Whale Watching: Maui's Ocean Rafting Adventure

Experience eye-level whale watching on a 2-hour eco-raft tour from Lahaina, Maui. Join Hawaii Ocean Rafting, voted TripAdvisors Traveler’s Choice, for an unforgettable adventure.

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights

2 Hour or 1.5 Hour Eye-Level Adventure Whale Watch Tour (Seasonal Dec-April)
New Temporary location and vessels for season 23/24 due to the loss of our boats in the Lahaina wildfires.
Same great eye-level whale watching onboard a low-to-water small group adventure raft or monohull boat. Hawaiian owned and voted TripAdvisors Traveler’s Choice, we’ve…

What's Included
  • Prepare to get splashed on our low-to-the-water boat tour
  • Experience whale songs with our on-board hydrophone
  • Life jackets provided for safety
  • Learn from our Marine Naturalist during the journey
What's Not Included
  • BYOB ( Plastic or cans only)
  • No Spray Sunscreen Permitted - Reef Safe Sunscreen Only
  • No Pregnant Persons or children under 3 permitted
Additional Information

Excited to enjoy whale watching this season from Lahaina, Maui!
Experience eye-level whale watching aboard our low-to-water, small group rafts.
Owned by Native Hawaiians and recognized as TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice, Hawaii Ocean Rafting has been Maui’s original ocean rafting adventure for over 30 years. Our small group tours offer a delightful,…

Location
1223 Front St
Front Street
CHECK IN 30 minutes prior to tour at Dive Maui Shop: 1223 Front Street, Lahaina. Park near Lahaina Cannery Mall and walk toward the ocean to Front Street, go south and over the bridge. Dive shop is on the right before the blue building. Some roads are closed in the area, give yourself extra time.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(1557 Ratings)
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Leeann
Jan 23, 2025
Best Whale Tour Captains and Biologists - Hawaii Ocean Rafting is phenomenal - their entire team is wonderful. Special shout out to Capt. Jack and both of the naturalists Meredith and Val. There’s no better whale watching boat captain still active in Maui than Capt Jack- he understands whale behavior in depth and incredibly in tune with his passengers to ensure they get the most from their experience. Both Meredith and Val ()Biologists) are extremely knowledgeable and go way above and beyond the basic facts. I always learn something and have been going on these trips for years. I have a choice when I visit Maui and I book with Hawaii Ocean Rafting!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ed
Jan 23, 2025
Great whale watching experience. - We had a great experience on the whale watching trip yesterday. Captain Zak was a very knowledgeable guide and we saw many whales. The microphone under water was fantastic. This was the best trip we’ve been on so far, been coming to Maui since 2008.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tammy
Jan 23, 2025
Absolutely a Must Do- Whale watching tour - A+++++, 10 out of 10 stars for this whale watching tour. Our captain. Zac and his assistant, Nicole, were the best. We saw sooo many whales it was incredible! Our 1st time here but it won't be our last!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Tui900
Jan 23, 2025
Not your standard whale watching trip - Unbelievably good. This is not your ordinary whale watching trip. Whales came very close and even swam under the boat. Multiple behaviors observed: breachings, fin slapping, soundings, etc. The boat was ideal for the purpose and the crew professional.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nadia
Jan 22, 2025
10/10 - I saw SOOO many whales up close, it’s an amazing experience. Our captain Zack and Nicole were fantastic. I would highly recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Elyse_h
Jan 22, 2025
Highlight of our trip!! - What a wonderful experience. This excursion was the highlight of our trip. Jill and Olivia were awesome and so knowledgeable. I really recommend this!!
Review provided by Viator
Tom_d
Jan 22, 2025
Eye level whale watching 👀 🐋 - Jill and Olivia were awesome , it took little while to find the active whales but once we did it was great. One of them was very curious about us and showed her stuff to us for about 30 minutes before she moved on. Jill is very safety oriented and made sure we were going to see active 🐋
Review provided by Viator
Zaile17
Jan 21, 2025
See whales with Captain Jack & Jesse! - The best experience with Captain Jack and Jesse! Both are extremely knowledgeable and willing to answer questions and share their expertise. Amazed by the amount of whales we were able to see up close within our two-hour time. Highly, highly recommend making the trip to Lahaina and going out on the new raft with these two! It will make for an extremely enjoyable and memorable experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dianedvm1
Jan 21, 2025
Exceptional experience! - Excellent experience and crew (Clint & Val). Got to see multiple whales and crew was very knowledgeable. I would definitely recommend this tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Seeeingtheworld
Jan 22, 2025
Not 5 Stars, but not bad. - I just returned from Maui and took 2 whale watching excursions with Hawaii Ocean Rafting. The first was on January 17, 2025 with my son, his wife, and their 3 kids. The whales were amazing and the captain and naturalist were great! This was on the raft Naia, which has saddle seating. I've done a ton of whale watching tours in my life and this was the first one with this configuration. There were 2 rows of seats down the center of the boat. I liked it because you have good views in front and both sides. The next trip I took with Hawaii Ocean Rafting was on January 20, 2025, by myself. There was a big group on that tour that was late. I was quite upset that we waited 15 minutes. I was hopeful that maybe our tour would be extended by 15 minutes, but it wasn't. In my head I'm doing the math instead of enjoying the whales. 15 minutes took 1/8 of our whale watching experience and cost me $13.49. It wasn't about the money, but missing part of the tour was very frustrating. Again, the captain and naturalist were great. This tour was on the raft Aloha, which I found very uncomfortable. The seats are bench seats around the sides of the boat facing inward, so I was always having to twist around to see what was behind me. Also, when the whales were on the other side of the boat, the guests on that side would sometimes stand up, blocking my view. Checking in for the tours, I dealt with an employee named Jason who is not personable at all and acted frustrated with me a few times. He didn't greet me, no smile, nothing. We had filled out the waivers ahead of time and when we checked in for the first tour, he said we needed to fill out waivers. I told him we had done it already and he responded, "no you haven't". Not a big deal, but it was his attitude. On the second tour he again said I needed to fill out a waiver and I just did it without telling him I had done it 2 weeks ago. Overall, a pretty good experience with the exception of the wait for the late guests and a grumpy employee.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
January 2025
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