Dolphin Safari: Intimate Marine Wildlife Tour

Explore ocean wildlife with biologists on a luxury catamaran. Enjoy personalized, ethical encounters with nature, tailored to your interests.

Duration: 3 hours, 15 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Wild Side Specialty Tours - Small Group Swimming with Dolphins Oahu Boat Tours - Where comfort meets discovery, and excitement is always just beneath the surface.
    Enjoy a spacious power catamaran featuring shaded seating, sunny decks, and multiple viewing areas—from the bow to the elevated observation deck. It includes a private onboard restroom…
What's Included
  • Snacks
  • Use of snorkeling equipment
  • Carbonated beverages
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
  • Towels and Refillable Water Bottle
Additional Information

Escape the crowds with our intimate 10-guest, semi-private tours. Departures are available at 7 and 11 am. Enjoy private bathrooms, shade, comfort, and swift travel to areas where dolphins, turtles, whales, flying fish, and pilot whales freely roam. Each excursion is tailored in real-time to match wildlife conditions and the interests of your group—no…

Location
Wild Side Specialty Tours - Small Group Swimming with Dolphins Oahu Boat Tours
Farrington Highway
Please meet us a the A Pier gate of the Waianae Small Boat Harbor Free Parking
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(32 Ratings)
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Kevinl1906
Feb 16, 2026
Excellent family time - What a wonderful cruise we had, much time was given to anybody with questions about wildlife. Nothing was to much and the two guides Niki and Connor (I will probably misspell this) were excellent. They had everybody always under guidance and were helping where necessary. Special attention for our little girl of 8y old was given when shortly needed, they were really calm and listening. Thank you so much for an adventure we will never forget
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870anner
Feb 14, 2026
Best of the West is Best - My Best of the West tour was amazing! Inclement weather caused my first booking to be cancelled, but the WildSide team got me booked on another day and it did not disappoint. The captain and crew were welcoming, friendly, engaging and knowledgeable. We saw humpbacks, turtles and lots of fish - plenty of snorkeling time in the water. I would have been happy to spend the entire day out on and in the water with them!
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222carrieannc
Feb 14, 2026
What a blessing! - We had an excellent time whale and spinner dolphin watching. At one point the whales unexpectedly swam right underneath the boat so we immediately stopped to let them pass. It was so exciting! We weren’t prepared to swim/snorkel, but Connor encouraged us to just jump in clothes and all, so we did. My 6 year old granddaughter has been very sad and stressed lately with her mom’s health issues so this was such a blessing for her to experience this relaxing and exciting moment to lift her little spirits. Mickey was so kind and helpful with her. She took her time listening to her chattering. The captain did an excellent job on the wavy waters. They provided snacks, drinks, and delicious fruit on the way back. I’m so grateful for WSST for their exceptional hospitality. We will definitely bring back the rest of the family! Mahalo!
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Lb391
Feb 6, 2026
What a great time with a double adventure! - I love doing water snorkeling adventures and seeing whales, dolphins and turtles. This trip did not disappoint. I actually did two half tours in a row because the full day adventure was not available that day. We were so lucky that the first time out we saw humpbacks! It was incredible. Remember that wildlife is wild and there are no prescheduled shows. It is up to the wildlife if they will be there or not. All one can do is to look for them and cross your fingers! That first time we saw a lot whale action and one even came close to the boat! We tried to swim with the dolphins but that wasn’t too successful. However, we had such a good time with the whales! The second time I went the same day the whales were hiding but the dolphins were really out and about! We jumped in the first time but we were not quick enough but the second time, wow! I had my go pro with me but I am not accomplished at using it yet. I thought I had gotten a video of me swimming along side a group of dolphins but I may have messed that up. However, I have that great memory! We even got to see two turtles on our back to the harbor. I have been on many whale watching tours but what was so nice about this one is that they have a limited number of people on board. There is no crowding which is enchanting! BTW-Oahu was coming off a big storm and even through it had passed the waters were still a bit rough at times. We had been disappointed that our other water adventures (two different companies) were canceled on Monday and Tuesday. It would have been crazy and unsafe. Also, if you go right after a storm the water is still too clouded to see properly as we found out with another vendor doing Turtle Canyon tours. We couldn’t see anything and the waves were too strong. Remember, if tours cancel for weather it is good that they do cancel as you would not be able to see anything and cross your fingers for positive energy that the wildlife will come out of hiding to see you!!!! I am having trouble loading photos.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Laurencd5566vt
Jan 25, 2026
Awesome experience - This was such an incredible experience. The crew on board were such a pleasure to be around and so generous with time in the water. We saw so many dolphins, whales, and a turtle. The landscapes are beautiful throughout and it was so intimate and felt different to other whale watching tours. Would definitely recommend!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Roddycheeks
Jan 21, 2026
Breathtaking experience - One of the best experiences of our lives. Bethany and Mickey were fabulous guides and so informative. Seeing the whales and listening to their songs through the underwater microphone was something we will never forget. Cannot recommend highly enough.
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Brooklynspydercat
Jan 20, 2026
Best Tour Boat on O'ahu - We live on O'ahu and have been on several snorkel tours in Hawaii and this is one of the best. Everyone on board is extremely knowledgeable (some are even marine biologists) and all are very capable. The captain is also a pro and really nice. They are safe and explain everything well. Their snacks on board are great and the crowd size is perfect. Definitely worth the price.
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Kirak864
Jan 18, 2026
Perfect!!! - We had the best time! The guides and boat captains were the best! They knew the answers to all our questions (there were tons), pointed out all the things, and you could tell they were having as much fun as we were. I loved the small groups of this company, we had 8 in our group! I can not ever tell you all the different things we saw, I will be back to visit them again.
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F8457rbjoelh
Jan 17, 2026
Whale watch and snorkel - The trip was amazing! The staff were very helpful and professional. We highly recommend the experience. This was our second trip with them and we’re scheduling again.
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Evewilsonb
Jan 15, 2026
Great Trip - I loved being on a smaller boat than other snorkel sails I’ve taken. The dolphins were right under my feet as I stood at the front of the boat. And a whale surfaced about as close as it could diagonally to the right in front of where I was standing. A turtle surfaced very close as well. Many great whale sitings including baby and breaching whales. In the small boat it felt intimate with the wildlife. I got answers to some pelagic bird identifications I’d been seeking too. It was a very cold morning. So when the 20 foot high swells kept us from snorkeling it was less of a disappointment than if it had been warm. But overall I felt very content and grateful for the many sitings we had and the fun of riding those big swells in a small boat.
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From $245
up to 8 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).