All Reviews for Marine Wildlife Encounters

We had a really good time. It was whale season and we saw many. The crew was very friendly. When we ran out of our wine they loaded us up on vodka drinks.

OMG had a great time. the boat was half full and was a gorgous out. we we're surrounded by whales. first we had mama and baby then another pair then even another pair.wow. then as we we're going back to harbor because time was up and i think the whales were bord of us. we had a treat a female was being corted 7 males.OMG they went under the boat then around the boat. the crew said this was treat and we stayed out extra longer till the whales left us. that was very nice of the crew to that for us. thanks crew for making the day special

I participated in the morning cruise (around 9 AM). I had signed up for a Japanese tour, but unfortunately, it turned out to be an English tour. It seems there were many explanations about whales, but since I'm not fluent in English, I only managed to listen to "in the direction of ○ o'clock" f(^^;

February is the peak season, and as the local guide mentioned, "there are a lot of them," we could see spouts in various places. Unfortunately, we couldn't see any breaches like in the images, but we did catch glimpses of whales waving goodbye with their fins and their tails several times. Perhaps because it was a relatively large boat for whale watching, it seemed like we kept a certain distance from the whales and didn't get too close. This might be due to regulations regarding whales or safety considerations. I had hoped to see them a bit closer, but I guess it depends on luck. (Or maybe I should choose a tour with a smaller boat...?)

Fortunately, it was a calm day, and since I had taken motion sickness medication, I hardly noticed the rocking of the boat.

朝のクルーズ（9時台）に参加しました。
日本語ツアーを申し込んだのですが、残念ながら英語ツアーになりました。
鯨についての説明が沢山流れていたようですが、英語は堪能ではないので「○時の方向」というのだけ頑張って聴いていました f(^^;

２月はシーズンのピークで、ツアーの現地ガイドの方が「うじゃうじゃいます」とおっしゃっていた通り、あちこちで潮吹きしています。
画像にあるようなブリーチは残念ながらみることはできませんでしたが、遠目ながら鰭でのバイバイや、尾びれは何度かみることができました。
ホエールウォッチングツアーの中では比較的大きめのボートのせいか、あまり鯨に近寄らず、ある程度の距離を置くようにしていたように思えます。
鯨に対する規定や、安全に考慮しているのかもしれません。
もう少し間近に見ることができるのかと思っていましたが、そのあたりは運もあるのでしょうね。
（もしくはより小型の船のツアーを選ぶようにするか・・・？）

幸いなことに波が穏やかな日で酔い止め薬を飲んでいたこともあり、船の揺れはほとんど気になりませんでした。

I recommend going with someone who understands English! The staff was very kind and provided thorough explanations. Since I participated in February, there were whales everywhere. (The captain mentioned that it was a very lucky day.) We could see the whales' breaches from a distance, and the pineapple juice and cinnamon rolls were delicious! The group size of about 30 people was just right! I was able to enjoy it slowly while having some snacks!

英語がわかる人と行くならオススメ！スタッフもとても親切で丁寧な説明でした。参加が2月だったのでいたるところにクジラがいました。（船長はその日はとても運がいいと言ってました）クジラのブリッジは遠くの方で見る事も出来きパイナップルジュース、シナモンロールも美味！人数も30人ほどとちょうどいい！軽食を食べながらゆっくり楽しめました！

Fantastic crew, great food and drinks and a few whale sightings. Since the captain can't control that too well, Overall it was a wonderful experience.

This was my first time participating. It was a Japanese tour, but the explanations were thorough and easy to understand.
I heard that 70% of the whales from Alaska come to Hawaii, and 90% of those come to Maui.

Since they are living creatures, the chances of encountering them are quite unpredictable, but I think we saw quite a few. When I went on another snorkeling tour, I also saw many whales, so I believe that riding on the boat more than twice increases satisfaction.

I heard that the peak is in February.

初めて参加しました。日本語ツアーでしたが、説明が丁寧で分かりやすかった。
アラスカから7割のクジラがハワイにやってきて、そのうちの9割がマウイに来るそうです。

生き物なので出会える確率はなかなか読めないのですが、結構見られたと思います。
別のシュノーケリングツアーに出かけたときもたくさんクジラが見られたので、2回以上船に乗ると満足度が高いと思います。

ピークは2月だそうです。

However, I understand English, so it's not a problem for me... If I were someone who didn't understand English, I would definitely give it one star. I have no particular complaints about the whale watching itself.

