Dolphin Swim Programs in Hawaii, Oahu and Kauai and the Big Island

October 11, 2006 by Lisa
Filed under: Big Island, Big Island Activities, Dolphins, Oahu, Oahu Activities, Plants and Animals, Vacation Planning

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Years ago I was able to swim with dolphins (in a rescue program?) in a closed lagoon at a posh resort on the Big Island, for $50 if I remember correctly. Now my wife is interested but we are not headed that way. Heading to Oahu and Kauai end of November. Do you know of any other program like that?

On the Big Island, you probably did the Dolphin Quest at the Hilton Waikoloa Village. These days, it’s more like $200 though :) . I don’t believe there is any such program on Kauai, but on Oahu, you have the Dolphin Quest at the Kahala Hotel and Resort and the Sea Life Park has a dolphin swim program too. I can’t say which would be ‘better’ but I know in the past if the dolphin gives the OK you could hold onto their fin and get a ride at Sea Life Park, which is something the Dolphin Quest does not do.

Comments

3 Comments on Dolphin Swim Programs in Hawaii, Oahu and Kauai and the Big Island

  1. Joy Hunter on Wed, 9th May 2007 3:30 am

    2. I came upon this company on the internet as I was searching for things to do in Oahu particularly with Dolphin encounters…Although the price seemed a bit high I figured that this was a rare opportunity to do something different for a change and the website said that onboard the boat would be marine biologists plus a portion of your money is going toward the preservation of marine wildlife so I decided to take it up. I felt a little bit bad because we actually arrived about ten minutes late but when we arrived the crew was also waiting for another couple who had gotten lost so we also had to wait for them before we could take off so I felt a bit better knowing we were not the only ones who were late. But the crew were actually very cool about it. They decided to extend the trip a half hour for the time lost. I actually don’t think I could have found a better experience elsewhere! The boat crew were extremely nice and cool people. We got to have two encounters- first was the swim with hawaiian spinner dolphins which was so amazing! They were so close you could have touched them! There were also quite a few of them. Everyone on the boat was raving about what they got to see as we all got back on the boat. Next we headed off to this area where the giant sea turtles go to clean the buildup off their shells on the rocks. There were probably about eight sea turtles there. I even swam right along with one for a good two minutes or so….it didn’t seem to mind me…..It was totally awesome! I was less than five inches away at times but was careful to not actually touch it. The three hour trip seemed like it went by in a half hour…that’s how much fun this trip was! Extremely well worth the price! Also boat wasn’t overcrowded and it was a very personable experience. Funny thing was my fiance and I had arranged for this trip on the 2nd day of our 5 day trip to Oahu and the other passengers on the boat who had already been in Oahu for a couple of days said that this was the best thing they had done since they had arrived. What a way to kick off our vacation, huh?

  2. Joy Hunter on Fri, 28th Sep 2007 5:34 pm

    3. The company name for the wild dolphin swim is Wild Side Specialty Toura http://sailhawaii.com

  3. Dawn and Lynn on Wed, 19th Mar 2008 4:42 am

    4. We also found Wild Side and this was the recent letter we sent them after our trip in March 2008:

    “My partner and I were in Oahu 3-5-08 thru 3-12-08 for a little vacation. We had seen and done a lot on this trip from seeing Melissa Etheridge in concert to snorkeling in Hanauma Bay but the one activity we did do was the late morning adventure on the Wild Side. I want to Thank Dennise and Tori for the most wonderful time of my life. My dream has always been to swim with wild dolphins in their habitat and they made that dream come true. It was an amazing experience that I will never forget. From the swim to the whale sighting and on to finding the spotted dolphins to play with the boat and the wake you couldn’t ask for anything better. The girls know their job thru and thru and really care about their job.

    I would recommend this crew to anyone and everyone that is wanting an adventure to change your life.

    Thank you from the bottom of our hearts,
    Dawn and Lynn”

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