The snorkel tours to the Napali Coast almost always include an interlude with the dolphins!
 Dolphin Excursions on Kauai |
 Blue Dolphin Charters - 27' Raft and 63' Catamaran  |
| Capt. Andy's - 55' Catamaran and Raft |
| Catamaran Kahanu - 36' Catamaran |
| Holo Holo Charters - 61' and 48' Sailing Catamarans |
| Kauai Sea Tours - 24' Rigid Hull Inflatable Rafts |
| Liko Kauai Cruises - 49' Catamaran |
| Lucky Lady - 60' Deluxe Power-Sailing Catamaran |
| NaPali Makai - 24 foot Glacier Bay Catamaran |
Kauai Dolphin Watch
Kauai Dolphins and Kauai Dolphin Watches are total fun!
.Dolphin tours on Kauai pass what we refer to as the "sizzle" test! This is the test that measures the excitement and sheer joy that exudes from the pours of its participants. Do your own experiment: Ask a child what sea animal or fish is the most fun or which they would most like to be. Nine times out of ten the answer will come back quickly with the word "dolphin". Dolphins seem to take that position in our "mind's eye" as the most carefree and happy of the animals found in the ocean. This is quite simply why the Kauai dolphin tours and Kauai dolphin watches are so very popular. A young child cannot be an adult, but an adult can still be a young child, and the child within us all recognizes the dolphins and all they embody as the most exciting sea animal in the ocean. When dolphins jump and race and flip and play they raise the spirits of all who see them and it is for this reason that when the very first dolphins are spotted on a dolphin watch the side of the vessel they were seen from will be swamped with both children and adults who can't wait to get a first glimpse. Going on a dolphin tour on Kauai will bring you great joy and should be a "must do" on your Kauai activities list.
The Hawaiian name for dolphin is Nai'a, and refers to all species of dolphins found in Hawaiian waters. Four species of dolphins are often found in the waters around Kauai. They are the Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin, the Rough-toothed Dolphin, the Spotted Dolphin and the Spinner Dolphin. Other dolphin species have been known to pass through the islands but are relatively rare. The two most popular species of dolphins seen in Kauai waters are the Bottlenose Dolphins and the Spinner Dolphins.
Related Info
Tom Barefoot's Travel Forum - Kauai Dolphins
Hawaii Dolphin Tours - Swimming with Dolphins in Hawaii
- Spinner Dolphins are the smallest of Kauai's common dolphins. The Spinners are generally between 4 and 6 feet in length and weigh 125 to 180 pounds. Kauai has its own subspecies that is easy to recognize by its distinctive "three-tone" color pattern which consists of a sharply defined dark gray "cape" on their backs, a stripe of lighter gray on their sides and a white or pink belly. These Spinner dolphins gets their name from their peculiar habit of jumping high into the air and spinning several times on their tails before falling back into the water. No one is quite sure why the dolphins spin, but this particular maneuver is one of the most fun to watch. Around Kauai, Spinner Dolphins congregate at night in large herds in the deep underwater drop-offs that surround the island. In the daytime, they separate into smaller groups and come near shore to relax and to frolic. The Spinners Dolphins can often be seen on the coastline leading from Port Allen on the way to the Na Pali Coast at great delight to those taking day trips to visit the spectacular Na Pali Coastline.
- The second species of dolphin most often found in the waters off Kauai is the Bottlenose Dolphin. Known for their playfulness around vessels and star performances at oceanariums, Bottlenose Dolphins are probably the most popular of all cetacean species. Adults range in size from seven to eleven feet in length and weigh between 600 and 850 pounds. Their backs are medium gray, their sides are lighter gray and their bellies are white or pink. Offshore animals are darker in color than those found inshore and sometimes appear to be less interested in swimming along with boats. A few thousand Bottlenose Dolphins are believed to inhabit the waters around Kauai, usually living in groups of two to fifteen individuals. Most of these groups are permanent residents of certain coastlines and harbors, and are therefore easy to spot.
The life cycle cetaceans in general is also the life cycle of the dolphin. Both bear live young which are nursed on mother's milk as they provide care for their young. A dolphin calf is born ready for action with its eyes wide open and it already has enough muscular coordination and alertness in its senses to immediately follow its mother. Immediately after birth the mother will take its calf directly to the surface for its first breath of air. Unlike other mammals the dolphin's mother will nurture it and stay with it for years often nursing it for two years and caring for it for an additional two to five years. Dolphins can have a life expectancy of up to thirty years and they tend to bear one calf once every other year.
The dolphins have a brain size roughly the size of a human. Their superior intelligence to that of other mammals in unquestionable and they have an impressive ability to learn and to imitate behaviors. These talents have not gone un-noticed by dolphin attractions throughout the world who train them to perform various acts of agility.
No ocean experience seems to make the ocean come more alive than an encounter with dolphins. I can never forget the first boat trip I took out to visit the Na Pali Coast. I certainly expected to be awed by the dramatic coastline and spectacular views, but as beautiful as it was the show was really stolen by the dolphins that played with our boat throughout the day. As far as I’m concerned the dolphins certainly top the “fun chain” of all creatures of the sea. When you’re out there among them seeing them swim and jump and twirl and dodge and flip about it seems that their only purpose at those moments is to bring you excitement, happiness and joy.
Tom's Tips - Kauai Dolphin Tours
- Dolphins are almost unavoidable on Kauai. It has been my experience that they seem to show up almost every time you take a tour on the water, so if you want to see the dolphins, get out on the water.
- Kauai dolphin take great delight in racing your boat and riding the wake produced right up front on the bowsprit. Position yourself right up in front for the best pictures.
- Dolphins are a bit like the "clowns of the sea" and children are delighted to watch them. Try to make sure you get your kids out on the water at least once to see the Kauai dolphins.
