Snorkling på Catalina-øerne

Hi Celia, this is Franko, your snorkeling guide that day. I’ll start with the water. We freeze it overnight and keep it in a cooler, but by the end of the trip it may not be as cold as it should be. Sorry about that. About the snacks, we have three different types, along with fruit. Regarding the boat, we operate well within capacity. The boat is certified for 22 people, and we run a maximum of 16, and that day we were below that number. I’m very sorry that you felt less important. That’s something we take seriously. We put a strong focus on reading each guest and adapting to their needs as the day goes on. Since you weren’t able to snorkel, before I got in the water (by the way, we did three sessions that day instead of the usual two), I pointed out the cooler and told you to feel free to grab anything you needed at any time. I also made it clear that if you changed your mind, the captain could bring you directly to us in the water at any moment. The day before, I spoke with Stefan, who asked whether it made sense for him to join given his shoulder surgery. We talked it through and agreed conditions should be good enough, and I told him we could even have the captain go slower than usual if needed, just to make sure he could come along and enjoy the day onboard, even if he wasn’t able to snorkel. Before arriving at the first site, I asked everyone if they preferred starting on the deeper side (where you can sometimes see bigger animals) or the shallower side (more smaller marine life, easier for the little ones). As a group, we chose the shallowest side to start easy, especially for the little ones. Once in the water, that’s where we encountered jellyfish. Before swimming further out, I asked if everyone was okay continuing, and the group agreed. About 10 minutes later, I was told the little ones were getting stung, so we immediately turned around, called the boat, and treated it with vinegar right away. After that first snorkeling session, which was short because of the jellyfish, I was more than willing to go to the other side of the island to make up for it, where we knew there was a very high chance of no jellyfish. Unfortunately, since the little ones had already been stung, they didn’t want to get back in. I still went in with Craig, Stefan and Morgan, and we were lucky to see manta rays. During the third snorkeling session, we went in again with most of the group, including the little ones, and they were able to enjoy the water more, even spotting sharks and manta rays. Our captain approach us in 4 different occasions so all of you guys could stay the exact amount of time desire in water. Regarding the mask, I wasn’t aware beforehand that you needed a prescription to fully enjoy the snorkeling. If we had known in advance, we would have at least tried to find an alternative, even if not perfect. Regarding the dog, I asked the group before departure, and the little ones were very excited about it, and Craig, Stefan and Morgan were also happy with it. You were probably in the bathroom at that moment, and I didn’t realize, so I didn’t check with you directly. Sorry about that. He normally handles the boat very well, so I can only assume he had eaten something bad that day. The reason I’m going into this level of detail is because I genuinely feel we went above what is normally expected on a snorkeling tour to try to make the experience work for everyone, especially with different ages involved. From my perspective, this review doesn’t reflect the overall group experience, but rather your individual experience, especially not being able to get in the water and enjoy it with your family. I honestly didn’t see that review coming, especially considering your husband’s very generous tip at the end of the trip. I’m genuinely sorry I didn’t meet your expectations. Thank you for the feedback, it helps us keep improving. Franko TamaDive

Thank you for sharing your fantastic snorkelling experience! We’re so glad to hear that G and the team provided clear communication, helpful guidance, and made spotting the diverse sealife even more enjoyable. It’s wonderful to know you felt supported and informed throughout the trip. We truly appreciate your kind words and look forward to welcoming you back for another adventure in the future!

Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience! We’re glad you appreciated our organization, punctuality, and location — and it’s great to hear that you enjoyed Catalina Island despite the limited visibility that day. Our crew will be happy to know their knowledge, attentiveness, and fun energy made a positive impact on your trip! We appreciate you diving with us and hope to welcome you back for clearer waters and more underwater adventures!

Thank you so much for sharing your experience! We’re thrilled to hear you had such a wonderful day with Gonzalo and Juli and enjoyed discovering all those amazing creatures. Your recommendation means a lot to us, and we can’t wait to welcome you back for another adventure in the future!

Thank you for the lovely review! We’re so happy to hear you had a great spring break adventure with us. It was a pleasure having you and your daughters join us—we're glad you got to see so much marine life! And we’re always happy to make things easy with pick-up and drop-off. Hope to see you all again on your next trip to Tamarindo!

Thank you so much for this amazing review! We’re thrilled to hear that your private snorkeling trip was such a highlight for your family. Remo will be so happy to hear that his guidance and attention helped make the experience enjoyable, and we’re glad you loved the photos! We’re also so glad Pedro made the boat ride fun and memorable with his skills—pineapple art truly is a sight to behold! It was our pleasure to make sure everything was relaxed and enjoyable, and we’re honored to have been part of such a special day. Thank you for trusting us, and we can’t wait to welcome you back for more adventures!

Thank you so much for your amazing review! 🤿💙 We're thrilled to hear that Remo helped make your first scuba diving experience so comfortable and confident. It’s great that you enjoyed the boat and the magical dive sites as well. We really appreciate your recommendation and hope to dive with you again soon for more underwater adventures!

Thank you for your wonderful review! We're thrilled to hear that you had such a smooth and enjoyable experience from start to finish. Clear communication, comfort, and professionalism are all things we strive for, so it's great to know we delivered. We hope to see you again for another fantastic adventure!

Thank you so much for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear you had an amazing experience with our team and enjoyed exploring the exceptional underwater world on your first dive. It means a lot to us that we could make you feel confident and comfortable. We can't wait to welcome you back for more dives—again and again!

Thank you for the great review. It sounds like you had an excellent time and that's what we are used to as well... however, as you mention all those names, you confused us with another dive center ;)