Wild Side Specialty Tours

I went on the morning tour on 8/12/12. Captain Downing and Kim were knowledgable and passionate about all aspects of marine life! We swam so close to the spotted dolphins and floated peacefully with the Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins... I am in total ""Dolphin Bliss!"" <3 And the chicken salad sandwiches for lunch were yummy too. Everything was relaxed and perfect! I would highly recommend this tour! Mahalo! more

The attention to detail from help with masks/fins to encouragement getting in the water and swimming with Turtles under our belly were great! more

We Did the family tour for dolphins, which included snorkling in the ocean to various wildlife. We have four children 13, 10, 8 and 6. Cant say enough good stuff about this trip. The staff was great with the children, the biologist was educational, and the captin of the boat even let my 6 year old son drive. Best experience we had in Hawaii EVER! more

We had an incredible time on the Best of the West tour. It was the perfect way to end our honeymoon. We stayed on a few islands during our trip, and our travel agent recommended going to Oahu just for the chance to go on this tour. It was totally worth it. The crew was extremely knowledgeable. We were in the water with dolphins just a few feet away from us multiple times. I would highly recommend this trip to anybody spending any time on Oahu. Overally, once in a lifetime experience! more

We went to Hawaii for our honeymoon and one of the few 'must-do's"" we had was to swim with wild dolphins. What we got blew our expectations away. more

This was the highlight of our Hawaii trip. Great crew, sight-seeing and snorkling. We did the two day overnight adventure. Highly recommend staying overnight! Experience views and sea life that you just cannot experience from a helicopter or from a vehicle. more

What an outstanding way to end our honeymoon! Captain Tori and First Mate Kim were spectacular hosts. I highly recommend the Best of the West tour to anyone truly interested in learning about the marine life near Oahu. Kim was outgoing funny and excited to be with us. Very intelligent tour guide. Oh and the best part, swimming with the dolphins! We saw baby spinner dolphins and swam alongside them. Truly a magical experience. Totally worth the price, and they served us a yummy picnic on board. more

We did the Best of the West tour August 22nd, and, it is one of the highlights or our trip to Hawaii. It can be your highlight as well because before even leaving the port, the crew finds out what you want out of the tour. With only 6 passengers, it is an extremely personal trip, and, the boat is all yours! We did see all three spieces of dolphins native to this area, and, were able to get in the water with the spinners and watch them swim and hear them communicate. On several different occassions, we had dolphins ride both the bow and the wake of the boat, it was very up close and personal and they are so beautiful. We also had a chance to snorkel with sea turtles. The captain and crew were there to remind us also that we needed to respect the homes of this beautiful wildlife as well. more

Have you visited Hawaii, or encountered marine wildlife, where they live - in the wild? Wild Side Specialty Tours is located on Oahu, they offer personalized dolphin excursions, sea turtle encounters, and sunset cruises. They take you out on their 42 foot catamaran for up-close and personal encounters with Hawaiian Spinner dolphins, maybe even a chance to get into the water and swim with them. The dolphins, turtles and tropical fish are not caged in an enclosure, you are actually with them in their own environment! If you are worried about disturbing their environment (like me) don't worry, WSST follows strict environmental business practices and rules to minimize disturbance to marine wildlife and habitats. While having your vacation with WSST you can also be contributing to the environment because s portion of your fees are donated to the Wild Dolphin Foundation for marine conservation and research. If a nature connection is what you seek, let Wild Side Specialty Tours take you on that journey. Pros: the whole experience! Knowledgeable crew who cared, giving back through active contributions. Rural area away from the city Cons: Rural area about an hour away from Waikiki (but near Ko Olina), need a rental car to get there. more

Marine biologists who care about the wildlife and the rural host community make this an adventure that gives you a Hawaiian sense of place. They have chosen to keep the passenger numbers down on the catamaran creating a setting for immediate friendships among strangers, and to ensure the best experience possible for both people and the wildlife encountered. Wildlife encounters? Magnificent, surreal, safe. Pros: High standards, marine experts, safety and comfort Cons: Hour drive from Waikiki, no transportation, book well in advance !!! more