Big Island Snorkeling Guide
Our Kealakekua Bay Snorkel Boat Tour
On our last Big Island Snorkeling Tour we booked a Kealakekua snorkel boat tour on a sailing catamaran. And this trip was an absolute hoot! But then, we love snorkeling, we love sailboats, and the coral and clear water off Captain Cook Monument in Kealakekua Bay is one our favorite places in the world. So it is no surprise we enjoyed this so much. And of all the ways there are to get to Captain Cook, this is our favorite.
The boat company we chose was Sea Paradise, on their sailing catamaran Hokehele. We picked them partly for their good value price-wise, because they take less people, and their boat is actually a sailboat.
Some of the other companies take a lot more people, which can be fun, but it is not always our favorite choice.
The picture on the right shows one of the other companies boats packed with people.
Then again, some of the other companies have more perks, like BBQ lunches. When you are looking for a Kealakekua snorkel boat tour company you can choose a sailing catamaran or a faster inflatable (raft) like the one pictured below.
It just depends on how much time you have and what you like on your Big Island snorkelig boat trip.
Our Sea Paradise cruise left from Keauhou Bay north of Kealakekua Bay. We first met at their office at 8am in the morning (we went on their Deluxe Morning Snorkel Cruise), and most of the other passengers were fitted with snorkel masks and fins (we use our own). Then we all piled on the boat and got under way.
We had a very pleasant cruise down the coast for about an hour. The view of the Kona coastline was beautiful. The water was very calm on our trip, with next to no wind, so we did not get to sail. But it was so nice just being out on a boat that we did not really care.
The Sea Paradise crew put out a nice breakfast of fruit, muffins and other tasty fixings. We lounged around the boat, talked with the crew, and really relaxed. That is one of the things we love about boat trips. Once on it, you are on it. There are no decisions to make for a half day, and you just get pampered, so it is easy to relax. The only thing we "had" to do was lube up with sunscreen.
On the cruise were treated to a fairly rare event (according to the captain). We bagged a big fish. The boat always trolls some lines, and as we were just turning into Kealakekua Bay the Captain stopped the motors and one of the passengers jumped at the opportunity to reel in a beautiful Mahi Mahi fish. It was kind a of bloody mess, but exciting to watch.
After that, I was excited to see some fish not dead, so it was snorkeling time. After dropping off a few people who were diving first, our boat dropped us off back in the corner past the Captain Cook Monument. It was an ideal location for the type of snorkeling we love, and it was a wonderful time. The water was super clear, the coral was abundant as were the fish.
We swam all over the area for about an hour. As usual, we were the last ones out of the water.
After everyone got back on the boat we cruised back along the coast to a second snorkeling/diving location and had a tasty lunch on the way. This was a very interesting spot along the more exposed coastline. It was a fin of rock that came off the shore in pretty deep water. This was really a better location for the divers than the snorkelers. But we both really enjoy being in deep clear water. There was a bit of a current, so we had to swim a bit harder at times to head back to the boat.
Some Bubbling Neoprenes from our boat.
One highlight of this second location was that one of the crew members was a skilled free diver. He had a little 4lb weight ring around his neck, and he would dive down 40 to 60 feet and stand on the bottom next to the divers. I (Galen) had been trying to learn how to free drive, and when I first saw him doing this I did not know he had the weight ring, and I just could not understand how he could turn right side up and just stand on the bottom! He gave me some very useful tips later on free diving.
Here is a picture of him coming back up!
Check out more pictures of his free dives and of our
Kealakekua snorkel boat underwater adventures here.
Underway again, we got back to the dock around 12pm.
It was one of our best Big Island snorkeling experiences and we highly recommend you take a Kealakekua Snorkel Boat Tour.
Have you taken a Kealakekua snorkel boat tour with Sea Paradise or one of the other companies?
Our site visitors would love to hear about your Big Island snorkel boat experience.
See More Underwater Pics From This Trip
Return from Kealakekua Boat to the Big Island Snorkeling Guide
|
