Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi, USA · hosted by Rocío

Swim with Tiger Sharks in Oʻahu

Seven days on Oʻahu in late September, the peak of the tiger shark season: an open-water shark snorkel on the North Shore, a kayak to the Mokulua islands, two Hawaiian fishpond days and the turtles of Hanauma Bay, in a small group of six.

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From USD 4,750 per person, shared room · private room USD 5,710 · 30% deposit to book

19–25 Sep 2027
7 days, 6 nights
Six guests at most
Tiger sharks, kayak, turtles

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What you do: an open-water shark snorkel on the North Shore in tiger shark season (never baited), a guided kayak to the Mokulua islands off Kailua, a Hawaiian fishpond culture day at Loko Ea, a conservation field day at Heʻeia fishpond, and a reef and green sea turtle snorkel in Hanauma Bay.
Where: Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi, USA. Fly to Honolulu (HNL); airport transfers are included.
Dates: Sunday 19 – Saturday 25 September 2027, 7 days and 6 nights.
Room: a twin room shared with one other guest, in our hotel by the water in Waikīkī, about 5 minutes on foot from the beach. A private room costs more: see the price.
Included: 6 nights, breakfast every day, the shark snorkel, the Mokulua kayak with lunch, the two fishpond days, the Hanauma Bay snorkel, the welcome and farewell dinners, transport for every activity, Rocío as your host.
Not included: flights, travel insurance, other lunches and dinners (your own choice, so you can manage allergies and diets), drinks.
Price: USD 4,750 per person in a twin room, for two guests booking together (deposit USD 1,420), or USD 5,710 in a private room (deposit USD 1,710).

Example photo: a tiger shark swimming through deep blue water (not taken in Oʻahu) — Example photo of a tiger shark, not taken in Oʻahu. Photo: Maahid Photos on Unsplash

Photo gallery

The places, the stay and the animals you may meet. Animal photos show the species, not always this exact place.

Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi. Photo: Aussieactive on Unsplash

Tiger shark with clear stripes swimming over a reef. Species photo, not always this place. Photo: Maahid Photos on Unsplash

Large tiger shark swimming with a school of yellow pilot jacks. Species photo, not always this place. Photo: Publo Photo on Unsplash

Tiger shark gliding over sunlit sand in the Bahamas. Species photo, not always this place. Photo: Gerald Schömbs on Unsplash

Tiger shark approaching head-on over a sandy bottom. Species photo, not always this place. Photo: Michael Worden on Unsplash

Tiger shark. Species photo, not always this place. Photo: Gerald Schombs on Unsplash

Green turtle swimming past a reef wall. Species photo, not always this place. Photo: Zdeněk Macháček on Unsplash

Close encounter with a green turtle over a coral reef. Species photo, not always this place. Photo: Claus Giering on Unsplash

Green turtle basking on green algae-covered rocks on Oahu. Species photo, not always this place. Photo: Keith Champaco on Unsplash

Green turtle swimming over the reef at Moalboal, Philippines. Species photo, not always this place. Photo: Olga ga on Unsplash

Hawaiian monk seal sleeping on a tropical beach. Species photo, not always this place. Photo: Sebastian Coman Travel on Unsplash

Hawaiian monk seal sleeping on a black sand beach. Species photo, not always this place. Photo: Sarah Sheedy on Unsplash

Small pod of spinner dolphins in blue water. Species photo, not always this place. Photo: Rudney Uezu on Unsplash

Like what you see? Only six places on this trip.

USD 4,750 per person in a twin room, for two guests booking together (deposit USD 1,420), or USD 5,710 in a private room (deposit USD 1,710). 19–25 September 2027, 7 days and 6 nights, six guests at most. Breakfast every day, lunch on the kayak day, welcome and farewell dinners. International flights are not included.

Book your place See all dates

Local guides, paid local wages. Six guests at most. Why it matters

Real guest reviews: Google · BookRetreats

Conservation-led. Ocean Calling guests never chase, touch or bait animals.

