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Home / Activities / Adventure Whale Watch from Wailea
Maui Activities Whale Watching

Adventure Whale Watch from Wailea

Hop aboard a boat (from the beach!) in South Maui for an afternoon of whale watching. Head out to the Maui Nui Basin and catch a glimpse or have an up-close encounter with one of the 10,000 humpback whales that migrate to Hawaii each winter.

kai kananni adventure whale watch

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you decide to make a purchase through my links we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Read about our affiliate policies here.

Activity Overview

  • Departs From: Maui – Kihei/Wailea (South)
  • Duration: 2 hours
  • Included in the price: Naturalist, boat trip, snacks, and drinks

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Adventure Whale Watch Highlights

  • 2-hour tour
  • Beach loading
  • Guaranteed sightings! If you don’t see any whales on your tour, they will reschedule you, free of charge
  • Snacks and drinks are provided
  • See giant humpback whales up close with a marine naturalist onboard ready for any and all questions!
  • All ages welcome!
Book your adventure whale watch

Tour Details

Kai Kanani offers whale-watching tours from mid-December to early April.

We enjoy snorkeling at Molokini Crater and having sunset sails with the Kai Kanani Team. When they open their boat for whale season, we jump at the chance to go out on their gorgeous catamaran.

Onboard Naturalist

A marine naturalist onboard to answer all your questions

Listen to Whale Songs

They will dip the hydrophone in the water so you can listen to whale songs

Bring Your Camera

Bring your phone or professional camera for pictures. We like to bring our GoPro (underwater camera) on a selfie stick to get underwater shots.

2-Hour Duration Tour

Tour starts at 1:30 PM

Departs from South Maui

The departure location is Maluaka Beach (click for directions), just south of Wailea in South Maui

Pick-Up Available

If you’re staying at a Wailea Resort, let them pick you up in their Kai Kanani Shuttle. Click the Book Your Adventure button to learn more!

Direct Booking

For more whale-watching tours from South Maui, we recommend a power raft tour that leaves conveniently from Kihei at a competitive price. Learn more in our Redline Rafting Whale Watching Tour Review.

Whale Watch Adventure FAQ

Shuttle Service Available!

Don’t have a car? Make sure you book the option requesting shuttle service (labeled “Needs pickup” when booking). They pick up from a number of Wailea resorts and you’ll see a list when you book.

Is food provided on board?

You won’t go hungry! On board you’ll find:

  • Hummus & Crudités: carrots, celery, cucumber
  • Chocolate chip cookies
  • Maui-style potato chips
  • Bar: Cocktails, premium liquor, Maui Brewing on tap

What is beach loading?

This is what puts the “adventure” in the adventure whale watch tour. Rather than needing to drive to Ma’alaea to board from the harbor, you get to climb on the boat right from Maluaka Beach in Wailea. The crew is there to assist you, but you will need to wade through the water and climb stairs to get onto the boat.

They suggest that you wear swimwear on all of their tours, including their adventure whale watch tour (you can wear clothes over your suit). You might also want to bring a towel. While you’re not snorkeling, you will get a little wet during beach loading.

About

Kai Kanani is a Native Hawaiian family-owned company that has been in operation for more than 30 years. They operate their catamaran tours out of South Maui, and you can hop aboard for a snorkel trip, sunset sail, or whale-watching adventure.

Kai Kanani supports local farmers and small businesses by shopping locally for the meals and drinks they serve onboard. Their attention to detail, fun and knowledgeable crew and excellent customer experience have earned them more than 1,300 five-star reviews on TripAdvisor.

Book your adventure whale watch

We are affiliate partners with Kai Kanani which means we receive a small commission for each completed booking made through this site. This is done without any additional cost to you. You can read more about our affiliate policies here. Know that we only recommend tour operators that we know and trust. Your positive experience and your trust in us mean more than any affiliate commission. By booking tours through our website you help us to provide free information and videos to help you and other readers plan their perfect Hawaii vacation. Thank you so much for your support — you are amazing!

Aloha! We're Jordan and Erica.

We are Hawaii travelers who have lived on Maui and Oahu sharing our adventures, travel tips and resources, and honest reviews so you can easily plan your dream vacation to Hawaii.

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