-
March 2024 by Carrie McGlaughlin
Our family of 5 boarded the Alaka'i for a 3 hour Whale watching tour. Little did we realize that this was going to turn out to be the highlight of our trip to Oahu.It was a windy day and the sea was neither calm or angry. The captain was friendly and inviting and her skill with the boat was obvious as well as her knowledge how to find the sea life desired. The crew were knowledgeable skilled and a ton of fun. They were constantly making sure we were having the time of our lives. If you are looking for an intimate Whale watching tour this would be my choice. 5 out of 5 Stars for the Captain and her crew!
-
March 2024 by Alexandra Whittey
The all-female crew was knowledgeable, accommodating, intuitive and down to earth. They helped us feel cared for and safe in order to experience our journey to its fullest. We couldn’t have wished for a better excursion.
-
February 2024 by Tania Womack
Best experience ever! We saw multiple hump backed whales - including calves - and the calves were breaching!! The crew couldn't believe it and said they had never seen calves breach so many times. Usually just a couple times and then they tire out. We saw multiple mother and calf couples and were thrilled!!We also had bottle nosed dolphins and we snorkled with turtles and beautiful fish - we were fortunate to have the wildlife trifecta - I'd like to believe it was because it was my birthday - the crew certainly believed it to be true.The all women crew was exceptional So knowledgeable, professional and fun!The weather was great - overcast and comfortable and the seas were favorable enough for the captain to take us all the way past Kaena point - so we could see even more whales and both sides of the island!We highly recommend this cruise! Being with an organization that is so dedicated to research, as well as educating the public was the deciding factor before we took the cruise - now, we can definitely recommend them for the wonderful time they provide for their guests!
-
February 2024 by Stefan Johnson
My experience on the morning Best of the West boat ride on 2/13/24 was terrific! The operators on the boat, Bethany, Micky, Leah, were all so kind, and knowledgeable and respectful of each of the sea creatures we came across. They did a great job of helping everyone understand the natural environment along the shores of Oahu. We saw humpback whales (i even saw one breach but my autofocus wasn't fast enough!), swam past a pod of pilot whales, and snorkeled at some reefs to see the turtles being cleaned by the fish. Unreal!
-
February 2024 by Leland P
We had a great trip out with the crew this morning. Saw some humpback whales right away and a ton of dolphins. Got to swim with the dolphins twice. Great excursion with just five of us on board.
-
February 2024 by K R
We had an excellent time on our cruise! Our tour guides were so gracious, informative and just made the whole experience so e joyable! Having an experience with just 6 people is so nice, you are able to get personal attention, the boat is not crowded and the day is catered to what your group is looking for. We were provided a lovely lunch, saw so many dolphins, swimming, jumping, babies, it was incredible! The group snorkeling also saw turtles. I tried snorkeling, but it was not for me and they were so patient and helpful in calming me, I always felt safe and this did not take away from the experience as it was just a small part of it for me. I would recommend Wild Side Specialty Tours to anyone looking for an excellent adventure! Plus, I loved that they offer a photo package so you can just enjoy the tour!
-
February 2024 by Jaime Oropeza
Highly highly recommend!!! It is so personal and worth every dollar (small group vs. tours with 50+ people). Side note, the weather was not working with us this morning and the crew put it in our hands if we wanted to try and see if we can see whales- we decided to roll the dice... our day was AMAZING (we even got a mug shot ?), the whales were beautiful, we could not ask for a better day. The crew even had unexpected treats for us when we docked back in. Thank you Wild Side Crew, we loved your knowledge and absolute respect for these animals.Human side note- the crew is very kind to their passengers, they made it crystal clear if we were not good with the conditions on sea to please speak up so we can go back... we had someone who was not 100% comfortable moving around, Bethany took her by the hand and escorted her to different places on the boat so she can have the full experience... Hawaiian Aloha! ?
