Dive with Sharks in Hawaii: Shark Tour from Haleiwa

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!

via Viator

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.

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

Response from the operator: 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!

via Tripadvisor

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.

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 !!!

via Viator