5.00 from 33 public reviews on BookRetreats · Read guest stories
Small group, six guests at most
A cage-free shark snorkel with safety divers, never baited
Travel insurance required (water-activity cover from your own policy or the dive centre’s insurance)
Pause or skip any activity, any time

Guests laughing together in a kitchen after a morning on the water

A group of guests in life jackets on the boat

Guests and a guide together on the beach after snorkelling

Guests wearing matching green sarongs together

Rocío with guests around a table at the end of the day

Real guests on past trips

“Amazing girl and super organised. Would book trips with her over and over if I could. 100% recommend!”
Katie H., public review on BookRetreats, March 2026

“Rocío is amazing at organizing trips and ocean experiences. Everything was very well planned, and she helped find great diving spots. I highly recommend Ocean Calling Retreats.”
Harry L., public review on BookRetreats, March 2026

Quotes are copied as written from public reviews on BookRetreats. See all guest photos · Read all reviews

See dates & prices

Dates and prices

Choose your dates

Sunday 19 – Saturday 25 September 2027Tiger sharks, Mokulua kayak, fishponds, Hanauma Bay turtles · 7 days, 6 nights
USD 4,750per person, shared room · deposit USD 1,420 · private room USD 5,710 (deposit USD 1,710)
Book

Book opens the secure WeTravel checkout, where you choose your room and pay the deposit. Payment plan: a 30% deposit, then monthly payments, balance 60 days before the trip. Cancellation policy.

At a glance

When19–25 September 2027

Length7 days, 6 nights

GroupSix guests at most, with Rocío as your host

StayHotel room by the water in Waikīkī, six nights

MealsBreakfast every day, lunch on the kayak day, welcome and farewell dinners

CertificationNo diving certificate needed

Water levelConfident snorkelling in deep, open water from a boat

EffortOne shark morning, a kayak day, two fishpond days and a reef snorkel, with slow evenings

LevelModerate

Book your place See all dates

Local guides, paid local wages. Six guests at most. Why it matters

Real guest reviews: Google · BookRetreats

Conservation-led. Ocean Calling guests never chase, touch or bait animals.

Why Moderate? The shark snorkel is in deep, open ocean off the North Shore, where the sea can move, and the kayak day asks for some paddling.

Who it is for. Calm, confident swimmers who are curious about sharks and happy in deep, open water with a mask and snorkel. No diving needed. You should be at peace with the idea that wild animals, and tiger sharks above all, are never guaranteed.

What you do

One tiger shark morning on the North Shore, never baited, a kayak to the Mokulua islands, Hawaiian fishponds and the turtles of Hanauma Bay. Sightings are never promised. Each caption says where the photo was taken.

A tiger shark swimming over the sea floor — A tiger shark. Place not confirmed by the photographer. Photo: Maahid Photos on Unsplash.

Waves on the North Shore of Oʻahu — The North Shore of Oʻahu. Photo: Katie Rodriguez on Unsplash.

The Mokulua Islands off Lanikai Beach, Oʻahu — The Mokulua Islands off Lanikai, where we kayak. Photo: Mark Brule on Unsplash.

Lanikai and its beaches from above, Oʻahu — Lanikai from above. Photo: Amanda Phung on Unsplash.

The beach and reef of Hanauma Bay, Oʻahu — Hanauma Bay, home of the turtles we snorkel with. Photo: Julie Truong on Unsplash.

A green turtle resting on the reef — A green sea turtle. Place not confirmed. Photo: James Thornton on Unsplash.

New or a little nervous?

Your first day, step by step

Day 1 · Sunday 19 September · Welcome to Oʻahu: Rocío meets you at Honolulu airport (HNL) and takes you to our hotel by the water in Waikīkī. You settle in, then we meet for a short talk about the week and the rules we follow, and our welcome dinner.
Your guide explains the plan and the signals before anything starts in the water.
You choose your pace. You can pause, rest or skip any activity, at any moment, with no pressure to continue.
Nobody chases, touches or baits an animal. The animals decide whether they come close.

