For clients fascinated by Kauai's extraordinary natural beauty, Hawaiian Wildlife Tours offers remarkably revealing and personalized access to some of Hawaii's most breathtaking and diverse locales. Operating exclusively on Kauai for nearly 13 years, the company is owned by Carl Berg, a naturalist with 40 years of wildlife research to his credit, who specializes in visitors looking to learn more about the island's plants and wildlife.
"I've been a bird-watcher and animal lover all of my life," Berg said. "Plus, I have a Ph.D. in biology, so taking folks out and doing some environmental education while giving them a better idea about what they are seeing in the way of birds and plants and the ecology is great fun for me."
Hawaiian Wildlife Tours' sole employee, Berg offers his expertise to individuals, couples and small groups for $50 an hour, with bookings primarily through his website at Hawaiianwildlifetours.com.
Most excursions get started in the morning, when the weather is cooler and the light is better for photography. Two to four hours is standard for most customers, but Berg insists on flexibility and personalizes every outing to each client's needs. And on an island where a round of golf will cost visitors $175 or a treatment at any spa will run at least $100, Berg's product is quite a bargain for inquiring nature lovers.
Idea born in Bali
Inspiration for the enterprise came nearly 15 years ago during a worldwide backpacking trek that included an extended stay in Bali. There, Berg joined a guide giving inexpensive, highly personalized wildlife tours during which he saw "all sorts of wonderful stuff" he would've never encountered on his own.
"When I got back to Hawaii, I said to myself, 'There's a real niche here for that same sort of thing,'" Berg said. "And here I am an expert on Hawaiian ecology, and I'm sure there's a bunch of people out there who would really like having a personal guide."
Today the semiretired entrepreneur, who continues to do a great deal of marine-related research, welcomes travelers from around the globe.
The vast majority of his clientele is made up of baby boomer retirees in their 50s and 60s, but he frequently hosts honeymooners and 20- and 30-something couples.
Corporate executives and Hollywood movie stars even show up from time to time, he said.
In addition to clients keen on bird-watching, especially those hardcore "listers" dead set on glimpsing some of Kauai's nearly 20 remaining indigenous bird species, Berg regularly takes folks to see the endangered Hawaiian monk seal and green turtle, the rare and indigenous hoary bat and, from December to March, humpback whales.
"There are some really beautiful places to go and watch for whales" without leaving land, Berg said. "And you don't have to go out in a boat and get seasick and splashed around and all that."
Lessons in biodiversity
Trees, plants and flowers are, of course, integral parts of Hawaiian Wildlife Tours hikes and excursions, but Berg also tries to help clients better understand the unique bond existing between Hawaii's incredibly diverse natural ecosystems and its native inhabitants.
"The Hawaiian culture is so closely tied to the environment that if we destroy the environment, we destroy the culture," Berg said. "So I think it's very important in talking with people to explain what was here before the Hawaiians, what the Hawaiians brought with them and what came later with the Europeans and planters."
An industry realist, Berg said he recognizes that his tours aren't for every Kauai visitor and insists he's got no problem with travelers who leave after a week's worth of sunbathing feeling like they know everything about the island. He's quick to point out, however, that times are changing.
"I think people in general in America are more concerned about the environment these days than, say, 10 years ago," Berg said. "They have a real interest in the environment, and they're concerned about it, so the niche market in Hawaii for products like mine is certainly growing."
For more information on Hawaiian Wildlife Tours, call (808) 639-2968 or visit www.hawaiianwildlifetours.com.