Whale Sighting Guaranteed or go again FREE. Seasonal December-April.
$54
+ tax
starting at
per person
Cruise Maui and snorkel with turtles or Venture to Lanai for snorkeling and dolphins.
$139
+ tax
starting at
per person
Custom Boat Charters for your friends & family.
$450
+ tax
per hr/2hr min
Hawaii Ocean Rafting is proudly Owned and Operated by a Native Hawaiian and Lahaina local with lineage that traces back to the early royalty and ancestors who lived in Lahaina many years go.
For more than 30 years, Hawaii Ocean Rafting has been sharing the aloha of our Hawaiian heritage in a one-to ohana whale watch and snorkel experiences, practicing the malama of our oceans and aina, with the hope our visitors will take these practices home and together work to better our world.
Every whale watch and snorkel tour is a small group experience so you get one-on-one education and connection with our crew and other passengers adventuring with you. WIth no more than 16 passengers, every tour is a family style experience.
Guaranteed whale sightings or go for free!
Our adventure rafts only take 16 passengers maximum, giving everyone a front row view of humpback whales! Avoid crowds and enjoy an eye-level encounter with whales during our tours, perfect for photo ops and underwater go-pro footage! We guarantee whale sighting or you go again for free!
Best chance for up close whale watching in Maui!
Because we are a small raft, whales are more likely to swim up to us which makes for a once in a life- time close whale encounter! Although they can approach us, whales are protected in Maui so we do not approach them closer than federal regulations allow. Listen to whale songs on our hydrophones and learn whale facts from our Our marine natural- ist guides will also share whale facts and other ocean information, making this tour a fun and educational experiMarine Naturalist on board during your Maui Whale Watching Tour!
The short answer is that any time of day is great for Maui Whale Watching! Because Humpback whales migrate to Maui to mate and give birth but are not feeding, they do not have any time they are more or less active! Whales migrate to Hawaii seasonally and can be seen from December through April!
Obviously, whales don’t mind getting wet, so the rain isn’t a bother! When it comes to weather there does not appear to be weather patterns that affect whale activity.
With that in mind, we reschedule tours due to weather if it will be unpleasant or unsafe for our guests
Whales are protected in Hawaii so we do not approach them closer than federal regulations allow, that includes no swimming or snorkeling with whales. But because we are a small raft, whales are likely to swim up to us in the boat! When whales approach our boats closely, it’s called a mugging!
Maui Snorkeling away from the crowds!
If you’re looking for an adventure snorkel, escape the crowds with us and snorkel the island of Lanai, exploring unique reefs, sea cliffs and watching wild dolphins! The island of Lanai is a 20 minute boat ride from Maui and has more than a dozen snorkel spots to choose from!
Snorkel with turtles & see dolphins!
Many of our snorkel stops include snorkeling with the Hawaiian Green Sea Turtle! Sea turtles are protected in Maui so we will guide you on snorkeling safely with Maui’s honu! Dolphins are also protected in Maui, but we can watch them in the wild from the boat! This is where our low to water rafts make the dolphin watching experience the next best thing.
Yes, our snorkel tours are beginner friendly! Our Maui Snorkel Tours are small groups and give one-on-one snorkel instruction, and our crew snorkels with our guests in the water during the tour! Flotation devices like float belts and pool noodles to assist snorkelers are also available on our snorkel tours!.
Our snorkel tours go to the island of Lanai which is a private island about 8 miles from Maui! This island has more than a dozen snorkel spots with unique reefs, tropical fish and turtles! Lanai also displays a giant sea cliff you can see from the water and is home to pods of spin- ner, spotted and bottlenose dolphins!
Most commonly we snorkel with tropical fish and Hawaiian Green sea turtles on our snorkel tours! Although we can’t snorkel with dolphins due to their protection, we do get to watch them from the boat! We also see other marine animals on rare occasions including whale sharks, monk seals, rays, octopus, reef sharks and pseudo orcas!