Whale watching tours and cruises depart from various ports along oahus southern and western harbors. Oahu whale watching tours are a particular delight for visitors coming to hawaii to escape the winter chill and the humpback whales seen on these whale watches. Our fabulous crew and deluxe catamaran make this the best kauai whale watching tour. Top ten sites for shoreline whale watching marine life. Whale season is between the 15th of december until the 15th of may. I am changing my plans to one week on oahu and one week in kauai instead of doing the hawaiian cruise. You can also spot whales from oahus many beaches and from southeastern oahu spots like the scenic makapuu lighthouse, hanauma bay, and along the seaside overlooks near leahi diamond head. Embark on a romantic dinner cruise aboard the luxurious, awardwinning 1,500passenger star of honolulu. Home blog whale watching maui whale watching season.
First humpback whales of season spotted in hawaii cbs news. Dont miss whale watching in season dec apr with whale guarantee and child free special. The first whale was spotted just last week off of mauis kihei south shore. Enjoy a day on the ocean with an oahu whale watching excursion during your visit. If you want to see whales from oahu your best bet would be to take some kind of boat tour. This two hour tour will bring you to the best spots on the island to see the whales in their natural habitat during migration. Whalewatching tours are the best way to learn about and get great photos of these breaching behemoths up close. Just as our idyllic weather welcomes tourists from around the world, the warm and shallow waters surrounding the hawaiian islands are a favorite destination for kohola, or humpback whales. Board a special whale watch cruise from waikiki beach to see these majestic sea creatures while enjoying soda and snacks onboard. There is a big difference between seeing a whale and experiencing a whale.
Star of honolulu waikikis best whale watch cruise from. Well generally between mid december and mid march, when the water is cold they go on vacation to hawaii. Bucketlist tour, guided snorkeling on oahu s west side on private, or up to six passenger semiprivate charter. Courtesy of a research hydrophone, you can listen to live whale song through the vessel stereo system. Oahu tourism oahu hotels bed and breakfast oahu oahu holiday rentals oahu holiday packages flights to oahu oahu restaurants oahu attractions. Every winter, over 5,000 humpback whales travel from alaska to hawaii. Well if you are visiting maui after december 20th through march you are in for a treat. Take a trip to the beach or a scenic lookout and watch for the blows, pec slaps, flukeup dives, and breaches of hawaiis humpbacks. Whales can be seen quite easily from most shorelines around the hawaiian islands. Oahu whale watching whale watching honolulu barefoot tours. There are available whale watching tours or you can book a private boat to spot these magnificent creatures. By team whale tail hawaii tourism authority hta tor johnson.
Star of honolulu dinner and whale watch cruises 2020 all. What is the best time of the day to see whales in february. Star of honolulu dinner and whale watch cruises 2020. Whale watching in oahu is an activity many visitors look forward to, and for good reason. This high speed catamaran leaves from maalaea harbor and can get you to the whales quickly.
The makapuu lighthouse trail is a popular hike any time of the year, but from december through april, when humpback whales are in residence, its amazing. The whaleplanner september a whale watching infographic. Humpback whale watching in maui options, tips, whale info. So if you book a ride on any of oahus many boat or rafting tours during humpback season, dont be surprised if youre guaranteed sightings. It takes hours of filming due to a large mass of ocean to scan over the. Island divers brought whale listening to the tour industry in the 201112 season. Go here from your mobile device and click your account to create a user login. The whales dont have calendars though there are whales here now, and have been for a month. There are a variety of ways in which you can catch a glimpse of hawaiis humpback whales. If no whales are sighted during your cruise guests can go out again for free. The trail, leading to a picturesque lighthouse, offers great views and in the.
Whale watching tours and cruises depart from various ports along oahus. Best of the west side guided snorkeling, wild dolphin swim. Ive seen a few from my home on the north shore of kauai. Whale watching in oahu a breathtaking adventure in hawaii. Humpback whale season on the hawaiian islands is between november and early may, but some months are better than others. Get in touch with your wild side on our oahu whale watch tours. Oahu whale watching tours the whale watching season is usually under way by the 15th of december and usually lasts through april. Each year, over 4,500 humpback whales migrate from cool alaskan waters to their warmwater breeding and birthing grounds here in hawaii. See the magnificent humpback whales during the winter months. Whale season in hawaii lasts from november to may, with the peak of the season between january and march. Whale watching season begins in hawaii with the first sighting of a humpback whale off the coast of maui in early october, whale watchers from around the world are eagerly making plans to view these majestic creatures in their natural winter habitat. Graceful and gentle giants of the ocean, arching, breaching, and frolicking, hawaiis humpback whales take center stage during whale season.
