Big Island Ocean Adventures
Small crew, big aloha — discover the Big Island’s marine world up close.
Aloha from Liquid Hawai’i!
We are a family-run team dedicated to the ocean and sharing its beauty in a relaxed and respectful way. Whether you’re joining us for a snorkel, a night with manta rays, or a seasonal whale encounter, we keep our groups small so everyone feels like ohana.
At Liquid Hawaiʻi, we intentionally keep our tours small to provide quality attention. This allows for ample space, plenty of aloha, and guides who can truly connect with you.
Nestled in the oceanfront community of Kawaihae on the Big Island, we’re only a quick drive from Waikoloa and the resorts. Here, you’ll feel like you’re in a different world: quieter, more local, and more connected to the ocean we know.
Join us for a guided snorkel trip, a manta ray night snorkel, or a local-style whale watching emcounter. For a more personal touch, check out our private charters where you can customize your experience.
Trip Advisor’s Best for the last 10 years!
Excellent rating
Based on 601 reviewsVerified A great time at the turtle carwash Captain Morgan and Gill were really great tour guides. We showed up and they were ready for us. It's great for a small group and these two guys were amazing. We had such a great time snorkeling and learning a bunch of information about the Big Island. Captain Morgan provided great snacks including the fresh pineapple. Gill was great pointing out cool stuff in the water and how you could potentially cook it. LOL. Overall, thank you both for an amazing day. The turtle carwash was very cool to see and each snorkel stop was nice and enjoyable with our small group. It was nice being with you two guys and having a blast in the water.Verified Amazing Experience & Crew Captain Morgan and crew were amazing, as was the experience. Highly recommend!Verified Liquid Hawai’i Night Manta Ray Swim AMAZING!!! HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND LIQUID HAWAII NIGHT MANTA RAY SNORKELING!!! Each of us agreed this was one of the most memorable life experiences we’ve had. Guides Vasi, Gil and Azure were super knowledgeable and kind. We were in a peaceful bay without the crowds in Kona and saw many manta rays in front of our eyes. A MUST DO!!!Verified Great family adventure we’ll remember forever Would highly recommend the night snorkeling with manta rays with Liquid Hawaii. Location was convenient to get to from the Mauna Kea/Westin resort areas. It also meant we were removed from the crowds of Kona where we’ve seen photos of lines of boards lined up. The only two boats in the entire bay were from Liquid Hawaii which made for a quieter more intimate experience. Captain and crew were great with our kids and made sure my youngest had a good time despite deciding not to get in the water. Recommend bringing a waterproof camera if you have one to capture the moment.Verified A very cool experience! We did the manta ray night snorkel with Captain Vasi, Genevieve, and Azure. On our way to the manta site, we saw a mom and baby humpback whale pair and the baby breached over and over, giving us quite the show! It was an amazing bonus on top of the planned manta ray encounter. We only saw one manta ray but she did her best to give us quite the show - swimming by our group over and over. It was quite cold in the water, but this once in a lifetime encounter was worth a few shivers. Definitely plan to have some towels and warm clothes awaiting you on the boat, we were glad we did! Our travel party consisted of 8 people ranging in age from 10 to 75, although the 75 year old opted to stay on the boat and watch from there. We had 4 additional people added to our boat for a total of 12 guests. The boats are small so no restrooms are available on the boats and there were some (questionable) porta-potties at the dock...if you expect to have to "go" find somewhere before arriving at the meetup location.Verified Handstand would book again 5-Star Review: “They took their time and found the perfect spots for active sea life. We felt completely safe the entire time, and the crew’s knowledge was excellent. The first stop was really nice, but the second stop was truly amazing — we saw sea turtles, needle-nose fish, puffer fish, and so many other incredible sea creatures. It was a highlight of our entire trip to the Big Island. We would book with them anytime!”Verified Unforgettable Night Snorkeling with Manta Ray Giants Night snorkeling with Liquid Hawaii Charters was an absolute blast! Mikena and her crew were fantastic, teaching us all about the gentle nature of Manta Rays, no barbs, just pure magic. Seeing these 8-foot