Partner Content. Photo courtesy of Trilogy
While Maui’s Kā‘anapali Beach is justly renowned for year-round sunsets and snorkeling at Pu‘u Keka‘a, nicknamed Black Rock, the winter whale season provides the perfect excuse to venture a little farther from shore. Several catamarans offer whale-watching trips that launch directly from the beach, while landlubbers can walk to a museum that shares the sights, sounds and stories of the magnificent, migratory humpback whales. And after a day of viewing and learning koholā, as the whales are called in Hawaiian, guests of the OUTRIGGER Kā‘anapali Beach Resort can even relax in a whale-shaped pool just off the beach where their adventures began.
Whale-Watching Cruises
The family-run Trilogy became Maui’s first sailboat company when brothers Jim and Rand Coon, two Seattle transplants who each married a woman from Maui, founded the company in 1973. It’s long been one of my favorites for its emphasis on safety for passengers, marine life and the environment. The company banned spray sunscreen on its boats way back in 2010, eliminated single-use plastics a year later, converted one of its catamarans to biodiesel in 2015 and has led numerous reef cleanups, among other steps that have earned it the highest level of certification from the Sustainable Tourism Association of Hawai‘i.
During whale season, roughly December 15 through April 15, all of Trilogy’s excursions are likely to include some whale-spotting, whether designated as a snorkeling or a whale-watching cruise. The latter, however, include a naturalist on board and a hydrophone for listening to the whales’ eerie songs, as well as the perk of cinnamon rolls or deli sliders with fruit and a cookie on the 2-hour tours, with morning and early afternoon departures. Trilogy also offers sunset whale-watching cruises that board from Kā‘anapali Beach at 4 p.m., with enough time to enjoy a premium cocktail (for adults) and appetizers and find an active whale pod or two before the sun drops below the horizon. (Note: Like all law-abiding boaters in Hawai‘i, Trilogy captains will not approach whales closer than 100 yards and slow to 6 knots within 400 yards. However, once the catamarans are stopped, curious whales and their calves have been known to come up very close for a look at the humans!)
Other 2-hour whale-watching cruises that depart directly from Kā‘anapali Beach include Sea Maui, which features full bar and bean-bag seating on its catamaran, and Maui Whale Adventures, which uses a smaller, custom-made rigid inflatable boat for more intimate tours. Teralani Sailing Adventures, which like Sea Maui operates a 65-foot catamaran, boasts the only 2.5-hour long whale-watching tour. It includes a gourmet grilled lunch with coconut crusted shrimp, quinoa Greek salad, and coconut-lime glazed kalua pork (and vegan teriyaki burgers by request) among the choices. For all cruises from the beach, be prepared to take off your shoes and get a little wet during boarding (those with mobility issues should opt for a cruise from Mala Wharf on the north side of Lahaina.)
Whale-Watching on Land
One of the joys of staying at a hotel on Kā‘anapali Beach is the likelihood of spying whales right from your room or the beach boardwalk lining the shore. From OUTRIGGER Kā‘anapali Beach Resort, an easy stroll south along the boardwalk also leads to Whalers Village, home of the Hawai‘i Wildlife Discovery Center. Found on the third floor, with colorful murals to guide you, the center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a “pay-what-you-will” donation in lieu of an admission fee. A video wall with stunning, large-format images of humpback whales and other sea creatures welcomes you into a large gallery with more than 30 exhibits about marine conservation, Maui’s historic whaling era and Hawaiian cultural values. A naturalist is also on hand from 10 a.m. to noon to talk to visitors about whales, sea turtles, dolphins and Hawaiian monk seals.
The museum also has a display about whaling. After having seen humpback whales in the waters where they come to mate and bear their young, it can be tough to view the artifacts from the period when they were slaughtered for their blubber, bones and baleen. Fortunately, whaling ended on Maui in the 1870s, after years of decline. The establishment of the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary in 1992, which includes waters less than 600 feet deep around all the main islands, has further helped the cetacean population rebound to some 21,000 whales who split their time between Alaska in summer and Hawai‘i in winter.
Resort Whale Watching
While catamarans depart from the beach in front of OUTRIGGER Kā‘anapali Beach Resort and the Hawai‘i Wildlife Discovery Center is just steps away, you can also enjoy keeping an eye out for whales from a beach lounge or cabana rented by Aqualani Beach & Ocean Recreation. The more adventurous can sign up for an outrigger canoe ride or try their hands at stand-up paddling, which just might include whale sighting in season. The less adventurous can keep an eye out from the open-air Maui Brewing Company, also in front of the OUTRIGGER resort. Behind the restaurant lies the resort’s iconic whale-shaped swimming pool, featuring a shallow end perfect for kids in the tail and a deeper section in the head. So regardless of when guests visit Maui, they’re guaranteed to have spotted at least one whale.
