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    Captain Max Boat Tours

    4.9 (146 reviews)
    Open 7:00 am - 5:00 pm

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    Services - Captain Max Boat Tours

    Boat charters

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    Humuhumu and other fish.
    Samantha T.

    OMG! This was such an amazing experience! Alex and Jordan was our awesome host and guide. Since it was a small boat that only fits 6 guests it ended up being a private tour out to turtle canyon. It was an absolutely gorgeous day and a smooth 15-20 minute boat ride out. Water was clear with visability down 15 feet clear and if you're at the water surface while snorkeling it was visible all the way to the bottom (30 feet). Snorkeling gear was included in this tour and the water was warm! Before going into the water we were already greeted by a sea turtle. Jumping into the water we saw even more sea turtles of varying size and an array of fish ranging from the humuhumu ele' ele (black trigger fish) humuhununukunukuapua'a (Hawaiian state fish), parrot fish, trumpet fish among others. There was an octopus that our guide Jordan tried coaxing out of the rocks and we got to hold a fairly good size sea urchin. 45-60 minutes in the water with the sea turtles with nothing but the sun, fish, turtles and hearing the sound of myself breathing was such a relaxing and fun experience. The ride back was nice and warm with the breeze and wind in my hair and they provided us with juice and water. Was it worth it? Definitely! Will we do this again when we are back visiting? Absolutely! This is a must do experience when visiting the island of Oahu in Waikiki!

    Carmel D.

    I booked the Turtle Canyon snorkel tour with 5 of my friends and family. It was wonderful from start to finish. I was very happy with the online booking process and the thoroughness of the pre-tour information letter. We found parking and the boat slip with no problems and were completely prepared on where to meet, what to wear and bring on the boat. This prep ensured an on-time departure and maximizing the time-in-the-water of this tour. The boat was well-equipped with our choice of two kinds of (optional) flotation devices; comfortable, covered seating and lots of places to hang on. Our boat captain, Eric, was competent, friendly and gave very good safety briefings about the boat, weather/wind/ocean currents and personal conduct during the dive. Our dive guide and photographer Sophia was, above all, an excellent skin diver and group leader, knowledgable about the animals we encountered (turtles, variety of fish, puffer fish, eagle rays). She took an amazing number of photos and videos, making sure to get some of every member of our group. A super souvenir of the experience! A very big mahalo to Capt Max Tours and all of the crew.

    Highly suggest these guys! Booked a tour with them on our most recent trip and I have no regrets! Small group of people, max 6, we only had 4. Trip out to the spot was smooth and a great location. We went early and there weren't any other charters out yet (highly recommend early). Max and Santiago were super friendly and accommodating to everyone on the boat. Santiago was our guide in the water showing us cools spots, pointing out turtles, and even educating us on the different types of fish. They also offer a picture package, really happy I got it. Got some really awesome pictures. Would definitely recommend booking with them, solid crew!

    Richelle K.

    I can't get over how amazing this experience was! I was afraid to snorkel but they made it so easy and the small group made it more intimate. Swimming with the fish and turtles is life changing! I think snorkeling is my new favorite hobby and I highly recommend Captain Max if you're in Oahu!

    View of the boat
    Sammy W.

    Garrett and Santiago were fantastic guides on our boat tour with this company. We got to see several turtles and SO many fish while we were snorkeling all the way out in the middle of the ocean by Waikiki. They had lots of water and juice for us and they offered fresh pieces of pineapple on the way back! Our group actually had a medical emergency and the way that Garrett and Santiago handled it was exceptional, and we all really appreciated their care & willingness to act when we needed it most! You should definitely book with Captain Max Boat Tours!!!

    Absolutely amazing tour! We love our guide, Sophia. She knows all the good spots to see turtles and other wildlife. It's worth ever penny and we can't recommend them enough.

    We got a close-up view of some dolphins!
    Hendy K.

    We had a great time on our snorkeling adventure! Alex and Santiago took very good care of us and got us back on shore safe and sound. We got to see some awesome dolphins on the way then there were so many fish and turtles to swim with when we were snorkeling. Santiago even offered to take some photos and videos of us during the trip for a good price and we got a bunch of great pictures! I would definitely recommend and I can't wait to go back and do it again. Thanks Captain Max!

