Partner Content | Photo: Snorkel boats at Molokini credit: Luc Delamare
While the August 8 fires destroyed the historic whaling town of Lahaina and its busy harbor, the annual winter migration of humpback whales from Alaska to give birth and frolic in warm Hawaiian waters remains a welcome sign of renewal as well as a compelling reason to visit Maui during whale season.
Some of the best viewing takes place off Ka‘anapali Beach, where you can often see humpbacks and their calves spouting and breaching from the shore. For more dramatic encounters, Trilogy Hawaii offers 2-hour cruises aboard a luxury sailing catamaran that departs from the beach. The cruises include a whale naturalist to explain behavior such as spy-hopping (a heads-up vertical breach) and the peduncle slap (a loud and showy tail move), as well as the courtship and mating that leads to the baby humpback boom. An onboard hydrophone allows you to hear the eerie song of male whales, a shared tune that eventually morphs into a new melody by the next year.
During Maui’s whale season, roughly mid-December through mid-April, and peaking mid-January through February, you may also hear their song while snorkeling. Pu‘u Keka‘a (nicknamed “Black Rock”) in Ka‘aanapali is a popular site, known for colorful reef fish, spotted eagle rays, green sea turtles and even the occasional Hawaiian monk seal. Or sail from Ma‘alaea Harbor, where most of the Lahaina cruise operators have relocated, to Molokini Crater; chances are very good you’ll pass at least one pod of whales along the way. (Note: Federal law and common sense require keeping a safe distance from humpback whales, the highly endangered seals and threatened sea turtles.)
Back on shore, the Hawaii Wildlife Discovery Center in Whalers Village in Ka‘anapali hosts intriguing multimedia exhibits, art and children’s activities featuring humpback whales and native marine life, such as the Hawaiian green sea turtle, with a strong conservation message. Admission is by voluntary donation.
From the resort’s paved walkway along Keauhou Bay and rooms overlooking it, guests can often spot the gentle marine giants known as manta rays. The Kona-Kohala coastline is one of very few easily accessible areas in the world where manta rays make regular appearances, filling their seemingly empty bellies on plankton, which in turn is attracted by artificial lighting at night. A 5-minute evening boat excursion from Keauhou Harbor will allow you to float with a snorkel above the mantas as they somersault through the water.
The Maui Ocean Center in Ma‘alaea offers landlubbers another great way to experience humpback whales. Inside its unique Sphere, which incorporates 3D glasses, high-resolution video and state-of-the-art surround sound, you’ll feel like a member of the pod as massive whales soar seemingly inches above your skull.
For a front-row seat for gorgeous sunsets as well as frequent whale appearances, stay at Outrigger Ka‘anapali Beach Resort. The beachfront resort is a short walk to the Trilogy launching site as well as Whalers Village, while the onsite Maui Brewing Company makes a good place to toast all your marine life encounters.
