During your whale watch cruise, these amazing animals will often display themselves in full glory, giving you the ultimate whale watching on maui experience. You wont see the hundreds that are there earlier though. Head down to banyan court park to see one of the worlds largest banyan trees. Since 1980, maui whale festival has offered a series of inspiring events held during mauis peak humpback whale season. The crystalline offshore waters of maui frequently provide a passing subsurface eyetoeye view. These tours guarantee plenty of whale sightings on this side of the island between dec 15th and april 1st. One of the most popular and fun things to do during this time is to go on a whale watching cruise. The whales are drawn to the areas shallow waters, especially the auau channel between maui, molokai and lanai, making maui an ideal jumpingoff spot for. Our lead boat, maui princess, is the largest, most uncrowded whale watching boat on maui. If youve been on a whale watch trip, and you didnt find it lifechanging, you didnt go whale watching in maui during season. Visitors staying in lahaina and kaanapali will be able to spot the whales from the coast, but everyone should take the opportunity. The winter crowds are gone, the spring weather is lovely, and prices are generally lower than during the busy winter and summer seasons.
Maui county is world famous as the destination for the pacific northwest humpback whales. Experience mauis humpback whales as they come to hawaii to calve, mate, and rear their young. The humpback whale season in maui lasts from november to may of every year. Most tour operators only guarantee whales through april 15th. While the first maui whale sighting differs every year, its lately been as early as september that humpbacks are spotted in maui. Whale watching in first week of april 2018 maui forum.
So if you have not made your travel arrangements yet, shoot for these months. The island of maui is the best hawaiian island to watch these majestic mammals. It operates a 65foot power catamaran called the ocean explorer, a 50foot sailing catamaran called. Guests on a maui kayak adventures ecotour got more excitement than expected when a humpback whale came right up to their kayak to check them out. Well be in maui from april 4th to the th and im afraid this will be a little late in the season to see whales. Maui county mayor michael victorino covid19 updates for april 17, 2020. Between december and april, the endangered pacific humpback whales travel from alaska to hawaii to birth and nurture their newborn calves in the warm pacific waters. Hotels near haleakala crater hotels near lahaina banyan court park hotels near maui ocean center hotels near. The area between maui, lanai, and molokai is a designated national humpback whale marine sanctuary. We offer each guest plenty of room to roam around, for the very best view of mauis humpback whales.
Gear will be analyzed towards determining its possible origins and trying. April is close to end of whale watching season, correct, does tour guarantee seeing the whale or perhaps is weather dependent. Typically, operators begin guaranteeing whale sightings from december 15th to. We are governed by a volunteer board of directors and our work is funded through fundraising activities, memberships and donations from supporters worldwide. Humpback whales have a specific reproductive cycle with the same components as all mammals. Youre experience will not be just viewing whales, but also listening to the majestic whale songs, live, through our high performance hydrophone audio system which mixes the whale songs over gentle island tunes. Maui, kauai and the big island are the most popular islands for hawaii whale watching, so plan to visit one of these islands on your vacation. Both are indicators of a shift in seasons, and just as a snowflake falling from the sky signals winter for much of the mainland, the first sighting of humpback whales hearkens winter for us in hawaii during the winter months of decemberapril, the leeward waters of maui county house the worlds. Our fast and safe rafting vessels are low to the water and perfect for close whale watching encounters and small groups making every seat a front row seat. In april 2008, ifaw launched a report on pacific islands whale watch tourism. Youll enjoy a full two hour whale watch combined with snorkeling a beautiful coral reef. The typical reproductive cycle of a mature female humpback is.
But there are only a lot of whales around maui from mid january to early march. This photo provided by kari plas shows whales stranded on a beach in kihei, hawaii. Presentations are free and open to the public on friday, saturday, and sunday afternoons at the ritzcarlton, kapalua. Each year since 2006 worldrenowned presenters have come together on maui to collaborate and share at whale tales. I read somewhere that the whale watching season is from october to april. These huge mammals travel between 3 and 9 mph at over 1,000 miles per month. Humpback whales in maui whales visit december to april. Early in the season, the first sightings are usually of males who have made the swim from alaska, awaiting the females who usually show up between thanksgiving and christmas. Humpback whales off the coast of maui february 18, 2017. Unlike boat tour agencies that are big and impersonal. Humpback migration to hawaiian breeding grounds whale trust. This is the safest and most comfortable way to experience up.
Go here from your mobile device and click your account to create a user login. Mahalo to each and every guest, sponsor, partner, performer and vendor for joining us. The animal was trailing more than 285 feet of 38 braided line from its mouth. Operating within the hawaiian island humpback whale national marine sanctuary, they depart from historic lahaina, and from middecember through midapril, whale encounters are guaranteed. On a recent trip to maui we took in march of 2007, we were astounded by the sheer number of whales we saw. On the island of maui, the peak months for whalewatching are january, february and march. We do not approach humpback whales closer than federal regulations. These humpback whales were observed off the coast of maui, hawaii during the 10. This marks the organizations 38th year of celebrating humpback whales with fun, engaging.