So if you book a ride on any of oahu s many boat or rafting tours during humpback season, dont be surprised if youre guaranteed sightings. Are our chances of seeing whales off oahu about as good as seeing whales off maui. When is the best time to see humpback whales in hawaii. Heres how, where and what to bring if youre hoping to spot these massive mammals.
Whale watching tours and cruises depart from various ports along oahu s southern and western harbors. On this twohour oahu ecotour, explore the shoreline of oahu. Hawaiian islands humpback whale marine life top 10. Generally speaking, december to may is seen as the best time for whale watching in oahu and the rest of hawaii. Whale watching island divers hawaii oahus friendliest. Makapuu lighthouse and hanauma bay offer several seaside overlooks that provide a distant vantage. Spend a day on the water with your eyes peeled for humpback whales, gray whales. You can get up with the sun or sip a cocktail as it sets on a luxury catamaran, swim with dolphins or snorkel with turtles, listen to whale song broadcast by hydrophone, catch the photo of a lifetime on a photo safari tour. Explore whale watching hawaiian islands humpback whale. Hiking enthusiasts can usually spot whales from the islands southeastern coast. There is nothing like seeing a humpback whale up close and will be something that you remember forever. Whale watching on oahu graceful and gentle giants of the ocean, arching, breaching, and frolicking, hawaiis humpback whales take center stage during whale season. Honolulu humpback whales were spotted in the waters off hawaii for the first time this season, leading officials to warn ships and recreational boaters to. Island divers hawaii whale watching charter is the only charter on oahu which conducts their tours inside the hawaiian islands humpback whale national marine.
You may also spot kohola from the southern shores of oahu, especially at makapuu lighthouse and along the seaside overlooks near leahi diamond head. I was originally planning on doing a whale watch cruise off maui one of the cruise days. You can also spot whales from oahu s many beaches and from southeastern oahu spots like the scenic makapuu lighthouse, hanauma bay, and along the seaside overlooks near leahi diamond head. Bucketlist tour, guided snorkeling on oahus west side on private, or up to six passenger semiprivate charter. Whale watching in december oahu message board tripadvisor. Many people ask when is maui whale watching season.
Scientists estimate that twothirds of the entire north pacific humpback whale population return to hawaii to breed, calve and nurse their young. Hawaii nautical is one of hawaiis largest oceanactivity providers, with a fleet of vessels islandwide serving many harbors across oahu and the big island. Operators on oahu, maui, hawaii island and kauai provide a variety of cruises. Whale watching season in hawaii is always a special time, and will be a great part of your trip. The first whale sightings of the year typically take place in late september or october while the peak of whale watching season is february and march. Humpback whales take refuge in the warm waters of hawaii as they raise their calves.
According to noaa, the peak season for whale watching in oahu is january to march. Whale watching season begins in hawaii luxe travel hawaii. Years before we moved to hawaii, my husbands family would come to hawaii in the winter to see whales. Whale and dolphin tracker pacific whale foundation. Viewing whales up close on an oahu vacation is a real treat, especially if you get to see humpback whales breaching, in which they leap out of the water and return with an explosive splash. They come with expert guides who will take you to the best spots to observe whales playfully surfacing, tail slapping, or blowing spouts in. The first whales start arriving to the big island in late november, and more arrive as the season continues, until their numbers peak in the months of january, february, and march. Star of honolulu waikikis best whale watch cruise from aloha tower. We wanted to see how close we can get to the humpback whales here in oahu. Were fodors choice for whale watching on oahu, and deemed by cbs josh horwitz author of war of the whales as one of the top five american whale watching tours. November, december and january are frequently listed as the start of the season with april and may usually designated as the end of the season. A number of speedboat, pontoon, and sailboat tours depart from areas around waikikiespecially from kewalo basin harbor opposite ala moana beach parkas well as from the north shore and the western leeward side of the island.
Waikiki, hi waikiki is a beachfront neighborhood of honolulu, on the south shore of the island of oahu, in hawaii, united states. Sanctuary ocean count hawaiian islands humpback whale. This is a question we get a lot when is whale season. Whale season in hawaii it takes lots of patience and time for me to share these wonderful graceful creatures with you. Whale season arguably the best time to visit hawaii given the level of activity in the water, whale watching season in hawaii is arguably one of the most popular times to visit, and if you venture out on the water in winter on a whale watching tour or a kayak, be sure to have your camera ready and a healthy sense of. Please call or chat with us to book or for more information. But humpback whales visit the hawaiian islands every year from november to may, so its possible that you can see whales outside of that january to march peak whale season too. The hawaiian humpback whale marine sanctuary is located in kihei and was created by congress in 1992 as a way to protect these magnificent creatures in hawaiian waters. Hawaii whale watching, oahu whale watch near ko olina, waikiki. Whale watch in style with kauai sea tours on our deluxe catamaran built for kauais waters.
