Hawaii’s Big Island is home to migrating pods of humpback whales, which often breach as they build up energy for their northward migration. This narrated tour brings you to some of the best viewing grounds via 24-person catamaran. You’re able to hear the whales singing through the provided hydrophones. The tour provider guarantees whale sightings or the next trip is free.

View humpback whales in prime breaching season
Enjoy expert narration and listen to whales singing through provided hydrophones
Take in Big Island views aboard a small catamaran
Bottled water, light refreshments, and snacks provided

What's Included

Bottled water
Snacks
Professional guide

Gratuities
Hotel pickup and drop-off

Meeting And Pickup

Meeting point

74-425 Kealakehe Pkwy
74-425 Kealakehe Pkwy, Kailua-Kona, HI 96740, USA
After turning into the harbor, TAKE the very first road to the RIGHT. Follow the road, pass Gentry's Kona Marine and a small gas station -Sea Store and Deli on the left, then TURN LEFT. As you drive in, you will see a small brown roof building to the right (restrooms). Meet crew under the pavilion.

Start time

12:30 PM

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

What To Expect

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
May be operated by a multi-lingual guide
Not recommended for pregnant women in advanced pregnancy

Not wheelchair accessible
Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 48 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

about cancellations.

Traveler Photos

Traveler Tips

Nice big boat compared to the others so less sea sickness.

The trip was worth it and the kids had a great time.

Reviews

4.5

313 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

Showing 1-10 of 313 reviews

Great! whales and dolphins

Christy_K, Mar 2023

Toward the end of migration season but we were lucky to see a few whales. The dolphins playing in the boat wake was an amazing sight too. Great trip. Avoid if you’re prone to seasickness.

10/10 must do in big island

JYCARI_D, Mar 2023

10/10 experience. We got super lucky and got to see whales, dolphins, manta rays, and a sea turtle. Aiden and the whole crew were amazing! So welcoming and friendly. There was a mixed crowd, great vibes overall. Would definitely recommend this activity.

Good time! Lots to see.

Miguel_B, Mar 2023

Good crew. Had about about an hour watching humpback whale with baby swim around. Also saw manta rays and dolphins. Crew answered questions , provided snacks and boat was really good.

Best trip ever

Gregory_C, Mar 2023

Seeing the whales was amazing. We also got to see dolphins and manta rays. The staff was great. Simon was a great captain, knowledgeable & fun. Aiden gave great information about the whales. The lady( sorry I can't remember her name) was so nice & made sure we were having a great time.

It was late in the...

David_N, Mar 2023

It was late in the season, but we still saw whales, and had the dolphins swim along with us, which was as awesome site.

Best in Kona!

Christie_M, Mar 2023

Lived in Kona for 13 years. Have done multiple whale watching tours. This trip was the best! Crew are fun and very accommodating. Stayed longer to make sure we had plenty of time to see whales and dolphins. Lots of great information shared. Lots of laughter. Great whale sightings. Crew knew just where to go. Highly recommend this trip!

Breaching whales

Suzanne_G, Mar 2023

The captain and crew were amazing and so knowledgeable. We had such a great time. They were so kind to my little granddaughter and she had a blast. Thank you

Don't waste your time

Kristy_C, Mar 2023

Don't waste your time right now unless you just want a boat ride. They lied about seeing whales to us just to get us to buy the ticket. Good luck!

perfect vacation activity

chloedugger1, Mar 2023

Jacob was awesome- we saw lots of spinner dolphins and several whales. I enjoyed that we stayed out a little longer than planned so everyone could have the best experience.

Beautiful

Gina_S, Mar 2023

Tour guides were fabulous! Ocean was beautiful, unfortunately we didn’t get to see any whales up close. A couple of spouts and tails

Young crew

alixgabby, Mar 2023

The tour operator tried his best to maximize our whatever sightings. But he was really young and with more experience in entertaining the large group with knowledge, stories, history and finess I believe he has the potential to thrive is this business (and get better tips).

Only a few whales

Maria_G, Mar 2023

This was a beautiful day, with lots of sun and relatively calm water. The check-in process was a little bit confusing, as everyone tried to give their name at the same time so the captain could check you off on his phone. We were on the Kona which was a rather large boat, accommodating I would say 75 people. Although it didn’t seem too crowded, there were enough people on board that you had to take turns at the rail and for the restrooms. It is covered on the second level, so if you don’t want to be in the sun, this would be a plus. We were on the water for about 2.5 hours, and saw 4-5 groups of whales. I know in nature, there is no guarantee, but most of them were 1/2 mile away or more. The captain tried to head towards them for a better look, but the whales would either dive or swim farther away. Just when we would leave a spot, heading south, wheels would come back up in the exact spot. We were just 10 minutes ago. It was a rather disappointing trip. I really could’ve seen this many whales from shore with a set of binoculars. Although the captain and crew gave some commentary, I think they could’ve done more. The big island is a beautiful and interesting place, with a lot of historical sites. Very few tidbits of information were given, and it would’ve made the trip more colorful.

Response from Host, Mar 2023

We always try to insure a good whale sighting experience. You were on our largest boat of 42 capacity. We are sorry the whales were not closer on your trip. Many times they are but we have the unpredictability of wildlife.

Whale Trip

IrmaA_H, Mar 2023

It was a wonderful experience watching the whales, dolphins and the Ono fish. The guides were great and knowledgeable.

Great time!

Christina_W, Mar 2023

We saw just a few whales but a huge pod of dolphins. Our guides were very knowledgeable and made the trip fun.

The entire experience was...

Andrew_L, Mar 2023

The entire experience was fantastic, saw lots of whales, captain and deckhands were friendly, helpful, and informative, all around a great experience.

Recommend

jeff_b, Mar 2023

Lots and lots of whales. Entertaining crew and captain. Pointed out lots of points of interest and knew right where the whales were

Great Trip

Dennis_F, Mar 2023

We saw to see several whales break the surface. We also saw Dolphins Flying fish and Pilot Whales. Great Crew.

Great day on the water

Carole_G, Feb 2023

We saw around 20 full breaches, lots of tail slaps, and probably another 20 partial breaches or good views of the whales backs. It was incredible!

Great crew, great whale watching!

Diane_S, Feb 2023

We were fortunate to see several whales. Our crew was very attentive and full of factual information that made the trip even better. Blue skies, a great boat with a great crew and plenty of whales out there! Perfect! Well worth it.

Better than I could have hoped for!

Darci_N, Feb 2023

Amazing experience, highly recommend! We easily saw 15+ whales, including a few breaching. I even got seasick and would happily do this again.

...

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Product code: 8571P4

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Whale Watching On The Big Island

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