Season news · October 2026
Maui whale season 2026‑27 starts December 1
The humpbacks are heading south from Alaska, and we're ready for them: a Coast Guard certified 20-passenger raft with new Yamaha engines and a hydrophone that plays the whale song through the boat's stereo. And a second raft is being built right here in Lahaina.
Check Dates & BookWhen the whales arrive
Every year the first humpbacks show up off West Maui in November, after a trip of around 3,000 miles from Alaska. Numbers build through December, and January, February and March are the busiest months of the season, when mothers and calves are in the channel and the singing is constant.
Our trips run from December 1, 2026 to April 30, 2027. The December calendar is already open, and the peak weeks are the ones that fill first.
A mother and calf in the ʻAuʻau Channel
Our news: a second raft
Our second raft is nearing completion. She's a sister ship to the boat you already know: another 20-passenger raft, the same proven design, being built right here in Lahaina. It handles the channel's conditions excellently and keeps you low, at eye level with the whales, which is what we think makes these the best rafts on Maui.
Like our first raft, she'll be Coast Guard certified for 20 passengers. These boats could easily be certified to carry more, but we keep them at 20 so everyone has room and an eye-level view of the whales.
We can't promise yet that she'll be on the water for the start of the season, so we're not putting a date on it. When she launches, it means more seats during the busiest weeks, when one boat sells out first. We'll update this page the day she goes in the water.
The new raft, from our design drawings
Ready for the season
Your whale watch is the highlight of a trip you planned months ahead, and we treat it that way. Our boats run new Yamaha engines, and every piece of equipment has been serviced and brought up to date before the season starts. You can book your vacation with confidence: we've done the work so a mechanical problem isn't something you need to plan around. We're ready to get you out there and show you the whales.
What stays the same
Small group
20 passengers max. Everyone gets a rail, and you can move to whichever side the whale surfaces on.
Straight off the beach
Shuttle boat from Kaʻanapali Beach, behind Whalers Village. No harbor drive, no parking structure.
Hear them, not just see them
Our rafts have hydrophones built in, playing through the boat's stereo system, not a little handheld speaker. When a male is singing nearby, the whole boat hears the song clearly.
Someone to explain it
Captain plus MWA certified marine naturalist on every trip.
Early starts
The first trip of the day leaves at 7:00 AM, when the channel is usually calmest.
Our guarantee
We guarantee you’ll see whales. If you don’t, your next whale watch is on us and you can keep coming back until you do. We’ve never had to send a guest out a second time.
Book your spot for the season
Season runs December 1, 2026 to April 30, 2027. Peak weeks in January, February and March book out first.
Check Dates & Book