It’s that time of the year!
Winter is coming | Even here in Maui….
Winter is in the air, Maui’s Whale Watching season is about to start. The humpback whales feasting up North in Arctic waters are beginning to feel a chill. The pregnant females are growing larger. These whales are preparing for an epic 3,000-mile journey from the waters of Alaska to the tropical waters of the Hawaiian Islands. Maui Whale watching is especially unique because of the relatively shallow waters that exist between the islands that make up Maui County. The ocean surrounding our islands are more than 15.000 feet deep yet only 300 feet deep in the submerged crater of Maui Nui. For a creature that can be upwards of 45 feet long, this is a safe place.
As we head into November and that anticipation of the holiday’s sets in, it may be time for many to start planning vacations. We will start our Maui whale watching trips around December 15th, if you are here during whale season a whale watch is a must. You can often see them from the beach, breaching and spouting. There are many options for observing them from the water, but our 60′ Luxury Sailing Yacht is the best. Most options out there are aboard large vessels with upwards of 60 other people. This can leave you feeling a bit removed.
Avoiding the crowd makes for a much more intimate experience. If you have gone out with us before you know this is true. This experience goes far beyond recreation, it actually borders on spiritual. May sound cheesy, but it’s true. When the whales come closer to check us out we kill the engines. This is when the magic begins. Silence. You are so close to the water you could dip your hand in, or your camera. The whales may spy hop and look you right in the eye. They swim under the boat and emerge with a thundering spout of air. You will find your heart racing as you grab your loved ones by the arm and cry, “Can you believe this?”.
When shopping for whale watching tours you should definitely consider a privately chartered trip.
It is often breathtaking how these humpback whales live their lives in such a gentle way and communicate with one another in so many ways. From breaching to tail slaps to fluke waves to babies and mothers, it’s always a something amazing to see and hear them out on the ocean. Sometimes a whale will slowly rise straight up, nose first until its eyes are above water. This enables the animal to look directly at the people on the boat.
Their eyes are incredible to see and look very similar to a blue human eye. only their eyes are almost the size of a basketball! This behavior is called a spy hop and is a direct experience between human and whale. It is a breathtaking experience you will not soon forget. It is also a wonderful experience to see Maui from an offshore perspective. Haleakala and the West Maui Mountains are so beautiful with the green slopes from the winter rains rising out of the ocean!
A Maui whale watching trip can leave you with memories that will swim through you for a lifetime. Don’t miss it!