My Most Memorable Encounters With Maui’s Humpback Whales

Summary

The author recounts their unforgettable experiences observing humpback whales in Maui, emphasizing the emotional impact of these encounters both from land and sea.

Abstract

The author, a former Maui resident, shares their cherished memories of humpback whale sightings during winter months, when these majestic creatures return to Maui's waters to mate and calve. They describe a particularly striking incident where a mother whale and her calf swam close to shore, causing onlookers to stop and marvel from a respectful distance. The author also recalls thrilling boat excursions, including a heart-stopping moment when a competitive group of male whales surrounded their vessel, and another where a mother whale appeared to teach her calf to breach. The piece encourages visitors to experience Maui's whale season and offers personal recommendations for whale watching tours.

Opinions

The author values the legal protection of humpback whales, noting the importance of not disturbing them.
They believe that the whales' presence is a significant attraction of Maui, enhancing the appeal of living there.
The author holds the whale watching experience in high regard, especially the up-close encounters from a zodiac raft.
They express a sense of wonder and respect for the humpback whales, referring to them as "gentle giants."
The author is enthusiastic about sharing their insights and recommends the best times and tours for others to enjoy similar encounters.

I’ll always treasure the time I spent with these gentle giants

Humpback whales off Maui’s coast. Photo credit: Wendi Gordon

There are many reasons I loved living on Maui; one is the memorable experiences I had watching the humpback whales that return to Maui each winter to mate and give birth.

Some of those experiences were from land, like the time traffic on North Kihei road came to a standstill and many people, myself included, pulled over and got out of their cars to watch a mama humpback and her calf swimming so close to shore that we could have easily swum out to them. Thankfully, everyone resisted that urge; maybe because it’s illegal to approach within 100 yards and there are hefty fines for doing so, but I like to think it’s because we were all mesmerized by the sight and didn’t want to risk scaring the whales away. I also once saw a whale breach (leap entirely out of the water) as I was driving on the Pali en route to Lahaina.

The majority of my memorable whale encounters have been from boats, though. The best one was on a zodiac raft when a competition pod (multiple males fighting for the chance to mate with a particular female) headed straight for our boat. Even our seasoned captain exclaimed “oh shit!” as they rapidly approached and then surrounded our boat when the female dove underneath us; the whales were close enough that we could have reached out and touched them. Another favorite was when a mom seemed to be teaching her young calf to breach; they both used their powerful tail muscles to propel themselves into the air repeatedly, much to our delight.

If you go to Maui, do yourself a favor and go during whale season (December to April), so you can have your own memorable encounter with these gentle giants. If you’d like my personal recommendations on which whale watching tour is best for you (there are multiple options on various types of boats), or more details about any of the other great things to see and do on Maui, just post your question in the comments below.