# Best Whale Watching



## LUV2TRVL2HI (Feb 20, 2015)

We will be going to Kauai and Maui the last two weeks of March.  We have been on whale watching boat tours a couple of times in Maui, but are wondering if the whale watching in Kauai would be as good as or better than Maui.  Several of the couples we are going with have never been to either island and we would like to make sure they have the best chance of seeing whales up close by scheduling something wherever chances are best.    Thanks in advance for your advice!


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## Luanne (Feb 20, 2015)

I've always heard the best whale watching is on Maui.  I was just checking on tripadvisor and all of the comments on this question say Maui.  I think the whale tours are less expensive on Maui as well.  There was a thread somewhere recently where someone was asking about whale tours on the Big Island and they were much more expensive that what we've done on Maui.  I think the selection might be greater on Maui as well.   We've done ours through the Pacific Whale Foundation out of Maalea Harbor.  In fact we're going in March and already have one tour planned.  We'll probably do multiple ones they're just that much fun.

Also seeing whales up close is always dependent on the day you go out, where the whales are, and how they're acting.  Boats are prohibited from going too close, so you'll mostly likely not get a real "up close and personal" view.  But we've seen some amazing things.  Last time we went out we saw a mother whale teaching her baby to breech.  Amazing!


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## buzglyd (Feb 20, 2015)

The whale watching is fantastic in Kauai also.

I was watching them from the bluff at Alii Kai in Princeville. 

You can also drive to the harbor and take the boat tour up the Na'Pali coast which is beautiful and has lots of whales to see.


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## Luanne (Feb 20, 2015)

buzglyd said:


> The whale watching is fantastic in Kauai also.
> 
> I was watching them from the bluff at Alii Kai in Princeville.
> 
> You can also drive to the harbor and take the boat tour up the Na'Pali coast which is beautiful and has lots of whales to see.



But, if you are going to be on both islands and want to know which one is "best" for whale watching, most people will say Maui.


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## Rsauer3473 (Feb 20, 2015)

Last month I paddled an outrigger when we stayed at WKORVN. The cost is $85/person. There are two sessions daily, all in the AM. There are six per canoe including two crew in front and back. We paddled a mile or so out. We came close to a mother humpback and her calf. Our guide told me to put my go pro into the water and I got a great video of the two whales about fifty feet away under water. The excursion takes about 90 minutes. Concierge at the resort can make reservations. Company is Maui Paddle Sports.


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## NTP66 (Feb 21, 2015)

I would recommend Trilogy Excursions for any boating activity on Maui - especially whale watching. They're the best on the island (IMO), and have been doing it the longest. I've done just about every tour they offer and have never had a bad experience. Last February, on the whale watch tour alone, we probably saw a few dozen whales up close, including a handful of full breeches within 30' of the catamaran. It's an amazing experience if you've never done it before.


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## mjm1 (Feb 21, 2015)

We will be on Maui from April 18- May 2. I know there is no guarantee, but are the whales usually still around in large enough quantity to make an excursion worthwhile? We have never gone whale watching before, so are definitely interested in getting as close a look as possible.

Thanks.

Mike


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## Luanne (Feb 21, 2015)

NTP66 said:


> I would recommend Trilogy Excursions for any boating activity on Maui - especially whale watching. They're the best on the island (IMO), and have been doing it the longest. I've done just about every tour they offer and have never had a bad experience. Last February, on the whale watch tour alone, we probably saw a few dozen whales up close, including a handful of full breeches within 30' of the catamaran. It's an amazing experience if you've never done it before.



I love Trilogy.  The only thing is, do they have any Marine Naturalists on their boats?  It's fun to see the whales, it's even more fun if you have someone on board who can talk about them.....other than just say "thar she blows".


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## Luanne (Feb 21, 2015)

mjm1 said:


> We will be on Maui from April 18- May 2. I know there is no guarantee, but are the whales usually still around in large enough quantity to make an excursion worthwhile? We have never gone whale watching before, so are definitely interested in getting as close a look as possible.
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> Mike



When you arrive, or even a few days or week ahead of time, contact Pacific Whale Foundation.  They can tell you if the whales are still around.  On their website it shows they have tours out through the end of May.