About star of honolulu dinner and whale watch cruises hawaiis most popular sunset dinner cruise. This is also a great time to see the whales display. Come get up close and personal with magnificent humpback whales just off the coast of oahu s north shore. Boat tours and whale watching cruises have become increasingly popular. Nov 14, 20 you can also spot whales from oahus many beaches and from southeastern oahu spots like the scenic makapuu lighthouse, hanauma bay, and along the seaside overlooks near leahi diamond head. Whale watching kauai returns the parrish collection kauai. You wont see nearly as many as you would from maui, they get the largest concentration of them. Star of honolulu is the best vessel for viewing whales. The contents of this web page are public domain and to the extent indicated otherwise in the terms of use, are exempt from terms of use policy restrictions. Every year from november to may, maui locals welcome back their favorite guests the huge, majestic humpback whales.
The best whale watching in hawaii often happens on oahus shores. For those who are planning on spending the bulk of their time on the north shore, it too is a good place to arrange whale watching tours in oahu. Both tours are truly dedicated to the oahu whale watching experience, and expert naturalists share insightful information and educational commentary on the humpback whales behavior and biology. There is a popular whale watching site along the pali highway a few miles west of maalaea harbor. Approximately 4,500 humpback whales visit the hawaiian islands each year to bask in the warm waters, breed and give birth before migrating back to their alaskan feeding grounds. Maui whale watching is most thrilling aboard the malolo. During the winter months and the peak of the whale watching season on kauai, all of our tours are whale watching tours and you are bound to see the magnificent humpback whale along any of our na pali coast, south shore or niihau adventures. They dont come as close to shore here on oahu as they do on maui. The last whale counts from oahu showed the largest amount were seen from the north shore. Whale watching boat tours and diy guide big island. Although humpback whales can be seen from all of the hawaiian islands, the shallow auau channel between maui, molokai and lanai is one of the best whalewatching destinations in the world. A soft gaze along the oceans horizon at poipu beach will bring to light one the greatest aerial shows kauai has to offer.
Oahu whale watching season lasts from december through about april. And the islands are home to a large national humpback whale marine sanctuary, which encompasses near shore waters off six islands. Although humpback whales can be seen from all of the hawaiian islands, the shallow auau channel between maui, molokai and lanai is one of the best whale watching destinations in the world. And for those lucky enough to experience this once in a lifetime influx of such extraordinary creatures these sea stars offer performances worthy of oscars, it is truly a. The most wonderful time of the year is whale watching season in hawaii. Between november and march there are many opportunities for whale watching kauai. With a donation or an adoption of a whale you can help to make the world a place where whales and dolphins are free and safe. Closer to the modern honolulu, whales can be seen off the cliffs surf break near diamond head.
Jan 27, 2016 we wanted to see how close we can get to the humpback whales here in oahu. A humpback whale breaches off the coast of oahu in hawaii. Embark on the most popular whale watch cruise of oahu. Everyone knows that there is no better way to see these humpback whales than in maui hawaii up close and person in an ocean kayak, hawaiian outrigger canoe or stand up paddle board sup. Whale season on hawaii is between november and april. Under federal protection, the humpback population is steadily rising. What can i expect to see on a kauai whale watching tour. In your research, you may have seen different timeframes defining humpback whale season in hawaii. Hawaii is a popular destination for whale watching because, during mating season, humpback whales are more active resulting in elevated surface activity. We recommend heading out on whale watching tour to get the best views possible, and to experience the beauty of the ocean. You may also spot kohola from the southern shores of oahu, especially at.
While the best hawaiian island for whale watching is said to be maui, theres a chance you can see whales in oahu too if. Whale watching cruises are some of the most popular and fun things to do in hawaiis whale season, which runs from december through april. We believe in delivering service, safety, and the spirit of aloha. Graceful and gentle giants of the ocean, arching, breaching, and frolicking, hawaii s humpback whales take center stage during whale season.
Humpback whales visit hawaiian waters each year from november to may with the peak of the season being from january to march. The very best months are february and march when whale sightings are almost guaranteed. The first whale sightings of the year typically take place in late september or october while the peak of whale watching season is. Hawaiian islands humpback whale explore whale watching. Each year, the great humpback whales migrate some 4,500 miles, from summer feeding grounds in alaska, to mate in the warm waters of hawaii. During this time literally thousands of pacific humpback whales make their journey from the cold waters off alaska to hawaiis warm waters to mate, breed and raise their young. They only would come to hawaii when they knew they could see whales, usually around february. Mar 12, 2014 whale season in hawaii it takes lots of patience and time for me to share these wonderful graceful creatures with you. Oahu whale watching tours are a particular delight for visitors coming to hawaii to escape the winter chill and the humpback whales seen on these whale watches can often be. During the months the whales are present in hawaii they will be mating and giving births to their calves, this makes whale watching in hawaii extremely unique to other locations around the world.
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