You first hear them before their presence. Then the sure thump of water, a deep whoosh. Your heartbeat jumps. You negotiate the waves. Boom: The tail is there. The first incursion resembles a lightning strike. Raw, exact, almost absurd. A forty-ton humpback dragging herself out of the Pacific seems late, like late for dinner. This is an important site for travelers looking to whale watch from Lahaina.
Now let us talk about turkey. Rather than whales, instead.
From January until March? Golden mine. Peak season is the one we are now living through. Book for June and count on a performance. Not for June instead. They packed and relocated north with the calves already.
early morning trips better view, calm waves, fewer small children crying on boats. Bonus: the sunrises offer yet another kind of show.
Some of the neighbors swear by Lahaina. Some people talk about Maʻalaea nonstop. Accuracy Both are successful. Try Olowalu, though, if you want a more restrained debut. Less people, more sea to yourself.
Stay away from the Mega-boats with “free juice” signs. Go miniature. Think of zodiac, sailboats, or think raft. You want to hear the whales singing; not someone’s playlist ringing off the cliffs.
Kihei’s Captain Rick knows every splash zone, exactly as the rear of his callused hands would. Swears whales are just loud monsters. He had a mother and calf shadowing the boat once, for forty minutes. She waved and swore to God.
Binoculars are amazing. One is patient and therefore wiser. Glue your face to your phone won’t help you try to get the perfect Instagram photo. You will pass over the opportunity. And at the moment? Not the jerky video; in twenty years you will remember something else.
Drink water. Bring free of reef damage sunscreen. Feed the fish nothing like your dinner. Allow me to speak from experience.
And refrain from shouting upon spotting one for the love of all things aquatic. Not a concert is scheduled here. They are not here to entertain you. You are visitors on their sea. Act the first.
Oh also bring someone that won’t talk your ear off. One should keep some quiet time worth considering.