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## NTP66 (Feb 21, 2015)

Luanne said:


> I love Trilogy.  The only thing is, do they have any Marine Naturalists on their boats?  It's fun to see the whales, it's even more fun if you have someone on board who can talk about them.....other than just say "thar she blows".



Not that I know of, but I think you'd be surprised at their knowledge when it comes to whales. Trilogy is a more personal experience, IMO, and if you ask around or check TripAdvisor, I'd venture a guess that a large majority would recommend them over everyone else on the island.


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## Ken555 (Feb 21, 2015)

NTP66 said:


> Not that I know of, but I think you'd be surprised at their knowledge when it comes to whales. Trilogy is a more personal experience, IMO, and if you ask around or check TripAdvisor, I'd venture a guess that a large majority would recommend them over everyone else on the island.




I've always wanted to try Trilogy. So far, I've been on Pacific Whale and Captain Steve, and they are two completely different experiences. Pacific Whale is a much bigger ship while Captain Steve is more of an adventure on water. Everyone I've taken on Captain Steve thinks it's great - especially since he can get much closer to the whales (as you're only a couple of feet above the water).


Sent from my iPad


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## NTP66 (Feb 21, 2015)

Ken555 said:


> I've always wanted to try Trilogy. So far, I've been on Pacific Whale and Captain Steve, and they are two completely different experiences. Pacific Whale is a much bigger ship while Captain Steve is more of an adventure on water. Everyone I've taken on Captain Steve thinks it's great - especially since he can get much closer to the whales (as you're only a couple of feet above the water).
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad



Catamarans are the way to go for me. You're close to the water, and the ride is smooth. This was taken from about 30' away:


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## Ken555 (Feb 21, 2015)

NTP66 said:


> Catamarans are the way to go for me. You're close to the water, and the ride is smooth.




Still not as close to the water as Captain Steve!


Sent from my iPad


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## taffy19 (Feb 21, 2015)

Ken555 said:


> I've always wanted to try Trilogy. So far, I've been on Pacific Whale and Captain Steve, and they are two completely different experiences. Pacific Whale is a much bigger ship while Captain Steve is more of an adventure on water. Everyone I've taken on Captain Steve thinks it's great - especially since he can get much closer to the whales (as you're only a couple of feet above the water).
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad


We always used to go with the Pacific Whale Foundation and went with their very first boat and so on. I will never forget that we had a whale go under us that was longer than the boat or it seemed that way and the pod of whales was all around us.

The last few years, we have been going with the Ultimate Whale Watch rafts and they are super fast and not that big plus they cater to keen photographers and make sure that the lighting is good. We really enjoy them more now.

We also take spur of the moment whale watching tours if we happen to drive by the harbor and there is still room and they have spotted whales. We park our car and ask them how it was that day when we see them come in. You may get a discount too from a smaller company as we have had it more than once and the whale watching was good but I highly recommend this company here:

http://www.ultimatewhalewatch.com/


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## Luanne (Feb 21, 2015)

NTP66 said:


> Not that I know of, but I think you'd be surprised at their knowledge when it comes to whales. Trilogy is a more personal experience, IMO, and if you ask around or check TripAdvisor, I'd venture a guess that a large majority would recommend them over everyone else on the island.



I think it depends on what you want.  As I said, I absolutely loved the Trilogy trip I took.  But....it was very expensive.  Do they do a shorter, whale watch trip these days?  Never mind, I just checked their website and they do.  They have a 2 hour trip out of Maalaea, Lahaina or Kannapali for $49.  The one through Pacific Whale Foundation is $23.00 if you book online, $25.00 if you don't.  We can do two trips with PWF for the price of one with Trilogy. 

And when I checked I did see that Trilogy offers naturalists on their trips.  I don't think you can go wrong with either company.  But, if I'm doing Trilogy I'd do the sail to Lanai complete with snorkeling and the bar-be-que lunch. 

I think what this all shows that everyone has their own favorite and there is no "best" whale watching.


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## LUV2TRVL2HI (Feb 21, 2015)

Thank you, Everyone, for your suggestions!  I'm thinking we may have to do both Kauai and Maui!  Since we are going to Kauai first, we'll start there and that way we will get to see the NaPali Coast at the same time!  Then on to Maui...now we just need to decide between Pacific Whale Foundation and Trilogy!  Thanks, again.  Tuggers always come through!


