Frequently Asked Questions - Our Trips in General

What is unique about your tours?

Our team of marine biologists share their life's passions with you; cruising and snorkeling in rural Hawaiian areas and educating the public while protecting the wildlife found.

We (and the animals) prefer the comfort, intimacy and safety of small groups, as compared to the "pile 'em on" busload -atmosphere . Likewise, each charter is different than the day before, 'your way' maximizing what you want to do, and what that particular day has to offer - vs. a pre-determined "first A, then B, and on to C" day.. Also, proceeds from your rates are donated to the Wild Dolphin Foundation to help conserve the animals that we encounter (as gently as possible) and their habitats.

What differentiates Wild Side Specialty's whale and dolphin tours from other companies - according to one guest's review, (out of the mouths of babes):

1. Staff's passion, love for and expert knowledge (marine-biologists!) about the marine life <seasoned interpretation vs. memorized factoids over a PA system)
2. Attention to safety, including limiting the number of participants based on safety and quality, rather than how many the boat can hold.
3. Willingness to understand and meet guests' expectations and requests
4. Again, the small number of passengers ensuring comfort on the boat, as well as flexibility to make "on-the-spot" decisions in changing situations on the sea and personalized attention and itineraries.
5. Quality over quantity, cruise to remote areas for better encounters and generally stay clear of crowded tourist areas.

Thanks for the useful review!

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What is the difference between the Best of the West and the Morning Wildlife Cruise?

For the charm of a more personal interaction, the Best of the West (BOW) is the exclusive, luxury edition of the Morning Wildlife Cruise. While the Morning Wildlife Cruise has the nearshore dolphin/turtle/snorkeling (and the seasonal humpbacks) focus, the Best of the West adds in the exclusive offshore journeys to experience the various other year-round dolphin and whale species that inhabit Hawaii’s waters, and being only six passengers onboard is truly 'your trip, your way'.

Both trips take advantage of taking place during the better morning hours - more reliable wildlife encounters, better weather - cooler in the sumnmer, calmer seas in the winter.

This Best of the West is how the owners and crew would (and do) through seasoned knowledge, a boat chosen to take advantage of this, personally take their family or friends out to experience Hawaii's oceanic life. On this tour, you not only have less passengers to compete with (3- 6 total), you often have no other tour boats.

While both cruises offer exceptionally stable, unintrusive vessels; the BOW (Alaka'i) has the flexibility (no following cruise to get back to the dock for)), and speed to leave impacted areas behind and go to where magic happens. With so much to do and wildlife to see, we often hear the desire to stay out even longer. Therefore, we now offer full and multi-day (live-aboard!) cruises on our Untamed Expeditions.

The Morning Wildlife Cruise takes place on the Island Spirit, a larger, heavier (more stable) vessel with more ambiance, as compared to the Alaka'i (Best of the West vessel) which is more of high end 'sports car'. For instance, the Island Spirit has two trampolines to lie on (vs. none on BOW), wide stable pathways to the front of the boat (vs, narrow w/ steps on BOW), and a drop down staircase (vs. ladder on BOW), making it more of a family-friendly adventure tour.

After a morning swim on the Best of the West, Tori's infamous chicken sandwiches (vegetarian upon request) are served with local "grinds" such as pineapple, mango salsa, and macadamia shortbread cookies. Both charters include snacks (granola bars, fruit, etc.), and a variety non-alcoholic drinks. Both charters take place in the morning hours to take advantage of the best weather, and usually wildlife encounters, of the day..

All of our cruises share a portion of proceeds and/or boat space with the Wild Dolphin Foundation.

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What's the difference between the Whale-opolis Whale Watch and the other Whale-watching Charters?

While the Whale-opolis tours are similar in nature to the Best of the West offerings, including the personalization of a six passenger limit - the main differences are:

1. Whale-opolis charters are exclusivley focused on whale watching, going to the best whales watching areas in the state. Part of the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, the Penguin Banks, is located about 1.5 - 2 hours south of Honolulu - and the has the largest population and the most magnificent humpback whales in Hawaii. If the weather is not conducive to that sail, then the SE shores are one of the prime whale watching spots on Oahu. There isn't another whale watching boat on Oahu (or Hawaii for that matter) that targets these areas. It takes the right boat, crew, and a lot of gas!

