WHALE WATCHING ON MAUI
Each year, visitors flock to Maui December through April for some of the best whale watching in the world.
Maui’s shallow, warm, and sheltered waters provide the perfect habitat for Humpback whales to give birth and teach their young how to be a whale. Their lively surface activity and vibrant physical communication techniques make Humpback whales some of the most enjoyable whales to watch. You might see antics like pec slaps, breaches, fluke slaps, spy hops and tail-up dives. Humpbacks are mammals that breathe air, and they have to surface about every 10 to 15 minutes to take a breath, spraying water high into the air as they clear their lungs of water, making a magnificent sight for whale watchers. If you’re visiting Hawaii from December to April, taking a whale watching tour is a must, and Paddle Maui has the best private whale watching tours on Maui.
“Seeing a whale from a kayak is a totally different experience. What I will remember most are the sounds of the whales. We stopped at one point and just quietly waited. I could hear them breathing all around us. It drove home the point that these are fellow mammals and I was deeply privileged to be able to spend some time with them on the water.” -John Shirley
PADDLE MAUI PRIVATE WHALE WATCHING OPTIONS
While you’ll find many larger boats offering public whale watching tours, there’s just no better way to watch whales on Maui than getting up close and personal on a Private Stand Up Paddle Board, Ocean Kayak or Hawaiian Outrigger Canoe Whale Watching Tour. Without the crowds, noisy engines and gasoline fumes, you’ll be able to appreciate these magnificent creatures in an intimate, quiet setting. It’s a humbling and awe-inspiring experience you’ll remember forever.
Our expert guides are certified marine naturalists who can explain whale behaviors, answer questions, take you to the best whale watching spots and offer an exclusive, personalized whale watching adventure guided by your pace. After all, when you take one of our private whale watching excursions it’s all about the whales – and you!
CHOOSE YOUR MAUI WHALE WATCHING TOUR
STEP 1 – Choose Your Vessel:
• Ocean Kayak
• Stand Up Paddle Board
• Hawaiian Outrigger Canoe
STEP 2 – Choose your location:
• Olowalu
• Makena
After a fun water safety and paddling orientation, we’ll launch into a relaxed paddle and begin looking for Humpback whales. Usually, we’ll find several active pods of whales on any given tour displaying a wide array of activity like Pec Slaps, Fluke Slaps, Spy Hops and Breaches. Oftentimes you can even hear the whales “singing”!
Your expert guide will tell you about humpback whale habits and activities, and point out other marine life, along with the history of the surrounding islands. If time permits, we’ll take a leisurely paddle back to one of our favorite snorkeling reefs and cool off while snorkeling with Green Hawaiian Sea Turtles and tropical fish before heading back to shore, humbled, exhilarated and loaded with memories.