Wild Side Specialty Tours

05/11/2026

Review from Linda B. back during that stormy March. One of the few days we were able to get out. What a day!

"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! | 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 and the crew got incredible footage!

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!!!!"

03/24/2026

The west side holds a lot—food, history, resilience… and pressure.
After the flooding, access gets harder. Add in the realities of runoff, changing land use, and chemical-intensive systems nearby, and it’s a lot for small farms to carry.

New accounts of farmers’ harrowing escapes overnight, and losses of crops and livestock, continue to come in.

This week we’ve been moving fuel where it’s needed—quiet support for the people still choosing to grow food here, despite it all.

Conservation doesn’t always look like the ocean. Sometimes it looks like backing the hands in the soil, protecting what’s still being cultivated with care, and showing up when it matters.

Farmers impacted by the storms are encouraged to reach out to the USDA Farm Service Agency for support.

Grateful to stand alongside this community.

🌱

02/10/2026

POV: you came for a pilot whales… And the ocean said “how about an Apex predator too?”

During an unforgettable pilot, we’ll encounter, we’re enjoying by a rare oceanic white tip – curious, confident, and absolutely in its element.
Bethany (trained, shark safety diver) calmly held the shark’s attention while Ashley smoothly around it up our guests. No panic. No chaos. Just clear, communication, experience, and respect for the Animal.

The best part?
Our guests were thrilled. They hope to see a shark and see endangered oceanic white tip in the wild is something very few people ever experience.

this is what ethical wildlife encounters look like:
Awareness over a adrenaline
Training over reaction
Awe without interference

wild. Rare. Powerful. And handled exactly as it should be.

🎥

02/10/2026

Sharing!

02/06/2026

Earlier, the dolphins moved alongside her — calmly, at her pace.
Here, both are already inverted, mirroring one another as they drift closer.
Slowly. Deliberately.
Until they meet nose to nose.

Interspecies encounters rarely unfold this way — sustained, mirrored, and unforced.
This is what awareness can look like in the wild.

🎥

01/23/2026

Hawaiian humpback whale calf survived a boat strike!
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Every year thousands of humpback whales migrate to Hawaiian waters for the breeding season. Part of that migration is to give birth and raise the young. The whales are at risk to human and natural threats. The calves are particularly vulnerable due to their increased surface time and smaller size.
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We encountered a mom/calf/escort outside Wai’anae harbor. Unfortunately the young whale was the victim of a boat collision, yet survived where many before it have not. There is a severe, deep injury to the right midsection, and a row of more superficial prop marks behind the head. The shape of the injury could be mistaken for a shark bite, but the prop marks are a clear sign that it was a vessel. The calf’s pale blubber and muscle are exposed, which may lead to risk of infection or predation. The calf’s mobility did not seem hindered, though its fragile, developing bones may have been compromised. However, having survived the initial strike, there is hope! We wish the best for the newborn, and urge mariners to be mindful on the water particularly this time of year.
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Per NOAA federal guidelines: move slowly and stay vigilant for whales that may surface unexpectedly. When near whales, it is illegal to approach within 100yds (150yds for a mom/calf). Recommended speed is 6 knots within 400yds of humpback whales. And report sightings of injured, distressed, entangled, or dead marine mammals in Hawai’i to 888-256-9840.
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Images taken at distance in accordance to federal law using a 400mm telephoto lens. Photo credits to

01/04/2026

This is an important—and sobering—update on the endangered Main Hawaiian Islands false killer whale population. With numbers continuing to decline and so few new individuals documented, long-term photo-ID work and collaboration across the ocean community matter more than ever. We’re honored to contribute sightings and data when these rare encounters occur, and grateful to work alongside researchers and operators committed to understanding and protecting this population. The ocean still holds stories worth documenting—and protecting—together.

How is the endangered main Hawaiian Islands false killer whale population doing? Earlier this year we published a paper showing the population had declined ~3.5% per year since it was listed as endangered in 2012, and the most recent estimate, for 2022, was just 139 individuals. While there may still be one or two encounters from 2025 we have not received photos from, so far in 2025 we have identified just 66 individuals from the population. No newborn individuals were documented in 2025, although two individuals without any identifying markings were documented, possibly for the first time. Both were considered older calves or juveniles and are likely re-sightings of individuals that were born in 2024 or earlier that could not be matched, given they had no identifying markings.

This population is made up of four “clusters” (similar to killer whale pods – long-term groups of related individuals), and there were encounters with all four this year. In November we encountered the rarely-seen Cluster 2 off Kona, and there were four apparently new (slightly-distinctive) individuals documented, although three of the four were adults (and the fourth a sub-adult) – Cluster 2 has been so rarely photographed in recent years that these are all likely individuals that had previously been documented when they were younger and unmarked. To give you an idea of how poorly documented Cluster 2 has been in recent years, one of the individuals we encountered from Cluster 2, HIPc273 in our catalog, was last photographed in 2011! More photos are needed!

For all clusters, when looking just at distinctive or very distinctive individuals, 42 individuals were documented in 2025, all of which had previously been photographed. Only one of the 42 individuals became “distinctive” in 2025, reflecting a very low rate of recruitment to the population.

The greatest single source of identifications from 2025 came from rapid response efforts off Kona led by Colin Cornforth, but in addition to those and encounters during our own dedicated field efforts, we had contributions of photos from 30 different sources. We want to give a particular shout out to Dolphin Excursions Hawai‘i, Wild Side Specialty Tours, Hawaiian Adventures Kona, and Pacific Whale Foundation for major contributions in 2025.
This photo is from our November 2025 Cluster 2 encounter, of HIPc1270 in our catalog, just after capturing a mahi mahi.

If you want more information on our work including false killer whales in particular, check out our 2025 Year in Review https://cascadiaresearch.aflip.in/2025-Year-End-Report.html

12/25/2025

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from Wild Side 🎄🐋🐬

12/22/2025

This morning delivered one of those rare, quietly powerful moments at sea: approximately 30 s***m whales, logging at the surface in a loose congregation, resting and vocalizing in calm blue water. Engines idled, the ocean carried their clicks and codas, and time seemed to slow as we observed these deep-diving giants exactly as they choose to be—peaceful, social, and profoundly present. A mind-blowing encounter that reminds us why respectful, small-group wildlife charters matter.

***mwhales

10/26/2025

🐋The First Humpback of the Season Has Arrived! 🐋

✨Proven Professional✨

Yesterday, we spotted the first humpback whale of the season off Oʻahu’s west coast — such an incredible sight! 💙

While whale sightings will still be infrequent for a few more weeks, they’ll increase steadily until mid-December, when these gentle giants are seen daily on nearly every tour. 🌊

In the meantime, dolphins and sea turtles are out in full force — always ready to greet guests on our ocean safaris! 🐬🐢

If you’ll be visiting Aulani or Ko Olina this fall or winter, now’s the time to plan your adventure with Wild Side Hawaii — a woman-owned, marine-biologist-founded company offering small-group tours (max 8 guests - inquire about larger groups) just minutes from the resort.

💫 Fast, smooth catamaran — no crowds
💫 Shaded seating, private restroom, and fresh-water shower
💫 Guided by real marine biologists and naturalists
💫 Snorkel gear, drinks, snacks — and tons of FUN!

Every trip feels like a live-action Disney Nature adventure — authentic, ethical, and unforgettable. 🌈

✨ Whale season officially ramps up in December, but ocean magic happens here every day.
Reserve early at WildSideHawaii.com before tours fill up!