A Lifelong Love and Respect for Sharks, Finally Experienced Up Close
If I could give this experience more than 5 stars, I would.
Shark diving was my ONE and ONLY bucket list item, but calling it a “bucket-list item” almost doesn’t explain what this meant to me. This wasn’t an “oh cool, I want to swim with sharks” experience. I have loved sharks since I was a little girl. I’ve always been fascinated by them, loved learning about them, and hated the way they are so often portrayed as mindless “man-eaters” or something we should automatically fear. Being able to actually enter their world and experience them in the ocean was something I had dreamed about for most of my life.
And somehow, it was even better than I imagined.
We went out with Tyler, Gina, and Brian, with Bre as our photographer, and this entire team was absolutely amazing. At one point there were probably 35–40 sharks in the water around us, and I never felt scared or unsafe. Not once.
What meant so much to me was how obvious it was that this crew genuinely loves and respects these animals. The sharks never felt like props for an adrenaline-filled tourist attraction. We were entering THEIR world, and the crew treated them that way. Their respect for the sharks and the ocean, while also making our safety a priority, was apparent throughout the entire experience.
Tyler and Gina were incredible in the water. They helped everyone dive down, get closer to the sharks, and make the most of their time. Unfortunately, I could not get my ears to pop, so I couldn’t stay down as long as I wanted. Tyler genuinely tried everything he could to help me. Obviously, my ears not cooperating was completely outside of their control, but I really appreciated how much effort he put into helping me experience as much as I could.
I was also incredibly impressed by the individual time and attention they gave everyone, especially considering how many people were with us. You never felt like you were just another person being moved through an excursion.
The water was ROUGH that day, and a lot of people got seasick. The crew could not have been kinder about it. There was no judgment and no making anyone feel embarrassed. Brian was even handing out washcloths with something on them that smelled amazing to help with the nausea. It may sound like a small thing, but those little details say a lot about how much this team cares about the people they take out.
And GET THE PHOTO PACKAGE. Seriously.
Bre was amazing. She gave us pointers for getting good pictures, although I’m pretty sure I forgot every single one once I realized I was surrounded by sharks. 😂 The photos she captured are absolutely incredible, and looking at them takes me right back to being in the water. Having her there also meant we didn’t have to worry about documenting everything ourselves. We could just be present and take it all in, which was worth every penny.
This wasn’t about coming home and being able to say, “I swam with sharks.” It was about finally being in the water with animals I have loved and been fascinated by since I was a little girl, surrounded by 35–40 of them peacefully moving through the water, with a crew that understood and respected exactly how incredible these animals are.
Tyler, Gina, Brian, and Bre were kind, patient, professional, knowledgeable, and genuinely wonderful. I felt safe, cared for, and able to fully appreciate something I had dreamed about for most of my life.
My one and only bucket-list item may officially be checked off, but apparently I replaced it with a new one: make it back and do this with them again someday.
Thank you for making something that meant so much to me even better than I imagined. I will never forget it.
2
299scottt
September 25, 2026 · via Tripadvisor
OneOceanDiving the way to go cage free <^><
Fintastic tour! Lovely people, kind to the sharks, lots of knowledge and plenty of time in the water and so many <^><
Choose over cage diving and really good value thank you
事業者からの返答
Mahalo nui loa for the fintastic review! 🦈💙 We’re so happy you enjoyed your time in the water and appreciated our respectful approach to the sharks and the education our team shares along the way. Thank you for choosing One Ocean Diving for your cage-free shark experience and for supporting shark conservation! Hope to see you back in the blue again! 🌊🦈🤙
L
Lisa_S
September 16, 2026 · via Viator
Nice Shark Experience 🦈
We had an amazing experience! The guides took excellent care of us, we had fantastic sightings, and felt safe and well looked after at all times. We would absolutely recommend them and would do it again anytime!
