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Monday 8am - 5pm Tuesday 8am - 5pm Wednesday 8am - 5pm Thursday 8am - 5pm Friday 8am - 5pm Saturday 8am - 5pm Sunday 10am - 5pm

Kona Glassbottom Boat

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United States
Kailua-Kona, HI
Kona Glassbottom Boat

We are a family run and owned business. Our cute glassbottom boat was designed and built by the owner himself. Our boat is family friendly and lots of fun.

We are passionate about sharing our love for Hawaii’s marine life with our guests.

06/27/2025

Fish Fact Friday: An Anglerfish with Double Bait!🎣

Discovered by the University of Hawaii, this newly identified deep-sea anglerfish is quite unique! Unlike its relatives which use a single glowing lure to hunt in the pitch-black depths, Gigantactis paresca is the first known species to wield a second, non-glowing bait, a never before seen adaptation in the anglerfish world. Its name literally means “pair of bait”.

🛥️ Want to explore the ocean’s wonders from above?
Hop aboard the Kona Glassbottom Boat and experience Hawaii’s vibrant coral reefs!
https://konaglassbottomboat.com/activities/glass-bottom-reef-tour/

Illustration Credit: Samantha Rickle

06/24/2025

Tropical Tuesday: Hawaiian Lava Tubes 🌋

Lava tubes are natural tunnels formed during volcanic eruptions. As lava flows, the surface cools and hardens while hot lava keeps moving underneath. When it drains away, it leaves a hollow tube. Hawaii's Big Island has some of the world’s longest, Kazumura Cave is over 40 miles! These tubes help scientists study eruptions and were once used by Native Hawaiians for shelter and burials.

06/20/2025

Fish Fact Friday: Schooling Bannerfish

Heniochus diphreutes, also known as the Schooling Bannerfish, plays an important role in reef ecosystems. Common across the Indo-Pacific, it swims in large, coordinated schools along reef slopes, feeding on zooplankton carried by the current. Though it closely resembles the Moorish Idol, it's actually a hardy member of the butterflyfish family. Juveniles occasionally act as cleaner fish, helping remove parasites from other species. With a streamlined body and sweeping dorsal filament, this fish is built for both speed and social life in open water.

Kona Glassbottom Boat 🛥️ — Discover the reef from your seat!
https://konaglassbottomboat.com/activities/glass-bottom-reef-tour

06/19/2025

Happy Juneteenth from the Kona Glassbottom Boat! 🎉

Wishing you a wonderful day filled with reflection, celebration, and cherished moments with your loved ones. May this Juneteenth bring you joy, unity, and the opportunity to honor freedom and resilience together.

06/17/2025

Tropical Tuesday: Hawaii’s Feral Chickens 🐓

Hawaii's free-roaming feral chickens are the product of unique historical and natural events. Their lineage is a mix of ancient Polynesian red junglefowl, introduced by settlers around 1200 AD, and domestic birds that escaped captivity during Hurricanes Iwa in 1982 and Iniki in 1992. Genomic analysis confirms this hybrid population possesses traits from both ancestors, making them tough, year-round breeders and effective insect controllers. However, they also create problems, including crowing at all hours, destroying gardens, spreading disease, and causing traffic hazards. While communities have tried to manage them by discouraging feeding and posting warning signs, both trapping programs and a birth-control trial have so far failed to curb their population growth.

06/16/2025

Happy Father's Day! 🎉

To all the dads, granddads, and father figures out there, hope you have a fantastic day and get to kick back and relax. Cheers to you from everyone at the Kona Glassbottom Boat!

Treat your family to a relaxing day out with our guided tour!

https://konaglassbottomboat.com/activities/glass-bottom-reef-tour/

06/13/2025

Fish Fact Friday: Orange Band Surgeonfish

The Acanthurus olivaceus plays a vital role as both grazer and guardian. Found as deep as 150 feet, it feeds on algae that would otherwise overwhelm the coral. During spawning, often timed with the moon, it releases eggs into open water, where they drift and hatch into planktonic larvae. These tiny drifters eventually settle and transform into bright yellow juveniles, beginning the cycle anew. Though often solitary, they can also be seen in loose schools, especially while feeding.

