Great snorkeling trip with Stephanie and Emily - My wife and I and our 16 year old daughter went on the turtle canyon snorkel tour. Visibility wasn't great because of recent storms but we still saw a couple of turtles and lots of fish while we were snorkeling. Stephanie and Emily (captain and tour guide) were great. Very professional and a lot of fun to hang out with. After we finished snorkeling there was a big pod of dolphins that we got to follow around for a while. They didn't have a tour immediately after ours so they stayed out past the normal time so we could watch the dolphins.

Great experience for the... - Great experience for the whole family. Turtles and fish, the crew was very nice and knowledgeable. Recommend.

Fun time! - Wonderful experience on this 6 person outing to snorkel with sea turtles. Very organized and well run.

Great trip just off Waikiki - We love seeing and snorkeling near turtles in Hawaii and for an upcoming trip to Oahu we weren’t sure we were going to be able to see them. I read about the excursions off Waikiki that all but promised seeing Honu. I did some research and chose to book with Captain Max Boat Tours and their Turtle Canyon Snorkel. 

I read reviews and what really attracted me to this outfitter was the fact they ran semi-private boat tours with only 6 guests. Correspondence (email) leading up to the excursion was clear and helpful. We arrived a few minutes early and visited their small shop while checking in. We waited just a few minutes and then were walked over to their boat dock, meeting both the guide, Sophia and the boat captain, Stephanie. They gave us safety information and prepared us for the short boat ride out to “Turtle Canyon”. Our craft was a zodiac type inflatable raft with a mounted seats and a windscreen for the captain. We glided out to the snorkel zone with Waikiki beach before us, a grand ocean view of this famous beach. Sophie helped the other guests get their snorkel gear (included in the price) except for us - we bring our own snorkel equipment. 

We put in the water and after all guests were in, Sophia called in the direction she was leading us. On the way over we swam through schools of fish. This was an awesome experience we did not expect - we snorkel a lot and love seeing the marine life. We learned that some outfitters feed the fish out here and so they stick around instead of swim away, which we’re used to experiencing. In about 20 feet of water our guide pointed out several turtles on the bottom. Lucky for us, one of them swap up for air - and stayed near the surface for quite a few minutes (longer than we usually see) which allowed us to get a great view of this beautiful creature (all the while, maintaining a safe distance to protect the turtle). Sophia led us to two other spots nearby, seeing fish on the reef below and several more turtles. Once again we were fortunate to have another turtle swim up to the surface for a few breaths. I’m very glad we chose Captain Max as some of the other outfitters that bring larger groups would have been a very different experience with a group clamoring for views of the few turtles that were out there. Our guide was knowledgeable, approachable, and friendly - and ensured we were all safe (and the marine life were also protected). On there way back we were treated to another great view of Oahu, with Waikiki and Honolulu in the foreground and the mountains behind. Thanks Sophie and Captain Stephanie for a memorable excursion! NOTE: We know that early in the morning is generally the best time to snorkel as the water tends to be calmer, visibility better and fish ore active. We had a 930 start but next time would be the early time (730) as I learned there are even fewer other outfitters out on the water at that time.

Great Excursion, Great Experience - What a great experience. I was on the Ruby Princess. The tour departed from aa dock about 20 minutes walk from Pier 2. I was surprised that I was the only person signed up for the ride. The captain was Jeff and then there was Christina. She was awesome. She told me all about where we would be going and what to look out for. She came into the water and helped me see the few turtles that were around that day. There were also countless fish and of course other snorkelers.

So fun! - Great boat ride! Didn't see many turtles and it was still wonderful! Such a warm, sunny, beautiful day!

Semi-private tour worth it over other options we looked at. - Turtle Canyon was great. Saw lots of fish and several turtles. Santiago and Stephanie were great. The small group tour was easily worth the small premium over taking one of the larger boats. We had 5 total in our group. Santiago was in the water with us pointing out turtles and other points of interest. Have gone on large group snorkeling excursions before and you’re kinda on your own to figure it out. Highly recommend.

The expedition was worth... - The expedition was worth every penny. The crew was amazing. Saw so many fish and turtles. Beginner friendly.

Enjoyable tour. Boat... - Enjoyable tour. Boat ride in and out was fun, small fast Navy type boat. If you are prone to getting sea sick, take some other tour with a slow moving type. Only saw a couple of turtles who laid on the bottom and refused to come up, so they must be hit or miss. Colorful fish swimming around in the water though. Friendly staff. Be aware the address of the meeting location on the emailed information is incorrect and quite a bit off. So don't show up right before the tour starts.

Unforgettable experience - I give it 4 stars because it said it was given in different languages and I honestly did not see anyone who spoke other than English, but that does not mean that it is a great experience and the guides are super friendly and charismatic.