事業者からの返答
Mahalo nui loa! 🦈💙 We’re so happy you had an amazing experience and felt safe and well cared for with our crew. Thank you for the recommendation, and we’d love to have you back in the water with us anytime! 🌊🤙
D
DayTrip53375536732
September 7, 2026 · via Tripadvisor
Thanks for a great experience
Had a great time. Great to get some pictures included. Couldn’t believe how many sharks we got to see at one time. 40+sharks at one time of all different sizes.
事業者からの返答
Mahalo nui loa for the great review! 🦈💙 Seeing 40+ sharks of all different sizes at once is definitely an incredible sight! We’re so happy you had a great time and enjoyed having photos to remember the experience. Thank you for diving with us, and we hope to see you back in the blue again! 🌊🤙
B
betzcl
September 1, 2026 · via Tripadvisor
Great experience!
Our family of four joined a non‑cage diving tour with One Ocean Diving, and it became one of the absolute highlights of our vacation.
Faith was exceptional from the very first moment: calm, knowledgeable, and incredibly reassuring with our kids.
She explained everything clearly, gave them real confidence, and created an atmosphere where we all felt safe and excited.
Snorkeling with sharks under Faith’s guidance was unforgettable. The experience was respectful, educational, and beautifully organized!
We left the water feeling inspired and grateful. Highly recommended for any family looking for a meaningful ocean adventure.
Mahalo to the whole team and see you again
事業者からの返答
Mahalo nui loa from our whole team! 🦈💙 We love hearing that your family’s time with us became one of the highlights of your vacation. It’s especially wonderful to hear how Faith helped your kids feel comfortable and confident in the water — we’ll absolutely make sure she sees your kind words!
Sharing sharks with families in a way that feels safe, educational, and respectful is such a special part of what we do, and knowing you all left feeling inspired means so much to us. Thank you for trusting us with your family and for spending a day in the blue with us. We’ll be looking forward to seeing all four of you again! 🌊🤙
J
Jill_S
August 29, 2026 · via Viator
Awesome excursion! 100%
Awesome experience not a thing to be afraid of.. the staff made it so safe! The are very knowledgeable & I’m thinking the sharks know them!
事業者からの返答
Mahalo nui loa! 🦈💙 We’re so happy you felt safe and comfortable with our crew. And we think the sharks know us too! Thanks for joining us!
E
E8538SFrebeccat
August 28, 2026 · via Tripadvisor
One Ocean does great work for sharks... Not so much for the humans
I genuinely hate having to write reviews like this (especially for small businesses that are doing great work on shark education), but I have to share our experience.
Who we are:
Our family, two adults and two children (tween/early teen), did this shark dive in early August. We are all scuba certified, strong swimmers, and have snorkeled A LOT. Our daughter is VERY interested in marine science, and our son has always loved sharks, so we mostly did this for them (my husband and I have both previously dove with sharks).
First, the pros:
- Responsible shark diving. This was VERY important to us and One Ocean does it right in regards to respecting sharks, their home, and space.
- Yes, we saw sharks! Not a lot - maybe 4 or 5 - but they are wild animals, this isn't a zoo, so we knew we may see 1 or 2, or we may see 20 - it's the nature of wildlife.