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## mjm1 (Feb 21, 2015)

Luanne said:


> When you arrive, or even a few days or week ahead of time, contact Pacific Whale Foundation.  They can tell you if the whales are still around.  On their website it shows they have tours out through the end of May.



Thanks for your suggestion. I will check it once we are there or shortly before we fly over. Looking forward to it.

Mike


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## Ken555 (Feb 21, 2015)

iconnections said:


> We always used to go with the Pacific Whale Foundation and went with their very first boat and so on. I will never forget that we had a whale go under us that was longer than the boat or it seemed that way and the pod of whales was all around us.
> 
> The last few years, we have been going with the Ultimate Whale Watch rafts and they are super fast and not that big plus they cater to keen photographers and make sure that the lighting is good. We really enjoy them more now.
> 
> ...




That's very similar to Captain Steve, which I've done several times and really enjoyed. Always good to know about another option.

http://captainsteves.com


Sent from my iPad


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## Ken555 (Feb 21, 2015)

mjm1 said:


> Thanks for your suggestion. I will check it once we are there or shortly before we fly over. Looking forward to it.
> 
> 
> 
> Mike




If you're staying north of Lahaina like I do at WKORV you might enjoy the easy parking and access of Captain Steve's over the others since he picks up at the Mala wharf at the north end of Lahaina and not at the main Lahaina harbor. I usually combine a morning trip with lunch at Mala Ocean Tavern, which is one of the best restaurants in the area (http://www.malaoceantavern.com) - and very close to the Mala wharf.


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## meatsss (Mar 1, 2015)

We just returned from 2 weeks on Maui. Went on 6 whale watch trips with Maui Adventure Cruises. The first trip costs approx. $47. After that, you get the child's rate for the future trips, good for a year. If you're a die hard whale watcher, you can get a 10 watch pass that comes to about $30 per trip. The Maui Nui is a steel hulled Zodiac that has a capacity of 40, and most importantly to some people, there is a restroom on the boat! We have used the company for over 20 years and saw great action again this trip.


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## Tiger (Mar 2, 2015)

As far as I know there are no specific whale watching tours on Kauai.  Whale watching is included in other cruises especially the cruise along the Napali coast.  That being said the captains stop, steer towards and discuss all water life.  On a typical tour in March/April  the cruise will stop 4-5 times for whales and also often sees dolphins and sea turtles


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## Harry (Mar 3, 2015)

LUV2TRVL2HI said:


> Thank you, Everyone, for your suggestions!  I'm thinking we may have to do both Kauai and Maui!  Since we are going to Kauai first, we'll start there and that way we will get to see the NaPali Coast at the same time!  Then on to Maui...now we just need to decide between Pacific Whale Foundation and Trilogy!  Thanks, again.  Tuggers always come through!



Last week we observed a mother whale teaching a baby to dive. She would flap her fin making huge waves and loud Navy gun sounds. This occurred about 10times right in front of Trilogy evening cruise which was delayed arriving by about 45 minutes. 

Harry


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## Luanne (Mar 3, 2015)

Harry said:


> Last week we observed a mother whale teaching a baby to dive. She would flap her fin making huge waves and loud Navy gun sounds. This occurred about 10times right in front of Trilogy evening cruise which was delayed arriving by about 45 minutes.
> 
> Harry



This is amazing.  We were able to watch a mother teach her calf to breech a few years ago.  First the mom would come up, then the baby.  The last time they came up together.


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## Southerngirl528 (Mar 12, 2015)

During winter months, Humpback whales can be seen from any of the Hawaiian islands but the largest concentration tends to be in the Au'Au Channel off the coasts of West and South Maui with Lana'i to the west and Moloka'i to the north. The mama whales particularly like these shallow waters where the waters are no more than about 400 ft deep.

Our first trip to Maui we went with PWF. They were fine but we felt a bit crowded. We've been out with both Trilogy and Teralani numerous times and really enjoy both. Trilogy is well know for the contribution to marine life and the environment. A friend that lives on Maui also really likes Gemini though I have yet to try them. We did Captain Steve's rafting whale watches this last trip from which we just returned and loved it. 