2. Snorkeling is not a given- though not ruled out. If there is time, say during lunch or we have seen every whale behavior possible, then we may round out our adventure with snorkeling sites - such as turtle grazing areas on coral reefs, or swimming near wild dolphins (!). Or even jumping in the water with Manta Rays or Whale Sharks, you never know what wildlife there is to be found within the diversity of the Penguin Banks.

3. The Whale-opolis tours are only offered with a humpback whale focus from Dec. - May, and must have at least four paying passengers (we mix and match). However, we continue to offer them for other marine mamals on our year-round whale watching (see chart below dor other possible encounters).

4. They take place on the 50' (57' LOA) yacht Nautilus, which has the stability and comfort to go where we need to go for the best whale action in the state. Large open space and plenty of room to move around enables fantastic pictures. Since we still participate in photo identifications of the wildlife we encounter, we are also happy to share the professional shots that we get.

5. They depart and return from our Waikiki / Honolulu location,vs. the west coast departure of tour other boat tours, giving most people more time onboard and less time driving.

6. These 7 1/2 hour(7:30 am - 2 pm), six passenger charters run $295 per person and include both breakfast and BBQ lunch.
   

What kinds of things will we be able to do and see on your cruises?

Our adventures give you the opportunity to observe, photograph, snorkel with and learn about the marine life here in our own backyard, the Pacific Ocean. We encounter green sea turtles, 18 different species of dolphins and whales, flying fish, rays, tropical fish, coral reefs, whale sharks and more. You will be part of an ongoing mission to conserve these marine creatures as data is gathered both onboard and underwater.

Swimming with dolphins (a focus on all but the Jr Naturalist and Whale-opolis cruises): Only in Hawaii and a few other places world wide, do opportunities exist to experience dolphins that are truly wild, not trained or hand-fed, but allow us to observe them of their own accord. Please note that as our coastal waters have recently been confronted with the global phenomena of "loving nature to death (e.g. Orcas in the Pacific Northwest)" we are very finicky about when, how or even if we will put people in the water with the dolphins. Please trust our judgment if wildlife encounters are better experienced onboard than in the water. We are usually also able to swim with turtles and other sealife.

Whale watching takes place year round (except for charters on the Island Spirit - only seasonal humpbacks on that boat) with interpretation by marine biologists, who are also gathering data on whale populations abundance and distribution on the islands that we visit..

Snorkeling Coral Reefs with Tropical Fish and Turtles

Education

REEF surveys are also taken while snorkeling with the turtles and other tropical reef inhabitants to monitor the health of this diverse ecosystems.

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Are your activities ran as separate tours? If not, can someone request to do one specific activity?

Most often we experience all activities offered onboard each cruise. There are some seasons that are better for certain activities than for others. For example, big winter waves would lead to to potential snorkeling limitations and humpback whales are usually only seen in winter and spring months (there are other year-round whales).

Any of our vessels may be available to be chartered privately. While all of our tours are "your way", the Jr Naturalist (first) and the Morning Wildlife Cruise (second) would be least so, due to more people onboard to satisfy (majority rules)

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Do we need to be strong swimmers, wear life jackets, or wear wetsuits?

We are land based mammals attempting to be marine mammals, so there is a certain liability inherent in this activity. It is imperative that we be made aware of any medical or physical limitations of members in your party, preferably upon booking.

Due to increased visitation, it is becoming increasingly difficult to have that magical one-on-one experience swimming with the dolphins. Behaviors are showing that with increasing frequency dolphins prefer and are more attentive to boats, then to swimmers in the water.

Your best experience may then be to stay on the boat, where you will be able to see the dolphins and their behaviors better, closer, and for longer amounts of time. Given that the dolphins are also very aware of any predators in the water, this may also be the safest route!

Dolphins are often better viewed from the higher elevation onboard. A few feet above the water can make a big difference, and aerial behaviors (spins, leaps, etc.) are always seen better from that elevation! The clarity of the water will still allow you to look down and effortlessly observe the dolphin's underwater antics from the deck or lying on the trampolines.

