Hawaii Snorkel Adventure: Turtles, Whales and Dolphins, Oh My!

December 4, 2012 | By klittle

On a recent trip to Oahu, Hawaii, my husband and I took a snorkeling tour.  We went with Wild Side Specialty Tours.  They did a fantastic job, I recommend them to anyone visiting Hawaii that wants a fun and informative snorkel experience.  We set sail on a 42 ft catamaran enroute to snorkel with turtles.  Much to everyone’s surprise, we came upon a mother whale and her calf.  Needless to say that modified our itinerary slightly.  Captain Downey and his crew were amazing tracking them.  They took the time to explain whales to us, including how long they can dive and how to spot where they are.

We then went on with our original itinerary and met up with the sea turtles at their cleaning area.  This is where they are “cleaned” by fish.  They are amazing creatures, but you have to watch out, since while snorkeling you don’t really see when they’re soaking up the sun on the surface.

After our turtle adventure we went on to snorkel with spinner dolphins.  They are so much fun to watch!  We all ooh-ed and aww-ed as we watched dozens of spinners fly through the air all around us.  They are very acrobatic creatures and incredibly fun to watch.

If you find yourself in Hawaii, I highly recommend you (or ask your travel advisor!) schedule a tour with Wild Side Specialty Tours.  This company is top notch, professional, environmentally conscious, knowledgeable and entertaining.