This is the only snorkel trip we'll take in Maui. Everything is professionally done from start to end. We did the Molokini - turtle arches trip and it was great. On our way out saw a group of 3 whales and the boat stopped to enjoy the 10 minute display they put on for us all around the boat. The service on this boat was 5 star. Awesome crew that explained everything and also were great hospitality on the cruise serving food and drinks and helping out. It is the best value you can get on any of the charters. Would highly recommend. It is about a 5-6 hour charter and worth every penny If you want to get out on the water when in Maui. Aloha! read more

Best way to view south Maui via a dinner cruise. Same time supporting these groups that educate the passengers on the sea creatures.. turtles, types of fish, dolphins and do forth. Yipping is not mandatory but highly suggested. read more

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This was a terrific idea for today. This actual check in and store is in Malalaya Harbor. Lahaina is closed This is a no frills whale watch with open seats and cold water if you want some. But, a smaller boat has advantages. Everyone can see. Lots of Whale activity in a calm sea today. Our docent, Claire, was so knowledgeable.. we learned a lot .. Actually, the main reason we chose PWF, A chance to learn more about whale life. read more

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We have been to the islands many times and have had the worst luck at really seeing whales...until now! With our naturalist Aaron and Captain Aaron, we had the best experience so far. The added benefit of a knowledgeable naturalist was that we learned about these amazing creatures and how special their migration is to the warm waters of Maui. We were on an aluminum flat board which seated 47ish. I loved it being cozy. When we were able to start seeing the whales, it was very special. We saw a mama with a newborn, a pod competing and just an overall perfect day. I highly recommend Pacific Whale Fountain for your whale watching experience. Parking is paid at $3 per hour. read more

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Took the 5 hour trip with friends (Nov '25) & had a fantastic day! The crew all were very nice, super friendly & engaging, thorough, & on point with safety. We had a full boat of 110 people, but it never felt overcrowded, & there was plenty of seating for all. On top of it, we had Perfect weather! Lake Maui all day! We enjoyed the tour with the naturist at Molokini, again thanks to the great crew. Our second stop was gorgeous too, & a sweet turtle put on a show. So impressed! 10/10 will go again. ​ read more

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What a great day of snorkeling eating and whale watching! Captain Emmy is about as good as it gets. Her staff was very accomplished with a vast knowledge of of the ocean As a perk on a calm day we got to go to the back side of Molokini. It was whale soup! We snorkeled at Molokini Crater a Reserve and even got to go to a turtle cleansing station referred to as Turtle Town. read more

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OMG! This was SO MUCH FUN! I would do this everyday if I could. We had such a good time. The crew was so awesome! They gave us fun facts about what we will be seeing. They provide the snorkel gear and floating devices for you as well as wet suit tops to rent. Breakfast and lunch was provided. Simple yummy snack breakfast, fruit, croissant and banana bread and for lunch burgers/hot dogs and sides. They served 1 free alcoholic beverage and then you can purchase more. The experience was amazing. They have a blue foam platform in the water for people to lay on to look over the ledge to see in the water if you don't feel comfortable just swimming out in the ocean. They have lifeguards out there with you as well. We saw so many fish and we got to see the coolest turtle swim up and swim in front of us! I could go on and on about how awesome this was but I'll just recommend you to do it so you can see it for yourself!!! (Kids were also out there doing this as well, fun for everyone) read more

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If you're looking for more than just another boating experience head over and support Pacific Whale Foundation (Pacwhale eco adventures!!) The Foundation itself provides educational events for adults and youth alike with opportunities for community to get involved with beach clean ups and harbor clean ups, and etc. The eco tour experience is also filled with educational information as all their staff is educated marine naturalist. The experience for our wiki wiki molokini tour was so magical. Food was filling and staff was helpful. The vessel "ocean spirit" my favorite of the fleet, was a joy to be on. A much needed experience read more

Pacific Whale Foundation - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Wailuku, Hawaii

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All female crew did an excellent job. We went in early March, saw plenty of whales. Dinner was delicious.

