North Shore Winter Whale Watch Sailing (from Haleiwa) reviews, Oahu tours & activities, fun things to do in Oahu | HawaiiActivities.com

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North Shore Winter Whale Watch Sailing (from Haleiwa)

Overall Rating

4.56 4.56 / 5

Reviews

39 reviews
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Great Trip

Reviewed by: Dave, 2017/04/11

Everything was great. The crew was very informative and answered all the questions we had. And since they new what to look for, we were able to see some whales off in the distance.

Rating:
Attended as:Families with Young Children
Activity Date:2017/04/04
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Whale watching

Reviewed by: Alice, 2017/03/18

This by far was one of the most exciting excursion of the vacation. We saw a ton of whales. We would definitely do this again.

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2017/02/23
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Super fun whale watching

Reviewed by: Kelsey, 2017/03/07

We went out w Capt and Sammy and had such a fun day whale watching. It was an awesome experience and they really made us feel at ease. Mahalo!

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2017/03/04
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Well worth it

Reviewed by: Julie , 2017/02/19

We were lucky it was just the 3 of us. Like our own private boat. We saw whales even saw them breach. Loved it. We live here and plan on going again before the whales leave.

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Activity Date:2017/01/24
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Trip Highlight

Reviewed by: Ralph, 2017/01/20

Our family did many things during our week on Oahu, but this was the highlight of our trip. We were on island for a very special and personal situation. All involved in booking the trip were very helpful and thorough. Great confirmation and follow up communication. Capt'n Mark and Sammy were fantastic hosts aboard the Ho'O Nanea. We sailed out on time and saw multiple whales, a Galapagos shark and had a very special visit from an Albatross. The sunset was spectacular and provided for a lot of great photos. Being out on the boat and seeing the island from this perspective along with the beautiful sunset is something to experience. I would recommend this trip to anyone. By the way, did I mention the sunset was spectacular!

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2017/01/14
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nice

Reviewed by: Linda, 2016/12/24

We didn't saw much of the whales as hoped for, but the skipper plus his mate were entertaining enough to make the tour memorable, also we and other family had practically the entire tour for ourselves.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2016/12/14
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Great Boat and Tour

Reviewed by: DeMayo Family, 2016/12/19

The entire experience was FANTASTIC! The tour guide was fun, happy and so very informative. He played music, there was plenty of humor and attended to all ages! The boat was clean and loads of fun to be on! We saw a few whales in the distance, saw lots of turtles and even got to swim way out in the ocean as we sailed along! Our 4 yr old son LOVED the boat and couldn't get enough of swimming in the ocean all around the boat! December 2016

Reply from activity provider

We are so happy you all had fun! I will forward this to our crew! They love their job and they love sharing it with people! Thank you! Have a wonderful Holiday! ;)

Rating:
Attended as:Families with Young Children
Activity Date:2016/12/14
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1st time whale watchers from Ohio

Reviewed by: Hughey Family, 2016/01/23

We had a very nice time on the tour. We actually had a whale come within 40 ft of the boat.
Most of the sightings of the whales were of their tail fins in the distance.
A bonus was when a group of spinner dolphins came right alongside of us swimming and performing.

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2016/01/19
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Chasing a mystical beast

Reviewed by: joseph_in_hawaii, 2016/01/16

While we spent most of the time chasing the sunset vs. the whales, the experience was warm and included safe splashing and a beautiful environment. Highly recommended experience while you are visiting Haleiwa to experience the true beauty of Hawaii.

Rating:
Attended as:Families with Young Children
Activity Date:2015/12/23
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Great Sunset Cruise

Reviewed by: Jon Fillmore - MI, 2015/05/02

The whale watching cruise was a success. We saw some great whale activity. In addition to seeing several big whale tales splash in the water, we saw whales "log" and one breach the water and splash down.

Very knowledgeable and friendly crew. Great family experience. Would do it again in a heartbeat.

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2015/04/07
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Whale watching trip...

Reviewed by: Mark Taisey, 2015/04/03

We had a very good time, we got to see many whale while we were out on the ocean.

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2015/03/31
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Amazing

Reviewed by: Jen, 2015/02/07

Amazing and informative crew. Along with amazing wildlife and sunset!!! Can't wait to go again!!