-
February 2024 by Shannon Coyne
Went out with Conner and Leah on 2/12/2024 and it was amazing. They are both extremely knowledgeable. The trip was wonderful and they pretty much asked us what we wanted and were very accommodating. We saw a bunch of whales and when we snorkeled we had sea turtles. They made sure we were always comfortable and did whatever was in their power to make our trip memorable. Definitely will be recommending them to everyone that is headed this way.The lunch is yummy as well!Mahalo
-
February 2024 by Pat Soderberg
We were lucky enough to see whales within 10 minutes of leaving the dock.The crew and captain were very knowledgeable and ecologically based in their tour. They focus on small groups (6) for the safety of the wildlife and customer experience. We saw plenty of dolphins, swam in their vicinity as well as snorkeling on the reefs with turtles and beautiful fish.An Excellent experience and a yummy lunch afterwards!
-
February 2024 by Mateo Headrick
This is an aquatic ecotourist's dream. A more intimate glimpse into the lives and behaviors of our Ocean's most majestic animals. The larger tour groups, lack the "Personal" treatment you receive from this talented, informative and caring crew and Captain. There were only 6 passengers! The videographer captured some amazing footage for the clients.Highly recommend.
-
February 2024 by Natasha Martin
There really are no words to describe this experience!! Captain Mel, Bethany and Conner were amazing!! We loved that it was just our family of 6. Not only did we see hundreds of humpback whales. We saw sea turtles, hammerhead shark, and the most beautiful sunset on our whale's tails and sunset sails Cruise. There was a huge concern that we weren't even going to be able to go out on the cruise that day as the weather had not been very cooperative throughout our state on Oahu. Somehow we were blessed and we were able to get out on the water. The crew mentioned that for the past 3 weeks that taking the boat out was hit or miss and very unpredictable. The boat crew was let in on a little secret that my daughter's boyfriend was going to propose on this excursion and they captured it perfectly with humpback whales in the background!! Although we have not received our photo package back yet as we just went on the cruise just a couple days ago. I highly recommend paying for the professional photos that they do. It allows you to live in the moment and experience all of the beautiful things that are happening around you. We were able to drop a microphone down into the water and I can't even tell you how many whales we could hear. Absolutely stunning!! This was a 10 out of 10 excursion and I would highly recommend it to anybody!! Photos added are just a couple that I was able to take until we can get our professional photos back!!
-
February 2024 by Valerie Miranda
My excursion was cancelled due to weather when the weather was fine. I tried to reach out to confirm the cancellation and nobody responded.
-
February 2024 by Lauren LaFortune
My family and I, including my 85 yo father, had a fantastic and unforgettable trip with Wild Side Tours in early 1/2024. We saw dolphins, breaching whales (even saw 2 whales breaching at the same time!), and we snorkeled with turtles and fish that came to our fingertips! Bethany and her team were amazing with my father and made sure he had the best experience possible, even helping him to the front deck of the boat. Definitely get the photo package. I was blown away by the quality of the pics and how well everyone looked in them. Don’t miss out on this experience
-
February 2024 by Daryl Andreades
I really enjoyed our morning tour. It was excellent to spend time with people who are passionate about their subject. Brittany is an experienced marine biologist and we learned a tremendous amount from her.Captain Mel did a terrific job of navigating to great spots along the western side of Oahu.We saw a small pod of bottlenose dolphins, a mama humpback whale with her calf, an adolescent hammerhead shark and a couple of sea turtles. Although we didn't have the opportunity to snorkel, since the water was murky and the sea was choppy,...the tour went by so quickly and we really had fun.This is a safe & professional excursion, it was a small group of 5 guests (with 4 crew) & it was a great value for the price!Thank you Wild Side Tours ?
-
February 2024 by Cindy Connine
This was a fabulous trip. Small group of six, very personable and highly knowledgeable crew, amazing sightings of whales, dolphins, turtles (one while snorkeling, one that was swimming), fish and a ray (while snorkeling). Highly, highly recommend. On top of everything else, they permitted us to reschedule our trip after we messed up the date (so many thanks for that!). The absolute highlight of the trip for me was when Connor dropped a microphone into the bay we were in, the engines were turned off and we could hear whale song. I never thought I would hear these creatures live. Thanks for a great experience!!!!!
