All Reviews for Marine Wildlife Encounters

Great experience and fantastic crew! Learned so much about whales, dolphins and the waters of Maui! Sound several humpback whales with their babies! Highly recommend!

John was an awesome guide. Perfect excursion, we got to swim with turtles, touched an octopus and watched a Manta Ray swim beneath us. Excellent tour !!!

The cruise staff was excellent and the snorkeling was great.

Absolute must do while in Maui. We saw several whale pods, mama whales showing their young how to wave, and excellent views of the coastline and Molokai. The crew and captain were fantastic, high energy, knowledgeable, and kept the drinks flowing. Food was pretty good, definitely go with the short rib! The catamaran was pristine and well maintained. Instructions for boarding and exiting were easy to understand. I cannot express enough how much the 3 of us enjoyed this tour. We keep saying it was an epic day. So memorable and enjoyable.

Amazing service from the 3 crew members Nick, Paul and Phil. We saw a lot of whale activity in the evening. The drinks kept flowing and the food was much better than expected. Would definitely do another trip like this.

We have been on several Sunset Cocktail Cruises on Maui over the past decade but this was by far our favourite.
The captain and crew were super friendly, knowledgeable & accommodating…they serve everything right to you!
Ukulele Dave was a great addition as well!
All of this + multiple whale sightings made for a great evening and we definitely recommend.

This was a great alternative to actual snorkeling. The divers and staff were very informative and very friendly. They made sure everyone was happy and getting the most out of the adventure. However the water was murky and not a lot of ocean creatures. But you see what’s there at that time. Would do again. Certainly an experience we will remember.

They had a great crew and did everything to make the trip wonderful: small group and lots of fun. Well worth the price.
The only reason I gave them 4 stars is that we bought water shoes for the trip and found out when we got there it was barefoot only. Would have done things differently had I known.

It was later in their Whale season, didn't know if we would see many. We were not disappointed, at one point we were in Whale Jail (surrounded by them). We loved it.

The staff were so knowledgeable, learned so much about the Humpbacks.

Definitely would do this again.

Very impressed with their knowledge of whales. Saw many sightings! Would definitely do again! Loved that we could hear whales through under water microphone!

Best excursion during our week in Maui. The reviews were spot on about Sea Maui. The captain and crew were outstanding. You won’t be disappointed.

The tour guide took us into the ocean beyond the cruise ship (as in the picture below). We saw whales and heard a whale singing from under the Kayaks. Most beautiful experience. I’m not a pro at kayaking, but the guide was always looking out to keep us up with the more avid kayakers. He had all the answers to our questions. Could not snorkel that day as the water was murky. Had a wonderful time. I would do it all over again given the chance.

Lots of whales , good viewing and lots of knowledge

This was a really fun little boat tour. Seeing the fish and sea life through the big windows was so cool. The boat ride wasn’t too long so it was the perfect activity to take our toddler on. The only thing I would caution others about this tour is sea sickness. The rocking of the boat can really be felt underneath it and can definitely make you feel sea sick. It’s probably not a good activity for people that have a tendency to get sea sick, although their staff is super outgoing and helpful to anyone feeling sick during the ride.

We had a great time with our crew! Saw lots of whales and informative stories from Jac! Would recommend Sea Maui to everyone.

Sat on the top deck and got the trio of a lifetime! We saw 2 whales swimming under and around the boat, and then it happened AGAIN! We saw many whales and a super unique and lucky experience! The crew was awesome, loved the option to sit on 1st or 2nd level- just don’t forget sunscreen like I did. I would do it again!

I strongly recommend doing it! Funny narrator and crew- adds to the experience. Other than cute little coral fishes- we came to the surface and there was a pod of dolphins swimming next to our shuttle boat! The captain was kind enough to go slowly so we all could enjoy this "after party"! Must do experience, unless you are in the Navy, how often would you be in a sub?

It was a relatively large boat, so I was wondering if the whales wouldn't come close, but we were able to enjoy various whales, both far and near, including spouts, jumps, and mother-and-calf pairs. The whales in Lahaina, Hawaii during winter met my expectations.

割と大型の船だったので、クジラが近くに来てくれないのかなと思ってましたが、遠くも、近くも、潮吹きやジャンプや親子連れなど、いろんなクジラさんを楽しめました。
冬のハワイのラハイナのクジラさんは、期待通りでした。

This snorkeling trip was a perfect day for my family. The crew was fantastic. The ship was spotless..the weather and activities were gorgeous. It was a perfect balance of entertaining and relaxing.

We had a surprise interaction with a pod of spinner dolphins. It was so unexpected but such a highlight to see them swimming in our wake.

The crew was outstanding, the vessel was perfect for viewing, and the whale activity in late January '23 was second-to-none! I highly recommend this experience to both novice and seasoned whale watchers. Pro tip: if there is any shot at rain, invest in a poncho. Regardless of weather, this trip is definitely worth it.

There were two Japanese staff members who were both very friendly and attentive, which made it easy to enjoy the activities. Despite being fully booked, the staff acted promptly and efficiently, which was truly impressive. I had a personal issue after the event, but they kindly helped me with that as well, and I am really grateful. I definitely want to come back here next time! Thank you so much! 😊

日本人スタッフ2名がいらっしゃりお二人共とてもフレンドリーで気が利く方々でしたので安心してアクティビティができました。満席だったにも関わらずスタッフの皆さんはテキパキと行動されていてとても素晴らしかったです。終了後に個人的なトラブルがありましたがそれにも快く助けて下さって本当に感謝しています。次回も必ずこちらでお世話になりたいです！本当にありがとうございました(^^)

It was a large two-story boat. The guide was in English.
I saw about 15 whales, but they were all quite far away, and I only saw them jump twice from a distance. I participated in mid-January, and right after we set sail, the captain announced, "This is the peak season," so I had high expectations... However, since it's nature, it's understandable, but it's better not to have too high expectations. The large boat made it less likely to get seasick, but the loud motor noise seemed to make the whales wary. They stuck around for about 10 minutes longer than scheduled, moving and stopping repeatedly.
The male guide talked about the ecology of whales, the history of whaling, and how they were on the brink of extinction. Since he was talking the whole time, we often spotted whales before he did. My knowledge about whales deepened.

