5 Hour Molokini Snorkel & Turtle Tour in Maui

We loved our morning of snorkeling. The boat is fast and very stable despite the waves. The departure is at 6:30 am at the Kihei boat ramp, across from Molokini, and we were therefore the first to arrive at Molokini. We made 4 snorkeling stops, including Turtle Town. We saw a lot of turtles! Eleni took plenty of photos of us and we received them right after the excursion. No charge for the photos. Captain Jen is very cheerful and is an excellent captain. We highly recommend this company!

Truly awesome, smaller group made it really so much better And I’ve done both. early am departure and arrival to the crater was great. both Jen and Eleni are so terrific.

What a great day! The crew did a fantastic job! Communication prior to arrival was outstanding! Jen and Sophia were very kind, knowledgeable & accommodating. Couldn’t recommend this crew & company any more! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

HIGHLY RECOMMEND!! Captain Doug and Eleni were amazing, very informative and created a feeling of being with family. We were able to stop at multiple locations and they kept us away from other tour groups. If you’re in Maui definitely have to book this tour.

The Captain and crew are safety conscious. Made sure we knew what do and what we were doing. A perfect amount of little snacks made the trip about the snorkeling- I appreciated that. One piece of feedback- if you say the boat will not wait for late comers- mean it. We waited and it cut into our time alone at the crater. This is especially true since we came back to the dock to drop off people who came for the first part only and the late people could be picked up at that time. It’s not right to keep the on time people waiting and then missing time because of the late people. May seem harsh but if you say something in the instructions, mean it.

Great experience with very friendly staff and refreshments. We saw nearly 10 species of fish near Molokini Crater, and 5 sea turtles at Makena! We really enjoyed this snorkeling tour.

We chose the same tour as in July 2025. This time the conditions were not ideal, but they made the trip fun and memorable. Next time we are in Maui we will book this trip again!

All in all a great experience. Eleni and Jen are awesome guides. Very professional and they make the day fun. An added bonus is that they take pictures and email them to you afterwards. Totally complementary which is a refreshing change as most other places try to upsell you with photos. My kids aged 16 and 15 really enjoyed our day as did I and I would recommend to anyone. Well worth the drive from our hotel in Kapalua, even at such an early hour of the morning.

I want to be fair and begin by saying that I had two excellent trips with Maui Snorkel Charters last year. We saw an incredible variety of fish, octopuses, reef sharks, beautiful coral, huge schools of fish behind Molokini, and many turtles near Turtle Town. Those experiences were exactly why my partner and I confidently booked with them again and brought our parents during this year’s family trip. Unfortunately, this trip was completely different. Because Storm Lala had affected ocean conditions around Maui, I called in advance specifically to ask whether we should reschedule. I was told that conditions should not be a significant problem. I asked again before boarding on the morning of the trip and was once more reassured that we should proceed. Once we arrived at Molokini, however, we were limited to a small area on the eastern side. Visibility was very poor, marine life was extremely limited, and our snorkeling time was shortened. The planned second stop behind Molokini was canceled entirely. We then spent additional time returning to the harbor to drop off and pick up passengers before heading toward Turtle Town. Conditions there were also very rough, with strong waves and poor visibility. We saw only one turtle, and I observed several guests being pushed onto the reef and getting injured. The remaining planned snorkeling stops were also canceled. I completely understand that no tour operator can control the weather, ocean conditions, or wildlife. I also support a captain’s decision to cancel stops when conditions are unsafe. My concern is that the company already knew about the conditions, yet still advised us twice—including immediately before boarding—that there was no significant problem and that we should proceed instead of rescheduling. Most of the expected snorkeling experience was canceled, much of the trip was spent traveling on the boat, and the alternate location was neither particularly safe nor rewarding. Had we been given an honest assessment of the conditions, we would have gladly rescheduled. My parents were extremely disappointed, especially after hearing about my wonderful experiences from the previous year. As someone who loves snorkeling and has snorkeled in many places, this was unfortunately the poorest snorkeling experience I have had. Based on my two previous trips, I believe this may have been an unusual situation caused by the storm rather than the company’s normal standard. However, the way the conditions and our requests to reschedule were handled was deeply disappointing. I have contacted Maui Snorkel Charters to request a full refund and the company declined my refund request. I understand that weather, wildlife, and individual snorkel sites cannot be guaranteed, so my rating is not based simply on seeing fewer animals. It is based on being advised twice to proceed when I specifically asked about rescheduling, followed by a materially reduced snorkeling experience and conditions that raised genuine safety concerns. I contacted the company privately to share these concerns and hope it improves how it communicates go/no-go and rescheduling decisions in situations like this.

Captain Jen and Sofia were excellent today! They were thorough, friendly and knew exactly what they were doing. We had a great time and definietly recommend this team!