Kainani Sails · Private Whale Watch — Humpbacks, under sail.
Each winter, approximately 10,000 humpback whales migrate to Hawaiian waters to breed, give birth and nurse their young. Aboard a private sailboat, everyone gets a front-row seat.
Whale season
Private Whale Watch
Set sail in Maui’s Humpback Whale Sanctuary and learn about the giants that travel to Hawaiʻi’s warm waters each winter. Maui is the mecca of Hawaiʻi whale watching thanks to the shallow, warmer waters of Maui Nui. Look out for competition pods, calves and breaching whales, then listen to them sing through our onboard hydrophone.
Every Kainani charter is private, so we spend the time doing whatever you want to do. Whales are part of every trip whenever they’re in the area.
We don’t offer any guarantees on Kainani Sails: wildlife is never guaranteed.
Straight from the captain
What whale watching under sail is like.
Timing matters
Whales are easiest to find in January and February. Early December and April are a little harder.
More motoring
A sailboat is a little slower, and it’s hard to whale watch while sailing because we can’t just stop the boat. So whale trips often turn into a bit more motoring than our other sails.
A crew who know them
All of our captains and crew have been doing this for a long time. They know a ton about whales, are great one-on-one conversationalists, and will tell you what’s happening as you watch.
Keao’s recommendation
Six hours, with snorkeling.
For the best chance of seeing whales, Keao recommends a 6-hour trip that includes snorkeling: our 5-hour Private Snorkel Sail plus an added hour. Jump in, tune your ears, and you may hear them sing.
More than six? Rather share the boat?
Cruise with our sister company, Makai Adventures.
Kainani is private, for up to six guests. For bigger groups, or if you would rather join a shared tour, Makai Adventures runs shared whale watching, snorkel and fishing trips.
Front-row seats, just for you.
Call or text to plan a whale watch, or add an hour to any private sail.