Wahine Charters
Wahine Charters
5
Scuba & SnorkellingBoat ToursFishing Charters & ToursDolphin & Whale Watching
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Full view
About
Wahine Charters is a snorkel tour company specializing in Whale Watch & Wild Sea life, Historical Captain Cook Snorkel, Manta Ray Snorkel and Private Charters. Our boats are a 29ft US Coast Guard 'Wicked Wahine' and our 40ft Delta 'Kaiola'. Approved motor vessel with padded seating, shade and a marine toilet. We limit our tours to 18 guest for a more intimate experience. We are a locally family owned and operated insuring the best care and service.
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
5.0
645 reviews
Excellent
582
Very good
25
Average
8
Poor
15
Terrible
15
Tobi S
4 contributions
Feb 2020
This was amazing, and while most of the credit goes to the manta rays, the team at Wahine made this experience as perfect as possible. Their respect for the manta rays was only eclipsed by their efforts to make their guests comfortable and safe. There is a reason they are recommended by Hawaii Ocean Watch Green List - they're only last on the list of 8 because it's alphabetical!
We had the sea to ourselves on the night tour that left the marina at 7:30 PM (varies with time of year). CJ who runs the business greeted us, Pena captained the boat, and Paoe was our guide in the water. There were only SIX of us on the boat as guests. All three of them were awesome.
I've been a scuba diver for 30 years, but research indicated that the better views were from snorkeling. Another plus for Wahine, is that they don't take out scuba divers, which makes the experience so much better for the snorkelers who aren't delayed by the diving process.
Paoe noticed I was cold coming back and moved the cushions so I could sit on the bench heated by the boat engines, and he was awesome when one guest got a little motion sickness coming back. Hard to do since the boat rode smoothly and got us to and from the spot fast.
And if that isn't enough, they will take you out again if the manta's don't show, which seems to happen maybe 10% of the time. And their fee was no higher, and mostly lower, than their competitors.
We watched with mouths agape (hard to do with a snorkel) as two half ton females did graceful pirouettes for close to an hour. Coming within a few feet of our bodies, it was magical.
If you only can only do one thing on the Big Island, see the Manta Rays with Wahine.
We had the sea to ourselves on the night tour that left the marina at 7:30 PM (varies with time of year). CJ who runs the business greeted us, Pena captained the boat, and Paoe was our guide in the water. There were only SIX of us on the boat as guests. All three of them were awesome.
I've been a scuba diver for 30 years, but research indicated that the better views were from snorkeling. Another plus for Wahine, is that they don't take out scuba divers, which makes the experience so much better for the snorkelers who aren't delayed by the diving process.
Paoe noticed I was cold coming back and moved the cushions so I could sit on the bench heated by the boat engines, and he was awesome when one guest got a little motion sickness coming back. Hard to do since the boat rode smoothly and got us to and from the spot fast.
And if that isn't enough, they will take you out again if the manta's don't show, which seems to happen maybe 10% of the time. And their fee was no higher, and mostly lower, than their competitors.
We watched with mouths agape (hard to do with a snorkel) as two half ton females did graceful pirouettes for close to an hour. Coming within a few feet of our bodies, it was magical.
If you only can only do one thing on the Big Island, see the Manta Rays with Wahine.
Written February 5, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Curiosity798516
Macatawa, MI2 contributions
Feb 2020 • Family
Our family did two separate trips with Wahine during our week on Hawaii. It is a smaller boat which was great, one of our trips had 12 guests, the other 8. We have done these types of trips in Australia, Costa Rica, and other Hawaiian islands and this boat and crew stand out.
1. Night swim with the Manta Rays. We have done this excursion previously with other boats. Kona is the only place in the world that this occurs so check it out. Wahine has the right approach. Get to the spot, get in the water for 60 minutes with the rays, get home. With other boats we have spent too much time waiting to get in the water , and frankly too much time in the water. This was the correct mix, especially in the winter when the water isn’t 80 degrees.
2. Snorkeling with the dolphins. Unbelievable experience. Spent at least 60-90 minutes swimming with a large group of dolphins and a tiger shark. Additionally we were fortunate enough to spot a pod of pilot whales and we swam with them multiple times (photo) over the course of the last hour of our trip.
