When is Whale Watching in Maui?

When is Whale Watching in Maui

When is Whale Watching in Maui Popular? What Day? What Time?

These are great questions to ask before planning your whale watching adventure because whales are not in Maui all the time! Planning when to go whale watching in Maui means planning around the humpback whales’ migration schedule!

Where Are Whales in Summer?

In the summertime, humpback whales live in Alaska, feeding off fish, plankton, krill, storing up energy for their long journey to warmer waters. Late November and early December, the humpback whales begin to arrive in Hawaii. We start to spot subtle puffs of air coming from the glassy surface of Maui’s tropical waters as they arrive in the Maui Nui Basin.

What Are the Best Months for Whale Watching?

The largest population of humpback whales are in Maui from the end of January until the middle of March, then they begin their migration back to Alaska, and the last are typically seen in the month of April.

From December 15th- April 15th, the Maui Nui Basin turns into a protected sanctuary for humpback whales (Find the best place for whale watching), restricting certain ocean activities to provide a safer place for the humpbacks to spend their winters.

Humpback whales do not feed while they are in Maui, Hawaii, instead they spending their time, courting, mating, fighting, playing and nurturing their young!

We observe these behaviors while whale watching in Maui and often see pods (large groups) of whales interacting. There can be 50 or more whales in a pod displaying tail slaps, spy hops, and the ever famous breaches which makes for a spectacular show of their strength and beauty!

When planning your whale watching tours, visit during winter months from December until April for the best time to whale watch in Maui! Reserve your seat for our upcoming whale watching tour here.