Wild Side Specialty Tours: Tours with Integrity
Passengers on our intimate journeys are considered our personal guests, who by the end of their journey should be joyful, enlightened, sensitive to the fragility of Hawaii’s marine environment, and have a true sense of place.
We do not seek volume on our tours; we aim only to provide a quality, thought-provoking and potentially life-changing experience. Everyone is welcome, whether you want to nap on the boat's hammock-like trampolines or explore in the water to your heart's content. Our charters are for anyone who hears the call of the ocean.
Wild Side is internationally recognized as a professional, innovative, and successful business conducting environmentally responsible marine interactions.We aggressively participate in environmental protection through education and action, promote sustainable travel and to not just leave footprints as the only impression of our travels through sensitive lands, but to also leave a positive and impassioned impression on high-powered travelers and partners as well.
Giving Back
A portion of your fees are donated to the Wild Dolphin Foundation - for marine conservation and education, regulatory reform, and research. We also embrace a range of strict environmentally-based business practices to minimize disturbance to marine wildlife and habitat. Wild Side adheres to the IWC's General Principles for Whalewatching to minimise the risks of adverse impacts of whalewatching on cetaceans.
We also work collaboratively with Cascadia Research Collective to whom we submit our photos taken of marine wildlife for abundance and distribution analysis. We have also donated to Ma'o Farms and Kanu Hawaii.
Wild Side's Green Travel - Best Practices
We owe an Ocean of Gratitude to all who have supported our efforts and strive for sustainability in their own lives. Wild Side Specialty Tours is honored to report our efforts below:
- Mooring safe for reefs and wildlife
- Reduce, Reuse and Recycle We use earth-friendly cleaning products, recycled paper and packaging. We use worm composting to recycle paper and the nutrients from our galley waste.
- Low-sulfur diesel fuel combined with best practices - such as GPS guided direct routes.
- Vessels outfitted with low flow toilets
- Removing encountered marine debris when possible, or otherwise reporting it to proper officials.
- Contributing to local non-profits, and employing folks from our own community.
- Office help works out of the their homes rather than drive.
- “Virtual Office” is virtually paperless
- Actively participate in marine issues on both local and national levels.
- Buying locally whenever possible; locally grown, seasonal food items on the Best of the West and Sunset charters.
In-Water Best Practices
As marine operators, we will attempt to avoid influencing the natural behavior of any marine life, and will encourage our guests to do the same. It is our intention to provide as natural a viewing experience as possible for our guests while interacting with the marine environment. Everyone will:
- Be aware of our body and equipment so as to avoid contact with the reef or other marine life.
- Not approach any marine life within arm’s reach for any reason.
- Not approach turtles within 1 body length and will avoid impeding a turtle’s path to the surface for breathing.
- Protect ourselves and marine life and their habitat by not FEEDING them to; make animals less aggressive, protect marine life from ingesting harmful foods, protect the balance of the marine ecosystem, and let the fish do their job.
- Apply sunscreen 20 minutes before entering the water.
- Use biodegradable defog.
We believe that increasing the sustainability of natural systems is not just good business, it's the right thing to do.
Wild Side Specialty Tours is based on the Not-Just-For-Profit business model.
AWARDS
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