Took the sunrise whale watch and although early it was well worth it. The sunrise was beautiful with LOTS of whale activity. The captain was wonderful in finding great spots to view the wait. The crew/marine biologists were gracious, knowledgeable and helped us all understand the beautiful humpback population in the waters of Maui. Make sure you give plenty of time to get there. Even early in the AM. the traffic on Maui is slow. We had to arrive for a 6:15 check in for a 7 am departure. I love that the money spent on this trip helped a foundation that supports these majestic animals. If I had more time, I would have spent time in the shop. Lots of great stuff! Loved this trip!! read more

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We did the small Groupe whale watching tour on the pacific explorer. I believe it's at most 30 people and you'll have great views even without leaving your seat. We were lucky and had an amazing day for whale watching and were able to follow a small group of whales with a calf for quite a long time. They got pretty close to the boat a few times. Great explanations by the naturalist on board. They also provide water and you can buy drinks or snacks if you want. Great experience overall. read more

Pacific Whale Foundation - Humpback whale - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Wailuku, Hawaii

Super bummed! Made reservations a few months ago. Got a call last week saying the start time was now an hour later.... We reserved our flight around this tour. We called them and told them. They weren't apologetic nor seemed to care. We decided not to cancel and try to make it. The captain decided to turn around and try to find a ladies hat that flew off making us 20 min later. We missed our flights. What really upset me was the captain acting all high maka maka. She scolded someone for apparently taking stuff from the crater. Saying she would stay until all the items were returned. I thought it was totally inappropriate embarrassing the person in front of the all passenger. There is nothing to take for the crater.. it was all destroyed by YOU people bring out tourist boats. Here is the deal lady... stop talking about how to be pono when you bring thousands of tourists to the crater yearly. YOU are a huge part of the problem by doing this. The crater looks so sad to how it looked 30 years ago. That is on you... that is on you for continuing to bring people out to destroy the reef. Why don't you try to take your own advice and malama the aina. Give free samples of reef safe sunscreen rather than selling it for $40!!! Look inward.... You're part of the problem not the solution! read more

Amazing ! We had the best sunset whale watching tour. We were able to see mama and her baby. I would definitely recommend

Wow, what a wonderful experience. Thank you for making our whale watching experience such a great event. Staff was great and accommodating for my families ADA needs. read more

Pacific Whale Foundation is the best! I've been on many boat trips with them and they're always so much fun and everyone that works there is friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. Went out on a whale watch trip today and saw so many calves with their mamas. It never gets old seeing breaching, fins, tails, blowholes and babies! There's something that makes it extra special when the crew feels the same. Captain Emily set the tone for the whole trip with her excitement for these babies and their mamas and Joshua was very knowledgeable and answered all the questions. I wish I could remember all of their names because they were truly incredible! The trip ended with a special treat with a baby practicing breaching over and over and then mama showing baby how it's done. I opted to just enjoy the nature around me instead of snapping pics so only got this one whale tail video. Great organization that really backs their mission to protect the ocean through science and advocacy! If you want to go out on a boat trip, Pacific Whale Foundation won't disappoint. read more

Whale watch Dec. 3rd 2025 was incredible. Captain Joe, with his uncanny ability to stick with the pod was unreal. read more

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We don't do a lot of package tours just because of the crowding. We looked at several options in depth before deciding on a turtle swim snorkel trip. In Maui that we felt comfortable with. Pacific Whale Foundation caught our eye as it is dedicated to protecting not only whales but the entire oceanic eco system . They also offered some trips on smaller boats. We ended up on Ocean Spirit, a sailing ship. Our turtle swim experience carried about 25 people the day we went out-not overwhelmingly crowded but enough to have cheerful , adventuresome conversation. The staff, led by Captain Chris, and aided by Desmond, Danielle and others, was amazing. The cruise was five hours. The time flew by. The boat journeyed north along the beautiful Hawaiian coastline. We snorkeled in two separate areas. Sea life was abundant with all sizes of turtles the stars of this particular show. Food was abundant, as were alcoholic drinks once snorkel gear was handed over. It felt a little like the old west: hand over your gun or you can't order a drink. Turtle bonding, beautiful vistas, supportive staff, and lots of food and drink ps were enjoyed by all. Clearly Pacific Whale Foundation in Maui , Hawaii, has an important mission, and delivers a ton of fun doing it. Thanks to all. read more