    Snorkeling with turtles

    Booked a snorkeling with turtles trip with Captain Max and Sophia. It was amazing. Very interactive and fun. Not overcrowded like the other boats. Ours felt like a private tour!Definitely recommend getting the GoPro photos added to your package. Photos turned out amazing. Thank you Max and Sophia!!

    Garrett and the Helm!
    Lisa N.

    Once again Captain Max Tours was amazing. We saw Whales, Dolphins, Turtles, and beautiful Fish. Garrett and Kyla are always amazing and go above and beyond on the tour. Kyla dove and found us a Sea Urchin. Lots of Turtles, beautiful Dolphins. The two always make the trip a delight and attentive to exploring. Thank you Captain Max and Crew, Garrett and Kyla! P.S. Thank you for the fresh cut Pineapple and Juice!

    Very professional and grammatically correct message from the owner on a burner account requesting that I remove my honest review.

    *Update 10.26.2024* Just got a message a month after returning from HI from the owner on a burner account: "Your of my small families biz is horrible we have to reschedule all the time for maintaine and weather and parades and flash floods just because your absolutely inflexible isn't a negative reflection of my business remove your review" This is how he communicates and runs his business, trying to get me to remove my completely honest review. Weather and flash floods happen, but constantly having to reschedule due to maintenance issues should not be a regular occurrence. You are in the business of running boat tours yet your boats are constantly breaking down to the point of having to frequently reschedule or cancel? The people taking these tours are visitors on very tight schedules, not locals who have the luxury of flexibility. Again, do not support this business. There are countless others that do the same thing that will be much more professional and are not in the habit of attempting to reschedule as they please. *Update #2 10.26.2024* This just gets better and better, look at his response now in the screenshot LOL. If this isn't helping you make your decision on who not to do a tour with I don't know what will!

    Erika D.

    My husband booked a tour with Captain Max Boat tours last minute for 8/20 and it was a great experience. It's a small tour which I prefer.. they take a max of 6 guests. Garret and Ricky were awesome! Very Chill and laidback.. provided us all the information and guided us through the whole experience. It was my sister in law and her kids first time snorkeling and they were very patient and supportive of them as they eased into it. They brought us to a popular spot with Ricky's knowledge of the fish and turtles! The boat ride was fun as well. Provided us with life vests, felt safe and had a good time. We would all definitely do it again and recommend to others!

    Waikiki Honolulu HI
    Glen S.

    I cannot say enjoy great thing about this tour. My wife and I had read all the great the reviews here and on Facebook and they were all spot on! Santiago and Camilla were great they gave us information about the area, the reef and even some great things to do after the the tour. We went on the 8 am tour and it was worth it. We were told there was more activity and this was true. We showed and parked. Parking is cheap $1 an hour and you do it through an app which is super easy. We have used the app before. The app is Parkmobile. At 8am parking was a breeze but when we left at 945 the lot was full so plan accordingly. The crew greeted us and got us to the boat. After a quick safety briefing we were off. Normally 6 per tour we were lucky and only had four. The crew had waters and some juices available in a cooler as well. The boat ride was smooth no big seas. Yes the boat does rock a bit but there is so much going on there is no time to worry about the swells. A quick ride out along Waikiki and we got to the spot. This company guaranteed turtles and we got them and more! On the way out we also got to see dolphins galore ! We actually saw more dolphins than turtles. Santiago was great he was in the water the whole time with us pointing out where to look and go. The dolphins and turtles were around us the whole time. The turtles are much easier to photograph than the dolphins as they were too busy playing. My wife and I are strong swimmers so we went the noodle route but they have life jackets available. The other couple we were with the wife wasn't a swimmer and the crew made her feel at ease and took extra care. They brief you on how to use the equipment. You can opt for using fins or not, I wish I had. The fins allow you to cruise a bit faster. The tour is right over a turtle cleaning station so you will see plenty of turtles and fish. The visibility was great as well. We paid the additional for the GoPro service and it was worth it. Instead of trying fumble with a phone or camera it was nice to have someone who knows where to look so it for us. We took our phones and the crew took pictures with them for us. Before we got off the boat we had all our pictures and videos! Luckily the crew had iPhones so they just Airdropped them to me. We saw other tours with tons of folks and big boats but it was nice to be in a small group on a small boat. This tour makes it feel like your own personal charter because of the small size. I always look to support the little guy or gal. This tour was much less expensive and I know the experience we got was just as good if not better than a more expensive tour.

    Alex who helped me a lot!

