14 Oahu Dolphin Watching Tours Worth Booking

1.Oahu Dolphin and Snorkel Tour with Waikiki Pickup & Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,687 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $164Our pick

Ride from Waikiki to Oahu’s west coast for a wildlife cruise led by a lively crew that may include Captain Dani and photographer Tyler. Look for spinner dolphins and whales, snorkel near green sea turtles, then enjoy lunch, hula, kayaks, paddle boards, and a 20-foot slide.

“This was a great tour for kids and family. We saw a ton of dolphins, a couple turtles, fish. Kids loved the slide and the music was great.”

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2.Luxury Snorkel Cruise, Local Buffet with Whale & Dolphin Watch

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1,334 reviews · 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $174

Cruise Oahu’s west coast aboard the 61-foot Kai OliOli catamaran, watching for dolphins, seasonal whales, turtles, and flying fish. Snorkel for about an hour with guided instruction, then enjoy a Hawaiian buffet, drinks, warm showers, and optional Waikiki transportation.

“Fantastic experience from start to finish. Great crew very helpful and knowledgeable Highly recommend”

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3.Swim with Dolphins on the West Coast

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,112 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $187Top rated

Join Indigo Ocean Hawaii for a four-hour west-coast catamaran trip with dolphin searches, snorkeling, lunch, and hotel transfers. Crew members such as JB, Nicole, John, Julie, and Sasha may help guide the day. Dolphins are wild, and spinner dolphins must be viewed from at least 50 yards away.

“Amazing experience, we saw spinner dolphins, humpback whales, spotted dolphin, octopus, sea turtles, and fish! The crew were so much fun, the weather was beautiful and the waters were warm and calm! We loved every minute of this excursion! One tip: take motion sickness pills/patches before you go even if the waters are calm, as first timers we got a little sick but once pills kicked in it was great. Would do this again and again!! Steve took great photos for us and Julie and Nicole the captain and crew were so friendly and fun!!”

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4.Wild Dolphin Watching and Snorkel Safari Off West Coast of Oahu

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 795 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $193

Cruise west Oahu with a lifeguard-certified marine crew on a 32-foot boat limited to 15 guests. Look for spinner dolphins, winter humpback whales, turtles, and reef fish, then snorkel with included gear. Lunch, drinks, and hotel pickup are included on the early morning departure.

“Fun boat ride but didn’t get to snorkel with dolphins. Saw them from the boat for a couple seconds and then never saw them again. Unlucky I guess but wouldn’t try again at this price.”

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5.Dolphin Swim and Turtle Snorkel Excursion in Waianae

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 590 reviews · 3 hours · from $193

Ride from Waikiki or Ko Olina to Waianae for a three-hour wildlife cruise led by an experienced captain and marine naturalist. Look for wild dolphins, seasonal humpback whales, sea turtles, and reef fish, then snorkel in protected bays. Lunch, drinks, gear, hotel transport, and free parking are included.

“Everything was great ! We saw dolphins and turtles right away ! Thank you so much”

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6.West Oahu Dolphin Watch and Snorkel Sail with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 320 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $125Best value

Sail from Waianae on a catamaran with a crew such as Captain Jessie, Ian, Nick, or Caden. Watch for spinner dolphins, turtles, and seasonal humpback whales, then snorkel at a calm reef before lunch and drinks. Waikiki pickup is available for an extra fee.

“We saw dolphins, a whale. And several sea turtles. The crew and captain were all knowledgeable and happy to share stories about island life and culture.”

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7.Swim With Dolphins & Turtles in West Oahu (Semi-Private Tours)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 200 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $200

From Waianae, Aloha Ocean takes up to six people along West Oahu’s coast aboard a comfortable powerboat. Guides such as Shanti, Koa, Brooke, and Stef help you look for wild dolphins, sea turtles, reef fish, monk seals, and whales. Snorkel gear is included, and the tour returns to its starting point.

“FABULOUS experience! Captain Lauren and crew Rebecca were amazing. #girlpower#badasschicks We swam w momma and her babies which I understand never happens. Saw turtles too. So much fun. Intimate setting. Highly recommend!”

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8.Swim with Dolphins Catamaran with Waterslide & Lunch on Oahu

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 166 reviews · 4 hours (approx.) · from $199

Set out from Waiʻanae on a four-hour catamaran trip with Iruka Hawaii Dolphin. You’ll search for wild dolphins, then snorkel at Makaha with turtles and reef fish. Lunch, gear, snacks, hot drinks, paddleboards, kayaks, a floating mat, and a 21-foot waterslide are included. Whale sightings are possible from November to March.