でも、英語分かるので問題ないですが、、、。もし私が英語わからない人なら、迷わず星は１つですね。ホエールウォッチング自体は特に不満はありません。

I decided to book online the day before and received a confirmation by evening. I took my 10-month-old son with me, and the boat was large enough, so there were no issues. However, the chairs on the second deck are fixed and a bit cramped. We were able to see whales multiple times, which was satisfying. The early morning tour is reasonably priced and refreshing, so I highly recommend it. The English guide only mentioned which direction we were facing, so I think it’s not a problem.

前日お昼に思い立ち現地でネット経由で申し込み、夕方には確約のお返事がきました。10が月の息子を連れて行きましたが船が大きく問題ありません。ただ二階のデッキは椅子が固定で狭いです。鯨も何回も見れ、満足です。早朝ツアーが、値段お手頃清々しくオススメです。英語のガイドでも、何時の方向に今いるよくらいにしか言ってなかったので問題ないかと思います。

I'm so happy i did the early morning whale watching. The whales came right up to our boat and we saw so many. Best tour I've done!

I really wanted to participate in whale watching, but since it wasn't during the peak season of February to March, I decided to enjoy the waters of Maui with this tour instead.

Since it was my first time in Maui, I chose the 9 AM tour that included a pickup service. A minivan taxi picked us up at our hotel and then picked up a family of foreigners at a nearby hotel before arriving at the meeting point by the Banyan Tree on the ocean side. We showed our voucher to the staff, and since we needed a Japanese audio guide, we received headphones in a bag and waited under the tent for a while.

Gradually, more people gathered, and we began boarding the boat heading to the submarine offshore. This is when we took photos. After about 10 minutes, we met up with the submarine and descended the ladder backward into the vessel. There were about 15 of us in total, including small children, and we were the only Japanese people. The staff seemed to be considerate, as they seated us at the very back (stern) away from the foreigners, allowing us to relax.

Underwater, there was no rocking, and since it was morning, it felt slightly dim, but the tour progressed smoothly. Along the way, we encountered a sunken ship, which made me laugh unexpectedly due to something I saw. I thought, "In a place like this..." (chuckle).

Before I knew it, the tour was over, and we surfaced. We exchanged places with the next group of people and watched the submarine descend as we headed back to the dock. Here, we were handed the photos taken before boarding (with a backing of the Atlantis) and those who wanted to buy them could pay $20.

As we were getting off, I realized that the staff member who had been next to us during the tour spoke Japanese, so they had indeed been considerate. I gave that staff member a tip as a thank you.

Overall, I made some great memories, but since I feel satisfied after experiencing it once, I rated it four stars. I hope this is helpful!

本当はホエールウォッチングに参加したかったのですが、本格的な見頃である２月～３月では無かったので、このツアーで取り敢えずマウイの海を堪能しました。

今回マウイは初めてだったので、送迎サービスがある９時開始を選びました。
ミニバンタクシーが私達をホテルでピック後、すぐ隣のホテルで外人さんファミリーをピックアップしてバニヤン・ツリー海側の集合場所へ到着。
受付の人にVoucherを見せ、私達は日本語の音声ガイドが必要だったので袋に入ったヘッドフォンを受け取りテント下で暫く待機。
次第に人が集まってきて、沖合の潜水艦に向かう船に乗船開始。その時に写真撮影を行います。
１０分ぐらいで潜水艦と合流しタラップを後ろ向きで降りて艦内へ。
小さな子供さん達を含めて総勢１５名程で日本人は私達だけでした。スタッフが気を遣ってくれたのか、外人さん達とは離れた一番奥（船尾）に座らされノンビリと出来ました。

海中は揺れも無く、朝という事で若干薄暗い感じでしたが順調にツアーが進んで行きました。
途中、沈没船が現れるのですが、とある物で思わず笑ってしまいました。
こんな所に・・・（苦笑

そうこうしている間にツアー終了となり海面へ浮上。
次のツアーの人達と交代して、潜行していく潜水艦を見届け船着場へと向かいます。
ここで乗船前に撮影した写真（アトランティス号の台紙付き）を手渡され、買いたい人は２０＄を払います。

