Humpback whales winter in Hawaii, and the season runs from about December to April. Most of the whale watching tours we sell leave from Maui.
From Kailua-Kona, December through April, a three-hour combo pairs a 60-minute sunset-hour whale watch with a 30-minute night snorkel above feeding manta rays, both guided by marine biologists. $219.
Cheapest, with shade and restrooms: the Maalaea catamaran. Closest to the water: the Kihei raft. A small group without a private price: the No Ka Oi from Kihei. Staying in West Maui: the Ka’anapali Beach tour, with no harbour drive. Your own boat: the Ka’anapali private charter.
Compare the tours below, or read our guide to whale watching season in Hawaii.
A 1.5-hour whale watching tour on an adventure raft from Kihei, with low-to-water viewing, a hydrophone for whale songs and guaranteed sightings. $85 adults, $70 children.
A 1.5-hour small-group whale watching cruise aboard the custom-built No Ka Oi from Kihei Boat Ramp, limited to 20 guests. $79 per person, ages 5 and up.
A two-hour whale watching tour on the Malolo high-speed catamaran from Ma’alaea Harbor, with hydrophones, a shaded cabin and restrooms. $59.95 adults, $49 children, under-4s free.
A two-hour private whale watching charter from Ka’anapali Beach with Maui Whale Adventures: the whole boat for your group during humpback season. $1,599 for the charter.
A two-hour whale watching tour boarding straight from Ka’anapali Beach on an open-air RIB, with guaranteed sightings or come again free. $89 per person, all ages.
A seasonal Kona double feature, December through April: a 60-minute sunset-hour humpback whale watch with hydrophone audio, then a 30-minute night snorkel above feeding manta rays — both guided by marine biologists.
The whale watching tours we sell run seasonally, from about December to April.
Shared Maui tours run from $59.95 (the Maalaea catamaran) to $89 (the Ka’anapali Beach tour). A private charter from Ka’anapali Beach is $1,599, and the Kona whale watch and manta snorkel combo is $219.
Maalaea Harbor for the catamaran, the Kihei Boat Ramp for the raft and the small boat, and Ka’anapali Beach for the beach-loading tour and the private charter.
Two tours guarantee sightings: the Kihei raft, and the Ka’anapali Beach tour, which offers another trip free if you see none. The Kihei small-boat cruise says sightings cannot be guaranteed.
Yes, with minimum ages that vary by tour: the Maalaea catamaran lets under-4s ride free, the Ka’anapali Beach tour takes ages 2 and up, the Kihei raft ages 4 and up and the Kihei small boat ages 5 and up.
The two-hour Maalaea catamaran has a shaded cabin and two restrooms, and is the cheapest at $59.95 for adults and $49 for children.
