Iruka Hawaii Dolphin Snorkeling Tours — Attraction in Honolulu

his was a fun excursion for the family! We booked through our hotel, though the rate on the company website had a coupon code and was a little cheaper. We were not thrilled for a 5:35am shuttle pick up, but we were informed that the earlier slot gets the most marine life activity and they were right!

The boat crew made the trip very fun. They were very attentive from watching and caring for those n the water, those on the boat who were sea sick, and serving everyone lunch. There is also a professional photographer on the trip who sells picture packages.

The excursion started at 7:30am on the Poisedon. We saw a whale within the first 15 minutes. The first part was swimming with the dolphins. While you don’t need to be an expert swimmer, I would not recommend this part if you are afraid of water. We were in the middle of the ocean, thousands of feet deep, and it is very fast paced. The water is not still by any means. When they spot dolphins, there is no time to ease in the water. Everyone jumps in about 3 seconds apart. The good thing is that there was no shortage of dolphins and they are swimming all around you. It was absolutely stunning to see them in their natural habitat.

Snorkeling near a reef was the second half of the excursion. The water is 30-40 feet deep and calm. They have paddle boards, a slide, and a large lily pad for multiple people to float on. You can see sea turtles and other marine life.

Includes: 2 clean bathrooms, cold sandwiches and chips, hot tea or hot chocolate, life vests, snorkel gear, barf bags, anti-nausea gum if needed, reef friendly sunblock if you forget, music, and fun!

Preparation: If riding the shuttle, go light on the morning coffee and use the restroom right before you leave. The drive to the boat dock is approximately an hour. Eat a light breakfast. I do not recommend going on an empty stomach. Take motion sickness meds or apply patch way in advance. All shoes are left at the dock until return as the boat has a shoeless policy.

What to bring: snacks, a light jacket, pants or a light jacket to wear on the morning shuttle if you get cold easy, a bag that will keep your change of clothes dry on the boat, towels.

This excursion...

Crew stuff is very unprofessional, and rude. I had a “Swim with Wild Dolphins Tour” today and I regret it. It cost 179$. So at first the boat captain did not know where to stop the boat for the tour so instead of swimming with wild dolphins I saw them from like 15m away a couple of times for about 5 seconds in total (We got into water 4 times and we saw them 2 times from away for 5 seconds). I was so unhappy with the experience. When I requested a tour mask (I used for the first 2 jumps in water my full face mask) I was given a broken one.

My second unpleasant experience was when we had a snorkeling with turtles, and someone took my go-pro camera and I got upset and Captain Stefan made fun of me, like we have plenty of time for snorkeling so not a big deal! When I told that I lost 20 min for snorkeling he had more comments and by the end of the tour his comments turned out to be gender discrimination (I am a female). He told me he understands my language (we all from ex-Yugoslavia understand each other). When I told him that his behave is not nice his comments were on mine language so no one else couldn't understand what he was saying to me, and his ego was so huge, so his answer on his not nice and unprofessional behavior was that he is very good friend with manager ( meaning he can do whatever he wants).

Also, one incident happened when I was snorkeling ( I am allergic to snorkeling tube so I only use a mask) and the guide pushed me away from the turtle like I was too close, and I was just trying to get air as I don’t use tube for snorkeling.

During the tour captain Stefan when made a stops for dolphins that I saw for 5 seconds is having a comments like he is doing a favor for us on tour to letting us jump in water for 4th time so we could try to see dolphins, but no, we paid for that and we did not got 20% for what we paid for. In the end crew staff is asking for a tip saying they are not paid for the tour but they live from tip, so my question isn't 179$ not enough, and also I am requesting a full refund for all above mentioned. People be careful with who you take a tour on your vacation to avoid to ruin your important vacation time! Avoid...

We took an early morning tour with Iruka and were hoping to see some various marine wildlife and have an enjoyable family experience. The crew (Dustin, Abby, Elena, Parker, and Hayato) made sure that we had an unforgettable adventure! From the bus ride to the marina, to the end of the tour, they far exceeded our expectations! We got on the boat and the crew was very energetic and engaged with each of us! They made it feel as though we booked a private tour, although there were multiple families on board. They took time to discuss the various marine life we encountered, answering questions from all of us, even the sometimes relentless barrage of questions from our kids! They made safety paramount, while making sure we had an amazing time! We quickly found ourselves near whales (approximately 12 during the tour) and then different varieties of dolphins (bottle nose and spinner). The dolphins played along side our boat as we ventured toward a reef to look for sea turtles and spend some time snorkeling. Parker did an incredible job of making sure to get a ton of photos of our family and all the beautiful sights and animals we came upon! After swimming, snorkeling, and getting to relive childhood memories on their on board slide (truly a highlight of the trip for us!!), we made our way back to the marina. The crew was very attentive to our needs and served us lunch as we made our way back. The sandwiches were super fresh and delicious! You should have no reservations in booking a trip with this group! They are truly amazing!! We will definitely book more adventures with them any time we are back in the islands! On the ride back to Waikiki, the other groups on our bus said that they had a blast on the speedboat/dolphin swim tour! We can’t wait to try that one next!! Thank you again to the crew and team at Iruka for such an...