If you are an animal lover, do a little research into the companies you are considering as some have better reputations than others as far as caring for the environment and the well-being of these magnificent marine mammals. It is a blast being out on the water and getting great views of Humpbacks, but it is also really nice to look back on the Hawaiian islands from the water. Simply lovely.


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## HatTrick (Mar 13, 2015)

NTP66 said:


> Catamarans are the way to go for me. You're close to the water, and the ride is smooth. This was taken from about 30' away





Ken555 said:


> Still not as close to the water as Captain Steve!



Doesn't the federal regulation require 100 yards of clearance?


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## NTP66 (Mar 13, 2015)

HatTrick said:


> Doesn't the federal regulation require 100 yards of clearance?



When there are whales nearby, the vessels cut their engines. The whales can come as close as they want, but boats can't run them down or anything.


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## artringwald (Mar 13, 2015)

HatTrick said:


> Doesn't the federal regulation require 100 yards of clearance?



They can't power the boat to get closer than 100 yards, but if they stop, it's okay if the whale gets closer to them. We were coming back from a Trilogy catamaran cruise from Lāhainā to Lanai one year and the captain had to keep stopping the boat because there were so many whales. He said it was like we were in the middle of whale soup. I guess the guy on the cell phone just doesn't appreciate whales.


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## HatTrick (Mar 13, 2015)

How close is too close?


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## taterhed (Mar 14, 2015)

The best whale watching is from the club patio at barking sands with a nice beverage in hand listening to music!   But loving the thread... 


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## meatsss (Mar 18, 2015)

Had a lot of whales come close to the Maui Nui Explorer with Maui Ocean adventures.


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## Luanne (Mar 19, 2015)

We were out with Pacific  Whale Foundation yesterday on their sunrise trip.  Amazing.  We were seeing monk seals and manta rays almost immediately and didn't need to get far out of the harbor to see whales.  Saw lots of tail slapping and a few breaches.  We're planning to go out again while we're here.


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## jtp1947 (Mar 19, 2015)

Do the Trilogy catamaran's have a shaded area for sun sensitive passengers?


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## NTP66 (Mar 19, 2015)

jtp1947 said:


> Do the Trilogy catamaran's have a shaded area for sun sensitive passengers?



Yes, all of their catamarans have some sort of shaded area, be it a covered cabin or awning.


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## jtp1947 (Mar 20, 2015)

Thank You.


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## Southerngirl528 (Mar 20, 2015)

The only shaded areas I have ever seen on Trilogy "cats" or any other similar vessels is below deck in the cabin area. This would NOT be a good place to whale watch. 

As for being sun-sensitive, unless you have a serious sun allergy, I would recommend, #1, take an Early Bird whale watch. It will be early in the morning, soon after sunrise. The sun is not nearly so strong. Also there are so, so many types of clothing now with sunscreen properties. One could wear this type clothing in a long sleeved shirt (roll up the sleeves for a while if you are able), loose "cargo" type pants that you could roll up to board and disembark because unless you leave from Lahaina Harbor, you likely would be boarding from the beach by wading out. Lastly, wear a good sun-blocking, broad-brimmed hat. 

We have been out with Trilogy and Teralani multiple times, both for whale watches and sunset sails. Love them! But I've never seen any type awning. Only the below deck cabin for shade.


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## jtp1947 (Mar 21, 2015)

Thank you for the added information Southerngirl.


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## Southerngirl528 (Mar 21, 2015)

My pleasure, Jtp1947! 

Whale watching in Hawaii is something I would hate for anyone to miss that wants to participate. It is always a highlight for us. Last month we had a mama and newborn Humpback pair come right up to us and stayed with us for almost an hour. It was extraordinary!


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## Denise L (Apr 6, 2015)

*Whale watching advice for first time teens?*

At WKORV this week after a nightmare-ish 15-hour travel delay on Hawaiian Airlines on Saturday .  Long story but the plane had to turn around 2 hours after leaving SJC and landed in OAK and then the pilots had to sleep so we left about 15 hours later than planned, had to hope the rental car place was still open, and arrived at WKORV at 2:30 AM Sunday .  Spent all day yesterday just trying to get our heads clear.  Lost a day in paradise, but arrived safely.

