Since the day we landed in Hawaii, our daughter asked at least ten times when we could go swimming with the dolphins! Her birthday was quickly approaching, and we knew the perfect present! Due to Covid-19, the dolphin excursion had to decrease their boat capacity to 8 guests, so we knew we'd luck out with a more intimate tour.
Planning Your Visit
There are many great dolphin tours on Oahu; we chose Dolphin Excursions Hawaii based on their 5-star reviews on yelp. Dolphin Excursions is located in Waianae, HI, at the Waianae Boat Harbor off of Farrington Highway. Free parking is available at the harbor next to Spinners Cafe.
What To Bring:
-Wear your bathing suits & rash guards (rash guard not necessary, but helpful to stay warm and avoid sunburn while on the boat), sandals, and cover-up if preferred
-Wet suits (if you have some, if not Dolphin Excursions have some available to rent)
*We went on this excursion over the summer, and the waters were comfortable for my husband and me, and our 9-year-old daughter; however, our 6-year-old son was cold, limiting his time in the water. We recommend using a wet suit for younger children or for those who frequently get cold.
-Towels and a bag for wet clothes
-Snorkel gear (bring your own if possible; otherwise, Dolphin excursions will provide you with gear or have sets available to purchase)
- Cooler with snacks, beverages of your choice and water
- Phone, underwater camera, go pro, etc. You will absolutely want to capture these memories! (If you do not own a go pro or underwater camera, look into possibly renting a camera for your adventure)
- Dry clothes to change into after your tour
What to Expect:
The Dolphin Excursion tour is approximately 4hours from start to finish.
Upon arrival, the friendly staff will check you in, provide you with a life jacket and any other gear needed, and walk you out to the dock.
After boarding the boat, the fantastic crew members will explain the tour itinerary and allow you to organize your belongings in the dry stowing area.
Your Dolphin Excursion tour will include: a boat ride along the coast to locate dolphins and other sea life, a boat ride alongside dolphins in the boat, swimming with dolphins, and finally snorkeling in the crystal clear waters.
Our Ocean Adventure
We packed our Yeti Backpack Cooler with snacks and birthday cupcakes and loaded up our snorkel gear. Excited and a little anxious, we headed out on our first Hawaiian ocean adventure!
After a short boat ride, with our legs dangling off the side in the crystal clear water, we viewed our first pod of spinner dolphins. There were at least 30-40 dolphins swimming in pairs, and several dolphins showing off their tricks...jumping, flipping, and spinning in the air.
After cruising along with the dolphins for about 10 minutes, it was time to hop in with them! The crew gave us a 10-second count down, and in we went....well, all of us except our youngest, who became a little fearful and took some convincing to hop in. The dolphins move quickly, so by the time we were all in, and our snorkels and masks were adjusted, the first pod was gone. We let the kids get acclimated to the process so we would be ready the next go around and we then climbed back on the boat.
Less than 5 minutes later, it was time to get back in the water with a different pod of dolphins! With only a 5 second countdown, in we went...this time, we were ready! The dolphins were everywhere....to the left and right of us, and underneath our feet. One of the crew members was in the water with us, guiding everyone where to look, while the captain was on the boat looking out from above, and guiding us as well. The experience was unreal! Looking back at the pictures and videos, I still can't believe how incredible it was!
After our second swim with the dolphins, we continued on a short boat ride looking for more sea life and taking in the views. We ended the excursion snorkeling with fish and sea turtles and jumped off the boat's side for one last dip in the water before returning to land. Swimming with dolphins was definitely a bucket list item that we will never forget!!
If you are interested in other bucket list adventures, check out our post "Bucket List Adventures in Hawaii" (coming soon).
Video highlights of the excursion below:
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