Located 12 miles south of Kailua-Kona is Kealakeukua Bay, a Marine Life Conservation District that’s perfect for snorkeling, scuba diving, and kayaking. The Bay is abundant in tropical fish, rich coral life, majestic Honu (Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle) and on occasion, spinner dolphins.

If you’re considering going on a snorkel excursion to Captain Cook’s Monument, I couldn’t recommend a better company to book with than Captain Zodiac Tours. The crew is extremely passionate in marine science, animal behavior and Hawaiian history. The Captain and crew really work to create a tailored snorkeling experience for their guests!

We joined Captain Zodiac’s award-winning 5-hour beat the crowds tour, which takes you on a 35-minute boat ride to Captain Cook (Kealakeukua Bay). The boat is pretty much a speedboat, I had my hair whipping in the wind and water splashing from the waves, it was definitely a good wake up call! What makes this tour special, is its length and later departure time, which offers a less-crowded snorkel experience (we basically had the entire reef to ourselves!)

While making our way up to Kealakeuka Bay and exiting Honokohau Harbor, we got to see a tiger shark, that has somewhat become a local, known as Laverne (who is approximated 14-foot in length). That was the first time I ever got to see a shark, and lets just say I’m happy it wasn’t when I was out snorkeling! We also had the pleasure of having a pod of spinner dolphins accompany us as we made our way up to Captain Cook’s Monument. A little additional fact, the boat has a nice dry storage, for your bags, so don’t be afraid to pack your camera!

During our two hours of snorkeling, we got to encounter a Hawaiian green sea turtle, a pod of spinner dolphins, and an abundance of fish including large schools of Mullet, Butterflyfish, Surgeonfish, and so much more. A few of us (including myself) went on a little adventure to find the local reef shark cruising around, but unfortunately for us it was hiding.

After some much needed water, food and snacks we headed back to the harbour. During our ride back we made a few stops to admire Big Island’s significant and geologically fascinating coastline. Due to the boats smaller size, we were able to explore and maneuver between sea caves and lava tubes that larger vessels couldn’t. On our journey back, we listened to the Captain’s interesting stories and folktales about Big island’s ancient history and heritage.

Side Note:

Reef Safe Sunscreen

Here is my little off-side rant about reef safe sunscreen. Before you apply your sunscreen, make sure it doesn’t have oxybenzone and octinoxate listed as an ingredient. These chemicals are killing our coral reef by sliding off of humans upon entering the water. Up to 15,000 tons of sunscreen slides off humans each year! Hawaii is banning these sunscreens, which is a great way to preserve these gorgeous coral reefs!