Anyhow, My 16-year-old wants to whale watch on Maui this week.  Has anybody been whale watching lately, are the whales hard to spot now, and does anyone have an opinion between Trilogy and Gemini leaving out of Lahaina/Ka'anapali Beach?  My husband doesn't particularly like boats so seasickness is an issue. Thinking of getting him a band that I have read about?

Also, where is the best place to book for discounts?  WKORV, online, other?


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## NTP66 (Apr 6, 2015)

Denise L said:


> At WKORV this week after a nightmare-ish 15-hour travel delay on Hawaiian Airlines on Saturday .  Long story but the plane had to turn around 2 hours after leaving SJC and landed in OAK and then the pilots had to sleep so we left about 15 hours later than planned, had to hope the rental car place was still open, and arrived at WKORV at 2:30 AM Sunday .  Spent all day yesterday just trying to get our heads clear.  Lost a day in paradise, but arrived safely.
> 
> Anyhow, My 16-year-old wants to whale watch on Maui this week.  Has anybody been whale watching lately, are the whales hard to spot now, and does anyone have an opinion between Trilogy and Gemini leaving out of Lahaina/Ka'anapali Beach?  My husband doesn't particularly like boats so seasickness is an issue. Thinking of getting him a band that I have read about?
> 
> Also, where is the best place to book for discounts?  WKORV, online, other?



I've taken trips with Trilogy out of both Lahaina and Ka'anapali. So long as you keep anything you wish to remain dry up high when boarding from the beach in Ka'anapali, it's a piece of cake. My wife uses sea bands and swears by them, though I did buy MotionEaze (drops that go behind your ear) just in case. As far as discounts go, buying tickets directly through Trilogy is the cheapest way to get them.


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## Denise L (Apr 6, 2015)

NTP66 said:


> I've taken trips with Trilogy out of both Lahaina and Ka'anapali. So long as you keep anything you wish to remain dry up high when boarding from the beach in Ka'anapali, it's a piece of cake. My wife uses sea bands and swears by them, though I did buy MotionEaze (drops that go behind your ear) just in case. As far as discounts go, buying tickets directly through Trilogy is the cheapest way to get them.



Thanks, I booked Trilogy online and will see how it goes! The concierge recommended Gemini, but the departure times for Trilogy seem to work out better for our schedule.


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## jtp1947 (Apr 7, 2015)

We booked Trilogy from the recommendations on this board.  We had a 10:30 am whale watching out of Ka'anapali the last part of March.  All went well, spotted plenty of whales.  Very friendly and informative crew aboard the cat.  It was a windy day which precluded us leaving from the designated spot so we all had to walk about ten minutes to the other side of the Black Rock where the waves were more manageable to board. Even though the sea was choppy, no one got seasick.


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## Denise L (Apr 7, 2015)

jtp1947 said:


> We booked Trilogy from the recommendations on this board.  We had a 10:30 am whale watching out of Ka'anapali the last part of March.  All went well, spotted plenty of whales.  Very friendly and informative crew aboard the cat.  It was a windy day which precluded us leaving from the designated spot so we all had to walk about ten minutes to the other side of the Black Rock where the waves were more manageable to board. Even though the sea was choppy, no one got seasick.



We are booked at 10:30 tomorrow morning!  Excited and hoping it all goes smoothly boarding at Ka'anapali Beach!


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## PamMo (Apr 7, 2015)

I hope you have a great whale watching trip! Let us know if you see many whales. My family will be in Maui next week, and I wasn't really expecting they'd see any whales. It would be nice if the whales are still "vacationing" in Maui!


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## taffy19 (Apr 8, 2015)

Denise L said:


> We are booked at 10:30 tomorrow morning!  Excited and hoping it all goes smoothly boarding at Ka'anapali Beach!


You will do OK, Denise.  We had never done this before to walk on a Catamaran straight from the beach until this week but the crew is very helpful and will tell you when and how to proceed.  We loved our Trilogy trip to Lanai and the crew was wonderful.

The Catamarans are very stable so nobody in your family may even get seasick either.  The whales are still out there and I hope that you will see them too tomorrow.


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## LisaH (Apr 8, 2015)

Denise, Have a great time whale watching tomorrow! Would love to hear how it goes...


