Steve

My wife and I will be arriving in Maui on March 30th for 1 week. We will be in the Wailea area,and would like some recommendations on a GOOD company to whale watch. We heard something about the Maui Princess. Any responces would be appreciated.
Thankyou

Jae

My husband and I are also arriving in Maui on March 30. I have booked a whale watching tour with Pacific Whale Foundation (www.pacificwhale.org). If I remember correctly, all the profits go toward saving the oceans, etc. If you go during the less popular times
(early morning, late aft.) the cost is $19.95, and if you're a member of AAA, you get a 10% discount. I was told that you will see whales! I hope this helps!

Lenore

The book Maui Revealed, whose authors live in Hawaii, also recommended the Pacific Whale Foundation for whale watching trips. We will be in Maui the middle of April, so I'm hoping it's not too late to see them! Thanks for the heads up about a AAA discount. Good to know since we are members too.

kama'aina

I have been on both the Maui Princess and a tour with the Pacific Whale Foundation. Both are good tours. To be honest we saw more whales when we were on the Maui Princess, but there are a lot of variables and you see different things each time.

The Pacific Whale Foundation boat had two hulls so it was more stable. It didn't travel out as far or as fast as the Maui Princess. The on-board lecturer for Pacific Whale Foundation was a biology teacher and whale researcher who takes off from his mainland classes during this time of the year to be on the boat. He was wonderful - loves his work! The lecturer on the Maui Princess was an attractive and charismatic blonde. She was engaging and fun to listen and almost as knowledgeable as the other tour. We were on the Maui Princess in January and tourism was still down. About twenty of us were on a boat that handles more than a hundred. It was quite comfortable and we were able to roam throughout the boat. I don't know if it would be the same if the load was at capacity.

During our tour on the Maui Princess we saw several dozen whales including about a half-dozen breach. We did the Pacific Whale Foundation in February in the morning and the Maui Princess on a January afternoon. I think afternoon is a better time to go.

Dianne

I've used Pacific whale foundation a couple of times for snorkeling tours & saw whales & dolphins both times. My favorite for whale watching is Captain Steve's rafting. He leaves out of Mala wharf in Lahaina. You have to be adventuresome, as this is a zodiak type raft & not a catamaran. I never use anyone else! Check out his website.

Amy

We just returned from Maui and it was like whale soup. They were everywhere. We didn't go on a whale watching charter, but we did go on two seperate adventures by boat and they included watching the whales. We had the good fortune of seeing 4 whales do a full breach close to the boat. It was the most spectacular site I have ever seen. Have a great time!

helen

This time of year the whales are beginning to collect into larger pods prior to their excursion back to Alaska. Oftentimes you can see pods of whales from the highway between Papawai Lookout and Lahaina (Highway 30).

Lenore

We will be in Maui April 15th for 5 nights. Will it still be "whale soup" by then? Please say yes (but don't lie!)

jay

See above thread on "fat people on planes".

helen

There should still be plenty of whales around in mid-April. Some years they even hang around into May.