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    4 months ago

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    6 months ago

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    3 months ago

    Captain Donovan and Sophia were fantastic! We saw so many turtles - what a rush! Highlight of our entire trip.

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    8 months ago

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    Mahalo :)

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    11 months ago

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    3 months ago

    Great experience. Fun energy. Learned a lot Beautiful scenery. Great vibes. Enron and. Captain Stephanie were great

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

    They are great with little ones who were first time snorkelers. Tip well. Going with a smaller group is the way to go.

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    4 years ago

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    Mahalo for your Review!!

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    Page 1 of 4

    Ask the Community - Captain Max Boat Tours

    Review Highlights - Captain Max Boat Tours

    I was so embarrassed because I got sick towards the end and Alex helped me get through it calmly - no judgement..

    Mentioned in 22 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    Living Ocean Tours - My son made a new friend and he loved his secure life jacket even though he is an excellent swimmer.

    Living Ocean Tours

    (778 reviews)

    Fun 5/5 Snorkeling 4/5…read more Service 5/5 Informative from staff in safety 5/5 Price for value and time 5/5 Overall 5/5 Wow you guys are truly amazing. I didn't even get off the boat and my son already asked me "can we come back to this same boat again next time!" From the gate B, which is your entrance, make sure you read your additional info after your confirmation email, especially if you are taking a Uber or Lyft, or else you can get dropped off at the main area and have to walk and find gate B! It's a long walk if you do not specify, our u er drive was the one that asked me, what gate sir, or else you have a long walk. Thank god he asked us! So from the gate to the entire experience, it can be overwhelming, it's a lot to do, it's a ton of fun. I rated 4/5 for the snorkeling because it's open ocean vs doing this inside a "bay" You first get a cruise down the waters and learn about the city and the captain t Story tells you a lot of history and the buildings while we are cruising and then we turn around to the play and snorkeling areas! Wow! But knowing my kids they want to also PLAY! Thais is the boat, you have a water trampoline, a water floating board that you legit can lay on or stand on and play balance and or just lay, and a huge slide!!!!! Wow! And drink and snacks are included! We didn't even get a chance to grab a beer! lol (for additional $ on your own) Just look at the view and the photos. So this entire experience is just 5/5 We booked through TripAdvisor. This is 100% recommend, since this is also at open ocean, it's easier if you can swim and not afraid of the waters. They do offer life jackets and self blown floatation vests, your choice. Must do!!!!! See you next time!

    We booked Living Ocean Tours the day before Thanksgiving, and it ended up being one of the absolute…read morehighlights of our trip to Hawaii! My wife, kids, and I had an amazing time from start to finish. The crew was incredibly friendly and welcoming--they made us feel right at home the moment we stepped aboard. The kids were thrilled with the slide and the water trampoline. Honestly, watching them shoot down the slide and bounce around with huge smiles made the whole experience worth it by itself! Once we got out on the water, we saw tons of beautiful fish, way more than we expected. The guides were great at pointing things out and making sure everyone felt safe and comfortable in the water. Even our youngest, who can be a bit timid, ended up loving it. We also really appreciated the complimentary beverages after snorkeling, such a nice touch and perfect after swimming and playing. All in all, Living Ocean Tours delivered an unforgettable day for our family. If you're looking for something fun, family-friendly, and full of good vibes, this tour is absolutely worth it. We'd do it again in a heartbeat!

    Dolphins and You - Best Dolphin Watch and Turtle Snorkel on Oahu!

    Dolphins and You

    (922 reviews)

    Waikiki

    We booked a last-minute turtle snorkeling tour for myself and my 13-year-old daughter, not knowing…read morewhat to expect--and it ended up being the most amazing experience! The bus arrived right on time, and our driver, Cheryl, was awesome and hilarious. Once we got to the boat, Captain Zach was fantastic, and Leilani, our lovely hula dancer, added such a special touch to the whole experience. From start to finish, we loved every single second. The crew was fun, professional, and made us feel completely at ease. We were even lucky enough to see whales, which made the trip extra unforgettable! I've told everyone I know about this experience and can't wait to come back and try the dolphin tour next time. This place is absolutely a 10 out of 10--highly recommend!

