Home
Planning Airfare
Free Maui
Vacation Guides
Weather
Tours
Locations Lahaina
Kaanapali
Activities Luau
Road to Hana
Whale Watching
Volcano
Snorkeling
Sailing
Surfing
Maui Restaurants
Beaches
Maps
Videos
Communicate Contact
Alerts
Search
Links
Maui Blog

[?] Subscribe To This Site

XML RSS
Add to Google
Add to My Yahoo!
Add to My MSN
Subscribe with Bloglines

 

Maui Whale Watching

This page includes
• why Maui whale watching is the most popular activity in Maui from December to May
why humpback whales migrate to Maui each year
• why choose a Maui whale watching tour on a boat
• how you can watch humpbacks for free from beaches and other observation areas
learning about Maui humpbacks at the Maui Ocean Center and the free Whaler's Museum

Why Maui Whale Watching?

Photo by erikogan

Maui whale watching - humpback breach
Whether from a boat on a Maui whale watching tour, or from a beach or restaurant or cliff or roadside, watching a humpback whale the size of a school bus rising halfway out of the water is just plain exciting.

Or observing a pod of active male whales - each larger than the boat you are riding in - pushing, shoving, and butting each other to try to get close to the lone female - you can't do that back home.

How about quietly sailing at sunset, observing a peaceful mother whale with her calf frolicking at her side?

Why the Humback Whales are in Maui

Ocean area to the leeward side of Maui for humpback whales The humpbacks migrate to Maui each winter (December to May) to have babies in the the shallow waters on the calm leeward side of Maui - that is the blue area on the map.

Maui is also where the babies for the next year are made.

The town of Lahaina on the island of Maui developed as a base for hunting whales, and today Lahaina serves as a base for watching whales.

Maui Whale Watching Tours

Maui whale watching tours from a boat lets your hear and feel the sounds and size of humpback whales Maui whale watching tours let you get up close and personal with the huge size and loud sounds of humpback whales.

And the way to get closer to the whales is from a boat. Each type of boat had its own advantages and disadvantages.

There are a wide variety of Maui whale watching tours - large and small boats, sailboats and motorized boats.

• Our Pacific Whale Foundation whale watch. Pacific Whale Foundation is the 800 pound gorilla of Maui whale watching tours. They have several large motorized boats and operate out of Lahaina harbor and Maaleae harbor - and they have storefronts at both locations.

• Small operators such as the Ultimate Whale Watch raft out of Lahaina harbor. Be prepared for high speed and close encounters.

Maui Whale Watching Combo Tours

Maui whale watching combo tours are created by tour operators to combine activities such as snorkeling, sailing, and dolphins with whale watching.

Just about all ocean activities on the leeward (west) side of Maui during the months of December through May become whale watching activites because of the many whales in the area.

Maui Whale Watching Beaches & Cliffs

Maui whale watching beaches and cliffs How did Maui residents watch whales in Maui for centuries before all the tour boats in the last few decades? Don't let all the advertisements convince you that Maui whale watching requires spending money on a boat tour.

Humpback whales can be also viewed from a distance by finding the right beaches and high observation areas. Restaurants and roadsides also offer free ways to watch whales. Their spout (spray from their exhalations) can be easily viewed from miles away.

Binoculars may be required to see the details of the whales. You miss the impact of size and sounds of the whales, but this provides a very economical way to watch whales.

Learning About Maui Humpback Whales

Learning about humpback whales at the Maui Ocean Center To learn about about Maui humpback whales, visit the Maui Ocean Center near Ma'alaea.

The exhibit on humpback whales that visit Maui each winter will help you understand what you observe during your whale watching trips.


Whalers Village Museum at Kaanapali about humpback whales. Open daily from 9:30 am to 10 pm, the Whalers Village Museum at Kaanapali offers free admission to over 200,00 visitors a year.

The museum is full of exhibits to let you experience humpback whales and whaling in Maui during the mid 1800's.

Maui Whale Watching Video

In the video below, a mother and calf humpback whale provide a show for a cruise ship by continously breaching (jumping out of the water) as we watch from the lanai (balcony) of our hotel in Lahaina on Maui. Watch for the calf doing smaller 'baby' breaches close to the mother's much larger breaches.

Click on the PLAY button in the image below to view our Maui whale watching video.



Maui Whale Watching Pages Quick Reference

Maui Whale Watching Overview

Free Whale Watching Beaches & Cliffs

Whale Watch Tours
Pacific Whale
Ultimate Whale Watch
Watch Whales and...
Sail America II
Sail Scoth Mist
Snorkel Gemini
Snorkel Kapalua Kai
About Maui Whales
Maui Ocean Center
Whalers Village Museum

Maui Whale Watching Videos


Return to Maui Family Vacation from Maui Whale Watching


footer for maui whale watching page