Humpbacks gather to mate and calve in the shallow 'Au'au Channel from December to April, and a 1.5 to 2 hour trip costs $77 to $89 per adult. Lahaina Harbor reopened to limited commercial use in December 2025.
Dark months are the peak for that species, light months are the rest of its season. October is marked.
| Species | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Humpback whale | January: peak | February: peak | March: peak | April: in season | May: not usually seen | June: not usually seen | July: not usually seen | August: not usually seen | September: not usually seen | October: not usually seen | November: not usually seen | December: in season |
Peak In season
From gohawaii.com. Whales turn up outside these months too.
| Operator | What you get | From | Length | Group | Min age | Boat | If no whales | Cancellation | Book |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Classic Whale WatchIncludes Certified marine naturalist, Underwater hydrophones, Jr. Naturalist program for kids, Filtered water |
$84.19 per adult |
About 2 hours; morning and afternoon departures |
Capacity capped at 67% of the vessel maximum |
None stated; 4 and under free | Catamaran (fleet mostly runs on biodiesel); size not stated | Go again free on another whale watch of equal or lesser value within one year | Check dates | ||
Whale Watch 2 HrIncludes Marine naturalist guides, Hydrophone on board |
$88 per adult |
2 hours |
28 guests or less |
4+ (no children under 4) | Rescue raft style vessel, low to the water; up to 28 guests | See a whale or go again free (applies to trips December 1 to May 1) | 24-hour cancellation policy listed; no separate weather policy stated. | Check dates | |
Whale Watching from KiheiIncludes Onboard marine naturalist, Hydrophone |
$89 per adult |
1.5 hours; departures 7, 9 and 11 am |
Max 24 |
8 (maximum age 65) | Low-profile whale watching raft, max 24 passengers | Guaranteed whale sightings or another trip free | 48 hours notice for parties of 5 or fewer; 72 hours for 6 or more. | Check dates | |
Small Group Whale WatchIncludes Certified marine naturalist, Underwater hydrophones, Jr. Naturalist program for kids, Filtered water |
$110.46 per adult |
About 2 hours; morning and afternoon departures |
Capacity capped at 67% of the vessel maximum |
7+ (no children under 7 on Ocean Explorer) | Ocean Explorer (type and capacity not stated) | Go again free on another whale watch of equal or lesser value within one year | Check dates | ||
VIP Whale Watch (Limited 12 Guests)Includes Marine naturalist guides, Hydrophone on board |
$125 per person |
2 hours |
12 guests |
4+ (no children under 4) | Rescue raft style vessel, 12 guests | See a whale or go again free (applies to trips December 1 to May 1) | 24-hour cancellation policy listed. | Check dates | |
Ka'anapali Whale WatchIncludes Onboard whale naturalists and hydrophones, Light lunch (wraps or sliders) and a cookie; cinnamon roll and fruit on the 8am sail, Non-alcoholic drinks and filtered water, Two cocktails, wine or beer for guests 21+, Reef-safe sunscreen |
Not listed |
Sailing catamaran | Not stated | Check dates |
From each operator's own website, checked October 21, 2026. How we compare.
At Ma'alaea Harbor, PacWhale Eco-Adventures checks guests in 45 minutes before sailing at the Pacific Whale Foundation's Ocean Store. The store is in the Ma'alaea Harbor Shops, next to Maui Ocean Center. Trilogy also sails from Ma'alaea and moves its Ka'anapali trips there on large-surf days, when guests must make their own way to the harbor. On the south shore, Redline Rafting launches from the Kihei Boat Ramp at 2800 S Kihei Rd, with check-in opening 30 minutes before its 7, 9 and 11 am trips.
Lahaina Small Boat Harbor reopened to a few commercial operators on December 15, 2025, its first commercial traffic since the August 2023 wildfires. The state Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR) limited tours to 8 am to 6 pm because the harbor had no power, and banned mooring until further notice. Maintenance dredging began June 1, 2026 and should finish in December 2026. DOBOR says permitted tours keep operating, but the harbor parking area next to King Kamehameha III Elementary School was set to become a stockpile for dredged sediment. Other parking was being arranged with the county.
