What is the Best Dolphin & Turtle Swimming Tour on Oʻahu?
Whether you climb to the summits of Oʻahu’s volcanic peaks or watch the world-class surfers on the beaches of Oʻahu’s North Shore, swimming with the dolphins and turtles on the Waiʻanae Coast is, without a doubt, one of the best things to do on the island!
That being said, there are a variety of tour options to consider when it comes to swimming with the dolphins and turtles on Oʻahu, but in my opinion, the Aloha Ocean tour is the best option that you can choose, which you can read about in detail in the sections below.
What is the Best Time of Day for a Dolphin Tour?
The answer to this question is easy: early morning, and I say this for a few reasons!
First, early morning ocean tours are typically when the conditions are calmest; the wind is light and variable, which is all to say that you are the least likely to become seasick.
I also say this because the first tour in the morning is when the conditions are the most beautiful in the water. As the sunrise breaks over the Waiʻanae Mountain Range onshore, first light hitting the water creates the most beautiful turquoise-blue conditions, with light rays beaming through the water’s surface!
Why am I Recommending this Viator Tour?
One of my favorite things about booking through Viator is the reserve-now-and-pay-later option. As long as you’re booking more than three days in advance, you have the option to book ahead and cancel in the future if you change your mind.
Waiʻanae Small Boat Harbor Parking
Aloha Ocean tours meet at the Waiʻanae Small Boat Harbor on the West Side of Oʻahu, about a half hour prior to the start of your tour.
Parking can be found on the right-hand side of the lot only, as the left-hand side is designated for truck and trailer parking.
Google Maps Directions: Waiʻanae Small Boat Harbor
Aloha Ocean’s Dolphin & Turtle Tour
Coming from someone who has spent many years swimming and free diving from the beaches off Oʻahu’s West Side, I can honestly say that I’ve always been skeptical about the experience that offshore tours offered.
However, when the opportunity came up to give it a try with Aloha Ocean and share my experience, I couldn’t say no, and I now understand more than ever why booking a tour with Aloha Ocean is the best kind of experience on the water that you can have!
Waiʻanae Small Boat Harbor
Our Aloha Ocean dolphin and turtle tour began just after 7 a.m. with a quick safety brief before boarding and getting underway shortly thereafter.
As we left the harbor, Aloha Ocean headed straight offshore to a handful of known locations where various species of dolphins and whales are known to hang out.
This is one of the biggest reasons why a guided tour is the best choice, because they take you to a number of locations that are otherwise inaccessible from any beach.
Upon heading a few miles offshore, Aloha Ocean and the neighboring boats begin scouting some of their known locations, while keeping in constant communication with other boats in the area in order to give guests the best experience in the water.
Once offshore, guests may have the opportunity to see a variety of different species, including Spotted Dolphins, Bottlenose Dolphins, Rough-toothed Dolphins, Pilot Whales, and Pygmy Whales!
The one species that is the most famous but seasonal to Hawaiʻi are the Humpback Whales. These are the whales that famously breach high above the surface of the water, creating huge splashes, but they are seasonal to the winter only, as they make the long journey south from Alaska to the warmer Hawaiian waters, where mothers will give birth to their calves.
Then, after we got the opportunity to see the Humpback Whales from afar, Aloha Ocean got us in position to jump in with the Spotted Dolphins!
The best thing about having a small group is that our captain, Lauren, could focus on just the few of us that there were, telling us where and in what direction to swim to have the best experience!
I think the photo says it all, but the biggest advantage of booking with Aloha Ocean is the small group size.
This allows guests the ability to quickly enter and exit the water, which cannot be said about larger tours, so that they can reposition the boat a number of times, giving guests the most opportunities to swim with the dolphins!
This is all to say that the Spotted Dolphins are fast, so having the opportunity to swim with them is very dependent on being able to maneuver in a small boat around their quick movements.
Mākua Valley
The Aloha Ocean tour then continues further west to a place called Mākua Valley, a historically significant and culturally disputed place on Oʻahu for many years.
Your captain will be able to tell you more, but in short, Mākua Valley has been a place of contest between Native Hawaiians, who once called the valley home, and the U.S. military, who used the valley for live-fire training for many years.
However, since 2004, there has been no live-fire in Mākua Valley, allowing visitors the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of Mākua Valley like it once was. Today, its primary purpose is conservation, in order to protect some of the world’s rarest and most endangered species.
At any rate, guests onboard with Aloha Ocean will have the opportunity to get in the water at Mākua, but what truly makes Mākua and Mākaha special from the first few locations is that the ocean floor is visible in these shallower waters, creating that picturesque turquoise-blue color that simply cannot be seen in deeper waters!
Mākaha Point
The final stop along the tour is Mākaha Point/ Valley, where guests onboard will have the best opportunity to see the Hawaiian Green Sea Turtles, or Honu, and my personal favorite, the Yellow Tang!
A fun fact about the Yellow Tang is that researchers who studied the species found that Hawaiʻi is said to have among the highest genetic diversity of anywhere in the world, pointing to the idea that Yellow Tangs originated in Hawaiʻi before spreading elsewhere around the globe!
Waiʻanae Small Boat Harbor
While this work is truly done for the love of Hawaiʻi and the ocean, consider leaving a tip with one or all of your tour guides if you had a great time!
Anything is appreciated, and it truly helps to ensure that responsible operators and guides can continue to show the same amount of care for your safety, the wildlife’s safety, and that of the environment!
Snorkeling Advice
If you plan on swimming with the dolphins and turtles, as well as snorkeling elsewhere on your trip, I recommend arriving with your own quality mask and snorkel before flying to Hawaiʻi for the best experience.
This can ensure that you have a mask that fits well, doesn’t fog up, or have any issues that can interrupt your experience in the water.
Take it from someone who lives in Hawaiʻi; bring your own Mantis mask and snorkel! They are the best and most comfortable masks on the market, by far!
