Testimonials

Our wonderful customers are the reason we’re in business.

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Here are some of the great things people have said about us.

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Thank you, John. It was so fun to see Lisa smiling ear to ear as she shared her trip with us. Thanks for doing what you do. We’ll definitely recommend the experience to summer visitors.

Darlene

What a great time we had with the dolphins! I loved watching them play games with you and swim side by side with us. You are such a gentle dolphin yourself. Thank you for a beautiful day.

Joan Ocean

I’m so thrilled to have located Capt John Float and feel very enlightened after our journey with him. He is clearly in possession of a sixth sense and is at one with the ocean and its inhabitants. We had so many dolphins swimming around us it was difficult to grasp the full scope of such an intimate experience. We saw 15-20 whales breaching right in front of us too. This is not your average tour run by employees. This is a man committed to the whales and dolphins and is passionate about his love of the ocean and wants to share this. I came away from our 4 hour tour very thankful and in awe to have witnessed up close a spectacle of enormous proportion.

Swimming with dolphins with John Float was the highlight of my family’s trip to Hawaii. We got his name from a friend who had lived on the Big Island and I was so grateful not to be crowded onto a big boat with lots of other travelers. He has a quiet presence that is respectful of the dolphins and other wildlife (we saw manta rays, turtles, lots of fish, and a whale!) and very knowledgeable about all of them, so we could ask lots of questions. He was flexible and honest when the weather wasn’t good, so we worked around a big storm and had great visibility. He was also able to take us to places away from the crowds so we could have a better swim. He also accommodated different swimming speeds and levels of my family—keeping track of my younger son, while we swam along with the dolphins. I cannot recommend him highly enough. Very special experience.

John was such a great guide, we loved how laid back and positive he was. He knew exactly where to go to find Dolphins and we were able to be in the water with them four times. We had a wonderful morning and enjoyed his knowledge and company very much.

John Float is a very experienced guide, very consciously taking care of every single participant. He knows the places where the dolphins are very well and everyone will be in the water at the right place and the right time to be surrounded by these beautiful creatures. It is an amazing experience and joyful to be with John  in a balanced harmony. Thank you!

This was our first time snorkeling with dolphins. The owner/boat driver was very informative and personable! Our son was nervous about going in the water so our guide stayed in the boat with him and showed him the Dolphins from the boat. He took us to where there were Dolphins but not a lot of other people. It was an excellent experience!”

Thanks so much for a delightful day in the water! We were laughing as we were imagining Dolphins whispering-—ha ha. You’re the best!

Jane

John showed us an amazing adventure. On the way out to find the Dolphins, John spotted a couple of Mantas and took us over so we could swim with them. That was wonderful. So beautiful. Afterwards we found a great pod of dolphins that we boated around and swam with for several hours. It was truly an amazing experience. Watching the other boats out with us I would highly recommend Johns zodiac to the bigger boats. He was able to get us much closer to the Dolphins and with it being so low to the water you feel more a part of them than an observer. Thanks.

Patti

My husband and I joined John at Dolphin Essence and it was hands down one of the most breathtaking experiences of my life. I’ve always been fascinated by dolphins and meeting them in their habitat is truly magical. They weren’t afraid of us and one of them got me by surprise when he came towards me and started scratching his back on my fins! That’s how close they were and there must have been dozens.  Being with John made this whole experience complete. We were a small group of four and as he explained he keeps it to a maximum of 6 people. That way we’re in the water in a flash and much quicker to follow the dolphins. John knows these dolphins so well and it seemed they know his boat too!  I highly recommend John and Dolphin Essence. It changes the way one perceives our cousins of the ocean. I will never forget this. Thanks John!

I was not expecting to swim with so many dolphins. It was amazing!  John is very passionate and made the experience incredible for everyone on his boat. He took the time to answer our questions. We were one of the first boat out there and the last to come back.  John has been doing the tour for so long it felt like the dolphins know him and were attracted to him.  If you are looking for a personalized experience I would highly recommend this tour. John takes maximum 6 people on his boat compare to 12+ on similar boats I saw.  John, you are the best!

