Whale Watching Tips for Maui

Whale Watching Tips on Maui:

If you are planning a visit to Maui, check out my whale watching tips below. I strongly encourage you to consider planning your special Hawaiian vacation during whale season, which runs from November to late April/early May, so you can see these graceful giants called Koholā in Hawaiian.

It is an awesome experience to see these whales.  

You can see them spouting from the shore on Maui. There are several lookouts where you can pull over and watch the whales swim by, just from the highway. Sometimes if you are swimming in the ocean during whale season, you can put your head underwater and can hear them singing!

Whale Songs

Would you like to hear whale songs now? Here is a link to a whale song recorded in the Hawaiian Islands Sanctuary waters. Did you know whales change their song patterns from year to year?

Favorite Whale Watch Tour Operators

If you feel up to a boat ride, these are a few of my favorite whale watch companies on Maui: 

Pacific Whale Foundation: I am a huge fan of Pacific Whale Foundation because they always have a certified Marine Naturalist on board their whale watches, plus they are an eco-certified tour operator!

Trilogy Lahaina: If you want a super stable boat ride for your whale watch, definitely check out Trilogy. They use luxury catamarans for their whale watch tours which provide a wide and stable platform for viewing the whales. They are a fixture on Maui having been in business for over 45 years.

Ultimate Whale Watch Maui: This is a much smaller boat, so less people and a more immersive experience on the water. This company has been around since 1982 and what I love about them is they donate their vessels/captains to assisting whale researchers with transport or to provide time spent studying marine life. They also are known as first responders for the Rescue Entanglement Network so they regularly assist with getting marine life untangled out of nets.

Tips for a successful whale watch boat ride

Here are a few Whale Watching tips to help create a successful whale watch!

• Wear REEF SAFE Sunscreen (always when in Hawai’i!)
• Bring your sunglasses and a hat (the reflection off of the water can get a bit tiring without protection)
• Pack ginger chews (for nausea) and light snacks
• Bring some binoculars!
• Never touch and disturb any marine life. They often have a protective slimy coating on them that should never be disturbed or they are susceptible to infection
• Do not feed or harass any wildlife (attempting to feed wildlife can interfere with their natural feeding cycle)
• Have fun, and zero expectations.  Whales are mysterious creatures that have their own schedule.  Sometimes you won’t see many, but if you are lucky enough you will see several! It is all a wonderful experience being out on the water enjoying all that Hawai’i has to offer.
• Practice the feeling of ALOHA 🙂

If you would like to see some of my whale and seahorse marine life inspired art, check it out at my SHOP here!

If you would like to learn more about these gentle giants of the sea, check out more info at Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary’s webpage.