- The photographer was wonderful and did his best to get shots. It was tough, because the sharks stayed quite deep, but he did what he could. He did capture a great shot of our daughter, and one of our son, but did not get any of my husband or I, nor did he take many of just the sharks, which did surprise me. For the extra $250, I would recommend it, as it's impossible to otherwise capture photos
- Very safe! At no point did myself, husband, or children feel unsafe or in danger
Now, the cons:
- What really negatively impacted our tour was the boat captain. He was EXTREMELY rude and condescending. Twice, he made completely unacceptable and rude comments and it was very off-putting. When we arrived to the site, there were tiger sharks there, BUT the team had done NOTHING to prep everyone to jump right in the water. On the boat ride out was the time to have everyone get their masks and snorkels ready, fins on, etc. but they didn't. They waited until we got to the site and then were trying to rush everyone off the boat in case the sharks left the area. The issue with that is with children, nothing moves quickly. The boat captain said to the photographer, snarkily, loudly and right next to my children, husband and I "these are the slowest four people in the history of snorkeling". Never mind we actually WEREN'T slow - all of the gear was stored in underseat storage (at their direction) and needed to be pulled out and put on. Had that been done on the boat ride out, no one would have been rushed. But that comment was completely unprofessional and unacceptable. Our kids were shocked that someone would be that rude. Instead of doing his job and offering to help, he stood by and made snarky comments about how all of the guests were "so slow". Then when spraying the goggles with defog, he fully YELLED at our kids for rinsing them after he sprayed them. We have been diving and snorkeling for YEARS and we have ALWAYS rinsed our goggles after defogging. He made ANOTHER snarky comment to our CHILDREN "yeah, because YOU know what you're doing over ME" as we were getting into the water. I was disgusted at this point and we hadn't even gotten in the water yet.
- EVERYTHING about the tour is VERY rushed. They were ~20 minutes late in arriving, which I'm sure contributed to the rush, but of all of the tours we did while in Hawaii (4 scuba diving excursions, 2 boat excursions, helicopter, snorkeling excursion, etc), this was the ONLY one that we all felt VERY rushed by. Their lack or organization and prep work became the customer's problem, which led to a negative experience.
- You're only the water for about 20 minutes. Even though they say it will be 25-30, no one from our entire boat was in the water for more than 20 minutes total. I only know this because I was videoing with our GoPro the entire time we were in the water, turning it on when we entered the water and off when we exited. Again, this may have been because the crew was late in arriving, so we were late in departing, but regardless, important for people to know when they are booking that they will only have a total of ~20 minutes in the water. Also know that you are in open water and the day we went, the current was STRONG. You MUST be physically fit and a strong swimmer to do this activity. Two of the people on our boat could not even participate because they weren't physically fit enough - there should be disclaimers and warnings prior to booking, but I don't recall there being any.
For the price, I probably wouldn't do it again. While I very much support shark education and conservation, they could definitely do a much better job of on-time departures, preparedness, and customer service.
事業者からの返答
We’re so sorry to hear that you’re upset, and we’d really like the opportunity to help. Unfortunately, we’re unable to locate your booking with the information we currently have. Please give our team a call at (808) 649-0018 so we can look into this with you and do our best to get everything sorted out. Mahalo for your understanding. 💙
J
JohnDDDouglas
August 24, 2026 · via Tripadvisor
An out-of-this-world experience
An absolutely incredible experience. I travelled all the way from the UK for this visit. I did two consecutive mornings – both on the 6am departure (based on the advice on the website that the conditions are more often the best at that time in the early morning). I was not disappointed. The team at One Ocean gave a first class experience from beginning to end. They gave an informative briefing on the boat ride to the dive site (c. 20mins) with all-important safety instructions and all delivered in a really humorous presentation style by Gina which set everyone at ease. There were one or two people who said they were feeling abit nervous but this calmed them and made everyone feel relaxed. The water was crystal clear and upon entering the water we could immediately see anywhere between 20 – 30+ sharks below us (Silky and Galapogas sharks mainly). We were lucky that we had 3 Tiger sharks on our first day (4th August) and 8 Tiger sharks on the second day (5th August). On the second day our