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## Denise L (Apr 9, 2015)

We had a wonderful morning on Trilogy looking for whales !  It was super windy and choppy and there were white caps everywhere, so it was a bumpy ride.  We found a group of about four whales (at the surface) and sailed to them and then followed them around until it was time to turn back.  One whale breached once (right after we all got sprayed with water from the waves so I missed it) and then another one came halfway out a few times.  We saw some half tails and a full tail or two.

The entry from Ka'anapali Beach was super easy.  We had a good time.  My daughter got seasick, but not upset about it.  

It's the very end of whale season, so I think we will do it again in February next year so that we can see a lot more whales.  Trilogy was great and the boat was not crowded at all (max 36).  

Thanks for all the recommendations!


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## NTP66 (Apr 9, 2015)

Denise L said:


> We had a wonderful morning on Trilogy looking for whales !  It was super windy and choppy and there were white caps everywhere, so it was a bumpy ride.  We found a group of about four whales (at the surface) and sailed to them and then followed them around until it was time to turn back.  One whale breached once (right after we all got sprayed with water from the waves so I missed it) and then another one came halfway out a few times.  We saw some half tails and a full tail or two.
> 
> The entry from Ka'anapali Beach was super easy.  We had a good time.  My daughter got seasick, but not upset about it.
> 
> ...



Glad to hear it all worked out.  Trilogy limiting the amount of people they take out definitely helps make it more enjoyable, especially when everyone scatters from one side to the other in order to find the whales.

Be prepared for whale soup if you ever go in February. You will not believe how many whales are in the water during peak season (the official whale count always happens mid-February in Maui).

Out of curiosity, did they lower the hydrophone into the water so that you could hear the whales singing? My wife especially loved that aspect of the trip.


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## meatsss (Apr 11, 2015)

Maui Adventure Cruises get a lot of photos and videos submitted to their Facebook page. Makes me yearn to go back there. 10 more months.


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## Denise L (Apr 12, 2015)

NTP66 said:


> Glad to hear it all worked out.  Trilogy limiting the amount of people they take out definitely helps make it more enjoyable, especially when everyone scatters from one side to the other in order to find the whales.
> 
> Be prepared for whale soup if you ever go in February. You will not believe how many whales are in the water during peak season (the official whale count always happens mid-February in Maui).
> 
> Out of curiosity, did they lower the hydrophone into the water so that you could hear the whales singing? My wife especially loved that aspect of the trip.



They did not use the hydrophone (not that I was aware of).  

Looking forward to whale soup in February!  Has anyone gone whale watching on the Scotch Mist?  The gal making our Ululani's Shave Ice (yum) said that was her favorite whale watching tour .


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## Luanne (Apr 12, 2015)

Denise L said:


> They did not use the hydrophone (not that I was aware of).



If they used the hydrophone you'd be aware of it.  So awesome to hear the whales sing.

Interesting fact is that whales all over the world sing the same song.  It will morph and change over time and next year will be completely different, but they'll be singing the same new version.


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## Denise L (Apr 13, 2015)

How soon should I book a whale watching trip for February 2016?  My kids want to go again and be part of the soup.  They liked Trilogy and the 10:30 slot, so I think I will book that again.   How soon do you guys book your excursions?


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## Luanne (Apr 13, 2015)

Denise L said:


> How soon should I book a whale watching trip for February 2016?  My kids want to go again and be part of the soup.  They liked Trilogy and the 10:30 slot, so I think I will book that again.   How soon do you guys book your excursions?



We booked ours with Pacific Whale Watch close to the time of our trip in March.  Then we booked a second trip just a few days before we went.


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## Southerngirl528 (Apr 14, 2015)

If you have a certain boat and time and since it's for February, I would book a month or more out. It's possible you could secure it closer to the date, but February is peak whale season so it's better to book what you know you want in advance and then you can relax!


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## NTP66 (Apr 14, 2015)

Denise L said:


> How soon should I book a whale watching trip for February 2016?  My kids want to go again and be part of the soup.  They liked Trilogy and the 10:30 slot, so I think I will book that again.   How soon do you guys book your excursions?



I booked 3 months out, the first chance the particular date that I wanted opened up. Glad I did, because one month out all of the earlier slots were completely booked.


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