A Snorkeling + Cruise experience by Sea Paradise. Back to all Big Island tours.
Tour Summary: Sea Paradise holds anchor rights inside Kealakekua Bay, so the Hoku Nui drops anchor right over the coral, at a reef that otherwise takes a two-hour hike or kayak to reach.
The Hoku Nui catamaran in front of Kealakekua Bay. Image credit: Sea Paradise 
The 50-foot Hoku Nui catamaran off the Kona coast. Image credit: Sea Paradise. Aerial view of the Hoku Nui at one of the snorkeling spots. Image credit: Sea Paradise. Getting into the water from the Hoku Nui is easy, either by jumping off the front (shown here) or by the staircase that drops into the water on the other side of the vessel. Image credit: Sea Paradise
6 Tour Highlights:
- Anchors over the reef inside Kealakekua Bay, reachable from shore only by a two-hour hike or a kayak paddle
- Two snorkel stops: coral reef at Kealakekua Bay and lava arches and tubes at Red Hill, sea conditions permitting
- Two crew members in the water with the group at each stop
- Spinner dolphins common on the morning visit; humpback song underwater from roughly December through April
- Continental breakfast on the sail out and a make-your-own sandwich lunch, both included
- GoPro rental with a 16GB card you keep, for footage without your phone over the side
Important: Check-in is 8:15 AM for an 8:30 departure that leaves sharp, even on latecomers; guests must be able to swim, and full-face snorkel masks are not allowed on board.
Tour Information:
| Price: | Adult | Youth | Infant |
|---|---|---|---|
| (excluding taxes & fees) | $165 | $110 | $55 |
Tour Provider: Sea Paradise
Activity: Snorkeling + Cruise
Tour start time: 8:30 am
Duration: 4.5 hours
Location: Kealakekua Bay
Pick-up available? No
Included: Snorkel gear (mask, snorkel, fins). Flotation noodles and life jackets. Reef-safe sunscreen (required on board and provided). Continental breakfast on the outbound sail. Make-your-own deli sandwich buffet lunch. Snacks and non-alcoholic drinks. Marine ecology and cultural briefing before each snorkel
Cancellations: Cancellations require 24 hour advance notice on regular bookings and 72 hour advance notice on private charters. You must call (800) 322-5662 or 808-322-2500 to cancel your tour. No refunds will be issued if you do not call to cancel in the required time prior to your scheduled check-in time.
Read more: about snorkeling in our Big Island snorkeling guide.
Read more about this tour
Reaching the reef at Kealakekua Bay on foot means a two-hour hike down the Captain Cook Monument trail, and by kayak it is a long paddle across the bay. The Hoku Nui, a 50-foot sailing catamaran, covers the same water under sail in about 45 minutes and drops anchor over the coral. Sea Paradise holds anchor rights inside the bay, so only a few boats can sit above the reef at any time.
Two crew members get in the water with the group at each snorkel stop, staying close to beginners and kids and keeping count of everyone. Reviewers write about the crew more than any other part of the trip. The same crew comes back each year, and returning guests name them in reviews.
The Hoku Nui catamaran in front of Kealakekua Bay. Image credit: Sea Paradise
The sail out and the two snorkel stops
The boat leaves Keauhou Bay at 8:30 AM, and continental breakfast goes out on the way over: pastries, fruit, and coffee while the crew points out the coastline. The sail runs about 45 minutes each way. The whole trip runs 4.5 hours, with the boat back at Keauhou around 1 PM.
At Kealakekua Bay you get about an hour in the water. It has been a protected Marine Life Conservation District since 1969, so the coral is more intact than at open sites, and visibility usually runs 60 to 80 feet. Spinner dolphins are often in the bay on the morning visit, and the captain stops the boat for them.
In whale season, roughly December through April, humpback song carries underwater at this stop. On the reef, look for green sea turtles, spotted eagle rays, yellow tang, Moorish idols, and the occasional moray eel.
Lunch is a make-your-own deli sandwich buffet, served between or after the stops. The second stop is Red Hill, or Paeʻa, where old lava flows have left underwater arches and tubes to swim through. Red Hill sits more exposed, so the crew only runs it when the sea allows; on rougher mornings the boat stays at Kealakekua.
Getting into the water from the Hoku Nui is easy, either by jumping off the front (shown here) or by the staircase that drops into the water on the other side of the vessel. Image credit: Sea Paradise
Check-in, parking, and the rules on board
The boat leaves from the finger pier at Keauhou Bay, at the end of Kaleiopapa Street in Kailua-Kona. Parking on Kaleiopapa Street is free and a three-to-five-minute walk from the pier. The crew wears blue shirts and meets guests at the pier.
Important: Check-in is 8:15 AM, fifteen minutes before departure, and the boat leaves at 8:30 sharp. It has left without guests who arrived at 8:30, so give yourself time to park and walk over.
The sail can be choppy, most of all on the way out, and some guests get seasick on the first half. If you are prone to motion sickness, plan for the outbound leg.
Full-face snorkel masks are not allowed on board for safety, so use a standard mask or the gear provided. You need to be able to swim; non-swimmers can book a Ride-Along and stay on deck. Reef-safe sunscreen is required and provided, and the Hoku Nui takes up to 49 guests.
On low-wind mornings the crew motors part of the route to hold the schedule, so how much of the trip is under sail depends on the wind that day.
[Video] Watch a video about the Morning Sail and Snorkel Tour to Kealakekua Bay and Red Hill
About Sea Paradise
Sea Paradise has run snorkel trips out of Keauhou Bay since 1985 and holds membership in the Sustainable Tourism Association of Hawaiʻi. They require and provide reef-safe sunscreen, and they support the Surfrider Foundation and the Hawaii Wildlife Fund. We list them because the crew is unusually consistent, the same people year after year, and their handling of the group in the water is what guests write about most.
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Booking through this page costs you nothing extra and is made directly with Sea Paradise. We earn a commission from the operator, not from you, and it is what pays for the research that keeps lovebigisland.com free and free of paid placement. We only list operators we would send a friend to. Details on our affiliate links are here.