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 comfortable cruise with options for shaded seating or sunny decks. Relax on the bow with dolphin companions or ascend to the flybridge for a panoramic view. The boat features a…
What's Included
  • Snacks
  • Use of snorkeling equipment
  • Carbonated beverages
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
  • Towels and Refillable Water Bottle
  • SCUBA dive option is an add-on activity and we will need advance notice and coordination
  • Personal Guide - great for first-time snorkelers or families with very young children
Additional Information

Escape the crowds with intimate 8-person, 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 fixed…

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
(17 Ratings)
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L5572gekarene
Nov 29, 2025
Soooooo Much Fun!! - We were on the sunset tour 11/27/25. Had a delightful, beautiful trip seeing dolphins turtles, and snorkling. Captain Kim and her female crew were the BEST, even handling a minor health related emergency with haste and efficiency. No lasting problems. We all would love to sail with them again!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Frederick_g
Nov 28, 2025
Small group tour with amazing guides!! - What an amazing experience!! It was so great to be in a small group, on a clean boat, with knowledgeable and attentive guides. Wild Side is connected to a dolphin research and conservation group, so the information from the guides was very informative about the behavior of the marine life as well as best practices for conservation. They collected photos and behavioral data for the researchers during the trip, which made it feel like we were contributing to the conservation of the dolphins as well as enjoying being so close to them. We swam with dolphins at three locations, as well as with a huge sea turtle closer to shore. The gear was excellent and they had prescription masks for snorkeling (-3 and -5), which were really effective. Overall, I would say it was well worth the extra money. We saw the other tours, which were larger groups and less good boats, and we were very happy to be with Wild Side!
Review provided by Viator
Criticalscout
Nov 19, 2025
Gooooooooooooooo !!!!!! - Loved it! These guys are the real deals. It’s about nature and not like the other clowns who tend to chase dolphins just to appease their guest. Friendly, knowledgeable help full. In short they are small but great in service. I cannot give them high enough praise.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Chrisfs3254eg
Nov 6, 2025
Magical Tour - Wonderful day on the water! Felt like a personalized experience with only 8 guests, 2 crew and the captain. Boat had enough room for everyone without feeling crowded. They worked hard to create a memorable experience for us and we were able to get into the water twice with Spotted Dolphins. Magical to see them swim off the bow and a baby was part of the pod! Saw a suspected pod of Bottlenose Dolphins from afar, but they were elusive. Flying fish put on a show, with Tuna jumping to try and catch a snack. Got a bit of reef time for some fish and a turtle. Our kids loved it and we look forward to the next opportunity to tour with Wild Side again. Appreciated their ethical approach to the animals and super knowledgeable & educated crew. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
W4233rijulieb
Nov 4, 2025
Truly a wildlife safari! Amazing experience! - This was the most amazing tour! Felt like we were on a wildlife expedition! Saw spotted dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, false killer whales, and of course turtles and reef fish. Had the opportunity to be in the water with one of the dolphin groups as they cruised by, which was so surreal! The crew (Flo, Bethany and Conner) were fabulous! So much knowledge to share about the marine mammals in the area, so friendly and genuinely happy to be there. We so much appreciated their perspective, and the great enthusiasm they had for what they were doing. If you are looking for a booze cruise party boat, this is not the tour for you… If what you want is an intimate, small group experience, seeing some amazing things with people who have incredible in-depth knowledge and experience, and a truly appreciative respect for the ocean and the environment, then these are your people! Hands down one of the best experiences on a Hawaiian boat tour we have ever had. Highly recommend them! It’s worth the drive out to the West shore just for this. Thanks so much for a memorable experience!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
O9422eaashleyd
Sep 28, 2025
Best snorkeling tour!! - As an adventurous family, we love supporting small businesses that make a difference. This tour company was absolutely amazing. The guides, Mickey and Bethany were so knowledgeable, and just as excited as us to find wildlife! They were so patient with my first time snorkeling Ten year old, and mad either a point to make our tour magical. They also provided snacks and drinks. I feel like this was the safest and most family friendly tour in the area!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sandraat4906of
Aug 31, 2025
Definitely a top choice! Amazing crew! - Wild Side crew was extremely professional. Dophins were hiding that day, all the boats found it challenging to find the pods, but they stuck to it and made sure we stayed out until they delivered our the sightings! Was exactly what we wanted to see to check this off our Hawaiian adventure to do list! Such a friendly bunch, you really feel part of the crew.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
A5971cxcarolm
Aug 23, 2025
Must Do when Visiting Oahu! - This was by far the most amazing experience I’ve had in the water. Being able to see the pilot whales and dolphins while in the water with them was 10/10! We did see a shark and at no time did I feel scared or in danger. Just followed Bethany’s directions! We will go back. If you do anything while visiting Oahu, do this!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Laurann727
Aug 22, 2025
A spectacular time! - Our half day with Wild Side Specialty tours was incredible. We saw and swam with pilot whales which were incredible to see underwater. Then we went to a snorkel spot and were visited by a tremendously large pod of spinner dolphins. Finally on the way back we ran into a large pod of bottle nose dolphins with three babies with them that swam alongside our boat for a good while. I was so glad I could share this experience with my family. The tour leaders (2 females and a male captain - sorry I don’t remember their names!) were excellent! They were so professional and gave us great information about the animals. Even better they made me feel completely safe (and I was a bit nervous going into the trip). Highly recommended. It will be the first thing I book if I ever return to Oahu again.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Thesmithfamilytravel
Aug 21, 2025
Dolphin Palooza! - We had an amazing time! We saw so many dolphins and were able to get in the water with them twice. We also saw turtles and lots of fish!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $245
up to 8 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).