Observing whales and sea animals in their natural habitat is a popular recreation activity, though whale watching can also serve scientific or educational purposes. Do you have any advise for us, on which island we should go for a whale watching cruise thank you all for your help. Each year since 2006, worldrenowned presenters have joined the whale trust research team on maui to collaborate and share the latest findings on humpback whales and their environment. I really want to do a whale watching excursion but i know this is the tale end, if not already the end of the season. There was a time when the north pacific humpback stock may have numbered 15,000 animals. Our big, spacious boat and can follow the whales in comfort, no matter where they roam, throughout the humpback whale sanctuary. On average, the first whale sighting from a trilogy. You will see whales in early april, ive seen them around maui as late as may.
On friday, january 12, 2018, an entangled adult humpback whale was freed by a team of trained responders off makena beach, maui. Pacific whale foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit organization founded in 1980 to protect the ocean through science and advocacy, and to inspire environmental stewardship. Each winter december through may, thousands of kohola humpback whales travel to hawaii from colder waters to breed, calve and nurse their young. Our maui whale watching tour is truly an exceptional vacation value. Maui whale festival picks up where whale day left off mauitime. Best maui whale watching top lahaina whale watching tours. Every seat is a front row seat in our whale watching tours. Whale watching aboard our flagship pride of maui is even better. Each occasion is designed to celebrate and inspire environmental stewardship alongside a strong community of maui residents and visitors. Maui whale watching tours maui snorkeling tours maui. Whale watching season runs from the beginning of december to the end of april every year. However, peak hawaii whale watching season occurs during february and march.
Even so, excellent opportunities abound to view whales in this cusp period of their island visit and youll experience smaller crowds and shoulder season savings. As a nonprofit organization, whale trust maui deeply values the trust that our partners, colleagues and supporters have placed in us. Whalewatching in maui in the beginning of april usa today. Lahaina harbor is home to a wide range of whale watching tours. Learn more about whale watching on maui and plan a day of adventure to see. Also, best bike outfit for biking haleakala and catamaranboat trip with whale. Whale watching in maui is commonly considered some of the best in the world. Things to do on maui in spring all about maui travel blog. Their migration crosses 3,100 miles of ocean each season. Whale tales is an annual fourday event on maui that brings together marine experts with thousands of residents and visitors from around the world. To safeguard this critical trust, whale trust maui is committed to best practices in governance, accountability and transparency. Some excursions do not even extend this far into april. Look out your window just not while youre driving please.
Humpback whale watching in maui options, tips, whale info. If youre interested in going whale watching in maui, you can get more information on available tours, rates, and bookings on the barefoot tours site. By 1966, probably due to commercial whaling, the count was estimated at fewer than 1,000. All beverages and snorkel gear are included, making this afternoon whale watch and snorkel tour a great value. The photos were taken just outside of makena on jan. The peak season for whale watching on maui is january, february, and march, though whale season in maui officially runs from december 15may 15. Pacific whale foundation helping protect our oceans. Makai adventures provides ocean day trips and tours in lahaina, maui. There are also whale watch tours put on by different organizations that generally handle dozens of people in large crowds, drinking mai tais and getting sea sick, which might be good for some, but maybe this is not what you had in mind when admiring mother nature. While the court rejected maui countys argument of what defines a point source of pollution. Maui whale watch tours hawaii humpback whale watching.
December 15th is the official start of the humpback whale season in hawaii, but guests on our private whale watching tour could spot whales as early as november, and since the feeling of watching a humpback from a kayak is one of the islands best adventures, we figured it was time to discuss some basics about humpback whales in maui. Things to do on maui in spring march aprilmay may day may 1 is lei day in hawaii, just one of many reasons to visit maui in spring. The waters surrounding maui are the stage for some of the best whale watching in the world. Maui in april things to do in april on maui by maui kayak.
From middecember to midmarch, every year our waters are filled with humpback whales returning home from alaska to mate and give birth. Dear all, we will be in hawaii in apri next year with the 1st week of april on kauai, 2nd week on big island and 3rd week on maui we would love to see whales especially humpback whales. West maui is the site of maui whale watching of the humpbacks as they feed, mate, and take care of their young in the warm waters of the hawaiian islands. In april, humpback whales begin their migration north to feast on rich krill in alaska. Whale watching in april hawaii message board tripadvisor. Pride of maui is the most stable and spacious boat on maui with incomparable amenities including two restrooms, glass bottom, water slide, submerged boarding ladders, warm showers, a large hardwood bar and over 2500 feet of open deck. From charter boats to passenger rafts, a stroll past the kiosks lining lahaina harbor reveals a variety of options during the peak of whale watching season, between january and early april.
If you want to be sure to see the most whales in the ocean, it is best to plan your trip for the peak whale times of midjanuary to the beginning of march. Maui whale watching tours hawaii cruise excursions. Hawaiis whale watching season runs from december through may. Amazingly, the whales live off the blubber while they visit maui, stored from the long summer months of feeding. When you get to their site, just go to the left side of the screen under maui, then choose whale watching tours on maui from the dropdown menu for their. There are a few whales around maui from midnovember to midapril. Mauis whale watching communities are located at lahaina and ma alaea. Two thirds of the humpback whales in the north pacific, which is about 4 to 5000 whales, swim for 3,000 miles to. We want your whale watching tour to be unforgettable. Whale season in maui is here and you will want a front row seat for this show. Officially, whale season in maui runs from december 15thmay 15th, although its still possible to see whales outside of the officialwhale season dates. The pacific whale foundation has released a tentative schedule of events for maui whale festival 2018.
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