Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Captain Dan McSweeney's Year-Round Whale-Watching Adven-
tures
All ages.
Your kids will love this 3-hour cruise to see Hawaii's
most impressive visitors—45-foot humpback whales—when they return to the
waters off Kona every winter. Captain Dan McSweeney, a whale researcher for
more than 30 years, is always here to greet them, as well as other whales who
spend the warmer months in Hawaiian waters. Because Captain Dan works
daily with the whales, he has no problem finding them. Frequently, he drops an
underwater microphone into the water so you can listen to their songs. If the
whales aren't singing, he may use his underwater video camera to show you
what's going on. In humpback season—roughly December to April—Dan
makes two 3-hour trips daily. From July 1 to December 20, he schedules one
morning trip on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday to look for pilot, sperm, false
killer, melon-headed, pygmy killer, and beaked whales. Captain Dan guarantees
a sighting, or he'll take you out again for free. There are no cruises in May and
June; that's when he goes whale-watching in Alaska.
Honokohau Harbor.
&
888/WHALE6
or 808/322-0028. www.ilovewhales.com. $60 adults, $40 children
under 11.
Captain Zodiac
Ages 7 and up.
If you'd prefer to take a snorkel cruise to
Kealakekua Bay in a small boat, go in Captain Zodiac's 16-passenger, 24-foot
inflatable rubber life raft. The boat takes you on a wild ride 14 miles down the
Kona coast to Kealakekua, where you'll spend about an hour snorkeling in the
bay and then enjoy snacks and beverages at a picnic site. Trips are twice daily,
from 8am to 12:15pm and from 12:45 to 5pm.
Warning:
Pregnant women and
those with bad backs should avoid this often-bumpy ride. It's a bit rough for
young children.
Gentry's Marina, Honokohau Harbor.
&
808/329-3199.
www.captainzodiac.com. $80 adults, $65 children
3-12.
Fair Wind Snorkeling and Diving Adventures
Ages 4 and up.
One of the best ways to snorkel Kealakekua Bay, the marine-life preserve that's
one of the best snorkel spots in Hawaii, is on Fair Wind's half-day sail-and-
snorkel cruise to Kealakekua. The company's 60-foot catamaran holds up to 100
passengers. The morning cruise, which leaves from Keauhou Bay at 9am and
returns at 1:30pm, includes breakfast, lunch, snorkel gear, and lessons; it costs
$93 for adults and $57 for children ages 4 to 12 (free for kids 3 and under). The
afternoon cruise is a little shorter and a little cheaper: It runs from 2 to 5:30pm
and includes snacks, sailing, and snorkeling, at a cost of $61 for adults, $36 for
kids 4 to 12.
Fair Wind also has daily 3- and 4-hour inflatable raft snorkel cruises from
Kailua Pier, aboard a 28-foot hard-bottom ridged inflatable boat. The trip
includes stops at two snorkel sites (Kealakekua Marine Preserve and Honaunua),
snacks, and a historical/cultural tour on the return (including stops to look in
sea caves and lava tubes). Only 14 people are booked at a time. The cost for the
morning cruise is $76 for adults and $63 for children 6 to 12 (kids under 6 must
stay home); the afternoon cruise is $57 for adults and $47 for children 6 to 12.
&
800/677-9461
or 808/322-2788. www.fair-wind.com. $57-$93 adults, $36-$57 children; prices vary
depending on cruise.
BODYBOARDING & BODYSURFING
