Had an amazing time. I went as a rider only - my husband snorkeled- still saw the whales and sharks from the boat. Even if you’re not comfortable in the water I highly recommend going as a rider - they were great - so much fun

In the words of our hard-to-please teenager: "write them the BEST review!" Take her word for it, and book this ocean safari! Four hours on a small, intimate boat (our family of 5 essentially got a private charter), was so much more memorable for us than being among 20 - 30 people on commercial boat. It affected the presence we had in the water, so that we didn't disturb some amazing animals, which would have likely taken off if we were a larger group. Devon and Kay were extremely knowledgable guides, who could spot a shark in the water from >100 ft away (all five of us were scanning the gorgeous blue waves but it was always Kay or Devon who spotted the tiger shark, hammerhead, and pilot whales!). They had snacks, drinks, and explained exactly which species we were and were not allowed to get in the water with under state law, and why. As a result, we were extremely fortunate to swim with turtles, pilot whales, and even oceanic white tip sharks! An INCREDIBLE trip! (And get the Go Pro package! Devon's footage was a wonderful keepsake)

We had an incredible experience with Kaimana! We snorkeled off a reef where we saw an eagle ray, green sea turtle, white tipped reef shark, and even a massive tuna! They then worked hard to find us some pelagic creatures - swimming in the brilliant blue open ocean was so cool! We were lucky enough to swim with a pod of short finned pilot whales and then some bottle nose dolphins for a short time. There were also some nocturnal spinner dolphins, but it’s illegal to swim with them. But it was still very cool to see them from the surface! The ladies at Kaimana (all female team 💪🏻) were so knowledgeable and amazing! They work hard to give back and protect the ocean and its inhabitants 💙 and they even provided us with yummy snacks and drinks 🤤 @mermaid.kayleigh @camgrantphotography

If you do one thing on the Big Island, I would do this! We went in March with my my kids ages 15, 13, and 8. We didn't actually have any major expectations other than hoping to see some sea life and maybe get in some snorkeling that would be a more private experience that the giant snorkeling cruise boats. This FAR exceeded all our expectations and my kids keep talking about "when we go back to Hawaii we have to do this again!!!" First of all, the Kaimana staff are professional, knowledgeable, experienced and will keep you safe! They will make sure you have a great time! (Just a bonus that they offered us great hospitality and fantastic pineapple and snacks!) We had the amazing opportunity to see a baby whale breaching over and over and playing, we swam with a pod of pilot whales, and with oceanic white tip sharks. My son even had a blue marlin jet by him! We did get in the water near a hammerhead but it was shy and swam away. Also while in the water we heard the whales singing underwater and it was absolutely amazing!!!!! None of us will ever forget this experience and will certainly book again when we come back one of these days! Keep in mind what you "see" will be dependent on ocean conditions and time of year, etc. I would never hesitate to recommend Kaimana to anyone!

This review is about 3 months overdue! If there is one thing to do on the Big Island, this is it! My husband and my 3 kids ages 15, 13, and 8 booked this excursion hoping to see whatever sea creatures we could and we had the BEST experience. The crew are amazing naturalists and are interested in educating you about the ocean animals and keeping you safe with them. We were a bit adventurous and had the opportunity to swim with a pod with pilot whales, some oceanic white tip sharks, and for a moment with a hammerhead that swam away quickly. We heard the sounds of a whale underwater which was amazing (couldn't see it but just hearing it was so cool). We saw a baby whale breaching over and over and while in the water a blue marlin swam right by my son. My whole family agreed we needed like another day to spend with this wonderful crew! Thank you for making us feel safe to try such an amazing thing as swimming with sharks! Your hospitality was outstanding. We couldn't stop talking about it! (FYI pictures were too large to upload here).

What an amazing crew and experience. Very friendly and professional from start to finish. While snorkeling, we got to see rays, turtles, a large Tuna, shark, and multiple whales including a mother and her calf - all due to the knowledge and experience of the guides. Outstanding excursion at Kona!

