Respectfully observe wild dolphins underwater off West Oahu
3 Hours
Up to 6 people
Dolphin swim, snorkel gear, restroom
Explore West Oahu's offshore waters for a respectful encounter with wild pelagic dolphins. Learn about marine life and Hawaiian culture from the captain and crew along the way.
Dolphin Swim & Snorkeling Tour Schedule
All Aboard! Come aboard our Robalo powerboat and settle in as we prepare for our ocean adventure. To begin, our captains and crew will cover safety information and a quick overview of the day’s plan.
Departure We will depart from the harbor and head north along the coast. Take in views of the Waianae mountain range, the first mountain range formed when the volcano that created Oahu erupted.
Get Geared Up We’ll provide you with everything you need for a comfortable underwater experience, including fins, a mask and snorkel. We’ll also give snorkeling instruction for first-timers.
Find the Dolphins The search for dolphins begins as we scan the water for fins or splashing. We keep detailed logs of all our Dolphin sightings and work with other boats to cover the entire coastline. Swim with Dolphins! Once we spot the dolphins, it’s time to jump in! Our ocean guide will position us for the best dolphin encounter. Watch as they glide through the water.
Snorkel with Turtles and Fish Next, we’ll head to our snorkeling location to swim with Hawaiian green sea turtles and tropical reef fish. You’ll have 45 minutes of free time to snorkel or relax on the boat.
Relax Down the Coast After snorkeling, unwind with a BYOB beverage as we make our way back down the coastline. We’ll keep our eyes peeled for other wildlife along the way.
Mahalo After returning to the harbor, we will dock the boat and help you gather your things.
A Hui Ho! Until we meet again.
Cancel at least 48 hours before the tour date and time for a full refund. Cancellations within 48 hours are charged in full.
The tour operates with a minimum of 4 passengers booked. If fewer than 4 are booked, you will be offered the option to reschedule or receive a full refund.
Plan to arrive at least 30 minutes before your tour start time. For 7:30 am tours, arrive by 7:00 am; for 11:00 am tours, arrive by 10:45 am.
Park on the right side of the harbor when facing the ocean, then wait in the grassy area outside the brown building for the crew to check you in.
Waianae Boat Harbor
Aloha Ocean delivers consistently magical marine encounters with an all-star crew that includes guides like Brooke, Ali, Shanti, and others who clearly love what they do. The small group sizes stand out as a major advantage—tours typically max out around 6 people, meaning more personal attention and easier ocean access from the smaller boat. Guests regularly swim with multiple dolphin pods (often 3+ encounters per trip), spot sea turtles, and occasionally see whales or monk seals. The guides earn praise for their genuine enthusiasm, marine life knowledge, and tireless dedication to finding wildlife, even searching extensively across the west side of Oahu. What makes this tour special is the intimate, ethical approach. The crew provides all necessary gear and even captures GoPro footage to share afterward. They're particularly skilled with nervous swimmers and families with young children, offering patient guidance for first-timers. Note that this is a BYOB experience focused purely on marine life rather than fancy amenities—you won't get lunch or cocktails, but that keeps the focus where it belongs: on those incredible moments when dolphins surf the boat's wake or baby spotted dolphins swim right past you.
First time in Hawaii and we hit the jackpot! Booked with Aloha Ocean, fits ~6 tourists plus a Captain and safety diver (who were awesome - Capt Steph & Koa). The smaller boat made it more intimate and allowed us to drop in the ocean quickly when we found the huge pod of Pilot Whales. After dropping in a couple times to see these amazing creatures swim around us, we headed back to the reef for one more dive and spotted a huge group of spinner dolphins. Very cool and we thought we were finished…then Captain Steph got a call from their sister ship that sperm whale were spotted. We all got super excited, the Captain got us out there quickly and we saw a huge group of them - at least 10 with a couple babies. It was incredible. This excursion is a MUST for anyone visiting O’ahu, especially if you’ve got 4-6 people in your party. Obviously, we struck gold with the species we saw this morning, but you’ll have a blast with this crew! They play chill music and keep the vibes high all morning.
Joey M
July 7, 2026
First time in Hawaii and we hit the jackpot! Booked with Aloha Ocean, fits ~6 tourists plus a Captain and safety diver (who were awesome - Capt Steph & Koa). The smaller boat made it more intimate and allowed us to drop in the ocean quickly when we found the huge pod of Pilot Whales. After dropping in a couple times to see these amazing creatures swim around us, we headed back to the reef for one more dive and spotted a huge group of spinner dolphins. Very cool and we thought we were finished…then Captain Steph got a call from their sister ship that sperm whale were spotted. We all got super excited, the Captain got us out there quickly and we saw a huge group of them - at least 10 with a couple babies. It was incredible. This excursion is a MUST for anyone visiting O’ahu, especially if you’ve got 4-6 people in your party. Obviously, we struck gold with the species we saw this morning, but you’ll have a blast with this crew! They play chill music and keep the vibes high all morning.
Joey M
July 7, 2026
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