【Parking】
The problem was the parking. Veltra mentioned that if you park in public parking for more than three hours, there’s a possibility of being towed, so they recommended paid parking. In the center of Lahaina, the parking fees are high—about $20 for 5 hours and $30 for a day. The Outlets of Maui, located about a 15 to 20-minute walk from Lahaina Harbor, offered free parking. It was very spacious, so there were no issues parking when participating in the whale watching at 9 AM. It was great because we could stroll around Lahaina while going back and forth to the harbor. We shopped at the outlet, but even without shopping, parking was free (there was no parking ticket, and you could come and go freely).
There is little information about parking in Lahaina in both Japanese and English, so I wanted to share this here.

2階建ての大きな船でした。英語ガイドです。
クジラは15頭くらい見えましたが全てかなり遠くて、ジャンプもかなり遠目に2回ほど。1月中旬に参加して、船に乗った出港直後に船長から「今がピークシーズンだ」とアナウンスがあったので期待していましたが…。相手は自然なので仕方ないですが、期待しすぎない方が良いです。大きい船だと酔いづらくて良いのですが、モーター音が大きい分クジラは警戒するようです。移動と停船を繰り返して予定より10分オーバーするまで粘ってくれました。
ガイドの男性はクジラの生態や捕鯨の歴史、絶滅しつつあったことなどを話してくれました。ずっとお話ししているためか私たちの方が早くクジラを見つけることもしばしば。クジラの知識は深まりました。

【駐車場】
困ったのは駐車場。veltraから公共駐車場は3時間以上駐車するとレッカーされる可能性があり有料駐車場を勧められました。ラハイナ中心地はは駐車場代が高く有料だ5時間20ドル、1日30ドルくらい。ラハイナ港から徒歩15分〜20分にあるアウトレットオブマウイは無料でした。とても広いので9時台のホエールウォッチングに参加する場合全く問題なく駐車できました。ラハイナの街を散策しつつ港と往復できるのでとても良かったです。私たちはアウトレットで買い物をしましたが、買い物をしなくても駐車場台は無料でした（駐車券が無く出入り自由です）。
日本語も英語もラハイナの駐車場情報が少ないのでここに記載させて頂きました。

Very friendly and hospitable staff. Clean safe boat. Even got to do some whale watching during transport to and from our snorkeling destination.

I participated in a whale watching tour that can only be experienced during this season. About five minutes after leaving the beach, we spotted spouts of water coming up from the sea! From there, we were able to see several whales. There was even a mother and calf swimming right next to the boat, which had everyone on the tour very excited. I would like to visit Maui again during the season when the whales return to Hawaii and participate in another tour.

この時期にしか見ることができないホエールウォッチングツアーに参加しました。船がビーチを出国して5分ほどのところで、海から潮が上がっているのを発見❗️ そこから何頭もののクジラを見ることができました。そして船のすぐ側で泳いでいたクジラの親子もいてツアーに参加していたみなさんは大興奮でした。またクジラがハワイに戻る時期にマウイ島に行き、ツアーに参加したいと思います。

Good host is great
Divers are cool
No turtle nor much depth

Arrive at the port and check in at least 15 minutes before departure. The departure was on time. The weather was clear, but we only saw about ten whales from a distance. When I participated previously, we encountered several whales up close, saw them dive, and even ran alongside a pod of dolphins, so this experience was quite modest in comparison. It was disappointing that the captain kept talking not only about the whales but also engaging in small talk like a monologue, showing zero enthusiasm for actively searching for whale spots. (The previous captain was proactive, using experience and intuition to find the best spots and move quickly.) Whether you can see the whales well really depends on the captain. (You can't choose, though...)

出港15分前までに港に集合して発券。時間どおりの出港でした。天気は快晴でしたがクジラは10体弱遠目に見えた程度。以前参加したときは間近に何体も出現し、ダイブも見られたり、イルカの群れと併走したこともあって、それに比べるとかなり控えめでした。船長がずっと解説のみならず世間話も独り言のようにしゃべり続けていて、熱心にクジラポイントを探し当てるようなやる気はゼロだったのが残念でした。（以前の船長は経験と勘で次々とベストポイントを当てて積極的に移動していた。）クジラがよく見えるかどうかは本当に船長次第です。(選べませんが。。）

We loved our whale watching tour. I would highly recommend. Make sure to bring sunscreen and a hat or a shirt to cover up with as it gets hot on the boat. I plan on doing this again next time and booking though Veltra. Great price for the best tours. Tip: rent the binoculars or bring your own for close up viewing.

It was an amazing experience!
The crew was fantastic, great service
The captain gave lots of information and fun facts about whales. We got amazing viewing of the whales.

We had an excellent time.. We were looking for a casual fun experience for Christmas evening and this trip delivered. This is my 6th time in Maui and have participated on many excursions and this is on the top of my list. Crew was fabulous and attentive. Captain was experienced and knowledgeable. Felt safe the entire time. The cost was appropriate for what we received...and as a reminder, always tip the crew