Alii Nui – Luxury Whale Watching

South Maui Whale Watching Tour

The Humpback Whales visit Hawaii every winter and delight our Hawaiian Island vacationing visitors with their presence. Taking a boat tour off Maui is one of the most popular tours and the best Maui water activity of the season!

The first whales begin arriving in November and the last whales check out in early May. The Alii Nui Whale Watch presents an exceptional whale-watching experience out of Maalaea Harbor. If you are staying in South Maui you should consider the Alii Nui Whale Watch for a Whale Watching tour.

Alii Nui Whale Watching is done from a custom-built luxury sailing catamaran designed specifically for sailing off the shores of Maui. The catamaran is 65 feet long and 36 feet wide. There is a large main cabin with table seating, two restrooms, and a unique close-up viewing room on either the back or front decks.

Humpback Whales swim through the waters of all the islands in Hawaii. The main concentration of whales is between Maui, Lana’i, and Moloka’i. Here the Pacific Ocean waters are the warmest and are well protected from strong open ocean currents.

Environmentalists have introduced and passed laws that require whale watching tours on Maui to stay at least 100 yards away from any whale they encounter during their tours. This law was passed to protect the whales from being struck and injured by tour boats. Every whale-watching tour on Maui observes this rule. To provide the best Maui whale watches, the charter boat usually plots its course ahead of the whales, then cuts its engines. This practice of heading the whale off at the pass has produced some of the most exciting whale watches in Maui as in many cases whales cruise by the boat, creating an exceptional and most-memorable whale-watching experience.

Each year the research organizations on Maui count the Humpback Whales. Once seriously in jeopardy of becoming extinct, the population has increased quite a bit since they were added to the endangered species list. Today they thrive as a wonderful Maui attraction which boatloads of visitors enjoying their beauty, grace, and show. Humpback Whales are quite active. They breach the water, flap their tails, and demonstrate a variety of other behaviors that thrill visitors on Maui watch watching tours daily.

Today the Alii Nui is probably the best charter boat on Maui. There are several other activities that you can experience aboard the Alii Nui, such as Molokini Snorkeling, a sunset sail, and the Royal Sunset Sail. We promote all of Alii Nui’s Maui activities we are the only company where you can find Maui discounts on their trips. You can find them in the Molokini Maui section and the Maui dinner cruise page on our website.

What to Bring on the Day of Whale Watch

• Bring sunscreen
• Wear a hat
• Dress to get wet
• Camera or Phone for Photos (waterproof bag comes in handy)

Boat Tour Food Menu

• Appetizers
• Kiawe, Guava Smoked Baby Back Ribs
• Meatballs in a Marinara Sauce with Parmesan Cheese
• Corn Meal Dusted Kaiser Buns
• Caprese Skewers with Balsamic Vinaigrette Drizzle
• Vegetarian Tortellini with Vegetables
• Vegetable Crudités
• Fresh Island Fruits
• Multi-Grain Gluten Free Cracker with Spinach Artichoke Parmesan Cheese Spread
• Chips and Salsa
• Assorted Cookies
• Beverages
• Cash Only Premium Open Bar
• Soda, Juice, Filtered Water

Gluten-Free Items

Please note that our kitchen is not gluten-free and any gluten-free items may be subject to cross-contamination.

Sail Boat Tour Restrictions

No handicap access

Whale watching on Maui is seasonal from December 15th through April 15th. There are no whale-watching tours in the Summer because the whales have swum across the Pacific Ocean to Alaska to feed.

Other Activity Options by Alii Nui: Alii Nui Maui – Luxury Molokini Snorkel Tours, Alii Nui – Royal Sunset Sail, Alii Nui – Champagne Sunset Sail