Maui's Best Whale Watch And Super Raft Adventure

The smaller boat experience is vastly better for viewing whales and maneuvering quickly to get to them. Other bigger boats weren’t only more crowded they never got as close to the whales. Captain Scott and Meredith were great at knowing where to be and explaining the humpbacks. April is late in the season but we saw plenty of action. At one point a whale almost swam right under our boat. This area is hard to beat for whale watching although our Cape Cod experiences were slightly better in terms of just numbers of whale spotted. But the waters around Maui make this adventure a must, and Maui Adventure Cruises gets you closer than other watch boats.

Book the whale watching tour! We had an amazing time! Wonderful crew who were so knowledgeable, friendly, and made sure everyone had a great experience! I loved that the boat was small and it made viewing the whales a once in a lifetime experience! We were able to see whales up close and I am still in awe!

Awesome whale watching. Naturalist was very knowledgeable. Saw 8 groups of whales, one competition group of 4 males and a female, a mom and calf, 2 different mom, calf and escort groups, and 4 individual whales breaching, slapping, and beautiful tails. Totally remarkable trip for so close to end of season. Best tour company we have used. Highly recommend this tour.

This is the way to go! You are so close to whales!!! We saw it all even a small dolphin. What is the best with the raft is you maneuver all over so fast and go right to the whales. I thought it would be scary on a smaller boat/raft, but it wasn’t. Very smooth ride. Our guide was amazing too!

We had a great experience doing our small group whale watch. Our skipper and marine biologist were both knowledgeable, interesting and genuinely fun to be with. We saw lots of humpback whale usually in groups of 3 which, we were informed, are usually a mom, a baby and a male escort. Our captain even submerged his cell phone to get some incredible subsurface video which he airdropped to everyone on the boat. We had great weather and saw a lot of whales in a safe and comfortable manner.

Rafting point of contact explained that we should not use Viator because the company didn't know to call us to say the 6:45 am trip was cancelled because of weather. Other boats were loading at that time of day on the date. We and 7-8 other people waited from 6:30am check in time to 7:15 am. When the attendant showed we were offered to be rescheduled, however our departure timeline didn't match up. If safety was the focus, we appreciate being safe. If poor communication contributes to my family with young children donating 4 hours of our morning to this experience, plus time to try to be reimbursed, I hope the companies coordinate better for everyone involved.

All 2 hours were awesome! The Hosts were very informed and attentive to all questions! They were accommodating and friendly. They did a great job getting us close up enough to enjoy the whales!

Lots of whale sightings and limited number of people on the boat so easy for everyone to see. Captain Jeremiah and crew Olivia gave lots of information re whale behaviors.

Did the 645am , Mar 6 2023. Water was pretty rough due to the pending storms, but the experience was amazing and always felt safe. Started seeing whales almost immediately and had constant viewing the entire time!! Saw too many whales to even count. Was spectacular seeing them breach, whale slaps, and even a baby whale. Olivia, and the captain were great and very knowledgeable.

Top notch! All my whale watching dreams came true!!! The boat size is perfect for feeling like you are as close to the water as possible while feeling completely safe and secure. Jeremiah was beyond knowledgeable on the whales and their behaviors and a pro at scoping out the area for action and getting the boat near it. We saw males battling, breaching, fin slaps, tail slaps and even a mother training her baby to do all the whale things. Perfection!!

Awesome experience. Will book again today bc it was that fun!! No fear, went after every whale we saw. So much fun

My wife and I are locals born and raised. We try a different company every year primarily because I used to work for a well known competitor and it evens the field for us. That said. We just had the best Whale watch without actually swimming with them and we wouldn't do that because it's illegal 😉. Captain Kiwi gave an informative yet funny presentation and the crew were absolutely outstanding. We saw so many whales!!!! We saw a new born perhaps only hours young. So many whales at one point we didn't know which way to look as they were everywhere!! The only thing I could recommend is book more time if you can. Forget the large carriers. You will thank yourself. We will not only be back next Whale season but most likely other excursions. My words do no justice to the quality of this tour. AWESOME!!