降りる際、ツアー中私達の隣に居てくれたスタッフが日本語を話していたので、やはり配慮してくれてたんだなと改めて実感。お礼も兼ねてそのスタッフにチップを渡しました。

評価としては、良い思い出が出来ましたが、１度体験すれば満足なので星４つとしました。
参考になれば幸いです。

I participated in the 7:30 English tour. I was able to see whales. I saw spouts and tails several times, and just as we were about to head back to the port, we spotted another whale in the distance. The boat headed towards it, and this time the whale jumped and even waved goodbye at the end. I was very satisfied, especially since jumping is not something you see every day. Additionally, on the way back, we also got to see dolphins jumping up close! I think the waves were relatively calm, but when we stopped to watch the whales, the boat swayed quite a bit as we turned to face the direction where the whales appeared.

7：30の英語ツアーに参加しました。
クジラ、見れました。潮吹きと尾ひれを何度か見て、港へ戻りかけたときにまた遠くにクジラが見えたので、そちらの方に船が向かってくれて、今度はジャンプと最後にはバイバイまでしてくれました。ジャンプは毎日見れるものではないということで、なんとも演出上手なクジラで大満足でした。さらに帰りには間近でイルカのジャンプも見れました！
波は穏やかな方だったのではないかと思いますが、クジラを見るために停まっているときは、クジラの出た方向へ船先をぐいっと向けるため、その際大きく揺れました。

Like most things on maui, they are expensive for what they are, especially the tourist items. We found a discount early bird package and I think w paid just under $50 for two of us. We also tipped the crew $5 and paid for our picture $20...like real tourists do. Both the top and particularly the picture were optional but I got roped into it. It was early in the season also, just the start of the whale season. We did spot a few whales but they were a bit far away and hard to see. We were able to see a few from shore as well, but of course, even farther away. the weather was flawless and there is no reason that I saw not to take the early morning package for the reduced price. I would definitely try to sit up front in the future, but we sat in the back. The issue being best view, but there is enough to look at with the sides and rear that even the back is more than tolerable. We took some photos, which only included little blips of whales off in the distance. I think I would target this venue for prime season to be sure to see more. My understanding is about 4000-8000 whales will congregate.. We saw maybe 5.

It was early December, but we didn't see any whales at all. However, it was a relief to see dolphins. I wished we had a fish finder. For those who get seasick, please be careful as the boat is small and wobbly. When we can't see any whales, I would appreciate a voucher for the next time.

12月上旬でしたが全くクジラは見えませんでした。しかし、イルカが見れたのは救いでした。魚群探知機でもあればいいのにと思いつつ。船酔いをする方は船が小さめで揺れるので気をつけてくださいね。クジラが見れないときは次回サービス券ぐらい欲しいものです。

The whales were huge, and I was very moved. Before boarding, there was a bit of trouble, and I managed to get on the boat after some back-and-forth in my broken Japanese English. While driving around the island, I saw them jump and spout from a distance several times, but seeing them up close from the boat was a completely different level of excitement.

クジラは大きくて、とても感動しました。乗船前にちょっとしたトラブルがあり、拙いジャパニーズ英語で押し問答して何とか乗れました。島をドライブ中、何度も遠目にですがジャンプや潮吹きを見ていたのですが、やはり船上から近くで見るのとは全然迫力が違いました。

The center had great sea life tanks. We saw sharks, turtles and all the types of fish you see in the ocean around the island. the staff was very informative and knowledgeable.

This is a good tour for families with very young kids or elderly parents. Sad that we didn't get to see a variety of sea life. In addition, I was expecting a glass bottom..it's not.

I had made a reservation for the first departure in the morning, but due to the wind, the boat couldn't set sail. I was informed at the check-in location that it would be possible in the afternoon. Since I didn't have any plans for the afternoon, I was able to accommodate it, but I wish I had received the notification a bit earlier. It was also disappointing that the whales didn't appear very close, making it a less enjoyable tour.

朝一番の出航で予約を入れていたが風の影響で船が出航出来ず、午後からなら出来ると当日受付場所で連絡された、午後の予定を入れてなかったので対応出来たが、もう少し早く連絡があればと思った。クジラも余り近くには出現してくれなかったので残念なツアーだった。

It was a great thing to do children. They had lots of fun looking at the sealife.

I was able to enjoy seeing fish, sharks, and shipwrecks, regardless of the children's ages!

I was very satisfied to meet dolphins!

I think it's better to join the first morning trip because the sea is clearer.

