Wild Adventures on Oahu

Snorkeling, Hiking, Diving, Horseback Riding & Parasailing in Hawaii

Oct 19, 2009

Oahu is full of outdoor adventure. Think: hiking rain forests, horseback riding up mountains, snorkeling with turtles, wreck diving, parasailing, and more.

Longing for more than the traditional beach holiday? Not that there’s anything wrong with sipping a Mai Tai, while listening to the surf and wriggling your toes through warm sand. But, c’mon folks; Oahu is full of adrenaline-pumping, once-in-a-lifetime adventures, like these.

Share the Water With Dolphins and Whales

Follow a team of marine biologists to the untrammeled, secluded Leeward Coast. You’ll board a catamaran and sail out to impossibly clear blue waters, where humpback whales reproduce and endangered spinner dolphins frolic. Wild Side Specialty Tours takes small groups on its data-collecting research trips to observe the dramatic and entertaining humpbacks. You’ll watch as the whales (as many as 6,000 migrate to the waters surrounding the Hawaiian islands) hurl their bodies out of the water, and sing and chase each other as part of the mating ritual. Then, don a pair of fins and a mask to swim alongside spinner dolphins-- the most acrobatic of all dolphins-- sea turtles, and schools of tropical fish.

Normally, Oahu visitors don’t want to meet a shark in the water. But, this adventure with Hawaii Shark Excursions puts them inside a big, shark-proof plexi-glass cage—safe and sound, and oh-so-close to those big-toothed creatures. It’s a short, three- to four-mile boat ride off Oahu’s north shore to prime shark grounds. Then, it’s time to hop in the cage and be lowered into the crystal clear, deep (up to 400 feet deep) waters. Daring participants actually float on the surface and let the sharks come to them. The sharks hear the boat engine, so some will already be waiting; others are ascending quickly. It’s not uncommon to have as many as 30 sharks, ranging from five to 15 feet, around the cage, nudging and pressing against it, inches away. Species may include the Gray Reef, Sandbar, Tiger and Hammerhead sharks. No experience necessary.

Ride off the Beaten Path

The ropin’, the ridin’, the shootin’—yee haw! Play paniole (Hawaiian cowboy) for a day at Kualoa Ranch, the island’s oldest and largest working cattle ranch. Set on 4,000 acres on Oahu’s north shore (about an hour’s drive from Honolulu), this stunning property stretches across three mountains and two valleys. Hop on a horse to ride from soaring mountain cliffs to the seashore, with sweeping vistas of the lush Ka'a'awa Valley, Kualoa mountains and the Pacific Ocean.

Grab a Birds-eye View

Float nearly 500 feet above the sapphire waters of Waikiki, for aerial views of Honolulu, Waikiki Beach, and Diamond Head. X-treme Parasail offers the longest and highest rides on the island. Visitors are strapped to a parachute, and tied to 1,200 feet of tether line, then lifted from a dry boat platform nearly 50 floors into the air. The sail lasts about 13 to 15 minutes, but memories of the sky-high ride are bound to last a lot longer.

Dive to a Wreck

Oahu, with more than 10 accessible sunken vessels, is arguably one of the best places in the country for wreck diving. A favorite among bubble blowers is the 175-foot long YO-257, a fuel oil barge that was deliberately sunk in 1989. It sits 95 feet below the surface, and like most wrecks, it’s a magnet for marine life. Poke around the inside of the stern and keep an eye out for swarming eaglerays, whitetip reef sharks and Hawaiian stingrays. There’s lots of coral, schools of tropical fish and sea turtles, too. Or, consider a dive to the Corsair airplane wreck, where you can sit in the cockpit and swim alongside morays. Oahu Scuba Diving offers daily wreck diving excursions, as well as scuba classes for all levels

Catch Some Wind and Waves

Pretty Kailua Beach, on the windward side of Oahu, is a world-class windsurfing locale, drawing some of the best in the sport. (It’s also known as the birthplace of windsurfing.) No wonder; it has a gently sloping beach, calm waters, and steady trade winds. Get in on the action! Beginners start on the beach with a windsurfing simulator to learn techniques, and then it’s in the water with training boards and light sails. Advance windsurfers can pick up new skills and try out the latest high-tech equipment. Looking for more speed, height, and adventure? Strap yourself on a board, hold onto a huge kite, and pilot it into the sky! It’s called kitesurfing and one of the fastest growing sports on Oahu. Kailua Sailboards and Kayaks, located on Kailua Beach, 12 miles from Honolulu, offers lessons and rents windsurfing and kitesurfing equipment.

Visit Sacred Grounds

Learn about ancient Hawaiian culture, myth and legends while hiking with Hina Adventures to some of Oahu’s most sacred sites, hidden in the lush mountains and valleys of the Koolau mountain range. On the six-hour North Shore eco-tour, offered by Mauka Makai Excursions hikers discover the secret of Kukaniloko, one of the most sacred sites on O'ahu and visit Pu'u O Mahuka heiau, the largest ancient temple site on O'ahu. The day ends with a look at Kaneaukai Ko'a,a fishing shrine dedicated to one of the forms of the god Kane.

Hike Ridgelines and Rainforests

Walk through tropical rainforest and bamboo grovesas you venture up the slopes of the Koolau mountain range on the east side of the island. Along the way, there are views of Kaneohe Bay below and of Koolau’s towering cliffs, ridges and green valleys, sculpted eons ago by tradewinds and rains. Oahu Nature Tours offers the two-mile, half-day excursion, and includes lots of information about Hawaii’s flora and fauna

The copyright of the article Wild Adventures on Oahu in Hawaii Travel is owned by Pamela Wright. Permission to republish Wild Adventures on Oahu in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.