Questions beginners ask

What if I feel nervous in the water?

That is very normal, and you are welcome here. Activities are adapted to your level and comfort. Tell your guide or Rocío, and you can pause, rest or skip an activity at any moment.

What if I cannot clear my ears?

Equalising is taught in small steps by your instructor, and nobody is asked to push through. If your ears will not clear, you rest, come up or skip that dive or descent.

Will I hold the group back?

Groups are small (six guests at most, and some trips are four), so the pace follows the group and nobody is rushed. Tell Rocío your level before you book, and she will tell you honestly if a trip fits.

Do I need to be fit or experienced?

Each trip page shows its level and what it asks of you. If you are not sure, take our short Is it for me? questions, or read the booking FAQ.

Highlights

An open-water shark snorkel off the North Shore with professional safety divers in the water, and an early-morning weather back-up on Wednesday.
Tiger sharks are the reason for these dates: late September is the peak of their season on the North Shore. Galápagos and sandbar sharks are often seen too. No shark is ever promised.
No bait, no chum, no touching. Shark feeding is banned in Hawaiʻi’s state and federal waters, and we would never ask for it.
A guided kayak to the Mokulua islands off Kailua, with lunch.
Hawaiian fishponds: a culture day at Loko Ea with the local community group that cares for it, and a conservation field day at Heʻeia.
Hanauma Bay: a reef and green sea turtle snorkel at the surface, keeping our distance.
One hotel by the water in Waikīkī for the whole week, so you unpack once. Breakfast every day, welcome and farewell dinners.
A small group of six at most, hosted by Rocío from your first question to the last day.
Wildlife first: no chasing, no touching, no feeding, and the ocean decides what happens.

The rhythm of your days

Day 1 · Sunday 19 September · Welcome to Oʻahu: Rocío meets you at Honolulu airport (HNL) and takes you to our hotel by the water in Waikīkī. You settle in, then we meet for a short talk about the week and the rules we follow, and our welcome dinner.
Day 2 · Monday 20 September · The North Shore: an open-water shark snorkel with professional safety divers, never baited. Late September is the peak of the tiger shark season; Galápagos and sandbar sharks are seen too. Nothing is promised. If the sea is rough, our back-up is early on Wednesday morning.
Day 3 · Tuesday 21 September · Kailua: a guided kayak to the Mokulua islands off Kailua, with lunch included.
Day 4 · Wednesday 22 September · Loko Ea: a Hawaiian fishpond culture day with the local community group that cares for the pond (early morning: our shark back-up, only if Monday was rough).
Day 5 · Thursday 23 September · Heʻeia: a conservation field day at Heʻeia fishpond, working with the people who restore it.
Day 6 · Friday 24 September · Hanauma Bay: a reef and green sea turtle snorkel, at the surface, keeping at least 3 metres from the turtles. Our farewell dinner in the evening.
Day 7 · Saturday 25 September · Until Next Time: breakfast together and the transfer to Honolulu airport.

Food: exactly what is included

Breakfast: every day, included.
Lunch: on the kayak day (Tuesday 21 September), included.
Dinner: the welcome dinner (Sunday) and the farewell dinner (Friday), included.
Other lunches and dinners: your own choice, so you can eat what suits you and manage allergies and diets.
Drinks: not included.

Where you stay

Our hotel by the water in Waikīkī, next to the yacht harbour and a few minutes’ walk from the beach. Breakfast every day.

The hotel and its pool. Photo: the hotel.

A room with a view. Photo: a guest of the hotel.

The pool from above. Photo: a guest of the hotel.

The view of the ocean from the room. Photo: a guest of the hotel.

The pool lounge. Photo: a guest of the hotel.