Outstanding!!! Very knowledgeable, made sure both sides of the boat got front row seats, boat could easily get around to the whales, every seat was a front row seat, great visibility, very professional. Went with my 80 year old parents and daughter who was 6 and we all had an amazing time

Captain Jay & Jack were great. Saw lots of whales & they really showed off for us. Good to be on a small boat closer to the water. It really made you feel closer to the whales.

Jack and Zack were knowledgeable and we saw some great whale activity. Lots of baby whales playing with their molms.

This trip was an amazing experience. All you can ask for is a captain that is willing to get close, be respectful of the wildlife and call you not just a whale watcher, but a "Whale Winner". Really can't go wrong with this group.

We chose this whale watching trip because of the small boat size! The captain and crew were so informative and had personality! We were so lucky to see a ton of whale activity, we saw mamas and babies even a newborn, and a competing pod of about 10 males. We witnessed a few jumps close up and many swim bys! The weather was slightly overcast but still perfect! I would recommend this boat tour to anyone!!

Friendly crew and lots of whales! Reasonable price. Raft is small, but they don’t fill it with too many people so there’s plenty of room. Highly recommend

great cruise, friendly and knowledgeable staff, small group, comfortable stable raft, saw many whales...

The whale watching was epic. We spotted whales almost immediately after leaving the marina. Scott and Shannon were well informed about humpback whales and also upfront about what was unknown. They provided a personable tour. It was a truly memorable and I would book with them again.

I spent over a week whale watching with Maui Adventure Cruises. I had a wonderful time. The boat is a 45' Rigid Inflatable Raft. Very safe and stable and an excellent platform for photography. You are watching whales in their natural habitat. Every trip is fun and different. On one of my trips the whale came close to the boat. It's called a mugging. The Captain turned off the engines and we sat until the whale was done checking us out and was a safe distance away from the boat. The captain's and naturalists are safety oriented and do all to give you a smooth safe ride and a great view of the whales. Shout out to Captain's Jeremiah, Andrew, Scott, Jay and Carlos. Naturalists Olivia, Meredith and Shannon. Mona takes your reservations and like everyone at MAC she is kind and helpful. Maui Adventure Cruises had a very large part in making my vacation special and memorable.

This company is a scam...stay clear! So many other companies to take you on whale watches. They constantly cancel their trips and then keep your deposits. We have been fighting with them for 2 months to reimburse us. Fair warning!!

Unbelievable trip!! Never seen as many close up breaches in one trip in all my 20 yrs of Whale watching.Cap Andrew was an excellent helmsman & spotter-at one point we were cruising alongside 5-7 large males & 1femaleTwo of the breaches were so close that the wake touched the side of the boat-as the Cap said” as close as you’d ever want get to a whale breaching.We also had 3 males swimming & diving in synch alongside the boat for about 10 mins.As I said UNBELIEVABLE!! & if I didn’t have the video to prove it-I wouldn’t believe it myself..

Saw numerous whales and a 4 whale active competition group! Several breaches, pec flaps, etc. a baby “pickle” that was very active.

Spectacular!!! The whale activity was more than we had anticipated. We all enjoyed the boat and how close to the water level we were. It definitely brought us closer to the whales. The crew was knowledgeable and shared so much information. I'll definitely recommend this company to my fellow crew members at my airline. Thanks again.

Pretty good time. We didn’t see many whales jumping or anything but we saw several. Unfortunately they are probably more active in the am. We could only get into the 1:00 tour.

Scott and Meredith were an excellent team. Scott as Captain was so patient and observant. He quickly took us to spots where whales were active and then allowed us time to observe. Meredith was equally observant and shared her knowledge of the whales with us. Definitely recommend this group over others. This was our second tour this week. Loved every minute. Thank you for such a memorable experience.

Great experience- the guides were wonderful and the boat was the perfect size. You can tell that they love seeings whales as much as we do and we’re very knowledgeable!

Amazing whale watch with Captain Jeremiah and naturalist Olivia. Watched a mama with her baby for at least an hour. Baby was continuously breaching and playing. Mama was playful beside him and 2 males were competing for mama’s attention. Lots of interesting male behaviors including a crucifix block. Lots of other whales around too and even some bottle nose dolphins with a baby dolphin. It was amazing.