Pena and Paoe are the best. They are incredibly kind, knowledgeable, and were great with our 4 kids. They went above and beyond by working really hard to keep us ahead of the whales so we could be next to them in the water multiple times.
We will be chartering with Wahine again on our next trip to the island.
1. Night swim with the Manta Rays. We have done this excursion previously with other boats. Kona is the only place in the world that this occurs so check it out. Wahine has the right approach. Get to the spot, get in the water for 60 minutes with the rays, get home. With other boats we have spent too much time waiting to get in the water , and frankly too much time in the water. This was the correct mix, especially in the winter when the water isn’t 80 degrees.
2. Snorkeling with the dolphins. Unbelievable experience. Spent at least 60-90 minutes swimming with a large group of dolphins and a tiger shark. Additionally we were fortunate enough to spot a pod of pilot whales and we swam with them multiple times (photo) over the course of the last hour of our trip.
Pena and Paoe are the best. They are incredibly kind, knowledgeable, and were great with our 4 kids. They went above and beyond by working really hard to keep us ahead of the whales so we could be next to them in the water multiple times.
We will be chartering with Wahine again on our next trip to the island.
Written February 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kristin G
2 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
As first time visitors to the island, we wanted to see whales on a tour that wasn’t jam packed with people. This was the perfect sized boat, everyone had their own space and excellent views of the water. The 9am waters are so calm and not only did we see whales, we saw many dolphins and a sea turtle. Kaupena and our Captain were very knowledgeable, hospitable and I would recommend Wahine Charters to all my friends and family.
Written January 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Megan L
5 contributions
Nov 2019
I sincerely wish that I was writing a 5-star review, as we had hoped the dolphin tour would be the highlight of our first trip to Hawaii in November. However, Wahine’s “guarantee” is false advertising to draw customers in, and they will only uphold their end of the deal when/if it is convenient for them. If you are okay taking that gamble you may have a great time, but unfortunately the lying and deception from the owner created a negative experience with this company.
Aside from starting about 30 minutes late, we were happy with the tour itself and our captain, though we did not see any dolphins that day. We had prepared for this possibility by scheduling the tour early in our trip with plenty of time to go again. Our disappointment started when we learned that the guarantee is not what it seemed. We were given the option to pay about $120 MORE to come again the next day, or wait for a free tour on the last day of our trip, only to be informed less than 12 hours before that because the other party had cancelled, we would have to pay if we wanted to come again.
We spoke to the owner, Cindy, and were offered a partial refund, which we never received. 6 weeks later, she denied ever having offered it. She re-sent a copy of our confirmation email that she claimed stated the guarantee is dependent on availability. This “copy” contained an added disclaimer that was NOT in our original confirmation, suggesting she falsified the copy in order to deceive us.
We chose Wahine Charters specifically because of their guarantee to come again for free if dolphins were not seen. For the $600 we spent, I expected better.
Aside from starting about 30 minutes late, we were happy with the tour itself and our captain, though we did not see any dolphins that day. We had prepared for this possibility by scheduling the tour early in our trip with plenty of time to go again. Our disappointment started when we learned that the guarantee is not what it seemed. We were given the option to pay about $120 MORE to come again the next day, or wait for a free tour on the last day of our trip, only to be informed less than 12 hours before that because the other party had cancelled, we would have to pay if we wanted to come again.
We spoke to the owner, Cindy, and were offered a partial refund, which we never received. 6 weeks later, she denied ever having offered it. She re-sent a copy of our confirmation email that she claimed stated the guarantee is dependent on availability. This “copy” contained an added disclaimer that was NOT in our original confirmation, suggesting she falsified the copy in order to deceive us.
We chose Wahine Charters specifically because of their guarantee to come again for free if dolphins were not seen. For the $600 we spent, I expected better.
Written January 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mike And Andrea
3 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
This excursion was so fun from start to finish. It was organized, entertaining and informative. The owner CJ greeted us and shot the breeze about his pro surfing days and the time he spent in Canada, and then his crew on the Wicked Wahine took us out on the ocean searching for Mantas. They took care of us, taught us alot about Hawaii and generally made sure we had a blast.