Rocío freediving, floating head-down in deep blue water

Honest pricing

Why our retreats cost what they cost

Six guests at most. One boat and one guide are shared by fewer people, so each guest pays a bigger share and gets real attention.
Local guides, paid local wages. We book external local guides and never ask them for discounts.
What your price covers. Your room, breakfast, the activities listed on the trip page and card fees. Other meals only where the trip page says so. Flights are not included.
Planned by me. I plan every trip myself, and I am with you before, during and after.

Rocío

See trips and prices Ask Rocío a question

Trip details

Included

Six nights in a hotel by the water in Waikīkī (twin room for two guests booking together; private room available)
Breakfast every day
Honolulu airport (HNL) pick-up and drop-off, and transport for every activity
A cage-free shark snorkel off the North Shore with professional safety divers, never baited, with a weather back-up morning
A guided kayak to the Mokulua islands off Kailua, with lunch
A Hawaiian fishpond culture day at Loko Ea
A conservation field day at Heʻeia fishpond
A reef and green sea turtle snorkel in Hanauma Bay (observe only)
Welcome and farewell dinners
Tips for boat crews and guides
Rocío, your host, with you all week
Pre and post-retreat support

Not included

International flights to and from Honolulu (HNL)
Travel insurance (required)
Other lunches and dinners (your own choice, so you can manage allergies and diets) and drinks
Personal expenses and souvenirs

Read the cancellation policy.

Ocean Atlas

Animals you may meet

Never guaranteed, never chased. Tap an animal to see how it lives, where it travels and a fun fact.

Galápagos shark swimming low over a rocky seabed

Galápagos sharkCarcharhinus galapagensisSeen in 15 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern

Sandbar shark with its tall dorsal fin over a sandy seabed in Hawaiʻi

Sandbar sharkCarcharhinus plumbeusSeen in 19 countries in the AtlasEndangered

Tiger shark with clear stripes swimming over a reef

Tiger sharkGaleocerdo cuvierSeen in 47 countries in the AtlasNear Threatened

Green turtle resting on the reef, shell and head pattern in sharp detail

Green turtleChelonia mydasSeen in 103 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern

Ethics and safety

Shark feeding is banned in Hawaiʻi state waters (since 2002) and in federal waters. We never bait, chum or feed sharks, and we only go out with an operator that agrees in writing to no bait and no touching.
Nobody touches a shark. We float calmly, follow the safety divers and leave the water when they say so.
Sea turtles: we stay at least 10 feet (3 metres) away and never touch or follow them, in the water or on the beach.
Spinner dolphins: since 2021 it is illegal in Hawaiʻi to swim with them or come within 50 yards (about 45 metres), so we never offer a dolphin swim.
We observe only: no touching, no feeding, no bait. Wildlife encounters are unpredictable. Shark snorkelling should always follow local regulations and experienced professional guidance.

Practical details

Getting there: fly into Daniel K. Inouye International Airport, Honolulu (HNL). Rocío meets you, and airport pick-up and drop-off are included.
Travel insurance is required. No diving is needed on this retreat.
Payment plan: you pay a 30% deposit when Rocío confirms your place, then monthly payments charged automatically, with the balance due 60 days before the trip.
Every activity is optional. You can rest any day.
The order of the days can change with the weather and the sea. Rocío will always tell you why.

Why we choose slower boats

Speed is one of the simplest things a boat captain controls, and it matters a lot to the animals we visit. Research from many oceans shows the same pattern: a slower boat is less likely to hit a whale, turtle or manatee, gives animals time to move away, and makes less noise under the water.

Slower ships kill fewer whales

A study of 47 recorded ship strikes on large whales found the chance of a deadly injury was 21 per cent at 8.6 knots but 79 per cent at 15 knots. Below 11.8 knots, a strike is more likely to be survived than not.

Vanderlaan & Taggart, 2007, Vessel collisions with whales: the probability of lethal injury based on vessel speed (Marine Mammal Science)

A 10 knot limit works for right whales

Since 2008, the United States has required vessels 65 feet (about 20 metres) or longer to travel at 10 knots or less in set areas and seasons along the East Coast, to protect North Atlantic right whales. A later study estimated these limits cut the risk of deadly ship strikes by 80 to 90 per cent.