Kona Glassbottom Boat 🛥️ - See underwater wonders, no gear needed!
https://konaglassbottomboat.com/activities/glass-bottom-reef-tour/

06/10/2025

Tropical Tuesday - King Kamehameha I, born in Kohala, ruler of a unified Hawaiian Kingdom by 1810, is honored across the islands every June. On Hawaii Island, the celebration continues this week with music, hula, history, and a whole lot of lei. Here's what’s still ahead:

🌺 Hilo – June 10 (today):
Lei draping ceremony at Bayfront’s Kamehameha statue + Kamehameha Festival at Mokuola (Coconut Island) with live music, hula, and cultural vendors.

🐎 Kohala – June 11 (Tuesday):
Starts 8 a.m. at Kapaʻau with lei draping on the original statue, followed by the floral parade and a hoʻolauleʻa at Kamehameha Park.

Come for the history, stay for the mana. This isn’t just a holiday, it’s a celebration of legacy, language, and the strength of a people.

06/06/2025

Fish Fact Friday: Dory from Finding Nemo aka the Blue Tang 🐠

The Paracanthurus hepatus, with its vibrant electric-blue body and trademark yellow tail, may look like a living neon sign on the reef, but don’t let the beauty fool you, this fish comes armed. Along its tail base lies a sharp, scalpel-like spine used for defense, a built-in weapon it flicks at predators when threatened. From a drifting larva no larger than a grain of sand to a reef-dwelling adult, the blue tang undergoes a remarkable transformation, eventually settling in coral-rich environments where it plays a vital role as an algae grazer, helping to keep the reef ecosystem in balance. Social by nature, they often travel in schools. The blue tang is a small but essential player in the ocean’s intricate web of life.

Join us on the Kona Glassbottom Boat 🛥️ - Book Your Tour Today!!!
https://konaglassbottomboat.com/activities/glass-bottom-reef-tour/

06/04/2025

Tropical Tuesday: Hawaii The Galápagos of the Pacific🌺

Hawaii has over 25% of its marine life found nowhere else on Earth (and up to 100% in the deepest reefs of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands), Hawaii holds the record for the highest marine endemism on the planet. Thanks to its volcanic roots and extreme isolation, over 2,400 miles from the nearest continent, Hawaii became evolution’s playground. From dazzling fish like Potter’s Angelfish and the Hawaiian Sergeant to coral reefs teeming with life found only in these waters, this place is a living marine laboratory. If you’re swimming here, you’re floating in one of the rarest ecosystems on Earth.

Step aboard the Kona Glassbottom Boat for a deeper dive into the underwater world!

https://konaglassbottomboat.com/activities/glass-bottom-reef-tour/

05/31/2025

Fish Fact Friday: Island Trevally 🌟

Meet Carangoides orthogrammus, a sleek, silvery predator that roams tropical reefs from Hawaii to the Seychelles. Unlike coastal species, it sticks to remote islands, gliding over sandy channels and reef slopes solo or in small squads. Adults sport golden-yellow spots, bluish backs, and powerful forked tails built for fast hunting. Feeding mostly on small fish and crustaceans, they’re agile, bold, and occasionally hooked by lucky anglers.

🌊 See the ocean like never before… right through the floor of the Kona Glassbottom Boat. - BOOK YOUR TOUR TODAY
👉 https://konaglassbottomboat.com/activities/glass-bottom-reef-tour

05/23/2025

Fish Fact Friday: Psychedelic Wrasse! 🌈

Meet Anampses chrysocephalus, males rock neon blue stripes and fiery orange heads, while females keep it classy with dark bodies and spotted patterns. These flashy reefers cruise solo or in small groups along rocky slopes and sandy bottoms, typically between 40 and 150 feet deep. They can change s*x from female to male as they mature. This transformation kicks in when a dominant male is missing, triggering hormonal shifts and full-body changes. Nature really said, “Why not both?”

Hop aboard the Kona Glassbottom Boat 🛥️ to see other wonders beneath the surface!https://konaglassbottomboat.com/activities/glass-bottom-reef-tour/

Address

Kailua Pier
Kailua-Kona, HI
96740

Opening Hours

Monday	8am - 5pm
Tuesday	8am - 5pm
Wednesday	8am - 5pm
Thursday	8am - 5pm
Friday	8am - 5pm
Saturday	8am - 5pm
Sunday	10am - 5pm

Website

http://www.konaglassbottomboat.com/

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