Very important mention to Gloria who helped us coordinate and book everything and she was such a pleasure to communicate with. A true pro.
It was an incredible experience and this company bent over backwards to make sure we were happy, satisfied and having fun. I’d give 6 stars if i could! Thanks Wahine Charters!! Highly recommend to all who are thinking of doing any charter On the Big Island
Very important mention to Gloria who helped us coordinate and book everything and she was such a pleasure to communicate with. A true pro.
It was an incredible experience and this company bent over backwards to make sure we were happy, satisfied and having fun. I’d give 6 stars if i could! Thanks Wahine Charters!! Highly recommend to all who are thinking of doing any charter On the Big Island
Written February 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rhonda A
South Portland, ME1,196 contributions
Oct 2021 • Friends
We had one of those nightmare text at 5:45 am that our tour companies boat for our dolphin swim that day needed maintenance and our tour was canceled. Only in Kona for the day, I did a quick google search and landed on Wahine Charters! We went out with 6 others and immediately found a pod that we swam with for close to two hours ( the pod moved around but stayed in the general area so we saw them numerous times). The snorkeling experience with the spinner dolphins was truly spectacular. The state laws changes in 4 days after we went and while I understand the theory about it, it is sad others will not be able to have the experience. We never chased the dolphins. They would swim under us or sometimes right next to you. Unfortunately there were a lot of boats of people and a few people were aggressively diving down to get pictures - too bad and probably the need for the new restrictions. The captain and crew were great - very friendly. The boat was comfortable. They had some snacks and plenty of water on board. Snorkel gear was adequate. Maybe the only miss is a short stop for reef snorkeling which due to chop and current was only okay. This was an add on near the dolphins so not their usual reef snorkeling stop. Overall we loved the tour and company!
Written October 26, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Robert H
Centreville, VA215 contributions
Mar 2020
Went on a whale watching cruise with Pele and Brad and we were not seeing any whales. They offered to stay out longer and sure enough, we saw several Humpbacks including a mother and her calf just off the boat. Naturally, seeing whales is not a guarantee but the Wahine team did all they could to help us succeed. The compliments do not end with the boat crew. The woman answering the phones in the office was wonderful. One day before our cruise, there was still a question of whether or not we would have enough people to go out. She kept us informed along the way including an immediate call when the cruise was confirmed. It was clear, she (on behalf of Wahine) did not want us to waste time standing by to find out if our cruise was a go or not. Thanks to all for making this trip a great experience.
Written March 14, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Denise
Charleston, SC9 contributions
Jul 2021
Pat and Ana set the bar for island hospitality. We are so glad we booked this trip for our family of 10; it was the highlight of our vacation on the big island.
Aged 1 through 73 (kids were aged 1, 5, 7, and 9), most of our group were first timers to ocean swimming or snorkeling. Both Ana and Pat were gracious, instructive, patient, and ideal hosts for our 10 person family adventure.
Pat and Ana expertly navigated the boat ahead of a pod of dolphins so that our little swimmers (and the adults!) could swim with the dolphins. Ana recorded the event for us AND airdropped a slideshow to us when we were done!
The eldest adult (73) also had never snorkeled or been in the ocean in his entire life. (Heck, he had never even put his head under water). Ana and Pat helped us take our time and coach "grandpap" through learning how to snorkel.
We haven't seen grandpap smile that big in decades!
Wahine Charters helped new snorkelers aged 5 through 73 have the time of their lives in the ocean with dolphins and reef snorkeling. We cannot recommend this company enough!
Aged 1 through 73 (kids were aged 1, 5, 7, and 9), most of our group were first timers to ocean swimming or snorkeling. Both Ana and Pat were gracious, instructive, patient, and ideal hosts for our 10 person family adventure.
Pat and Ana expertly navigated the boat ahead of a pod of dolphins so that our little swimmers (and the adults!) could swim with the dolphins. Ana recorded the event for us AND airdropped a slideshow to us when we were done!