giants up close is an experience you truly have to live to understand. We’ll never forget it!Verified The Absolute Best! We had a great crew! Genevieve and Makenzie were in the water with us and they found an octopus and two kinds of starfish and brought them up to the surface for us before gently returning them. We saw 3 manta rays and sea turtles! It could not have been better. We’ve been on lots of snorkeling trips, and we’ve never seen more or had a more friendly and helpful crew. Oh, and two whales breached not far from our boat. Our captain found all the best spots. If you’re on the Big Island and you want to snorkel, these are your guys!Verified Incredible Whale Watching My wife and I went twice this week for whale watching. We had a great time and saw lots of whales, and including a mama whale and her "daughter" do a double breach one after another. Incredible. The crew is the best. They are knowledgable, super nice, and did their best to help us have a great experience and get some great photos and videos. Thanks very much to captain Keiran and his crew McKenna and Gwenevieve (hopefully got the spelling right on the ladies' names). I highly recommend and will go again with them.Verified The BEST small group guides 10/10 recommend liquid Hawai’i for manta night snorkel and whale watching. We traveled to the big island with our family (2 grandparents, 1 adult kid and 2 kids under 10). We stayed north of Kona so didn’t want to travel back to Kona for ocean excursions. Liquid Hawaii was only 15 minutes from our place in Waikoloa. They are a small operation so you aren’t over crowded, you get to talk to the captain and guide and they are so knowledgable! It’s a small boat so you get to be close to the water. There is no bathroom on their whale watching or manta boat (small skiff) so just be aware of that. Great local guides!
Ohana owned by “Ulua” Matt and Christi Ferino
Liquid Hawaiʻi stands out for its close encounters with ocean wildlife and personal attention from a caring crew. Here, you aren’t just a passenger, you’re part of our ohana.
Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Great quiet, intimate trip. Short boat trip with knowledgable staff. We had an informative talk about what to expect whilst watching a fabulous sunset and then got in the water and the Manta Rays and all the other fish were truly magical.Posted on GoogleTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. The manta ray snorkel with captain Vasi was amazing! He explained everything very thoroughly and we felt extremely safe. I can’t recommend him and liquid Hawaii enough!Posted on GoogleTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Such an awesome team! So helpful, fun, knowledgeable, and friendly. Great, beautiful, safe location and proper gear to use for the full experience.Posted on GoogleTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Great group of people - very professional, kind, and communicative. Highly recommend Liquid Hawai'i because of their knowledge and genuine joy for the Manta Rays. It was the best activity I did while at Mauna Lani. Thanks for making it special.Posted on GoogleTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. My family and I had a blast with this tour! Gill was awesome and I appreciated his patience with a beginner in snorkeling. We got to see SO MANY cool animals(including a baby manta ray). 10/10 recommend them for your snorkeling tour!Posted on GoogleTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. We had a great experience last night with Captain Morgan and Forest. They provided a wonderful introduction to the manta rays before the sun set and made sure everyone was comfortable with their equipment. Seeing these huge creatures up close - very close! - was fantastic. Highly recommend.Posted on GoogleTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Our second trip with Liquid Hawaii, and just as great as the first! Last January went out with Kieran for whale watch, and this trip Brandon and Azure were amazing guides as well as stewards of the Manta rays. Very knowledgeable, and also persistent in their gentle guidance towards where the mantas wanted to be. My husband and I have been on other manta snorkels farther south, which were crowded, but Liquid Hawaii’s small boats, small group size, and care of the reef and Mantas make this experience by far the best on the big island.Posted on GoogleTrustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Captain Brandon was excellent to work with and super knowledgeable. Azure made sure we’re safe and both gave us the opportunity to see all sorts of the good stuff. Thanks for the wild memories.
