honua o Honaunau (The Place of Refuge at Honaunau). The Place of Refuge is also a very historical site as well as a National Historic Park administered by the National Park Service. Honaunau Bay offers excellent snorkeling and a chance to have a honu experience! Honus are Hawaiian green sea turtles, and they like to hang out here. As always, we ask you not to touch or harass them. Remember, we are guests in their house! The EXPEDITION tour also snorkels at a third, secluded site which varies and is chosen the day of the tour based upon prevailing conditions.
Snorkeling adventures at Kealakekua Bay
Our unique daytime snorkeling adventures include Kealakekua Bay, site of the Captain Cook Monument, which is located on the site of the former Hawaiian village of Ka’awaloa. Kealakekua Bay and Ka`awaloa are one of the most historic places in the state of HawaiI, and, according to Hawaii – The Big Island Revealed, The Ultimate Guidebook, “Snorkeling in Kealakekua Bay near the monument is perhaps the best you will find anywhere in the state. If you`ve never snorkeled before, this is the place to start. Experienced snorkelers will be dazzled.” Kealakekua Bay has been a marine sanctuary for over thirty years, typically has visibility in excess of 100 feet, and is home to beautiful tropical fish and thriving coral gardens. It is also extremely well protected from the open ocean so it offers a safe and comfortable environment for novice snorkelers. Speaking of novice snorkelers, we carry several types of flotation devices to help you get your confidence up.
Snorkel Tours at Honaunau Bay
Sea Caves & Lava Tubes Exploration Tours in Kona
When we are not snorkeling or eating, we are exploring the sea caves and lava tubes along the rugged Kona Coast. Our boats were built narrow enough that we can actually go inside many of these caves along the coastline. These caves were formed by wave action over thousands of years. Of course, we ask you to remain seated at all times while inside the sea caves. Lava tubes are different from sea caves in that they are formed by the rivers of flowing lava when the top layer of the flow cools and hardens. The flow of lava beneath the top layer continues to flow underneath. Eventually the flow ends and a hollow tube is left behind.
Kona Whale Watching & Dolphin Adventures
Of course, the whole time we are out on the water our eyes are peeled for dolphins and whales. Humpback whales visit us during the winter. They are the original snowbirds as they spend the summer in Alaska and the winter in Hawaii. They come to Hawaii to breed and birth their calves. After a few weeks of nurturing by mom, the calf is ready for breaching school. If you are lucky enough to visit us while the humpbacks are here and are able see them up-close, it’s an experience you’ll never forget. Some of our full-time residents include the Hawaiian spinner dolphin, the Pacific bottlenose dolphin, and pilot whales. The spinner dolphins got their name from… well, you can probably guess that one.