Rating:
Attended as:Friends
Activity Date:2015/01/18
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Early Season

Reviewed by: Turtle, 2015/01/18

On Monday, January 5, 2015 my husband, son, and I went on the Whale Watch Cruise out of the Haleiwa Harbor. It was very early in the season and we did not see any whales which was disappointing, but also kind of expected when you are relying on creatures of nature as they are never predictable. The boat ride on the catamaran was very enjoyable as we cruised parallel to the shoreline down toward Pipeline and back to the Harbor. The coastline is absolutely beautiful and to see it from the ocean was breathtaking. However, the disappointing part was the lack of interaction and education from our crew. The captain done a nice job explaining where the drinks and life vest were and the first mate made sure everyone that want a drink had it just shortly after leaving the dock that was about all the interaction we had. They did stop 1 time and put the sonar on the speaker and mentioned that they didn't hear any whales in the area but that didn't mean we couldn't still see some. There was nothing to educate us main landers about whales and whale watching. Like where to look or how to spot a whale. How many come in during a season and how long each whale stays. Just some basic knowledge about whales for us Hallies would have been nice.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2015/01/05
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AMAZING FOR THE FIRST TIME

Reviewed by: Nasha Bahasoean, 2015/01/15

We had a wonderful sailing adventure.The passenger on the boat was full, about 19 people, including me and my brother. As soon as we left the harbour, the sails were up, and we enjoyed 2+ hours of truly amazing sunset sailing. It was really fun to watch the whales for the first time! We had a perfect day for sailing with a very nice breeze that kept us sailing magnificently and a glorious sunset. We sat at the front of the catamaran (which is beautiful and big) where we had great views and got splashed by water, it was just really fun. Once we spotted a whale, they headed to it and we were able to follow it for a good length of time. Very cool. Overall, it was a great excursion for us. Warning - the bulk of the time is spent leisurely motoring the seas so relax and enjoy getting away from the city!

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2015/01/10
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AMAZING FOR THE FIRST TIME

Reviewed by: Nasha Bahasoean, 2015/01/11

We had a wonderful sailing adventure.The passenger on the boat was full, about 19 people, including me and my brother. As soon as we left the harbour, the sails were up, and we enjoyed 2+ hours of truly amazing sunset sailing. It was really fun to watch the whales for the first time! We had a perfect day for sailing with a very nice breeze that kept us sailing magnificently and a glorious sunset. We sat at the front of the catamaran (which is beautiful and big) where we had great views and got splashed by water, it was just really fun. Once we spotted a whale, they headed to it and we were able to follow it for a good length of time. Very cool. Overall, it was a great excursion for us. Warning - the bulk of the time is spent leisurely motoring the seas so relax and enjoy getting away from the city!

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2015/01/10
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Had bad weather and saw no whales but otherwise solid cruise

Reviewed by: Adrienne, 2015/01/07

The water was very choppy and the sky dark when we embarked for our whale watching tour in the morning. To be fair, the owner warned us of the conditions and gave everyone the option to reschedule, but as it was our last day in Oahu, we went for the cruise anyways (everyone else did as well). The water was so choppy that the boat wasn't able to get very far and it was near impossible to identify a whale if there indeed was one. The staff did note that it was unusual to not see anything, so we were unlucky. I wanted to note that if you book direct, there is no whale sighting guarantee (staff noted we could return for half price even though we didn't see whales), so it's a pretty good idea to book through a third party like this site that does offer a guarantee.

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Attended as:Couples
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Had bad weather and saw no whales but otherwise solid cruise

Reviewed by: Adrienne, 2015/01/06

The water was very choppy and the sky dark when we embarked for our whale watching tour in the morning. To be fair, the owner warned us of the conditions and gave everyone the option to reschedule, but as it was our last day in Oahu, we went for the cruise anyways (everyone else did as well). The water was so choppy that the boat wasn't able to get very far and it was near impossible to identify a whale if there indeed was one. The staff did note that it was unusual to not see anything, so we were unlucky. I wanted to note that if you book direct, there is no whale sighting guarantee (staff noted we could return for half price even though we didn't see whales), so it's a pretty good idea to book through a third party like this site that does offer a guarantee.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2015/01/04
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Excellent whale watching

Reviewed by: Chicago snowbirds, 2015/01/05

We had a great trip. It was a little difficult to find the location to park and we had to circle the parking lot a few times to find the dock. Fortunately it was New Years Day and at 8:30AM so the dock was not too crowded. For reference, it is close to the rest room facilities.

The boat was clean and the sailing started on time. kipper tom was very entertaining and knowledgeable, and held a conversation throughout the trip. He provided information about the whales, and also about what to do and where to eat in Hawaii. We saw many whales and a turtle. Even though the catamaran was a small and low boat, the waves are huge so not suitable activity if you have motion sickness. I heard that some passengers took dramamine, which I highly recommend. Great for a family activity of good sailors.