luck became even greater when Nikki showed up. Majestic, graceful and an immediate presence in the water. After appearing, she stayed around for all the time we were in the water. Short of the privilege of being in the water with Ocean and Juan (hopefully next time!), to have the celebrated Nikki with us for so long was an outstanding experience and one I shall never forget. The whole experience is grounded in One Ocean’s core foundations and Ocean’s principles and beliefs – refreshingly, the theme of conservation is evident throughout every moment. This is not some carnival ride or theme park thrill shot. This is a professionally run operation where the preservation and welfare of these amazing creatures is foremost. The overriding messaging from the One Ocean organisation before, during and after, is that sharks are to be respected and that their conservation is paramount. You really feel this strongly and at no point is there any feeling that this is being run simply as a fun-fair experience – it is educational and about learning, about understanding that these incredible animals are not “monsters” and that they deserve to be protected from their biggest threat {us} whilst at the same time enabling people to get in the water and to safely observe and interact with them. That is a fine balance to strike and One Ocean strike it beautifully. They provide an unforgettable experience whilst also putting both the safety of the “humans” and the experience and wellbeing of the sharks front and centre. The entire team on the boat were amazing and thanks to them it was up there with my life’s most memorable moments. They helped to create that and gave encouragement and reassurance in equal measure to ensure that everyone took away incredible memories. I fully intend to go back and to pay another visit. It was that good. Thanks should go to Gina and Drew who on both of the days I went out were the safety divers and GoPro operators and captured some really great footage. In addition Bret was the official photographer on the second dive and having now also received his professional photos I can thank him for capturing some unforgettable photos of me with the sharks. Bret's focus and dedication on getting both me and the sharks in shot over dozens and dozens of photos was really exceptional. Thanks all round to One Ocean for a truly unforgettable experience. Finally, thanks to Ocean Ramsey for her dedication to the sharks' cause and her continued efforts to preserve and protect this precious creature and to help secure the future of our oceans for ours and the next generations.
@OneOceanDiving
@OneoceanResearch
@OceanRamsey
@JuanSharks
@WaterInspired
@OneOceanGlobal
@OneOceanEducation
@OneOceanConservation
@OneOceanDesigns
@OneOceanSharks
@OneOceanHawaii
事業者からの返答
Aloha,
Thank you so much for this incredible review and for traveling all the way from the UK to experience One Ocean! We’re thrilled to hear how memorable your two days with us were, especially your time with Nikki. 🦈
We truly appreciate your kind words about our team and our commitment to shark conservation. We’ll be sure to share your message with Gina, Drew, and Bret as well.
It was a pleasure having you with us, and we look forward to welcoming you back to Hawaiʻi for another unforgettable experience!
J
Jessica_R
August 23, 2026 · via Viator
Great experience!
Such a great experience. The guides were knowledgeable and funny. Seen a Tiger shark! Would recommend and will do again when back in HI.
事業者からの返答
Mahalo nui loa! 🦈💙 We’re so glad you had an amazing time with our crew and got to see a tiger shark! We can’t wait to have you back out with us again!
R
Rocky_Z
August 19, 2026 · via Viator
First time swimming with sharks. To be so close to a tiger shark !! 3x for me🫠🫠 absolutely awe inspiring
Gina, Brian and Taylor took us (a crew of about 6-7 people?) out during the 9AM slot today and it was truly an awe inspiring experience. It was my first time getting in water with sharks and as we arrived , the tiger sharks like the apex predators they are were quick to meet us there. Seeing their bodies near the surface of the water , it really struck me then and there that the hour had finally arrived, and I was to actually have to get in the water. LOL. I was pretty nervous, but not having to be the first one in the water (I was the 5th person in), and being a strong swimmer, I held onto the rope on the side of the boat and managed the current. It was so thrilling. My adrenaline was a bit high. Especially when the tiger shark gets close. It is so big o_o Gina and Taylor were so competent in managing us and worked so hard to get us the best photos and videos, I am grateful to have been able to be in such great and comforting leadership. The black tips were also so cool to see. Wow. Truly an awe inspiring experience. Wishing the crew all the best. So grateful. So blessed. Thank you, thank you !!!
事業者からの返答
Mahalo nui loa! 🦈💙 We’re so happy Gina, Brian, and Taylor made your first shark dive such an incredible experience. Seeing tiger sharks up close is truly unforgettable! Thank you for joining us!