9 Shark Tours in Hawaiʻi, Compared

1.Oahu Shark Dive

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,903 reviews · 1 hour 30 minutes (approx.) · from $99Our pick

From Haleiwa, you’ll boat into the open Pacific, receive a clear safety briefing, then watch Galapagos, sandbar, or hammerhead sharks from a secure cage. You can also stay on deck and see the action. Crew members such as Maddie and Emma are praised for calm, friendly guidance. Plan for rough water, bring seasickness medicine, and check in 30 minutes early.

“10/10 experience. I was a little hesitant to go alone, as I’m not a people person, but this year I’m trying to push myself to get out of my shell. I felt so safe from being on the boat to being in the cadge, our experts were Maddie, and Emma whom were so so kind and explained what we needed to do very straightforward and simple. The sharks were incredible! I wish I took my underwater camera down with me, but the water was so harsh I didn’t trust myself to hold it and I’m honestly glad i didn’t and just experienced it in real time. I did however get…”

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2.Shark Cage Dive on the North Shore

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 1,485 reviews · 1h 30m · from $99

From Haleiwa Small Boat Harbor, you’ll ride into open water with North Shore Shark Adventures for a 90-minute shark encounter. A certified English-speaking guide explains the safety rules before you enter a cage shared by up to eight people. Expect about 15 to 20 minutes near sharks, with possible whale, dolphin, turtle, and seabird sightings along the way.

“Great experience and excellent staff! 100% recommend this to anyone!”

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3.Shark Cage Diving on Oahu’s North Shore

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,391 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $100

From Haleʻiwa Boat Harbor, you take a short boat ride to open water, where Galapagos and Sandbar sharks circle a floating cage. The crew provides masks, snorkels, safety guidance, and shark facts. The boat holds no more than 12 people, and an observer ticket lets non-swimmers stay aboard.

“The idea seems scary at first but after jumping in and seeing the sharks circle the cage and watching them it’s calm within chaos. The day we went the weather conditions were awesome and there was high visibility and lots of sharks 🤙”

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4.Cage-Free Shark Swim from Oahu

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,064 reviews · 1 hour 45 minutes (approx.) · from $135

From Haleiwa Harbor, you’ll ride into open water, receive snorkel gear and a safety briefing, then spend about 30 minutes swimming near sharks in their natural setting. Groups are limited to eight, a safety diver stays with you, and photos and videos are included. You return to the harbor after roughly 1 hour 45 minutes.

“This was one of my favourite experiences in my life! The sharks are so beautiful. I felt so safe. The crew are kind and amazing! They have an amazing photographer/videographer in the crew who offered to video us and take pictures as well. I want to do it again! 10/10”

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5.Safe and Educational Shark Dive from Haleiwa: Sharks Guaranteed

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 553 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $165

From Haleiwa, One Ocean Diving takes you into open water to observe sharks, fish, turtles, and possibly whales. Marine biologists explain shark behavior, body language, species, gender, and Hawaiian cultural traditions before you enter the water. Snorkel gear and safety equipment are provided, and the crew may record your experience for purchase.

“Definitely highly recommend. Just make sure you read the instructions for taken Dramamine😆. Epic experience indeed!”

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6.Dive with Sharks in Hawaii: Shark Tour from Haleiwa

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 468 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $153

From Haleiwa Harbor, you’ll travel about 3 miles offshore for a guided shark-swimming experience with One Ocean Diving. Marine scientists explain shark behavior, safety, and conservation before you enter the water. Snorkel equipment is included, and you may also see turtles, dolphins, or whales.

“It was so amazing! I would highly recommend! Best experience ever! We did see a great number of sharks, but we did the big ones! We saw 3 tiger sharks and it was so incredible.”

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7.Shark-Dive Tour on Oahu’s North Shore

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 240 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $135

From Haleiwa, you’ll ride three miles offshore to 250-foot waters for a cage-free shark swim. Ocean Outfitters Hawaii provides snorkel gear, trained guides, and a small boat limited to 12 people. Captain Lily and Tyler have been praised for calm safety briefings, though rough seas and changing conditions can affect the outing.

“DONT BOOK THIS TOUR! You will waste your money! The company changed the time on me three times, I tried to work around the first time change however I got lost on the bus. I then booked a car TWICE to try and make it. The first time I made it but no one was there, I was not sent a reconfirmation so I showed up at the wrong time and the last time I was 15min late due to being stuck in waikiki trying my hardest to get the car because the company had changed times one me again so I tried to make it however they said they…”

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8.Shark Cage Diving On “The World Famous North Shore of Oahu”, Hawaii

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 222 reviews · 2 hours (approx.) · from $100

From Haleiwa, you’ll take a fast catamaran to shark waters off Oahu’s North Shore, then snorkel from a floating cage while Galapagos and other sharks circle below. Captains such as Derek, Kama, Taylor, Forrest, and Tyler lead the trips. You can stay aboard, watch from the rail, and look for whales, dolphins, and turtles.

“My husband and I had so much fun doing this! I would absolutely go again in a heartbeat. Nellie and our boat captain (Trevor, I believe) were very personable. We had a thorough safety briefing about the boat and then we were good to go. There were families on the tour with us but it was still a small group of about 10 people if I recall. Everyone had a great time and the Galapagos sharks did not disappoint! We saw multiple sharks the entire time we were in the cage, and at one point I counted 8 of them around us. I believe we were in the cage for…”

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9.Small-Group Shark and Turtle Dive for Certified Divers

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 219 reviews · 2 hours 30 minutes (approx.) · from $135

Join a certified-scuba outing at Mala Wharf, a short walk from Dive Maui’s Lahaina shop. With no more than four people, you can spend close to an hour underwater among turtles, white-tip reef sharks, eels, octopus, and schools of fish. Guides such as Joe and Abbi are praised for clear briefings and attentive help.

“I did a two tank dive with Dive Maui and they were great. I chose to rent their equipment versus bring my own gear and their equipment was very good quality, nice wetsuits and good BCD’s and reg sets. I did bring my own mask and would remind people to bring their own torch. We had Abby as our Divemaster and she was excellent. She really let us know what to expect insofar as entry and exit of the dives as well as the marine life we would expect to see. On the dive we saw tons of mantas up close as well as lots of turtles. One turtle I…”

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