Reef Snorkel Stop, Lunch Included

4 hours, from $80 per person

Overview

This four-hour boat trip from Honokohau Harbor heads down the Kona Coast to Kealakekua Bay, where guests snorkel over coral and fish in clear water. A mask, snorkel, fins and flotation device are all provided. The boat carries a maximum of 26 travellers.

A professional guide is on board throughout, and several reviewers describe crew helping first-time and older snorkelers into the water, including a 75-year-old first-timer. Back on board, the return trip doubles as an informal coastal tour, with commentary on local history and geography. Some reviewers also report sightings of dolphins and whales on the crossing, though wildlife is never guaranteed.

Sandwiches and fresh fruit make up lunch, with snacks, light refreshments and bottled water also included. Anyone with dietary restrictions should bring their own food. The outing ends where it started, at the harbor. The listing requires a moderate level of physical fitness and advises against the trip for travellers with back problems, heart conditions, or those who are pregnant.

What's Included

Itinerary

1. Meet at Honokohau HarborMeet in front of the public restrooms with the red roof, about a quarter mile after turning into Harbor Drive. There is no hotel pickup or drop off.
2. Boat ride down the coastThe boat runs south along the Kona shoreline toward Kealakekua Bay. Crew point out sights along the way.
3. Snorkel Kealakekua BaySnorkel the reef with a guide. Gear, fins and flotation devices are provided.
4. Lunch and return cruiseEat sandwiches and fresh fruit on board, then cruise back north with history and geography commentary along the coast. The tour ends at the original meeting point.

What To Expect From The Tour

A few practical points shape how this day goes, from what to pack to how the weather can change the plan.

• Bring your own. Towels and sunscreen are not included and must be brought along. Motion sickness medicine helps too, and the listing says it works best taken in the morning, at least an hour before departure.
• Moderate fitness. The listing asks for a moderate level of physical fitness and rules out the trip for travellers with back problems, heart conditions, or pregnancy. That said, several reviewers describe novices and older snorkelers doing fine with crew support in the water.
• Group size. The boat holds a maximum of 26 travellers.
• Food on board. Lunch is sandwiches and fresh fruit, with snacks, light refreshments and bottled water through the trip. Reviews call the food fabulous and very good, but anyone with dietary restrictions should bring their own.
• Ocean conditions. This is open-ocean boating, and the listing warns that weather and water conditions can change without notice. When swells shut down the planned spot, reviewers report being offered a different cove, a reschedule, or a refund.
• Photography. One reviewer wished GoPro rentals were available, so bring your own gear if you want underwater footage.

Common issues. There is no hotel pickup, so travellers must make their own way to Honokohau Harbor, and towels and sunscreen are not supplied. The trip is not wheelchair accessible. Because it runs on open water, poor conditions can force a change of cove or a cancellation, though the operator offers a different date or a full refund in that case.

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