Na Pali Riders Reviews from Tripadvisor

“Fantastic & worth it!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed November 10, 2012

This September 2012 while on the island of Kauai we decided to take this excursion tour. I want to say first off … this was absolutely fantastic and I would do it again. I have never been on a tour like this and I was somewhat apprehensive and somewhat worried about getting sea sick. Well, I took a “Dramamine” type… More
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Herberger
Duncan, Oklahoma
Contributor

“Riders is right!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed September 25, 2012

You tour the coast in a rubber sea raft, not for the weak. But for the rest of us the only way to go. Jumping waves is fun. They have a professional camera man on board to take pictures so you can just enjoy the trip. They sell the trip CD of pictures for $40 and worth every penny, almost… More
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Beth C
Valyermo, California
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“DO THIS!!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed September 13, 2012

We booked this trip, and I was a liitle nervous about being on a choppy ocean in a small boat. That feeling didn’t last long. Captain Chris and first mate Wayne definitely put safety first. I felt completely at ease for the whole trip and had an excellent time! Chris and Wayne are both very knowledgeable about the area.

LĪHU’E – Tourism officials today released 2011 Hawai‘i visitor statistics that showed Kaua‘i having an increase over the previous year in every category.

“This is great news and points to a gradual economic recovery,” said Mayor Bernard Carvalho, Jr. “We will continue to proactively look for ways to support putting our people back to work in the visitor industry as well as other sectors on Kaua’i.”

The annual report by the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority included the following Kaua’i highlights:

· Total arrivals surpassed one million – 1,015, 264 – which represents a 6.3 percent increase.
· Total expenditures jumped 18.9 percent.
· Amount spent per person per day saw a double-digit gain of 10.9 percent.
· Average length of stay went up .9 percent.

“I think we’re seeing the positive results of all the marketing campaigns that were launched by the Kaua’i Visitor’s Bureau in collaboration with the county over the last couple of years,” said George Costa, director of the Office of Economic Development. “We knew that if we started something, it would benefit us in the long run.”

He said that the big push began in 2010 with $1 million tourism stimulus package, which targeted the West Coast, Canada as well as kama‘āina.

Last year, the county spent $200,000 on several programs including: American Girl “Kanani” promotion; Kama‘āina campaign, which highlighted the Royal Coconut Coast resorts; Pirates of the Caribbean sweepstakes; Canada blitz; the Kaua’i Made and Kaua’i Marathon programs; as well as film promotions and press trips.

“The production of four movies also helped Kaua’i’s economy while they were filmed here – Soul Surfer, Just Go With It, Pirates of the Caribbean, and The Descendents,” said Costa. “And as these films continue to get recognition, I think we’ll reap the benefits in the years to come.”

While KVB and the county have been instrumental in fuelling Kaua’i’s main economic engine, officials are aware of the potential impacts to the island, and recently implemented administrative rules governing county parks to ensure that the county’s recreational facilities are well-managed and protected for all to enjoy.
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Visit Na Pali Riders Raft Tours in Kauai

Kauai Whale Watching Tours

MEDIA RELEASE (Hawaii 24/7, 20 Jan. 2012)

The non-profit Hawai’i Marine Mammal Consortium (HMMC) is pleased to announce the release of a glossy, full-color art poster of humpback whale tail fluke photographs. The poster illustrates the beauty of humpback whale flukes and how scientists use them to study whales. Like human fingerprints, the shape, color, and markings on the tail flukes of humpback whales are unique to each whale. The poster shows 56 photographs of 53 different whales with a built-in “fluke matching” quiz to identify three whales that appear twice in the photos. The answers can be found at the HMMC website: www.hmmc.org

Sightings of individually identified whales over the years help scientists to describe their social behavior, migrations, and life histories. The website shows information about the sighting history of each whale and links to pages about whale biology and behavior. All photographs were taken under a NOAA Fisheries Scientific Research Permit.

Copies of the poster are available at select locations on Hawai’i Island, including Hawai’i Ocean Sports and The Gallery at Bamboo Restaurant in Hawi. It is also available by mail through the HMMC website. The purchase of the poster is tax deductible, and proceeds will directly support HMMC’s whale and dolphin research in Hawai’i.

The HMMC is a Waimea-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2003 by four biologists who first met while conducting whale research for the University of Hawai’i on the Big Island in the early 1990′s. Local residents may have noticed this group at their hillside whale observation site off Akoni Pule Highway just north of Kawaihae and from their vessel-based work each winter out of Kawaihae Harbor. The HMMC also assists with whale disentanglement efforts led by the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. The group focuses on marine mammal conservation, research and education and has a science advisory group from top universities around the U.S. and abroad. The HMMC hosts education programs for classes of high school and college students from Hawai’i and the mainland, including an annual week-long class on whale bioacoustics for Cornell University students and a collaboration with faculty at the University of Alaska Southeast in Sitka and the University of Hawai’i Hilo to connect students from Hawai’i and Alaska. For more information about HMMC scientists, research, education programs and scientific papers, visit www.hmmc.org or email info@hmmc.org

Check out an article about Na Pali Riders’ whale watching tours in the Honolulu Advertiser on Sunday, February 8, 2009.

http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009902080333

Wow! It was a beautiful day on the Napali Coast in Kauai. Water was calm and we saw a LOT of dolphins enjoying the sunshine. We came across a massive pod of dolphins as they came up to the boat and did a great show for us. The whales were out and we were able to see several as they dove for the deep.

Hope everyone has an awesome and fantastic Christmas. See you soon!

Kauai Whale Watching Tours :: Thar She Blows!

Awesome day today. We saw our first whale of the season. As we approached, it leaped out of the water in a full breach. This was followed by a series of loud tail slaps. Even over 100 yards distance we could hear its massive fluke slapping down on the water. This lone male whale stayed in one spot as it sounded below the water in search for any other whales in the area. Being one of the first whales to visit Kauai this season, it may have been feeling lonely after it’s 3,000 mile journey over to the Islands.

The surprises didn’t end there…..we ran into a rare sighting of Bottlenose dolphins. These dolphins are much larger than their cousins the Hawaiian Spinner Dolphin.

Napali Coast Tours, Kauai

Weather was very nice for this late in November. On our way up to Na Pali, we became surrrounded on all sides by a HUGE pod of Spinner Dolphins. There wasn’t a bad seat in the house. They were exceptionally active and gave us a great show as they did their charicteristic spinning and jumping.

Overrall good day. Can’t wait till the Humpback whales get here. I spoke to some surfers who said they saw a few. By December we should be seeing them every day. Be sure to check us out. We’ll post the photo’s as we get them.

Niihau Tours from Kauai

Today we headed out to the Forbidden Island of Niihau. This small Island located 17 miles off of Kauai is one of our favorite spots to explore. Unspoiled by development we never know what we will find there. The excitement builds as we head for Lehua rock and a spot known as the “Keyhole”.

The water is unusually calm and we jump in the water. Fish are all around us. A large group of silverfish numbering in the thousands swim in a defensive ball surrounding us.

Bill and I are filming and taking photos of them when we catch a glimpse of several White tip Sharks creeping up from the deep.

As we headed back to Kauai we ran into the ever elusive Bottlenose Dolphin. This species is much larger than the Spinner Dolphin, reaching up to 9 feet in length. Overrall an awesome day as we head back to Kauai.