Amazing day! 2 trips with Captain Zack and first mate Laura. Comp pod and amazing activity. Best company on the island. Zack and the other captains know what they’re doing and how to navigate the boat for best viewing.

Even saw a breach. Followed a mama and baby. Enjoyed the small boat. Knowledgeable crew did a great job.

Amazing trip with a ton of whales!! Make sure you go on this!! Absolutely well worth the time and money. Great service and incredible experience!!

This was a wonderful excursion for our family with young kids. Jenna and Kevin were amazing and knowledgeable. They found the whales and got us close enough to enjoy several opportunities to see them. I would highly recommend and definitely come again.

Excellent adventure captain knew exactly where to go to see whales. We saw Many whales. The best was a pod of males chasing a female and giving us a great show

A great tour. our captain and guide were great. We saw whales almost non stop and were very close much of the time. they explained the whale activity, but allowed us to take it in.

We enjoyed this tour during the third week of March and it did not disappoint. We felt very safe on the boat which was in great condition and the crew was very professional, very friendly and extremely knowledgeable. We were fortunate enough to see plenty of whales even though it was late March. We were lucky enough to have a calf breach about 50 yards from the boat! Thanks to the crew for a great two hours of fun.

Great whale watching operation - crew was excellent, very friendly and informative. We went on the very last tour of the season and weren’t sure what we’d find, but we were able to see a mother and calf close up within the first 5 minutes, and saw a few others throughout the 2h trip. Would book again!

Zach and Jacob were great guides!! Saw a mom with her baby and a few males! Guess we’re very knowledgeable!

Boat captain Carrie is awesome. He is friendly, capable, and everything is ready for you to have a great experience. He found a mama whale with a calf, and he was able to get an awesome video while keeping a safe distance. Snorkeling was great. He found two outstanding locations. Great captain, nice boat, good food. Lifetime of memories.

The crew was really great and knowledgeable. We got some AMAZING views of whales. Unfortunately, my niece got seasick, but the crew helped get her some water, a towel to lay on and continued checked in her throughout the rest of the tour. Very grateful for the, and would definitely recommend this company.

This is my 4th whale watching trip and by far the best. This is the first one on the smaller raft and by far my preferred way to experience the whales. The reason is the higher speed these boats can travel. You spend less time leaving and entering the port. The waves were calm that day so I can't say if it would be preferable on a wavy day. There are no frills on the boat but they did have refreshments. Make sure you use the restroom before leaving. The captain and the skipper were very entertaining and informative.

We saw a whale mom/ baby with male escort and dolphins. Great experience! Raft was comfortable and got us around quickly to find the whales.

Even though it’s near the end of whale season here we were able to see a number of whales and groups of whales. Knowledgeable.

Jeremiah and Shannon were amazing! Very knowledgeable, high energy and you can tell they totally love what they do. Thank you for a great whale watching experience!!!

Went on the 2 hour whale watching tour and it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Our captain, Jeremiah, was incredibly knowledgeable and super entertaining. He knew how to position us in the optimal spot to observe really cool whale behavior. He really made the experience unforgettable. Would recommend, especially if Jeremiah is the captain.

Awesome experience! Captain and almost captain were great guides. Our first of many more to come whale watching tours! We were entertained by whales so many times… a dream come true!!

Excellent tour, best of our trip to Maui!! Saw many humpback whales and calves. Male whale swam under the boat several times to check us out. Wonderful trip and worth every penny!

Beautiful day. Saw many whales and listened to them singing under the water. Truly magical. The crew was great, informative and entertaining.

Great company to go whale watching with! I’ve been on two trips in the last 2 weeks and both of them were great. The first one was with Captain Jeremiah and crew John. Wow, what a day we had with them. A 3-whale group became a 6 whale competition pod that really brawling it out; Lots of action. Jeremiah did a great job handling the boat, especially at the end when the ocean conditions deteriorated. The second trip was with the Kiwi crew, Captain Carlos and Meg. Meg’s excitement for her work was infectious and Carlos was full of great Hawaii facts. They both shared so much knowledge with us. We had a small competition pod at first and those boys was racing for that lady whale. Later we saw 2 different groups of mom/calf pairs. Oh those babies were so cute. Meg taught me so much about calves and their behaviors. It was a great trip. I recommend them highly!