Excellent rating
Based on 179 reviewsVerified We had such an amazing experience with Liquid Hawaii! Captain Vasi and Gill were absolutely incredible from start to finish. They were friendly, knowledgeable, professional, and truly made the entire experience so much fun. I was honestly a little nervous going into the experience, but they made me feel comfortable and safe the entire time. You can tell they genuinely care about their guests and love what they do. Their energy and personalities made the experience even more memorable! This was definitely one of the highlights of our Hawaii trip and an experience we will never forget. If you are considering booking with Liquid Hawaii, DO IT! And if you get Captain Vasi and Gill, you are in amazing hands. Highly recommend!Verified HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend Manta Ray Night Snorkeling! We were warm (a fear before I went) and dazzled by the beautiful, gentle, giant manta rays. Guides Vassi, Gil were super knowledgeable and taught us so much about these magnificent creatures. Guide Azure also shared some amazing photos and videos of our experience. We were in peaceful bay without the crowds of Kona and saw many manta rays right in front of our eyes. LIQUID HAWAII IS A MUST DO!!!Verified Gil and Vasi were amazing! Very friendly, knowledgeable and fun for my 13 year old boys. We saw so many manta ray. Speechless. The whole experience was unreal and amazing. A must do if you visit the big island. We'd definitely recommend Liquid Hawaii to all of our friends and family. Thanks, guys, for an unforgettable experience!Verified Would highly recommend the night snorkeling with manta rays with Liquid Hawaii. Location was convenient to get to from the Mauna Kea/Westin resort areas. It also meant we were removed from the crowds of Kona where we've seen photos of lines of boards lined up. The only two boats in the entire bay were from Liquid Hawaii which made for a quieter more intimate experience. Captain and crew were great with our kids and made sure my youngest had a good time despite deciding not to get in the water. Recommend bringing a waterproof camera if you have one to capture the moment.Verified Great experience! Very nice people and immediately saw a manta ray. Very knowledgeable! Highly recommend! Wish we booked our snorkeling tour with them. Will next year for sure!Verified We went on a snorkeling and whale watching tour with Liquid Hawaii for our wedding anniversary, and it ended up being one of the highlights of our trip. Matt, the owner, was incredibly knowledgeable about the island's history and marine life, and he was kind enough to honor our tour even though they didn't have the minimum group size of four passengers that day. That alone says a lot about the kind of business he runs. He also made our anniversary feel extra special by providing a fresh seafood lunch with fish he had caught himself, which was such a thoughtful and unexpected touch. The tour was about 3.5 to 4 hours total. From the marina, it was roughly a 10 minute boat ride to the snorkel spot. The ride itself was very comfortable. There is some shade on the boat, but it's not fully covered, so definitely bring solid sun protection. A long sleeve rash guard or sun shirt is a good idea. On the way out, we saw a few whales in the distance and once we were in the water, we could actually hear them singing. It was surreal and honestly kind of magical. The snorkel location itself was beautiful, with several sea turtles, tons of fish, and colorful coral. There was only one other boat nearby, so it felt remote and almost private rather than crowded or rushed. Hunter, our snorkel guide, was relaxed and helpful, and we were able to move at our own pace which made the whole experience feel unhurried and personalized. We didn't get to see any whales up close unfortunately, they just weren't cooperating that day, but even hearing them underwater was something we won't forget. Matt was friendly, down to earth, and clearly passionate about what he does. He offers both land and water tours, and we appreciated the local perspective woven throughout the experience. If you're looking for a more intimate, locally run excursion instead of a large crowded boat tour, I would absolutely recommend Liquid Hawaii.Verified We had a great experience with our guides Vasi and Mikena. They were knowledgeable and informative and also had some great stories. We went on a whale watching/snorkeling tour and saw dozens of whales, unfortunately a huge wind kicked up and we were not able to snorkel which was a huge attraction and disappointment for us. But it was unsafe to stay out longer with the wind getting more and more intense and the ride back to the harbor was more like surfing than riding in a zodiac, at first a little terrifying but Vasi was so expert at riding the waves that I joked we got an extra unexpected thrill ride. As we were headed in a whale appeared very close to the boat and surfaced a couple times before humping and throwing its tail and diving. It was really exciting to see so close up. We discussed options with the owner and decided on a partial refund as high winds and swells could be expected for the remainder of our trip. We paid for a 2 hour whale watching tour instead of the combo, so I felt the owner was more than fair as we were out closer to 2 3/4 hours out on the water. If I ever return to the big island I wouldn't hesitate to book with Liquid Hawaii again. I will post a video of the whale after editing when I get home.Verified We had a great time today with the crew! They were very nIce and informative. We saw whales and they did a good job looking and trying to find more for us to see. We would most definitely recommend this group for a water adventure in the future. Thanks for all of the information and insight. I would make sure and bring your own binoculars if you need help seeing farther away.Verified The staff were the best! We had (my spelling may be wrong) Vassi and Kiana and they really took care of me and my parents. Felt very safe due to the structured smaller group size and educated about what we were doing and the wildlife. My dad also got really sea sick and they handled it great! Recommend this company!