Dolphin Tours and Dolphin Swims in Kauai - Options Below:
Blue Dolphin Charters You might have already guessed the reason Kauai's Blue Dolphin Charters has the word "dolphin" in its name. The waters off Kauai's coastline are the perfect place to view these magnificent creatures and Blue Dolphin Charters offers wonderful vessels to view them from. Although there are a number of different species of dolphin that are found off the coast of Kauai the two most common dolphins are the spinner dolphins and their larger cousins, the bottlenose dolphins. Blue Dolphin Charters will…(more info) | Price Range: (From: $123.90 - To: $200.90) |
Capt. Andy's Dolphin viewing off the coastline of Kauai is one of the great adventures Kauai has to offer and one of the wonderful dolphin excursion companies to view the dolphins from is Captain Andy's Sailing Adventures. The dolphins, as opposed to whales, are visible on Kauai at all times of the year. These fun loving and playful marine animals can be encountered on just about any type of cruise Captain Andy's has to offer. Whether you tour with Captain Andy's on a dinner cruise, a sunset sail, a snorkel…(more info) | Price Range: (From: $99.99 - To: $129.99) |
Catamaran Kahanu Dolphin watching and dolphin excursions on Kauai are very exciting and virtually all of the tours offered by the Catamaran Kahanu offer the possibility of seeing these entertaining and interesting marine mammals. The dolphins in the ocean surrounding Kauai are permanent residents unlike the whale population which visits during the winter months. The two most popular species of dolphins seen off the coast of Kauai by the Catamaran Kahanu are the Bottlenose Dolphins and the Spinner Dolphins…(more info) | Price Range: (From: $90.90 - To: $118.99) |
Holo Holo Charters Dolphins, of course, are a much anticipated attraction on any tour off the coast of Kauai and dolphins are almost always seen on the various trips offered by Kauai's Holo Holo Charters. The most frequently seen species of dolphins seen by Holo Holo Charters on these trips are the Bottlenose Dolphins and their cousins the Spinner Dolphins. The Bottlenose Dolphins are the larger of the two species and are generally seen in fewer numbers than the Spinners. The Spinner Dolpins are usually a bit…(more info) | Price Range: (From: $139.90 - To: $184.90) |
Kauai Sea Tours Dolphins are plentiful on the shorelines of Kauai and Kauai Sea Tours offers a number of excellent tours from which to see them. Some of the best dolphin watching can be seen from the twenty-four foot rigid hull inflatables (similar to ones used by the Coast Guard and the Navy Seals) used by Kauai Sea Tours. The types of dolphins seen along the Kauai coastline are the Rough-toothed Dolphin, the Spotted Dolphin, the Bottlenose Dolphin and the Spinner Dolphins. Of these varieties the most common…(more info) | Price Range: (From: $94.90 - To: $130.90) |
Liko Kauai Cruises Dolphins are simply an "add-on" value you receive when going out snorkeling at the Na Pali Coast with Liko Kauai Cruises. Dolphins are almost always simply a part of the trip when you tour with Liko Kauai Cruises. There are a number of various species of dolphins to be found off the Kauai coastline but the two you have the greatest likelihood of seeing will be the Bottlenose Dolphins and the Spinner Dolphins. The Bottlenose are the larger of the two types but the Spinner's are perhaps the most…(more info) | Price Range: (From: $122.99 - To: $133.90) |
Lucky Lady Kauai Sea Tour sixty-foot sailing catamaran, Lucky Lady, offers a number of tours off the coast of Kauai and all of them are frequently visited by the pods of dolphins constantly cruising the Kauai coastline. The notion of providing a separate and distinct dolphin watch tour is not really necessary since the dolphins seem to be a part of most tours offered anyway. The dolphins seen by Kauai Sea Tours are primarily the large and very fast Bottlenose Dolphins and the somewhat smaller Spinner Dolphin…(more info) | Price Range: (From: $98.90 - To: $130.90) |
NaPali Makai As you probably know, dolphins are a major attraction on any of the sea tours that make their way along the Kauai coastline. Why not take a small and comfortable vessel such as Napali Makai Charters that carries only six passengers on a personalized trip to snorkel and see the dolphins. Napali Makai Charters operates a twenty-four foot Glacier Bay power catamaran and is the perfect boat for small groups. Its owner and captain, Captain Makai has all the experience necessary to show you a good…(more info) | Price Range: (From: $159.00 - To: $159.00) |
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Kauai Dolphin Watching Excursions - It’s a proven fact that if you ask any school child to name five creatures that come from the ocean, the vast majority will include the word dolphin on they’re list. This is no accident. Most people feel a kindred spirit to these playful sea animals and the sheer joy of seeing these magnificent creatures race at the helm of your dolphin watch boat is enough to bring anyone into the “now” experience that is the dolphins true home. What generally compounds the experience of an encounter with a dolphin is that when you see one, you generally don’t just see one, but fifty or a hundred. They seem to come out of the deep blue and suddenly your boat is surrounded. It’s quite the experience. Although dolphins can be seen off all the Hawaiian Islands, I must admit that one day, on a trip to the NaPali Coast we were visited by more dolphins then I had ever seen. Perhaps it was luck, but then again, any day you see dolphins will turn out to be your lucky day.
No ocean experience seems to make the ocean come more alive then an encounter with dolphins. I can never forget the first boat trip I took out to visit the Na Pali Coast. I certainly expected to be awed by the dramatic coastline and spectacular views, but as beautiful as it was the show was really stolen by the dolphins that played with our boat throughout the day. As far as I’m concerned the dolphins certainly top the “fun chain” of all creatures of the sea. When you’re out there among them seeing them swim and jump and twirl and dodge and flip about it seems that their only purpose at those moments is to bring you excitement, happiness and joy.