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2015/01/01
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Whale watching

Reviewed by: Tina, 2014/12/30

If you take this whale watching cruise you will not be disappointed. We saw several whales breach along with spinner dolphins and sea turtles. We had a wonderful time!

Rating:
Attended as:Families
Activity Date:2014/12/27
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North Shore Catamaran whale sail

Reviewed by: Phil, 2014/04/07

Very good 2.5 hours spent aboard the catamaran. The crew seemed knowledgeable and were happy to point out a whole host of things to look at. We managed to see about 10 sightings of whales, some jumping out of the water, some 'blowing' and some fantastic tail shots. Would recommend to others.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2014/04/04
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Whale Watching

Reviewed by: Gus, 2014/03/08

The crew was amazing! Very attentive and friendly. We look forward to doing it again.

Rating:
Attended as:Families with Young Children
Activity Date:2014/02/12
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Great Time

Reviewed by: Roterts, 2014/02/15

We had a wonderful time, but wish we had remembered sunscreen. Staff was very laid back but informative. We saw quite a few whales. Would definitely go again!

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2014/02/12
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Fantastic Experience

Reviewed by: The McCoy Family, 2014/01/08

We thoroughly enjoyed our whale watching experience with Captain Don and Deck-hand Shane. We saw more whales than we had expected. The best part of the trip was when a whale surfaced right behind the catamaran. We were all stunned! Definitely a highlight of our Hawaiian vacation.

Rating:
Attended as:Families with Young Children
Activity Date:2014/01/02
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Great sail, saw both dolphins and whales.

Reviewed by: jpendleton4, 2013/04/29

Great time on the ocean. We saw both dolphins and whales and the weather was perfect.

Rating:
Attended as:Couples
Activity Date:2013/04/25
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Wow - What a trip!

Reviewed by: Dan from England, 2013/04/13

If your thinking of watching whales in Oahu look no further! Do not be fooled by the big excursions with hundreds of other whale watchers obscuring your view. This trip is exactly as described. Very personal crew who clearly love their work along with a great boat. We enjoyed many sightings including an extremely close up encounter which will stay with us forever. Thank you.

Rating:
Attended as:Families with Young Children
Activity Date:2013/04/09
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Family Fun!

Reviewed by: Jamie, 2013/03/19

My family is in town visiting so we decided to take a trip to North Shore for the day and found an awesome whale watch tour to partake in! Once we left the harbor we saw a few whales breaching out in the distance, but unfortunately we were not going out that far.

We stayed in about a mile or two offshore and let the whales come to us, and we saw quite a few up close. While none were jumping or dancing too close, there were a lot out that day and we could see some on all sides of the boat enjoying the sunshine, like us! All in all, a great day and a fun time on a beautiful boat, the perfect way to show visitors the aloha spirit.

  • An awesome catamaran

  • Searching for whales

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Attended as:Families
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actually saw whales!

Reviewed by: protomex, 2012/03/16

it rained the whole time we were in hawaii. but not on this day! we went out on the bay in haleiwa a short distance and saw many, many whales, not just the spouting blow holes, but actually jumping out of the water and splashing around. make sure you book while the whales are in town, from november to april, according to the guide.

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Attended as:Couples
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Wonderful Experience

Reviewed by: The Neely Family, 2011/02/26

We have never been whale watching before - we loved this first time experience! Captain Ryan and crew were great! They not only managed to help us see several whales (one baby just kept breaching - we have great pictures!) but we also were treated to turtles and spinner dolphins! When they lowered their microphone into the water and we heard the whales talking - it was just a huge bonus to a wonderful trip! We will definitely look them up if we get back to Oahu!!

Rating:
Attended as:Families with Young Children
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North shore whale watch

Reviewed by: Mr. Anonymous, 2010/02/06

I'm sure it could have been a fun experience, but I only saw part of a whale and you could barely see it. The crew was very nice and made the ride enjoyable but I didn't really see any whales.

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Attended as:Families with Young Children
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Beautiful, Gorgeous, Lovely .......

Reviewed by: Mr. Anonymous, 2009/12/20

Thank you to the crew for such an amaaaazing sailing trip!!! I can't say enough about it, sometimes these whale watching tours can be a bit cliche, I've been on a few in my lifetime, but this one surely takes the cake. And whales whales whales! An experience well worth the money and time.

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Attended as:Families
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