Cannot recommend this enough! If you’re solo, with a partner or group it was such an educational, fun, thrilling experience and being in the water with professionals just makes swimming with wildlife so much more enjoyable and fun! Love love love

Instagram influencers with a boat who love sharks. Although some of the information they shared felt like they made it up- they seemed to be decently educated, but one girl was from Montana so I’m not too sure lol... Price is worth it if you have a unique encounter with wildlife, but we didn’t see much besides basic stuff. I could see how this could possibly be a great experience for adventurous ocean lovers.

Stop scrolling and book your excursion with this highly professional, family-owned and operated company. With your safety and respect for the ocean (and its inhabitants) at the forefront, this knowledgeable team will get you and your group out to all of the amazing spots on the Kona coast. We had an amazing crew help us get the most out of our day. Capt Cam was able to locate a pod of Pilot Whales and we were fortunate to have a once in a lifetime experience in the water with these beautiful and thoughtful animals. Always wary of “fast movers”, our crew kept a lookout and ensured our safety at every stop along the way. We will not take our good fortune for granted. Give this company a follow on social media, along with @mermaid.Kayleigh on IG.

We had a fantastic day on the boat with Kayleigh as our guide! Our Captain Shelley was super fun and knowledgeable. We were unfortunate enough to have Pilot Whales, Oceanic White Tips and a hammerhead! They pulled a rabbit out of the hat for us today on Easter! Definitely recommend:)

I had a wonderful time out on the water with Kaimana Ocean Safari. We swam with pilot whales and manta rays. We also saw dolphins and an abandoned net that was a home for hundreds of small fish. The captain called in the coordinates so the net can be removed. The whole crew was great, knowledgeable, friendly and safety conscious. I highly recommend this tour.

We had an amazing trip. We got in the water to see a pair of rough-toothed dolphin and there were two oceanic white tip sharks with the two dolphin. The white tips were very curious but our two guides in the water were very good at keeping their fins between us and the sharks. The captain found the two dolphin again and dropped us perfectly ahead of them so they came out of the blue and swam right under us, looking up at us as they passed. And of course, one of the white tips had followed us and we enjoyed her trying to say hello. The captain and crew were great.

We actually signed up for the whale watch but it turned into a safari. That’s great thing about being with people who care, love, and are passionate about making the time on the ocean with them the best time you can have. We learned so much about whales. Then we learned about the dolphins. We watched as they played with the boat as we searched for more whales. I took some of my best shot on the water with their help they are not the biggest. They take the time to show you so much more than some of the big companies. Who pass by the beauty just to get to another spot. This is not that type of company. Spend time with them.

Thank you for the most beautiful and amazing morning experiencing a massive variety of marine life. Honestly, a once in a lifetime experience. The team are so knowledgeable and inspiring, the humpback whales were particularly incredible.

Can't recommend this experience high enough! Best combination of whale watching and snorkeling possible! Amazing value for what you get - small boat (seriously 6 people max and 3 guides/boat captain) on a smaller but powerful and super comfortable boat where you can ride comfortably in the front watching for sea life with great dry storage too. The team clearly all love what they do and are amazing hosts on the water showing you all the best sights including baby sharks, dolphins, whales, and manta rays. As a family of three we had an amazing 4 hours full of excitement, wonder, and fun. I will be recommending this adventure to my close friends and family.

Would suggest Kaimana tours to anyone! Small group sizes, knowledgeable guides, drinks and snacks, great gear, and had great communication!

had the most epic time!! Saw Manta Rays, and were able to snorkel along side endangered False Killer Whales. The crew were absolutely amazing and made sure the trip was everything we had hoped it would be.

A truly amazing experience. This is so nice because it’s just a small group of people and they really know where to go to find some amazing animals. Highly recommend

What a well run and informative tour we had. All 3 crew members worked seamlessly together to make sure we saw as much marine life as we could, and through their deep experience knew how to give us great observational views without disturbing the animals. Everything was great and everyone onboard was well looked after, from safety concerns to having an exceptional adventure.

One of the most amazing tours i have ever done! Thank you so much!we saw a lot of mantas whales and even hammerheadsharks! Cant wait to come back!