Each year from December to April, Maui is home to some of the best whale watching in the world. Humpback whales are drawn to the area’s shallow waters—which are less than 600 feet deep—making Maui an ideal spot for catching sight of these majestic creatures. The waters off of West Maui and South Maui are shielded by the West Maui Mountains and Haleakala, which creates calm and clear waters for high visibility.
Treat yourself to a winter whale watching tour as expert guides take you to the best spots to observe whales playfully surfacing, tail slapping, or blowing spouts in the air. You'll treasure an excursion in a charter boat or passenger raft to witness the grace of their spectacular dives, the beauty of their exuberant leaps, and the gentleness of their nature.
(December 15 to April 15)
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Vistana Community Member
"Have a Whale of an Adventure!" — 03/15/2018
"Have a Whale of an Adventure!"
03/15/2018
I would highly recommend a Whale Watching adventure while visiting Maui. It could be the memory of a lifetime, especially if a whale decides to visit your boat. On our adventure, a whale did just that, and he stayed for 2 hours, flapping, rolling on his belly, flipping his tail, spouting, and swimming under and around our boat! It was the most amazing experience and one that I will always remember!
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"Pacific Whale Foundation" — 03/14/2018
"Pacific Whale Foundation"
03/14/2018
I would recommend whale watching with this company.
Aside from touring around looking for whales, our hosts educated the guests with interesting whale information such as migration, feeding, behaviour.
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"Exciting adventure Whale watching on the last day of the season." — 03/14/2018
"Exciting adventure Whale watching on the last day of the season."
03/14/2018
I highly recommended whale watching as a added tour on your visit to Maui. We were concerned we would not see many on the last day of season. It was a beautiful sunny day, blue skies, puffy clouds, and beautiful water. Our guide had a wonderful personality, took us close to a pod leaving on a migration route. We saw around a dozen surfacing and diving. Use plenty of sunscreen, tie back your hair and have one of the greatest days of your life.
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"WOW! We visited Maui and went whale watching" — 03/14/2018
"WOW! We visited Maui and went whale watching"
03/14/2018
We would like to recommend Ultimate Whale Watching who are eco conscious and delver the best experience. Seeing these magnificent creatures up close, along with the dolphins, is truly breathtaking. Visit in February for best chance to see nature at its best.
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"I visited on Kauai" — 03/14/2018
"I visited on Kauai"
03/14/2018
I would like to recommend HoHo Charter. Their People are THE BEST!!!! They made sure that you had EVERYTHING you needed.
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Vistana Community Member
"Whale watching from November to March" — 03/08/2018
"Whale watching from November to March"
03/08/2018
We have seen some of the most exciting whale behavior on our trips to Maui. I am in love t with the whale watching.
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"The whales are in Maui!!" — 02/09/2018
"The whales are in Maui!!"
02/09/2018
We recommend whale watching in Maui, the humpback whales are here November thru April! The harbor in Lahaina is close and you can take the Westin Shuttle. We have been so excited and seen so many whales with Pacific Whale Foundation and with Alii Nui. Enjoy! Remember your camera!
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"Whale Watch" — 02/09/2018
"Whale Watch"
02/09/2018
We love the Gemini! Great snacks and the crew are fun AND KNOWLEDGABLE
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Vistana Community Member
"Whale watch" — 02/08/2018
"Whale watch"
02/08/2018
Captain Steve is a great way to see the whales up close, but at arespectful distance. Such a fun adventure!
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"Morning Whale Watch" — 02/08/2018
"Morning Whale Watch"
02/08/2018
I would highly recommend a morning whale watch if you have never been up close to these amazing, graceful creatures. The morning waters are calmer and the humpback whales seem to be more active. Seeing one breach or swim under the boat is well worth the adventure
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