魚もサメ、沈没船など見え子どもの年齢関係なく、
楽しめました！

イルカにも会え、大満足でした！

朝一番の便に参加した方が良いと私は思いました！
海が澄んでいるから。

Overall, the cruising time is too long. While we could see the whales well, the time spent getting there and returning was excessive.

全体的には、クルージング時間が長すぎる。クジラはよく見えたが、見るまでの時間や
帰る時間が長すぎる。

The guides were entertaining and we saw an octopus. Fun way to see the water if you aren't into snorkeling.

I chose the early morning English tour because it was inexpensive. I didn't understand the explanations very well, but I could tell there were whales from everyone's reactions, so I think that's not a problem. However, it seems that April is already the end of the season, and we didn't see many whales doing the dynamic jumps like in the photos. But it was adorable to see a mother whale and her calf swimming together nearby. I want to go again during the peak season next time. They sell a set with a commemorative photo and a disc with whale images for about 2000 yen. I thought it would sell better if they offered just the commemorative photo at a lower price.

安かったので早朝の英語のツアーにしました。説明はあまりよく分からなかったけど、クジラがいるぞ！的なことは、皆の行動で分かるので問題ないかと思います。
ただ４月はもう終わりの時期みたいで、写真の様なダイナミックなジャンプは何頭ものクジラは見られませんでした。けどクジラの親子が近くをずっと一緒に泳いでいて可愛かったです。今度はシーズンの時に行きたいと思います。記念写真とクジラの画像やらが入ったロムとセットで2000円くらいで売られてます。記念写真だけにしてもっと安くすれば売れるのになー、と思いました。

I wasn't expecting much since the whale season was coming to an end, but I saw a lot of whales in the distance. They were splashing water and showing their tails.

In the middle of the trip, a whale passed right by the side of the boat, and I was surprised! It was a great experience that you can't have often in Japan.

クジラのシーズンも終わりに近かったのであまり期待していませんでしたが、遠くのほうでたくさんクジラが見えました。水しぶきをあげたり、尻尾がみえたり。

中ごろには、船の脇をクジラが通り、びっくりしました！
日本ではあまり出来ない体験ができて、とてもよかったです。

The boat was decent, the ride itself was lovely and very sunny. We did see whales despite it being the end of the season. However, our guide was not very knowledgeable when it came to the actual whales. Wikipedia could have done a better job informing us. Lots of "um, and stuff" and had no answers to people's questions. Maybe a brush up on information and some note cards would help?

Had a blast on the whale watching trip - nice boat, great crew and lots of whales. Perfect for small children, too. Thanks!

Steve our guide was so knowledgeable and took us to the best places to see marine life. We saw an eel, octopus, turtles and plenty of fish! Will do it again next time we come back :)

Had a fantastic time! Lots of whales to see. Can't wait to do this again the next time we're in Maui.

this was a great value for money tour, nice people running trip with loads of knowledge, reasonably priced snacks.... All ages loved it.

We participated in an early morning tour. Since we don't understand English, we were hoping for a tour with a Japanese guide, but we were told, "It's the next tour." I wish we had known when the Japanese guide would board.

For now, we boarded the ship. We were the only Japanese people on it.

A crew member was explaining something about whales, but we couldn't understand at all. However, we did understand when she said, "Wow! Splash!" when the whale spouted water. It was amazing to see the tail and pectoral fins flapping up close.

When we went, it was the best season, and we were able to see whales probably within 15 meters of the boat. I think we could have enjoyed it even more if we understood English.

早朝のツアーに参加。英語がわからない私たちは、日本語ガイドさんがいるツアーだ、と期待指定して行ったけど、「次のツアーです」と言われました。いつ日本語ガイドが乗船するのかわかるようになっていればよかったなぁ。と。
とりあえず、乗船。日本人は私たちだけ。
クルーのお姉さんが何やらクジラの事を説明してくれているのだけどさっぱりわからない。。
くじらが潮を吹く時に「うぁ〜おぉ！スプラ〜シュッ！！」と言うのはわかりました。尾びれや胸びれをばたつかせるのが間近で観れて感動☆
行った時は最高のシーズンで船のたぶん15m近くでクジラを観る事が出来ました。
英語がわかればもっと楽しめたと思います。

Saw more whales than we had ever seen before. Our guide was very informative and knew his stuff.