    Our family of four joined the Dolphins and You 3-hr tour in December 2025 and we had a blast! All…read morestaff members made the experience so enjoyable. Tyler was the bus guide and his positive energy set the tour off to a great start. He clearly laid out the outline of the tour: 1st hour to see sea animals, 2nd hour of snorkeling with a boat slide, 3rd hour boat ride back including lunch and hula dancing. Driver Mahea greeted us warmly and safely drove the large bus from and to Waikiki. Captain Jerry was informative and included our 6-year-old daughter to "drive" the boat and it was a highlight of her Oahu trip. Ben and Kainoa were friendly, made sure we had the appropriate snorkeling gear/life jackets for the kids, and gave beautiful hula dances. Cyre had great energy and was informative on the boat ride. Flo and Faavae were great in guiding the water activities. We saw dolphins, snorkeled with turtles, enjoyed the boat ride, and appreciated how a little bit of the Hawaiian culture was incorporated into the tour. Thank you to this crew!

    Island Splash Tours - Merch - hat

    Island Splash Tours

    (89 reviews)

    If you're an energetic couple looking for more than just a relaxing beach day, Island Splash Turtle…read moreTours delivers an experience that's equal parts thrilling, educational, and impeccably organized. From the moment we arrived, their team demonstrated a level of professionalism that immediately stood out. The check-in process was seamless, the safety briefing was clear and thorough, and the equipment was in excellent condition. You could tell they run a tight operation -- everything felt structured, efficient, and well thought out without ever feeling rushed. What truly elevated the experience was how intellectual the tour felt. The guides weren't just there to point out turtles; they shared fascinating insights about marine ecosystems, turtle behavior, conservation efforts, and local oceanography. Their knowledge added so much depth to the adventure. It felt like a marine biology mini-masterclass -- but one where you're actively swimming through the lesson. And speaking of active -- this is not a passive, float-around experience (which we loved). As a very active couple, we appreciated the energy and pace. There was plenty of swimming, exploring, and maneuvering through the water, and the guides kept the vibe upbeat and engaging the entire time. They matched our enthusiasm and made sure we got the most out of every moment in the water. The atmosphere was fun, vibrant, and full of positive energy. The team clearly loves what they do, and that enthusiasm is contagious. We left feeling exhilarated, accomplished, and genuinely grateful for such a well-run adventure--we left having seen many turtles, Hawaiian spinner dolphins, a stingray and plenty of fish in a natural setting. If you're the kind of couple that prefers movement over lounging, learning over just observing, and meaningful experiences over generic tours -- Island Splash Turtle Tours is absolutely worth it. Professional. Knowledgeable. Energetic. And incredibly fun. We would book again in a heartbeat.

    We had a great time this morning. The 7 am session was early but worth it. Very exclusive location…read moreat that hour with only 1 other boat, and our group was very small. The crew was very friendly and approachable, knowledgeable and made the experience great. They had everything we needed, drinks, equipment and tons of fun. Captain Alex and the crew was great to make the event fun and feel safe. Brought my family and they had a blast, even my 7 year old daughter loved it! Highly recommend

    Hawaii Ocean Charters - Humpback whale breaching off Waikiki during a whale watch tour

    Hawaii Ocean Charters

    (134 reviews)

    The service was top notch. They were very accommodating, knowledgeable and very friendly. The boat…read morewas spacious and clean. The gear was current and well maintained. The whole operation was organized and safe. We are ready to come back! Thank you for a great time!

    Semi-Private Snorkel Tour --7:15 AM Departure…read more If you're debating whether the early departure is worth it-- it absolutely is. Being the first boat out in the morning makes a huge difference. The ocean was calm, conditions were excellent, and we weren't surrounded by multiple tour boats. For long stretches it genuinely felt like we had the reef to ourselves. Sam and Ella were in-cred-ible. Professional, knowledgeable, and very clearly people who love what they do. They struck the perfect balance of being attentive while still letting everyone enjoy the experience naturally. We felt extremely safe the entire time, and they were just genuinely joyful humans to spend the morning with. And I have to mention the turtles. We saw at least eight. Not just in the distance-- they were everywhere. Below us in the reef, gliding past us at the surface, popping up for air unexpectedly. At one point we were actively looking around just to make sure we weren't about to bump into one. Also...calling them "little" would be inaccurate. Some of these turtles were big-- absolutely stunning animals. Swimming alongside them, surrounded by hundreds of reef fish, was one of those rare travel moments that sticks with you. A core memory, without question. -- San Diego

    Captain Max Boat Tours - boattours - Updated May 2026

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