5 Unique Humpback Whale Watching opportunities on Maui, Hawaii

I just recently went to Maui with one goal ONLY: to get my Humpback Whale fix and I was definitely not disappointed. To go to Hawaii in the height of the whale watch season and not "see" a whale is straight up - IMPOSSIBLE! 

Have you always dreamed of not just seeing, but being able to hear, feel, smell, and almost touch the Humpback Whales? Well, then this Best of Maui Whale Watch Guide is just what you have been looking for, so read on...

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This is in my recommended order of doing... not sorted by worst or best at all, simply based on how I think it will make the most impact and I will tell you why as we go. But feel free to move it around however pleases you, as long as you experience it all and you are not planning on choosing just 1 or 2 of them. So without further ado, here are my unforgettable experiences:

1) In the Morning grab a coffee (tea in my case) and some Banana Bread at one of the dozens of cafes in Lahaina and walk over to The Beach. Find an empty bench or a spot on the sand with an unobstructed view and enjoy "the show". See how many Breaches you can count near the shore and all the way by the neighboring island of Lanai. We counted way over 300 in just under an hour, that's a breach every 10-15 seconds... it literally gets old shouting "Breach" after about 30... you end up just watching and taking it all in... There are just a handful of places on Earth that have that much Whale activity... This is truly special: "a hustling Humpback Whale  City" right in front of you... This experience will make you wanna get on the first available boat and get out there as fast as you can ... which brings me to #2

2) That afternoon (obviously reserve in advance) get on one of the RIB boats with Ultimate Whale Watch and Snorkel (go with Amy and Becca if you can - such an amazing and energetic Female Crew). And this tour stays true to its name, so get ready for an ULTIMATE experience! A much-needed disclaimer: no one was chasing the whales, and we were staying at a safe and regulated distance so it was up to them to interact with us. And boy, they DID! 

Whales everywhere: left, right, under the boat, over 100 breaches near and far...at least a dozen of cow/calf pairs (that's a Mom & a baby in whale geek lingo:-)... we got "mugged" and surrounded, sprayed and "tail slapped around". lol  And all of that in just 2 hours?! Just spectacular whale watching. And Yes I'm spoiled, I have hugged and kissed lots of grey whales and even scratched the tongue of one particular individual (You know who you are, Casper) BUT Humpbacks are still my favs and I just can't get enough of them. And as if this was not a complete sensory overload already, hearing the whales through a hydrophone sealed the deal for sure. Thanks a lot, Ultimate Whale Watch & Snorkel, because of you I am now in search of my own Hydrophone...another expensive purchase not everyone would understand. lol A Whale of a DAY! I literally thought, what else can possibly impress me after this?! Well, then came the next morning...

3) We got up at 5 am (I had to keep telling Rico "it will be worth it:) to go on a Kayak Whale Watch and Snorkel Tour with Maui Kayak Adventures for a complete different Whale Watching experience. The Ocean was calm and flat as a lake as we followed our Guide Matt in our 2-person Kayak. We could see the whale blows out in the distance all around. There is something absolutely majestic about just floating with paddles up while knowing that the whales can just pop up right next to you at any moment! 

Matt showed us how to "listen" for whale songs just using the Paddles: you put one side flat to your ear while the other side in the water... breath quietly and listen! There was one Male singing in the distance and he kept getting closer and closer. I can not describe the goosebumps and the butterflies in my stomach... truly unforgettable. Matt had snacks and water for us (in insulated reusable bottles:) and constantly shared amazing whale info with us and was ready to answer any questions. The second part of the trip we got to snorkel a small reef and spotted turtles, lots of colorful fish and... What an amazing, peaceful and memorable morning out... and just within a few hours we got an email with a bunch of photos Matt took of us:-) I can not recommend Maui Kayak Adventures enough!

4) Experience #4 was absolutely unplanned so it came as a complete surprise. We've decided to spend a few hours at the Beach and have chosen the stunning Makena Beach to relax on. The water was so beautiful and clear I could not resist to free dive and look for some shells and tropical sea creatures. As soon as I dove underneath the water surface and my ears were fully submerged I heard at least a dozen of whales communicating all around in the distance: singing and talking. I came up for air and got back down immediately thinking there is no way I can hear it that clear with my "naked" ears... I must have been doing too much whale watching and now I'm just "hearing whales everywhere" and I'm obviously imagining things. Well, at least 6 more dives and I kept hearing it some much closer than the other and some really far away. I needed to be sure I'm not losing my mind and I've asked Rico to check it out and he confirmed it: I'm definitely losing my mind in other areas, but hearing whales is not one of them. lol Now you can only imagine how Rico could not get me out of the water for the rest of the time... I just could not get enough of this "Whale World" experience. Absolute Must Do and guess what? It's freeeee!

5) Well, last but absolute-definitely NOT least: The Doors Off Helicopter Tour with Pacific Helicopter Tours. I loved that we've scheduled to do it on the last day of our trip. So Uber-Bucket-List experience alert! Because I'm very fortunate to have rockstar-daredevil-doors off Heli flying dear friends who have taken me a few times up in the skies I thought I have seen it all and my expectations were pretty high... well Hawaii and Pacific Heli Tours, I was absolutely BLOWN AWAY!!! 

 As Rico put it: "if you have not done a Heli Tour in Hawaii, you have not seen Hawaii!" Molokai from the sky is like Jurassic Park come-to-life experience. The ultra-green canyons dotted with massive waterfalls everywhere you look, rugged postcard-like coastline and did I mention WHALES?! Even though Whale watching from the sky was not the main reason for booking this Tour with so many whales in the area there was no way for us not to spot any. This was my very first time whale watching from the sky... that was just magical. Doors-Off is the way to go! And special Thank you to our badass female pilot Sam @heliseasam (who is also a boat captain) for these memories! I will cherish them until I get a chance to do this again and again! Absolutely breathtaking and unforgettable! Thank you Pacific Helicopter Tours! 

Well, there you have it! Save it, Print it, put it on your fridge and add it to your Bucket List - Maui Humpback Whale Watching is an absolute MUST DO! My planning Tips:
- Hawaii Whale Season is November  - May with the peak of the season being from Jan - March. (We went at the end of Feb - beginning of March) 
- It is a High Season on the Island so book your hotel and all the Tour reservation early
- Get a rental car
- Bring a Waterproof phone case or/ and a GoPro, Dry Bag, windbreaker, sunscreen, polarized sunglasses, battery pack for your phone, hat, non-slippery shoes. 

Ahoy and Aloha!