Ultimate Whale Watch boards its rafts at the Mala Boat Ramp, 1229 Front St. in Lahaina, and asks guests to arrive 20 minutes early. It says a 2-hour trip may range 2 to 10 miles out. Trilogy's Ka'anapali sails check in on the Sheraton Maui beach lawn, where the Beach Walk ends, 30 minutes before departure, and board from the sand. Sheraton parking costs $15, and Trilogy does not validate at Whalers Village. Trilogy points guests with limited mobility, and parents of small infants, to its Lahaina Harbor sailings.
Humpback whales come to Hawaii each winter to mate, give birth and nurse. Hawaii's tourism board puts them in Maui waters from December through May, with the best viewing from January to early April. Operators work a slightly shorter season: Trilogy and Redline Rafting run whale trips from mid-December to mid-April, and Ultimate Whale Watch guarantees sightings from December 1 to May 1. The tourism board singles out the 'Au'au Channel, the shallow water between Maui, Moloka'i and Lana'i, as the place where whales gather.
Calves are a regular sight by the operators' accounts. Ultimate Whale Watch says it sees babies on almost every trip, and Redline Rafting says Maui's sheltered waters are where most of the population mates and calves. All four operators carry hydrophones for listening to whale song. Redline also lists green sea turtles and, at times, spinner dolphins, while Ultimate mentions occasional dolphins.
Ultimate Whale Watch notes that its Lahaina rafts leave from the island's leeward side, and it calls the water there famous for its calm. Wind, it says, decides how much of the channel the rafts can reach. It adds that whales are active at all hours, so no departure time is better for sightings. At Ka'anapali, Trilogy's boarding depends on the shore break. On dangerous-surf days guests walk 10 to 15 minutes north along the Beach Walk to a safer spot, and on large-surf days the sail moves to Ma'alaea.
Rafts sit low and move fast. Redline Rafting says its raft gives a more thrilling ride than a big catamaran, and it takes ages 8 to 65 only. It does not recommend the trip for pregnant guests, people with back or neck problems, or frail and elderly riders. Ultimate Whale Watch does not take children under 4, pregnant guests or anyone with a back or neck injury. Neither raft operator's page gives advice on seasickness.
PacWhale Eco-Adventures sails catamarans from Ma'alaea and caps each boat at 67% of its maximum capacity. Its 2-hour Classic Whale Watch costs $84.19 per adult online ($99.05 regular) and $47.22 for children 5 to 12, and children 4 and under ride free with a paying adult. A certified marine naturalist is aboard, PacWhale cites a 97% sighting rate, and if no whales are seen you can go again free within a year. Its Small Group Whale Watch on Ocean Explorer costs $110.46 online and takes no children under 7.
Ultimate Whale Watch and Redline Rafting both use rafts and both offer another trip free if no whales appear. Ultimate's 2-hour trip from the Mala Boat Ramp is $88 per adult and $56 for ages 4 to 12, with 28 or fewer guests, and its 90-minute Express is $77. Its VIP trip (12 guests, $125) and Luxe trip (6 guests, $177) cost the same at any age, and its guarantee covers December 1 to May 1. Redline's 90-minute Kihei trip is $89 online ($99 retail), with a naturalist and a hydrophone.
Trilogy is the sailing choice, with catamarans off Ka'anapali Beach plus departures from Ma'alaea and from Lahaina Harbor on Trilogy VI, its newest boat. The Ka'anapali sail includes whale naturalists, a light lunch, soft drinks and up to two cocktails, beers or wines for guests 21 and over. Its fares load in a booking widget and are not shown on the tour page. Ultimate also offers private charters, without a published price.
from $84.19 per adult
Classic Whale Watch and 1 more option
Tour arm of the nonprofit Pacific Whale Foundation; revenue supports the foundation
from $88 per adult
Whale Watch 2 Hr and 1 more option
All trips on low-to-the-water rafts
from $89 per adult
Whale Watching from Kihei
Only operator in this set leaving from Kihei (south Maui)
Price on request
Ka'anapali Whale Watch
Whale watch season listed as December 15 to April 15
Prices and policies come from each operator's own pages, read on October 21, 2026. Seasons, rules and local details come from the pages below.