What months are whales best in Hawaii?

Although the best time of year to see whales is December through April, the peak of the season is happening right now, January through March! By the month of January, we are seeing more whale action than December, and by February we have what we call “whale soup”. Everywhere you look, you see humpback whales!



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The best time for whale watching in Hawaii is between December and March. Though you can begin to see whales off the coast in the beginning of October (or even September) and as late as May, between December and March is when the population of humpback whales in Hawaii is the largest.

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The best time to view whales is between dawn and dusk when they are most active. Whale-watching tours typically last 3-4 hours, but you may want to check with your tour operator about the specific times that their vessel will be sailing.

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The Maui Nui Basin was designated as the Hawaiian Island Humpback Whale Sanctuary because Maui is the main Hawaiian island destination for Humpback Whales. Maui is the best island in Hawaii for whale watching and begins offering whales tours from December 1st every year until April 15th.

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The majority of humpbacks will stay around Maui's calmer, shallower water, which is ideal for moms and their calves, according to Conner Humann, a certified humpback whale naturalist and a crew member in the charter, making it the best island for whale watching.

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The reality, however, is that they do exist in Hawaii, but they aren't a part of a resident population that is regularly spotted in the islands. There have been a handful of orca sightings off the Big Island of Hawaii as well as Maui and Lana'i, and a dead orca once washed ashore along the southern coastline of Lana'i.

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Although the protected oceanic areas known as the Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary are mainly found between the islands of Maui, Molokai and Lanai, the island of Oahu is also a popular destination for humpback whales, and they can be found off the shores of Waikiki, the North Shore, and both the east (windward) ...

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More Whale Watching Destinations in the US
  • Malibu CA (Grey Feb-Apr)
  • Myrtle Beach SC (Humpback, Pygmy Sperm, Right, Nov-Apr)
  • Newport Beach CA (Blue May-Nov, Finback, Gray Dec-Apr, Humback, Minke, Year-Round)
  • Waianae, Oahu HI (Dec-May)
  • Provincetown MA (Humpback, Fin, Minke, Pilot, Sei, Right, May-Oct)


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The best times to visit Maui are April through May and September through November. The spring and fall shoulder seasons provide the pleasant weather Hawaii vacationers seek without the high rates and heavy crowds that accompany the summer and winter.

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Here in the confines of Maui County the water is very shallow, which consequently means it's free of predators like fearsome killer whales. The channel between Maui, Moloka'i, and Lana'i is only about 200 feet deep, and the sandy bottom and calm conditions are a tropical “kiddie pool” for whales.

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November marks the traditional start of the 2022-2023 whale season at the sanctuary. Humpback whales are generally seen in Hawai'i from November into May each year, with the peak season running from January through March, according to the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary.

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Whale Watching See the Humpback whales as they frolic in the warm waters of the Hawaiian Islands. Whale Watches are 1.5 hours to 3 hours. $19-$79.95. Some are bare-bones simply looking for Humpback Whales in Hawaiian Waters while others include BBQ lunch and Cocktails.

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“One of the best places that I have found whales … is in Lahaina Harbor,” Sullivan said. Not so coincidentally, many of the boat tours depart from Lahaina, the West Maui town between the resorts of Kaanapali Beach and Wailea. “The whales will come all the way up to the boats that are moored,” he said.

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