The eldest adult (73) also had never snorkeled or been in the ocean in his entire life. (Heck, he had never even put his head under water). Ana and Pat helped us take our time and coach "grandpap" through learning how to snorkel.
We haven't seen grandpap smile that big in decades!
Wahine Charters helped new snorkelers aged 5 through 73 have the time of their lives in the ocean with dolphins and reef snorkeling. We cannot recommend this company enough!
Written July 13, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Emily D
3 contributions
Feb 2020 • Solo
The “Moonlight Manta Swim” is an amazing experience! The crew were incredibly friendly and knowledgable about the ocean and the wildlife in the area. When we stopped at the site we had 5 or so large Manta-Rays swim up to us, it was incredible getting to see these majestic creatures so close. 100% would recommend!!
These guys also give you $20 off if you book a second tour - well worth making the most of this!
These guys also give you $20 off if you book a second tour - well worth making the most of this!
Written February 28, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Colin V
10 contributions
Jan 2022 • Friends
Had an absolutely amazing time doin the later night dive with mantas. Uncle Pono and Greg took such good care of us! The mantas were next level, but these guys make sure you feel safe and also help keep the mantas safe while you’re in the water enjoying. We saw at least 20 giant mantas that come about 4 inches from your face. Would recommend and come back any time! Definitely gonna do it every time I visit from Kauai! Mahalo uncle Pono and Greg!!
Written January 19, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Which Manta site do you take your tours to, the airport or Keauhou? Thanks!
Written May 31, 2019
Operators pick one site or the other, depending on recent sightings. Over the years we were 0-3 at the airport site. This year we saw them twice on consecutive nights at the Keauhou (Sheraton) site. Informally I understand that the latter site is more "reliable", while if you are lucky at the former site there are likely to be more Manta Rays. These are wild animals and there is absolutely no guarantee you will see them on a given night at a given site. Long time observations show no correlations with time of year, phase of the moon or anything else. Be prepared to be disappointed, or to have one of your life's most amazing experiences.
Written May 31, 2019
Does anyone who has taken small kids (6 and under) on either the Captain Cook or Dolphin Swim tours know if Wahine provides snorkel gear for kids that small or would we need to provide our own if we decide to do the tour? In the end, we may just buy our own so we can practice with the kids first, but I was just wondering what was provided for gear. Also, are kids life jackets or other floatation devices available? Thanks so much. These tours look amazing!
Written December 12, 2018
Aloha, we do provide children's mask and snorkels. They fit my 4 year old well and I know we've had two and three year old children use them with no problems. We don't have any tiny swim fins. The smallest fins we have are a size 1. We also have an assortment of flotation gear like life jackets and pool noodles. The life jackets range from infant size to adult sizes. If mom or dad is in the water with their children, I recommend the parent wearing a life jacket also because the kids are sometimes pulling on and climbing on top of the parent. It might be a good idea to purchase gear for the kids ahead of time so they can practice and get used to their specific gear. It's not expensive and doesn't take up too much room. Hope to see you here. Aloha
Written December 15, 2018
How many passengers do you take on the night manta snorkel?
Written July 2, 2018
A Tripadvisor member
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
Sorry, we missed your question. We take 12 guest out on our manta tour.
Written September 20, 2018
Hi,
We have a 3 yr old and 5 yr old in our group of 6, neither of the children have done any snorkeling but we can't leave them home. What are the options for them? Do children this age get in the water? Do they just ride along? Is the cost the same if they don't get in the water?
Thank you
Written November 6, 2016
A Tripadvisor member
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
Aloha,
To answer your question it depends on the child, their comfort level and the parents comfort level. We have had 3 yr old and 5 yr old children get in the water on our tours. We would suggest you try practicing snorkeling in a pool or at the beach before the tour. I'd would say the two best tours for the younger children are the Captain Cook Snorkel because we snorkel at a protected bay that is calm and the Moonlit Manta Snorkel (we attach the light-board directly to the boat making it easy to have the child try it and have something to hold onto with a snorkel guide in the water but also easy if the parents need to switch out). We do have a child rate but it is the same for weather they get in the water or not. We only hold up to 12 guest so we are selling the seat. I sure hope this information helps.
Cindy
Written November 6, 2016
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