Whale Watching - Kayak with the Whales! December through April Only

Whales

The Best Thing in Winter since Skiing!

Each Winter, beginning around the first of January, the majestic humpback whales travel the thousands of miles of ocean to return from the Alaskan coastline and bask in the warmth of the Hawaiian oceans in order to consummate their mating proceedings. Maui Eco Tours is lucky enough to have a front row seat for all of the action as these 30 ton animals engage in breaching, tail-slapping and singing!

Whales is a December through April extravaganza of discovery. No boat, plane or helicopter ride compares to being just inches off the water and within earshot of these 30 ton animals!

Over half of the trip consists of whale watching; the remainder of the time is spent kayaking and snorkeling up close with turtles...just imagine hovering over beautiful, colorful coral reefs while zooming in on some turtles! Even better is that this trip is located right in the center of Maui, making it equally close to both Lahaina/Ka'anapali as well as Kihei/Wailea. No matter where you're staying, you're never too far away, thus making for a relaxing start to the day! The morning ends with a complimentary delicious beach lunch.

Turtles, whales, coral, beautiful vistas....does it get any better? Come along for 3.5 hours of awesome fun that you'll remember forever and tell all your friends back home about!

Due to the intermediate nature of Whales, age 12 is the youngest age allowed on the trip.

©2006 Iris Abbott

Complimentary Lunch Options:

Frequently Asked Questions

When does whale season start/end?

The Whales kayak/snorkel trip season changes slightly each year based upon what the whales themselves are up to, but generally speaking the season begins on January 1st and ends on March 31st each year.

Are whales seen on every trip?

The 2004-2005 Whales season (which finished up on March 18th, 2005) departed over 40 times and had only 1 trip that didn't see Whales. The 2005-2006 Whales season (which finished up March 31st, 2006) departed over 45 times with whale sightings on all but 2 trips!

As these statistics indicate, we see whales on virtually every trip.

How close can you get to the whales?

One of the biggest benefits of kayaking out to see the whales is that are no noisy engines or propellers in the water to irritate the whales. What this means is that you tend to get very close to the whales at times as they surface around you in all directions and distances.

It is not allowed to pursue the whales and get too close on purpose; therefore, trips head out to areas where the whales frequent and from there you let them do the surfacing, breaching and tail slapping while you take it all in and enjoy!

Is there anything special I should know?

Although Maui Eco Tours does their best to always see lots of Humpback Whales, there are occasionally trips where they elude the group. As one might imagine, they are indeed wild animals and sometimes are a bit unpredictable and elusive. Over the course of the Winter season, the average rate of sightings is well over 90%, but when they aren't around, that's when this trip really shines. Since the trip includes snorkeling and lots of paddling, guests have a great time regardless. Rest assured, you'll have a ton of fun with Maui Eco Tours!

For more FAQ's about Maui Eco Tours, click here.

Maui Mile 11off Highway 30 - 3.5 Hour Whale Watching Kayak Excursion
Monday through Friday at 7:15 am

Departure Dates/Times

Trip runs from late December through late March/Early April(approximately), Monday - Friday at 7:15 am

Departure Point: Mile Marker 11

From West Maui (Kapalua, Ka'anapali & Lahaina): (Travel time approximately 25 minutes) Proceed down Highway 30 while paying close attention to the Mile Markers. You will go about 20 minutes beyond Lahaina. Proceed beyond Mile Marker 11 and pay attention to the right side (oceanside) of the road. Tours meet us the side of the road JUST before the tunnel (Maui's only tunnel). Pull off the road and park anywhere. Look for the Maui Eco Tours guides with blue polo shirts, and the white van and blue kayaks!

From South Maui (Kihei and Wailea): (Travel time approximately 30 minutes) Head North on Highway 31 to the junction with Highway 30, near Ma'alaea Harbor. Go left towards Lahaina at the stoplight intersection. Pay close attention to the Mile Marker signs. Tours meet on the side of the road JUST after the tunnel (Maui's only tunnel) slightly before Mile Marker 11. Pull off the road and park on the left side (oceanside) of the road. Look for the Maui Eco Tours guides with blue polo shirts, and the white van and blue kayaks!

Guests should meet at this address 15 minutes prior to departure.

No Hotel pick-up is available for this tour or activity

Return Details:

Tour concludes at the original departure point.

Payment:

Your credit card will be charged the total amount of products and services selected at time of booking. We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover Card.

Confirmation & Travel Voucher

For every confirmed booking you will receive an e-mail with a link to your E-Ticket Voucher. Print vouchers on your home/ office printer. Please present this E-Ticket voucher at the Box Office. Only one voucher will be created per tour or activity for all travelers.

For TourCorp terms, conditions and F.A.Q. please follow this link

©2006 Xavier Marchant

This tour must be booked at least 48 hours in advance of your travel date. Your confirmation for this product will be received within 12- 24 hours subject to availability.

Cancellation and No Show Policy:

There is no charge for cancellations prior to 48 hours before the tour departure date. Tours canceled within 48 hours of the departure date and no-shows will be subject to a $25 fee to cover fixed costs.

Recommended for all Maui Eco Tours: Bathing suit, towel, sunscreen, visors, sunglasses, water shoes or sandals that fasten, underwater camera, extra food/snacks.

Weather: Tour route or activity may be changed depending on local weather conditions.

Light lunch is included. Gratuities and Souvenirs are not included.

Maui Eco Tours and TourCorp Inc. assume no responsibility for delays caused by accidents, breakdown, bad conditions of roads, trails, bays, ocean, harbors, and any other conditions beyond control, in addition to insufficient numbers of passengers. Not responsible for loss or damage to property.

On some tours and activities the size of the vehicle depends on the number of passengers booked for that particular day. Tour companies reserve the right to change the size of the vehicle.

All company policies can be found at http://www.tourcorp.com and are part of this tour or activity purchase.