Wild Side Eco-Adventures

This was one of the best experiences we had in Hawaii. The people were wonderful, had great knowledge of local wildlife, and showed a real passion for what they do. It was an experience we will never forget!

When you first arrive on this side of the island, it is not very impressive and you think, "where am I", but once out on the water the magic begins. This was truly one of those "best day ever" experiences. I have always dreamed of swimming with dolphins, but nothing could have prepared me for the thrill of actually doing it. I was so excited I could hardly breathe. It was pure magic! The guides were friendly and very knowledgeable. The trip is customized for each group, and they really take this to heart. Luckily we had a group that was eager to learn about the habitats and habits of the local wildlife, so it was not only fun, but a learning adventure. Healthy snacks and a delicious lunch just added to the delightful experience. Just make sure if you are driving from Honolulu to give yourself plenty of time, there is traffic in the morning. We stopped at the only ocean view Mcdonalds I 've ever seen on the way for some pretty decent coffee.

Tori and Melissa took us on a relaxed, informative, and TOTALLY great swim with the dolphins. They were informative and helpful to our small group. Individual attention let to great snorkeling for beginners. I would recommend this to everyone.

It has been a dream to swim with the dophins, and when I heard about this cruise and it being a 6 passanger cruise I signed up immediately. Sorkeling around all the dolphins was an amazing experience, one I will never forget. The staff was very accomidating to everyones wants and very plesant to be around. I HIGHLY recommend this tour for anyone who likes some good, fun snorkeling, and who want to do it with sea turtles and dolphins! The one thing you don't get with this tour that you do with larger tour boats is you don't get kicked and smacked by the 50 people around you that are trying to get near the dolphins as well. There was only 1 other couple that we had to share space with and that was worth the money alone! I really wanted to see some turtles but the surf was too strong that day to get to close into where they get cleaned, so the tour guides did what they could to find the turtles that were a little further from shore for us to see. One turtle finally came up to the surface and was just about an arms legnth away swimming with us. It was awesome! I wish the tour was longer, I think it turned out to be about 3 hrs, but still worth every penny!

Tori & Melisa were awesome & informative hosts of the "Best of the West" tour. We were in the middle of around 100 dolphins shortly after leaving the harbor. It was a truly breathtaking experience. We were not able to see any whales, however the group that went out before us saw a couple. It's still a little early in the season. The snorkeling was great & I was a first timer. We were on the way back to the harbor and came upon 10 spinner dolphins (1 with a calf). The group was able to get into the water with snorkeling gear on and swim with the dolphins. I highly recommend this tour to not only those visiting Oahu but also the people that live here.

We had a great time on our honeymoon on the "Best of the West" tour with Wild Side. We had the benefit of a small boat size (6 passengers, 1 captain and 1 crew) which gave us the opportunity to experience the beauty of the ocean on an amazingly personal level. Our captain, Tori and her assistant, Melissa were both incredibly knowledgable about the area's wildlife (which should be a given since they are both marine biologists) and catered to our boat's specific expectations for the tour. They were both eager to show us everything we wanted to see and realistic about our chances of getting close to the wildlife. Swimming with the dolphins was an experience that my wife will never forget. Seeing a live action version of the Discovery channel inches in front of me is an experience I will never forget. Overall, we could not have dreamed of a better experience out on the water than Wild Side.

What a time we had! The fact that there were only six of us and we were all family, made the cruise that much more personal! The sights were amazing. The crew was knowledgeable and very friendly! The wildlife we saw with was beyond any thing I've ever experienced. My wife and our family totally enjoyed ourselves! When we go back to Oahu, we will definetly sail with them again! ~Bear

We booked the "Best of The West" tour which was the small 6 person group and we had a fantastic time. We met some wonderful people, saw some fantastic sea life and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We could not stop talking about what we saw and when we could come back. Our guide in the water was very knowledgeable and ensured we saw as much as possible. There is nothing like looking down to see an entire group of dolphins swimming under you and looking back! I have got to say that out of all the activities we did on our visit to Oahu, this was the best.

I was visiting my brother in hawaii and wanted to do something special for our last day. I chose this company after reading a lot of good reviews and they had a ton of info on their site... it didn't disappoint! they really listened to what the 6 people on the boat wanted to do, they have a number of options and cater to what the group would like to do. Our group really wanted to see and swim with some dolphins and we were lucky enough to find some pods and had a GREAT swim for about 20 minutes with a group of them. it was very magical. i took their advice and left my camera in the boat and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. also they give you a lot of good info about the wildlife and it seems unlike some other tours, really respect the ecosystem. two thumbs up

The Wild West Tour was absolutly amazing! All my life I have wanted to swim with dolphins and have now been luckly enough to experience this. The tour is limited to 6 people and completely worth the price. We were able to drop in the water twice and swim several feet from the dolphins. My husband and I actually found our own pod. Tori and Melissa (our guides) are actual marine biologists. Their knowledge was second to none and it was clear their methods were effective in making the dophins feel comfortable. I would highly recommend this. You are able to swim with dolphins in their natural environment, not in captivity (where they do not belong). This is an experience of a life time!