Your Complete Guide to Whale Watching in Maui
I’m just gonna go ahead and say it: the best family adventure in Maui is whale watching! Humpback whales swim through Maui’s waters January- April, and lucky for us we happened to have a trip planned for January. This was our first visit to Maui and while I had so much on my wish list–I knew we couldn’t squeeze every adventure in (and still relax) with only 5 days on island. Whale watching has been on our bucket list for awhile, so this was a no-brainer. Sorry, Road to Hana, you’ll have to wait until next visit.
I was so excited for our kids, Evelyn age 7 and Kai age 5, to be on their first whale watching adventure–but let’s be honest…I was so giddy with excitement I may have plowed one of them over to get the best front row seat on the boat. (Sorry, not sorry Kai.)
We booked a two-hour tour with Pacific Whale Foundation leaving right out of Lahania. After doing some research and getting a recommendation from a local, we chose this non-profit company because we love their mission to protect our oceans through science and advocacy. Being a family who travels primarily to enjoy tropical waters, learning about and protecting our ocean is important to us, so we loved supporting a company that aligns with our values.
We knew the best chance for calm waters is in the morning so we signed up for a morning tour–a 9am departure time with an 8:15am check in. If you’re a real early bird, Pacific Whale Foundation also offers a 7am tour. We boarded the catamaran, the Ocean Discovery, and no joke, within 2 minutes leaving the historic Lahaina Harbor, we saw our first whale pec slaps from a momma humpback and her baby. If you’re not familiar with whale slang, let me break this down for you. This is when a whale is laying on her side, raises and waves her long pectoral fin into the air and then slaps it back down to the water repeatedly. Basically, when a whale gives you a massive wave hello. Already, our minds were blown, but this was just the beginning.
Our Captain then spotted a couple of whales who seemed to be auditioning for a Cirque du Soleil show. I’ve been to multiple Cirque du Soleil shows and I can positively say this was 100x better. Our minds were blown!! We lost track of the number of times they breached and the number of oohs and aahs that came out of our mouths. The certified Marine Naturalist onboard explained that scientists suspect this magnificent behavior of breaching is a form of communication between Humpback whales. We hung around until the show was over, and then slowly motored about in search of the next dazzling show.
Within a few minutes, our Captain was hot on the pursuit of what appeared to be a large group of humpbacks. Typically, whales travel in small pods of 2-3 whales. But as we got closer the Marine Naturalist explained we were witnessing at least 12 male humpbacks in a mating battle, swimming after one female, or as he called it, “chasing tail.” Is that seriously where that phrase comes from?! I could never have predicted the rawness and natural beauty of what we witnessed next. It felt like time stopped as we watched in awe as this colossal parade of 40 ton majestic creatures clashing and battling, pectoral fins and tail flukes wildly splashing, all in pursuit of the chance to mate with the lovely grand marshal of the parade.
Last but not least, before we headed back to the harbor, the Captain and Marine Naturalist turned on the underwater hydrophone so we could enjoy the whales communicating with each other through song. Yet again, we were amazed and in awe of these beautiful creatures!
This whale watching tour was one of the easiest and most fulfilling family adventures we have ever been on. Zero prep and zero stress for parents with massive rewards for the whole family! From this momma’s perspective, watching whales breaching was for sure a bucket-list moment for me– I stared at awe and wonder and appreciation for the dramatic, twirling, graceful way these grand beauties thrust themselves out of the water. Sitting with my kids, experiencing pure joy, with happy tears running down my face is something I will never forget.
Tips for booking your Whale Watching Tour:
Make sure you know the Maui humpback season! December - April
Schedule early in your trip in case of a weather cancellation you’ll have time to rebook before you head home.
Book a morning trip when the water is usually calmer than the afternoon.
Whale sightings are guaranteed with Pac Whale (they have a 97% sighting rate), so if you are the unlucky 3% that don’t see any whales, you get to go again for free–so schedule early in your trip just in case you need to go again later in the week.
Dress in layers- we all started out in long sleeves and pants because it can be a bit chilly out on the water in the morning. I was glad I did!
As always in Hawaii, use reef safe sunscreen.
Bring snacks for the kids, because let’s be honest, what kid goes 2 hours without a snack? Not mine. Pacific Whale Foundation does have a bar open with beverage choices, but just bring the damn snacks. My motherhood motto is: When in doubt, snack it out.
If two hours is pushing it for keeping your kids attention, you may want to pack a quiet activity. I always have these quiet travel kits in our backpacks, just in case.
Duh, but I’ll say it anyway–take lots of pictures and videos! We’ve already watched our videos 100 times.
Seriously, book a whale watching tour. It was one of the most emotional and awe-inspiring travel moments I've ever had. Let me know if you have any questions about whale watching in Maui or any other questions about family travels to Maui!