Witness the Magic of Whale Season in Hawaii Unforgettable Sights You Cant Miss

Whale watching in Maui is one of those bucket list experiences that is awe-inspiring and phenomenal to see! Imagine 1, 000s of whales hanging out in one spot? Use this Maui whale watching guide to learn everything you need to know about whale watching in Hawaii.

Get ready to be amazed at the sheer size of these gigantic and magnificent whales as they breach the water, play, and sing you an alluring song.

The islands of Hawaii are located in the Pacific Ocean about 2, 400-miles off the west coast of California and one of the 50 states of the USA.

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Although there are eight islands, only 6 receive visitors to their fragrant islands. Maui is one of the four largest islands in Hawaii to visit along with Oahu, the Big Island (Hawaii), and Kauai. As far as visitors go, Maui is the second most visited island after Oahu.

Whether you are flying from within the United States or another country, you will likely have a layover on or near the west coast of the United States.

From Los Angeles or San Francisco, the flight time to Hawaii is about 5.5 to 6 hours direct. For years you could only fly into Honolulu, Oahu and then take a smaller plane to the other islands.

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You still might have to but nowadays more than likely you can get a flight straight to the island of your choice.

Unless you only want to hang out at your resort the entire trip, I highly recommend renting a car so that you can see the different areas of this diverse island!

Every section of Maui is gorgeous and offers up the most beautiful beaches for you to choose from. Having said that there are a few areas that offer the best combination of excellent hotels, location, beaches, and things to do.

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The best areas that I recommend staying in are Wailea, Kihei, Lahaina, and Kaanapali. I have stayed at each of these locations many times and have enjoyed them all. Staying in Kihei is the most economical and has mostly condos and Airbnb options.

The Pacific Whale Foundation offers a variety of whale watching tours and guarentees that if you don’t see whales, you can go again for free!

Plus what I really enjoyed about taking a tour with the Pacific Whale Foundation is that they have the best reputation for education, ecotourism, and a pledge to protect and preserve the ocean.

Whale Season In Hawaii

Note: It is currently not whale watching season but I will update with whale watching tours when available. Until then, explore the top tours to take on Maui!

Maui Eco-Friendly Molokini & Turtle Town Tour – Take a boat ride out to the best snorkeling spots on the island plus lunch included!

Maui Deluxe Sail Sunset Tour – Sail on a deluxe catamaran and take in the stunning sunset along the coast from Lahaina!

Maui Whale Watching Sailing Tour

Maui Haleakala National Park Sunrise Tour – Take an early morning tour up to the summit of Haleakala National Park and watch the sunrise with breakfast after. A bucket list experience!

Where is the best place to go whale watching in Hawaii? If you didn’t already guess, Maui has the greatest volume of whales that migrate past it. The whale activity really is a spectacular phenomenon to witness as they are in abundance off the shores of Maui.

If you plan to be traveling to the other islands, you can definitely see them off of Oahu and the Big Island but the highest concentration of whales will pass through the Auau Channel between the islands of Lanai, Molokai, and Maui.

Hawaii Whale Watching & Hawaii's Humpback Whale Season

Hands down, if you want the best whale watching in Hawaii experience then Maui is the place to be! Maui might even be one of the best destinations in the world to catch a glimpse of these majestic animals…

I bet you are wondering at this point what types of whales can be seen in Maui, right? The main whales that you will see off the coast of Maui in the Auau Channel are humpback whales or kohola. It is astonishing at the volume of whales in Maui you can see!

It is estimated that about 12, 000 to 14, 000 humpback whales migrate to this channel between Maui and Lanai to breed, calve, and play in the tropical waters of Hawaii.

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These whales are enormous and most likely bigger than the boat you are in. It is mesmerizing to watch them swim and frolic even with their massive size and should be on every person’s bucket list!

The official Maui whale season is from December through April but if you want to catch the peak season then January, February, and March are the best.

About 2/3 of the North Pacific humpback whale population leave from Alaska and journey south to the warm waters of the Hawaiian Islands. The long swim takes about 6-8 weeks to reach the Hawaiian Islands.

Whale Season On Maui

They are specifically located in the highest numbers in the Auau Channel off Maui’s coast to mate, give birth, and nurse their young.

The whales come to Maui for its warm waters which make for a nice environment for having baby whales or calves. Some other key reasons they like coming to the Auau Channel each year is for the incredible ocean visibility and no natural predators.

In other words, it is a huge whale nursery that has it all for birthing and raising their young. If you are lucky you might begin to spot the first whales arriving as early as the beginning of October.

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Surprisingly, all the adult whales forgo eating during the months they are in Maui as they have been feeding in excess in Alaska before the trek south. The main reason for this is that there is no food for them in these waters.

The baby calves feed only on the mother’s milk drinking so much that they can gain up to 10 pounds per hour… That is one big baby!

Tip: Whether you are on the shore, on a boat or in the ocean, listen to the whales. I don’t quite understand how, but each year the “song” changes. How cool is that?

Best Time To Go Whale Watching In Hawaii

From a boat or a kayak, you can watch the humpback whales perform what seems like acrobatics breaching the water and slamming their fins. They look quite happy and as if they are having a party with some of these fintastic moves!

It is quite astonishing that anything weighing up to 50 tons can launch its body, clear the water and land in a very graceful manner. There are a few whale behaviors you will quickly notice and make you wonder why on earth are they doing that…

One of the most common behaviors that you can see from a distance is whales blowing air out of their blowhole. The whales are blowing out air and water so that they can take a breath when they surface. Whales must come to the surface about every 7-15 minutes to breathe as they are mammals!

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Witnessing a humpback whale breach the water or thrust most if not their entire body out of the water and making a big splash landing is magical. It appears that this is a form of communication between each other, may attract other whales or even warn off the males. Breaching may help remove unwanted parasites or barnacles off of the whale too.

Tail slapping is another popular movement you will see among the whales. They might be slapping their side fins or in a more grandeur way slapping their tail. It is thought that they slap the water to communicate or scare off other animals.

Spy-hopping is when the whale’s head comes up vertical out of the water and appears to be spying on you! Rather just checking out what is happening above the water before going back under. From a distance, most of these behaviors appear playful and an entertaining way to communicate.

Whale Watching Season In Hawaii Shaping Up To Be A Good One

Note: As tempting as it might be to get close to these captivating giants, you must stay 100 yards away from them. Of course, they might come up to you but respect their space especially as they will likely have the young calves (babies) with them.

There are several ways you can go whale watching in Maui with various types of boats. The main difference is the size of the boat that will determine the number of people on board. And if they can provide educational information on the humpback whales.

A larger boat will have more stability, restrooms, make moving around easier, and less likely to get seasick. The smaller boats will have a bumpier ride, no options to move around but are quicker to maneuver if there is a whale sighting.

Hawaii Whale Watching Season

I chose the Pacific Whale Foundation whale watching excursion as they have the best reputation for education, ecotourism, and a pledge to protect and preserve the ocean.

Whalewatch Lahaina| Ma’alaea – choose from either a morning or afternoon tour that lasts about 2 hours and is the most popular choice. It is on a larger boat that has both inside and outside with large decks for viewing the whales. The tour is led by Marine Naturalists which is a

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