Pacific Whale Foundation – Maui Whale Watches

Book a Pacific Whale Foundation Whale Watch

Pacific Whale Foundation (PWF) is the environmental leader of the activity industry in Hawaii. Each year they work tirelessly monitoring the Humpback Whales through their whale-watching tours and scientific research to find a common balance between man and whales. They are the ones who sponsor the great whale count every year in the waters off Maui. With an army of volunteers, the count has seen a dramatic increase in the whale population since the 1990s. The environmental work this Pacific Whale Foundation Whale Watch does has brought awareness to the public regarding climate change and its effects on it in Hawaii and around the globe. Climate change has already affected the beaches in Hawaii.

Educational whale-watching tours with Pacific Whale Foundation are the norm. With tours departing from Maalaea. Each whale-watching tour in Maui has a marine biologist on board that will share every aspect of the Humpback Whales. They also use a hydrophone that will bring you the songs of the whales.

Operating a large fleet of power catamarans, Pacific Whale Foundation Whale Watch has more whale watches per day than any other company. Each catamaran is comfortable, equipped with two restrooms and plenty of viewing room on the upper and front decks. They sell out every day and these tours are among the best things to do on Maui.

Visitors always ask what is the best time of day to schedule a whale-watching tour in Maui. Whales have to come up for air about every 30 minutes, so as far as the whale goes, it doesn’t really matter. You, on the other hand, are a different story altogether. Most visitors aren’t used to the tropical heat in Maui. As the day lengthens, it gets warmer and the trade winds pick up. The morning times

Whale Watching on Maui

Did you know that the Humpback Whale does not eat while in Hawaiian waters? There is no food source for them. Off the coast of Alaska, the Humpback Whale thrives on Plankton. Plankton is found in cooler waters than in the tropics. In Hawaii, Humpback Whales find their mates and then come back to birth their calves from their visit the year before. On a few occasions, the Humpback whale has been observed in mating rituals by Pacific Whale Foundation (PWF)  during their research tours. What an interesting whale-watching tour that must have been.

What to Bring for the Whale Watch Boat Tour

• Bring a light jacket! After the sun sets you might get a little chilly with the light wind off the water.
• Your camera/phone should be fully charged and have room for all your photos a potable charger can come in handy.
• Wearing a hat and sunglasses can make you more comfortable as the sun sets into the Pacific Ocean.
• You’ll want to apply some sunscreen before leaving your resort and reapply a few hours later.

Food?

There is no food or beverage included with your tickets. But there are beverages and snacks available for purchase.

Boat Tour Restrictions

No handicap access

Hawaii Whale Watching Tour

The Pacific Whale Foundation Whale Watch is 2 hours in length and departs from either Maalaea or Lahaina. Pacific Whale Foundation Whale Watch affords a great Maui whale-watching cruise for families as their fleet of catamarans is large and stable with plenty of room for movement. They will take you to the Maui whales in comfort and provide a whale watch tour that will keep you returning to Maui every winter.

The early bird catches the worm. In this case, the early bird catches the whale. As whale watches evolved on Maui, different charter companies were looking for ways to separate themselves from the competition. Pacific Whale Foundation had a solution that created the most successful whale watching tour of them all, the Maui sunrise whale watching tour.

Hawaii doesn’t participate in daylight saving, Maui is two hours behind the west coast of the mainland during the winter. As you move further east, the time difference increases to five hours. Most visitors who arrive from the mainland find themselves waking up a couple of hours before they normally would at home. The further away you live from Hawaii, the earlier you will wake up on your first couple of days on the island. There is nothing to do in the middle of the night on Maui, except for perhaps a stroll along a deserted beach.

The sunrise whale-watching tour was created to provide some form of entertainment for early risers. Sunrise is one of the best times on Maui to go whale watching. It’s cooler, the trades are light and the roads are all but deserted. The sunrise whale watch is the perfect choice during your first few days on the island because your biological clock is still in mainland time.

Watch watching at sunrise is special. Mother nature lights up the sky with the colors of dawn and against the sunrise, your whale-watching photos are priceless. The unique images from whale watching come from this time of day. As the island is waking up, so are the Humpback Whales.

Boat Tours Depart from Maalaea

There are two departure locations for the whale watch with Pacific Whale Foundation. If you are staying on the south side of Maui, Maalaea Harbor would be your departure point.

For families, the Pacific Whale Foundation Whale Watch is the perfect solution if you have younger children. They have the largest fleet of catamarans on Maui. They are large with plenty of viewing space outside the main cabin. In some cases, the boat was designed for whale watching with tiered seating on the bow like a theater. There are two restrooms aboard and tables both on the upper deck and main cabin.

Pacific Whale Foundation Whale Watch

Pacific Whale Foundation is the environmental company of our time in Maui. They are the leaders. Each year they sponsor numerous activities on Maui associated with the Humpback Whale and eco-environmental awareness. It was their efforts that changed the laws regarding whale watching on Maui in the 1990s. Each year Pacific Whale Foundation sponsors the great whale count. Volunteers from all over Maui join the ranks with Pacific Whale Foundation to help count the whales. In the 1990s there were fewer than 1000 whales that came to Maui, today there are over 7000. Their number has increased dramatically since being added to the endangered species list!

Whale watching on Maui is seasonal from December 15th through April 15th. There is no whale-watching tours in the Summer.

Other Activity Options by Pacific Whale Foundation: Pacific Whale Foundation – Molokini And Turtle Arches Snorkel, Pacific Whale Foundation – Lanai Dolphin Snorkel, Pacific Whale Foundation – Sunset Dinner Cruise