Conn & Silber, 2013, Vessel speed restrictions reduce risk of collision-related mortality for North Atlantic right whales (Ecosphere); NOAA Fisheries, Reducing vessel strikes to North Atlantic right whales

Turtles cannot escape fast boats

In Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia, researchers watched 1,890 green turtle encounters. 60 per cent of turtles moved away from a boat going 4 km/h, but only 22 per cent at 11 km/h and 4 per cent at 19 km/h.

Hazel, Lawler, Marsh & Robson, 2007, Vessel speed increases collision risk for the green turtle Chelonia mydas (Endangered Species Research)

Slow zones save manatees

In Sykes Creek and the Barge Canal on Merritt Island, Florida, eight manatees were killed by boats in the 42 months before year-round slow speed was enforced. In the 42 months after, only one was killed.

Laist & Shaw, 2006, Preliminary evidence that boat speed restrictions reduce deaths of Florida manatees (Marine Mammal Science)

Faster boats are louder

Recordings of 1,582 ships in Haro Strait, between Washington State and British Columbia, showed that most ships get about 1 decibel louder for every extra knot of speed. This noise reaches the high sounds that killer whales use to find food.

Veirs, Veirs & Wood, 2016, Ship noise extends to frequencies used for echolocation by endangered killer whales (PeerJ)

Going slow gives whales quiet time to feed

When ships in Haro Strait were asked to slow to 11 knots, underwater noise fell by 2.5 decibels, about 44 per cent less sound energy. Scientists estimated this cut the feeding time killer whales lose to noise by 22 per cent.

Joy et al., 2019, Potential benefits of vessel slowdowns on endangered southern resident killer whales (Frontiers in Marine Science)

Questions

Will we see tiger sharks?

No one can promise that. We chose late September because it is the peak of the tiger shark season on the North Shore. Galápagos and sandbar sharks are often seen too. The sharks are wild, and they decide.

Are the sharks fed or baited?

No. Shark feeding is against the law in Hawaiʻi, and we only go out with an operator that agrees in writing to no bait and no touching.

Is it safe?

We snorkel in small groups with professional safety divers (six guests per safety diver), and we follow every instruction in the water. Sharks are wild animals: we respect them, never touch them, and leave the water when the guides say so.

Do I need to be a strong swimmer?

No diving is needed, but you should be calm and confident in deep, open water with a mask and snorkel.

How much does it cost?

USD 4,750 per person in a twin room, for two guests booking together, with a 30% deposit (USD 1,420) to book. A private room is USD 5,710 (deposit USD 1,710). International flights are not included.

How does the payment plan work?

A 30% deposit when Rocío confirms your place, then monthly payments charged automatically, with the balance due 60 days before the trip.

Can I have a room of my own?

Yes, a single room is on request. Or you share a twin room with one other guest of the group, with your own bed.

What is included?

Six nights in the hotel, breakfast every day, airport transfers and transport, the shark snorkel, the Mokulua kayak with lunch, the two fishpond days, the Hanauma Bay snorkel, the welcome and farewell dinners, and tips. Flights, travel insurance, other meals and drinks are not included.

Which meals are included?

Breakfast every day, lunch on the kayak day, and the welcome and farewell dinners. Other meals are your own choice, so you can eat what suits you and manage allergies and diets. Drinks are not included.

Can I come alone?

Yes. Come alone, with a partner or with a friend. The small group and the days on the water tend to take care of the rest.

How do I book?

Click Book your place and choose your room on WeTravel. You pay the deposit securely there, and Rocío then welcomes you personally, with the payment plan: a 30% deposit, then monthly payments, balance 60 days before the trip.

Book your place See all dates

Local guides, paid local wages. Six guests at most. Why it matters

Real guest reviews: Google · BookRetreats

Conservation-led. Ocean Calling guests never chase, touch or bait animals.

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