We do require that everyone who gets into the water wear a provided safety belt (the person in the picture at the bottom of the page is wearing one). We require them for safety and visibility (so we can see you). They are only an inch thick and about 3 or 4 inches wide. They do not hinder swimming since they fit around the waist rather than the torso, and water can pass between you and the belt without restricting forward movement.

That said, and if conditions warrant, calm and strong swimmers do seem to have the highest "success" rate with the dolphins. Those people who seem to have "animal sense"; are alert, observant, good at reading body language, and position themselves correctly (requiring less physical effort), also do well.

Dolphins generally avoid people displaying aggressive ("charging") behavior. There is an art to the method which is often hard to accomplish in the short 1/2 day time span available. If this is your "life dream" you may want to schedule a few trips to ensure (or increase your odds) that this is realized. Private charters will also give you more personalized attention, and less "competition".

Snorkeling at the reef is much less "rule" or physically intensive and equally enjoyable with the myriads of tropical fish and turtles. Floaters are welcome! We do all we can to make our passengers familiar and comfortable with snorkeling. However, the best bet is to practice snorkeling at home, the hotel pool, or even the bathtub (!) before you come. Your comfort level in the water will increase dramatically.

Because of the high heat output from the body during active swimming (such as with dolphins), a water temperature of 72 to 75°F is acceptable. With a lower level of activity (snorkeling), a water temperature of 75 to 80°F may be desirable. “Our” water is normally around 76-77 degrees in the winter and up to 82 degrees in the summer/fall.

Are there age limits?

We do offer fabulous family adventures, and respectfully experiencing wild dolphins in their own environment may positively influence your child's future attitude and choices toward wildlife and natural resources. They will certainly be able to make the difference between this incredible adventure and a touch pool or a dolphin show.

However, children 12 and older (age 7+ on the Morning Wildlife Cruise or Jr Naturalist Program) are much preferred on shared charters. If you pay for all six seats on the other charters, it's usually fine to bring younger children onboard, though children under seven are rarely allowed aboard the Nautilus (not a child proof boat). WSST does not provide a discounted children’s rate.

This age limit is not related to swimming ability (not many adults are “good” swimmers), as much as it is about your child’s ability to assimilate well with adults. Otherwise, and especially if we should be getting in the water near wildlife, timing can be critical and we need everyone to listen to and follow direction, be responsive and ready to move when needed. Many children have trouble transitioning quickly, and/or have other more pressing needs at inopportune times. If your child is onboard with those skills (we wish all adults were!), and somewhere near 12, they may be welcome.

Minors under 18 years of age must have a parent or legal guardian present onboard for all activities. Any youth attending a WSST activity as part of a larger function with parents/guardians not in attendance (a soccer team for example), the parents/guardian of the minor child must sign and send a WSST Risk Waiver Form with minor/s

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I don't want to be shark bait!

Did you know that "Jaws" is still rated the #1 scariest movie of all times? This movie has really given sharks a bad rap. Less than one shark attack occurs per year on average in Hawaii. This attack rate is surprisingly low considering that tens of thousands of people swim, surf and dive in Hawaiian waters every day. Despite these statistics, shark attacks remain a highly emotionally charged topic. Although the odds are mighty slim that you would even see one of the shy, elusive and fast becoming endangered creatures, here's some tips that may help you feel better.

"Sharks have always been feared since time immemorial and shark attacks can be terrible, but they are few and far between. The media greatly hype shark attacks and few people realize how rare they are... almost anything is more likely to kill human beings than sharks. " PETER BENCHLEY, author of "Jaws"

However, our ocean is home to sharks, albeit the fearsome predators are usually offshore and not near the areas we frequent. Local residents stress, "Anytime you enter the ocean, you just got lower in the food chain." This again highlights the reason that we don't guarantee swimming with dolphins. Imagine we see the dolphins acting somewhat sketchy (shark present?), but we have to consider giving money back, return trips, etc., over your safety?

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Is it hard to get in and out of the water?

Getting on and off the boat is fairly easy. On the Island Spirit we have a “staircase” type of ladder that we lower down between the pontoons. The angle is adjustable to ease the on/off process for the passengers. Below is a person at the bottom of the ladder looking up into the boat. You can see the angle is quite reasonable for most people. Our other boats have ladders similar to getting out of the deep end of a pool, they are not quite as easy as the ladder below.

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