Dominic

We went out with John Float on our last day on the Big Island and it is an experience I will never forget. We weren’t even out of the marina before we encountered our first pod of spinner dolphins and it only got better. A small Zodiac is the perfect way to interact with the dolphins. I could see, in other boats, they just plop the group in the water, but John takes a much more intimate approach. He paces the pod, so that they are swimming all around you. It’s really so much better than I can even describe. I count it as the highlight of our trip to Hawaii and on the short list of best memories of my lifetime.”  Marcy W.

“Thanks for a great day on the water, John. Wow, what a show…! My mind’s eye is still on replay. You offer a sweet, personal experience. I’ll be sure to drive clients your way. Until next time, many alohas.

Island Jane

This was by far the very coolest thing we did on the Big Island. The experience was amazing. We got to actually swim above and along with a huge pod of spinner dolphins. We took tons of pictures and were able to hear them talking underwater. We were swimming in the open ocean with the gold sun shining and the water the bluest of blues with dolphins all around us. Our boat was just the three of us, and our captain John Float. After we swam with the dolphins is when our tour got truly amazing. While the other large boat tours headed home, John Float took us home with a pod of 60-70 dolphins. We stood at the hull of the boat and watched them swim along with us. We were so close we could have reached out and touched them. There were so many. We even saw a two week old baby that was only as big as my arm. John Float was kind, and truly knew what he was doing. This tour seemed so much more authentic than the others we saw. If you love animals and are going to do only one thing, do this. It was truly a once in a life time awesome experience!

We have done this once before, but on a bigger boat. John’s experience is so much better. Small number of people, and personal attention. This was by far the best open water wild dolphin experience I have ever had. I will continue to book with John every time I visit the Big Island. John instantly makes you feel at ease and it is very apparent he loves what he is doing, and loves and respects these incredible mammals. Have him sing to the dolphins, they know him, and began to double back and swim around us! Don’t miss this opportunity when you visit the Islands.

Todd

This has been such a great tour.. John the captain really knows what he is doing and he is extremely respectful with the animals and other fellow boats. It is really a pure experience, no luxury boat, no ridiculous pretentious snacks but a really concern for the customers… He runs the extra mile to make everyone enjoy the day! And he succeeds.  He takes max 6 people which makes the trip really a different spy from those boats accommodating more than 20 people!  Absolutely a must in Big Island. Thanks John.

Dominic

This was our 2nd year in a row with Captain John. Each trip has been amazing. The opportunity we had swimming with the dolphins in their home was one of the greatest experiences our family has ever had. John was a fantastic guide and went out of his way to make our experience unforgettable. This is a must-do while you’re on the Big Island. We saw other boats out with 25+ people that looked over crowded and it took a while for everyone to get back in the boat which meant less time in the water with the dolphins. John keeps his numbers small so the experience is that much more incredible. This is definitely the highlight of our vacation and will be back next year.”

Thanks for a wonderful day today. That was one of the most amazing experiences of my life that I will remember forever. Thanks again.

Sarah Williams

John Float is wonderful and runs a high quality operation while respecting and paying homage to these sacred animals. He has a near 100% rate of finding the dolphins and ensures you get maximal contact during your experience. My husband and I have gone with him twice now and recommend him to all of our friends and family. The first time we were only 3 (with my mom) in the boat and the second 6 total (just us and my husband’s work colleagues). We swam with upwards of 400 dolphins which is a mind-blowing experience. Again John is passionate, respectful, knowledgeable and truly makes the trip a special experience. We highly recommend him!!!

Patti

You are the best Dolphin captain ever. I am still feeling the love of swimming with these beautiful creatures. Thank you. Mahalo

Nic, Norm, & me, Patti White

Thank you so much for a wonderful experience today. We had a fantastic time. I had many ideas of what it may be like but none came close to the reality of being surrounded by dolphins in the water and watching a majestic pilot whale swim right passed me! Thank you so much! If we ever get the chance to do it again we will.

Lisa

Thank you John for such a life changing experience. Wonderful!

Anne Frances

John, You have a wonderful gift of giving and sharing. Thank you so much!!

Shellie

Thank you for sharing the gifts of the ocean. What you are doing makes a huge difference!

Laureen

Thank you for this experience of a lifetime.

Eddie