“Hi I got my wish after many years to see dolphins in their natural environment (twice!) and also to see a baby turtle. The trip was good, but not for the fate hearty. I had to go upstairs on the boat as there was quite a few people being sick and due to a large number of non-English speaker on the boat felt a bit excluded (the company was good as their was an interpretar on board). The crew were really on it in more ways than one!”

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9.Dolphin Watch Cruise with Waterslide & Snorkeling on Oahu

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 152 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $179

From Waiʻanae, cruise with Iruka Hawaii Dolphin along West Oahu in search of spinner, bottlenose, and spotted dolphins. Then snorkel at Makaha, use the 21-foot slide, paddleboard, kayak, or floating mat, and enjoy lunch onboard. Pickup from select Waikiki and Ko Olina hotels is included.

“Absolutely a fantastic trip! The entire crew was amazing, knowledgeable, helpful and most importantly- HAPPY! Travis, Gaylen, Yuji, Capt Stef- Joann- mahalo for a truly memorable experience!”

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10.Swimming with Wild Dolphins Speedboat Adventure on Oahu

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 150 reviews · 3 hours (approx.) · from $199

Ride the Dolphin Warrior from Waiʻanae, watch for wild spinner dolphins, and enter the open ocean if conditions allow. Afterward, snorkel near Makaha with turtles and reef fish. The small-group trip includes gear, lunch, drinks, and select Waikiki and Ko Olina pickup.

“A truly wonderful experience! Rebecca, Laura and Ally were super friendly and made the experience extra special with their humour and knowledge. We saw so many dolphins up close and in the water and it felt truly unique and magical. We also saw turtles and even a monk seal! There’s not too many people on this tour so it feels quiet and really quite magical. Thank you so much to the lovely ladies on board, keep up the amazing job!”

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11.Wild Dolphins Swim Turtle Snorkel Tour & Waterslide

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 83 reviews · 3h 30m · from $199

Cruise Oahu’s Waianae Coast with Iruka Hawaii Dolphin, listen to a traditional Oli prayer, and look for wild dolphins before snorkeling at Makaha. You’ll have turtles, reef fish, a 21-foot waterslide, paddleboards, a kayak, lunch, and hot drinks. The dolphin swim suits strong swimmers.

“Wir haben im Rahmen dieser Tour etwa 70 US-Dollar an einen Guide gezahlt, der uns im Gegenzug Fotos versprochen hat. Diese Bilder wollte er uns per E-Mail zusenden. Leider haben wir die Fotos trotz mehrfachen Nachfragens nie erhalten. Im Zusammenhang mit der Tour stellt dies für uns eine klare Abzocke dar.”

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12.Dolphin Watching & Turtle Snorkeling with Waterslide

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 73 reviews · from $190

Cruise Oahu’s west coast with a lively crew, watching Hawaiian spinner dolphins before stopping to snorkel with fish and honu. You can use the 20-foot waterslide, kayaks, and paddleboards, then enjoy lunch and hula. Guides may include Sway, Captain Joe, Jeremy, Ryan, Zoe, or Aunty Ingrid.

“Really fun tour!! Amazing views, dolphins were incredible and a nice opportunity to snorkel! Would 100% recommend to anyone :) Thanks to Tom and Tiana for the photos and for Ryan, the boat host, and the rest of the crew for a highlight experience!”

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13.Swim with Wild Dolphins Oahu Speedboat Snorkeling Adventure!

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 49 reviews · 3 hours · from $199

Ride the Dolphin Warrior along Oahu’s west coast, watch wild dolphins, and enter the open ocean with a life vest if you are a confident swimmer. The 3-hour trip also includes Makaha snorkeling, lunch, snacks, hotel transport, and possible humpback whale sightings from December through March.

“STAY absolutely away from this tour and do NOT trust it. After booking, everything was confirmed, then on the day of the tour at 8:30 AM they sent me a message saying, “We are sorry, but we need to cancel it because there are too few people coming on the tour today.” So, two hours before the tour, we got this message and had to redo all our plans, plus skip this activity. If it was an emergency, I would understand it; however, STAY absolutely AWAY — THEY ARE NOT TRUSTWORTHY, AND YOU MAY END UP IN THIS SITUATION. Book from other providers, but not this one.”

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14.Snorkeling & Dolphin Watch Cruise w/ Luau Style Buffet

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 10 reviews · from $171

You’ll cruise Oahu’s Waiʻanae coast aboard a 62-foot catamaran with shaded seating, large changing bathrooms, and premium snorkel gear. Watch for spinner dolphins, seasonal humpback whales, and turtles, then enjoy a Hawaiian buffet, unlimited soft drinks, and four alcoholic drinks per adult.

“It was a beautiful morning. We saw a whale, dolphins and turtles. It was just a shame that after seeing one whale the topic was cut off and we moved on to snorkeling and couldn't take a little more time to watch the whales. The crew was super nice and the food was delicious too.”

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