On our recent trip to Oahu, Hawaii, we wanted to do something special and memorable for our daughter's 10th birthday. I searched the Internet and came up with a list of Disney approved things to do and Ko-Olina's Ocean Adventure was one of them. The Adventure is a snorkel trip which includes a boat ride to three stops - a fish reef, a turtle cleaning station and a wild dolphin area - where you will be amazed at the wonderful undersea world.
Located on the west coast of Oahu in Kapolei, is the beautiful Ko-Olina Ocean Resort. (There's also a Disney Hotel on the premises.) The adventure begins at the marina at Lagoon 4 where you register, rent wet suits, underwater cameras, buy fish food, and pick up snacks. (We didn't rent the wet suits but I highly recommend them as the water is very cold.) The trip is about three and a half hours long and ends back on shore with lunch.
Once we registered, we bought fish food, rented an underwater camera ($40 which includes an 8GB disk that you get to keep and can be used in regular cameras) and picked up our complimentary snacks (chips and soda or water). I was initially disappointed when I saw the pontoon boat (I thought it would be a catamaran or something nicer) but later on I realized why it was necessary to have this type of vehicle.
Before leaving dock we were briefed on safety procedure, fitted for flippers, life vests and snorkels. (They even had prescription masks for the blind people like me and my husband!!!) As we left the dock, and the breeze began to hit us, it became all too clear that we should have rented the wet suits....but alas, it was too late and we were just going to have to suck it up and take the plunge.
Our first stop was the fish reef. We put on our gear, made our way to the back of the boat and the chicken that I am, sent my husband and daughter off into the water while I was still trying to convince myself that there were no sharks in the water. Eventually I made it in and after a quick look around, began to feel more comfortable and we ventured out in search of fish to feed. There wasn't a huge variety of fish but there was still plenty to see on this reef including starfish, sea urchins and anemones. (and no sharks!)
The second stop we made was to a turtle cleaning station or turtle "car wash" where the turtles sit on the sea floor and let all the fish clean their shells. Every once in a while, the turtles have to come to the surface for air and we actually got to see one up close which was so cool. There was a different variety of fish here and as my daughter released the fish food she was so excited (and terrified at the same time) to see the fish come charging at her all at once.
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| Turtles on ocean floor getting shells cleaned by fish |
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| Feeding the fish |
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| Turtle coming up for air |
The last stop on the adventure was to see the dolphins. We were very lucky to find a pod of wild spinner dolphins resting in the area. It's illegal to swim with wild dolphins in Hawaii so we were allowed to get in the water with them but not allowed to kick or swim. While the boat was moving, we quickly slipped off the pontoons into the water, one by one, and floated quietly while we waited for the dolphins to come by. The first jump was uneventful and my daughter and husband were freezing so they decided to just watch them from the boat. I, on the other hand, said I hadn't come all this way to give up so easy. Doing the second and third jump without them was a little scary, and even though there were other people in the water with me, I couldn't help but hear the music to Jaws playing in the back of my head.... as I floated on the water like an unsuspecting baby seal about to be dinner. And then it happened...the pod of dolphins swam right under me!
That was sooo amazing! My day was made, and freezing my butt off was worth it. After we all got back in the boat, the captain let us hang out and watch the dolphins for a while (who took the opportunity to show off their spinning, flipping and tail slapping skills), and then took us on a short boat ride before taking us back in to port. Once we docked, we were given a yummy lunch (choice of 3 hot sandwiches, chips and a soda) and sent on our way.
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| Pod of dolphins swimming under me |
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| Dolphins next to our boat |
I highly recommend this trip if you are ever in Hawaii (Oahu). It helps if you are a good swimmer but they will provide a board for you if you are not. The crew are very friendly and make the experience even more enjoyable. It's not cheap but it's worth every penny! http://www.koolinaoceanadventures.com/
Kid's View: "It was so much fun! I loved watching the dolphins do their tricks and I liked feeding the fish. It was a little scary having them come at you and surrounding you all at once though. The turtle car wash was really cool and we got to see one come to the top right by us. It was really cold but I would like to do it again when the water is warmer."
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