Dolphins and You FAQ

We suggest you have on hand:

• Water (or your choice of hydration)
• Snacks  A complimentary lunch* shall be provided, but swimming can work up an appetite!
• Flip flops 
• A bathing suit 
• A towel
• Sunscreen  
• A rashguard  (if you’re looking for more protection from the sun).  We also offer wetsuits for rent for $10 per person.
• A light jacket
• Cash or card for wetsuits or photo packages
• Seasickness medication (if needed) You can pick up seasickness tablets cheaply from local drugstores. Or, if you only ever experience very mild motion illness, ginger-based drinks can help stave it off.  

• Snorkel mask and fins (sterilized equipment shall be provided on the tour)
• *Camera
• Expensive jewelry, technology or other valuable or unnecessary belongings.  Dolphins and You is not responsible for lost, stolen or water-damaged items.

*While you can bring a waterproof camera, we do not recommend it. Our professional photographers can capture your entire tour with us for an additional $79 per group so you can fully be in the moment with the dolphins.

Bus transportation to and from select locations within Waikiki is included in your trip price. 

Alternatively, you may meet us at the Waianae Boat Harbor if you would like to provide your own transportation. There is no decreased rate for guests who opt out of transportation.

Pickup times and availability may change.  Detailed pickup information will be included in your tour confirmation email.

7 AM Tour

Aqua Palms Waikiki: 5:15 AM
Ala Moana Hotel: 5:20 AM
Prince Hotel: 5:25 AM
Ambassador hotel: 5:30 AM
DFS T. Galleria: 5:35 AM
Hyatt Regency: 5:40 AM
Waikiki Marriott: 5:45 AM
Meet at Waianae Boat Harbor at 6:45 AM

11 AM Tour

Aqua Palms Waikiki: 9:15 AM
Ala Moana Hotel: 9:20 AM
Prince Hotel: 9:25 AM
Ambassador hotel: 9:30 AM
DFS T. Galleria: 9:35 AM
Hyatt Regency: 9:40 AM
Waikiki Marriott: 9:45 AM
Meet at Waianae Boat Harbor at 10:50 AM

Tour timing can vary greatly due to the unpredictability of harbor traffic, dolphin behavior, ocean conditions, road traffic and more.

But the tour is usually around 5 hours, including transportation, with about 3.5 hours spent on the boat.

Our guides are great with guests of all abilities, and every guest is outfitted with a life vest to stay afloat. But we recommend some prior swimming and/or snorkeling for the best experience.

In the interest of safety, we are unable to take guests who are 2 years old and under at this time.

We recommend that only guests who are 2 years and older join our tours.

Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins are wild marine animals, so we cannot guarantee that we will encounter them. However, the vast majority of our tours (more than 90 percent) do see dolphins.

No. Touching marine life and coral is illegal by Hawaii state law. Contact with human skin can make dolphins and sea turtles more susceptible to disease and cause them stress. 

But the animals often come close by our guests, and simply being in their presence is incredible.

Hawaiian waters range from about 77 degrees F (25 degrees C) in the wintertime to 82 degrees F (28 degrees C) in the summertime. 

Though this is much warmer than the natural ocean temperature in most parts of the world, you still may feel cold in the shade or rain in just a swimsuit. We offer wetsuits for rent at $10 per person.

You may bring your own camera onboard at your own risk. But we recommend letting our professionals capture your experience so that you can fully enjoy your tour without worrying about getting the shot! 

Dolphins and You offers professional photography and videography for an additional $79. The photo packages usually contain around 600 over- and under-water shots of everyone on board, and the package includes a video highlight reel. We document the experience from beginning to end.

Your USB will be available for pick-up at our office in Waikiki the day of your tour from 2PM – 7PM if you took the early tour (7AM) or from 5PM – 7PM if you took the later tour (11AM). You may also pick up the USB any day after. Our office is located at 307 Lewers Street, Suite #401, Honolulu, HI, 96815. 

Alternatively, we offer shipping within the US for an additional $5 or international for an additional $15. Call our office to inquire about shipping your USB: 808-696-4414.

You may also buy photos online! Use the date switcher to navigate to your tour date and view your photos. 

Whales can be seen off the coast of Oahu between the months of December and March!

If we see whales, we will get our guests the best view possible as long as time permits. Wildlife sightings cannot be guaranteed.

Learn More.

In Hawaii, we are lucky to have dolphins in our bays year-round and throughout the morning. Both of our tours have an equal likelihood of encountering dolphins. We cannot guarantee dolphin sightings.

It is incredibly rare to encounter any sharks at all in Oahu’s coastal waters.

The reason is that sharks (and other apex predators, such as killer whales) prefer much colder, nutrient-rich waters. Hawaii is simply too warm! We sometimes encounter small reef sharks or white tip sharks, but these only grow a few feet long and are more afraid of you than you would be of them.

But in the rare event that a shark was to be encountered, our team of experienced Hawaii-raised crew are there to keep everyone safe and protected.

There is a public restroom in the harbor, and there are two full restrooms on board the boat. There is no restroom on the tour bus.

Our boat is not wheelchair friendly, and wheelchairs are not permitted on our bus transportation.

Please consult our office (808-696-4414). We have a ramp onto the boat, but it is only 19 inches wide and it does not have railings. 

Yes. Please use feminine products made for swimming.

We allow pregnant women to take part in our tour, but advise that it may not be safe during later terms. Please be careful not to slip and fall on board.

Tipping the crew is appreciated but not solicited. A tip jar is made available to guests at the end of each tour.

Tour fees will be fully refunded if cancellation is made more than 24 hours prior to the start of the tour. Please note that the tour starts early in the morning (departing Waikiki at 6am HST and 9:30am HST). Fees will be refunded fully if a doctor’s note is presented for cancellations made within 24 hours before the tour.