Maui

 

The Hawaiian Islands – Maui

Maui and Whale Watching

“For most of history, man has had to fight nature to survive; in this century he is beginning to realize that, in order to survive, he must protect it.”Jacques-Yves Cousteau


I remember the first time I visited Maui (in 1980) while I was still in high school. We stayed for a whole month in Kula (at a friend’s home midway up Haleakala), and I can remember how pristine Wailea was before it was developed.

If you’ve ever visited Lahaina, you know how surreal it is to see and hear Pacific humpback whales end their 6-8 week journey from the feeding grounds of Alaska to the shallow breeding grounds of Maui (and other nearby islands). The first whale sightings usually occur in October; however, the best time to see these whales is anytime from January 15th – March 31st (peak season is usually February). The official whale season is December 15th – May 15th.


If you have a Vimeo account you can watch (rent) the movie here.

It’s a pretty amazing experience to see humpback whales up close and in the wild. I was super stoked when I took these photos off the coast of Maui (on our most recent trip in March 2019):

Photos by Andrew Bain on Unsplash

Photo of the hump on a North Pacific humpback whaleWhale coming up out of the waterWhale breachingSplash from humpback whaleHumpback Whale flukes (tail).Humpback whale flukes descending onto water

Learn more about whale watching in Maui here. Aloha!

You can also view some of my photographs on Unsplash here:   Andrew Bain


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