Humpback Whale Migration to Maui

Seattle, New England, Mexico, Iceland, California and many other states and territories in between are whale watching sites. Travelers interested in whale watching in Hawaii enjoy a particularly special “show” as the endangered humpback whale makes its annual journey for breeding before heading back to Alaska for its feeding and then performs the cycle again.

Maui offers a unique front-row experience for whale watching, primarily because the largest number of whales choose Maui’s warm waters for mating.

Trilogy boat tours has on-board Naturalists accompany guests on their fascinating Maui whale watch day trip. Go with an intimate group so that all can fully experience the humpback whales’ annual ritual. Approximately 6,000 humpback whales begin their departure from their feeding locale of Alaska to the inviting and clear waters of Maui to mate, take care of the younger whales and give birth. The humpback whales begin their migration from Alaska, taking approximately four to eight weeks. Winter in Maui is when guests can plan to enjoy the beginning of whale watching season. The humpback whales travel 3,500 miles, and interestingly, the migration patterns are staggered, with the little ones traveling first, then the adult males, next the adult females and lastly, the pregnant females.

In Maalaea Bay you may see newborn baby whales and adult males singing, all quite entertaining. While we don’t know for certain, beyond assuming it's instinctive, it is thought that the whales use the ocean currents and temperature changes to serve as their directional guide to Maui. While in Maui, they do not feed and can manage to exist on their stored reserves before they need to replenish in Alaska. The humpback whales stay for approximately six to eight weeks, at which time they migrate back to Alaska to dine on their rather large diet of sea life.

The humpback whale is an endangered species, with a population of approximately 10,000 worldwide, and are one of the species of whales that migrates the furthest.

Living on the islands on and off for over 25 years, I have had my fair share of whale sightings. I did a short stint on Maui, living in Kihei for a little over a year and working on Lanai for about 9 months of that time. I guess you could say I was living on Lanai for those 9 months, because we would take the boat over on Monday mornings and come back on Friday nights.

Working as a finish carpenter for a boss that liked to get up early, we would usually have a start time of 6:30 or 7:00 am. Being on Lanai during the week, it was not hard getting up early because most of us went to bed pretty early. After dinner and a few games of ping pong, most lights were out by 9pm. We were staying at what was basically a boot camp for construction workers. All of the crews that were working on the spec. project we were on were holed up there.

Anyway, waking up in Kihei on Monday morning was not always the easiest thing to do. I think we had to be at the boat dock in Lahaina by 5:45 am for the 6 am boat. Not much happened in the way of talking on the boat ride to Lanai. Everyone was recovering from the weekend and nursing their coffee. It was a small boat able to carry about twenty passengers, but there were scarcely more than 8 or 9 of us. The engine droning was hypnotic and also made waking a bit more difficult. Most riders grabbed an additional 20 or 30 minutes of sleep on the ride over, nodding off, shifting and sinking in their seats as we motored across the channel.

But for me, this was a slice of heaven. Now in my opinion, shared with many others I know, Hawaii is one of the most beautiful spots on earth. When viewed from the water you get a sense of the peaceful isolation that it enjoys. These mighty mountains, just peaking above the ocean's surface, surrounded by thousands of miles of unbroken seas. A truly unique locale on this wide world.

This would be enough to calm my soul and fill my cup of appreciation, but throw in glassy ocean conditions and whales on vacation, and my heart would practically be bursting out of my chest. This may seem like an exaggeration or a little heavy handed, but majestic, inspiring, serene, and any other adjective seem not enough to describe the experience. And thus my point. It is something that must be experienced.

Often times the whales would surface no more than fifty feet from the boat. You could make out the texture of their skin. Some, in playful moods, would breach over and over again. It seemed often that they were well aware of our presence and were checking us out as much as we were them. These mighty creatures, who where doing no more than what was required for them to peacefully exist on this earth, forced observers to do some soul searching. And if what you found wasn't always your best, they made you want to be; To do all the things you weren't doing well, better. It truly felt like a gift every time I spotted them.

Now having the ideal conditions and being out on an under-crowded boat are nice but not mandatory. Getting up with the sun and venturing down to the seaside with a coffee, can be enough. Sitting in the morning quite, watching the shifting water catch the early colors of purple and gold from the sun, and seeing whales play off the shore is a great way to start the day. Or affirm your reason for living. Whichever you prefer.