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We went from Ma'alaea harbor out to Molokini Crater and then to Coral Gardens/Turtle Town for a wonderful snorkel trip on the vessel Ocean Guardian. It's early for whale season but we saw a few blows and tails from humpback whales! The wind came up a bit and we had some chop for snorkeling at Molokini crater, but Coral Gardens was calm and perfect: we even saw a turtle and a spotted moray eel! Visibility was fantastic at both locations! The food was delicious as was the tropical Mai tai and Maui Brew Co beer. The crew all were fantastic and we learned a lot from the naturalists while also feeling safe in the water. If you think you might get sea sick, take Dramamine the night before as it will last 24 hours and help you sleep while not making you sleepy on the boat (never puke in the heads/toilets on the boats... it's not cool and you will regret it, vomit off the back of the boat or into a crew provided bucket as nature intended!). We did not get sick but at least one passenger did, as is to be expected of land humans! Don't forget to tip your crew (bring cash)! read more

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We did an this, evening whale watch on board the "Ocean Spirit" . This tour not only included a beautiful sunset tour, with delicious appetizers(cheezes, fruit, shrimp and quesadillas served by a very friendly crew), we also sighted plenty of whales. The onboard 'whaleologist', and the captain gave us plenty of insights into their migration and why they come to maui. We enjoyed some boating along with some pleasant sailing on a very comfortable catamaran. Not only were we all satisfied with this we all said we would do it again. Price, food, comfort and crew all very good. read more

Beautiful calm breezy day on a three hour cruise with the marine scientists on board. We were able to see male female battle groups, watch 25 or more spinner dolphins bow ride with us, and watch mother whales and calves swim by numerous times. The amazing thing is that whales came within 25 feet of us while we were not moving! We were the ones trying to stay a safe distance but the whales came to us. Scientists utilized a hydrophone which we used to communicate with whales on this cruise! Then we used a this hydrophone to listen to the whale songs ! Very cool!!! Did you know whale songs made it to the top 200 hits list ? lol A rare day at sea with less than half passenger capacity and extremely calm productive cesatacea viewing trip. Nearly 75 percent of whales recorded during peak times off the shorelines of three islands were observed solely off Maui today during the kickoff of the statewide annual humpback whale counts this year. The Hawaiian Islands are a national marine sanctuary for humpback whales since it is the only state where about 5000 of the North Pacific stock of 7000 humpback whales come each winter (December through April, more or less) to breed, calve, and nurse their young. Please support the whale foundation and book a cruise that supports Marine Sciences and Conservation. read more

Pacific Whale Foundation - Spinner dolphins bow riding our boat ! Playful cestaceans - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Wailuku, Hawaii

The three of us had a great time yesterday on the Ocean Spirit Honolua Bay snorkel sail. Our original Lanai snorkel Dolphin watch was canceled due to not enough people. So the day before I got a phone call with a heads up. Switch or cancel I asked hubby. He said switch. Being a non swimmer I could have gone either way. We checked in at the office at 6:15am for the 7am scheduled sailing. Personally 45 minutes is more than enough time. We parked 1/4 mile away in one of the suggested parking lots. Most other nearby street parking & lots limit 3 hours. We paid for 8 hours at $15. Once onboard the Ocean Spirit we were warmly greeted by Captain Cruz with the crew of Desmond & John. They all displayed the Aloha spirit. Once we were out of the harbor Captain Cruz provided us with what to expect on our 5 hour excursion. As there were only 16 of us it made for a relaxing experience. We were served breakfast- danish roll, fruit & frittata, water & coffee. Afterwards we were asked what size fins & wet suit. Also given goggles. Then Captain Cruz explained how to wear the goggles & how to expel water from the snorkel. I asked him if they had the viewing box as I'm a non swimmer. He said he'll teach me how to snorkel. True to his word I had my first snorkel lesson. It was kismet that our initial Lanai snorkel trip was canceled, and we were rebooked on the Honolua snorkel trip. What made my lesson possible was the small passenger load of 16. It provided me my very first snorkel experience. We went to two snorkel spots at Honolua Bay. Plenty of fish, coral, and my favorite, the turtles. The second spot was the elusive octopus. Hubby said he couldn't spot any. After a BBQ lunch of grilled chicken, hotdogs, pulled pork with Mac cheese, three bean salad, & grilled pineapple, they released the sail. We started to sail back toward the harbor. Beverages were available - I had a local beer & a vodka cranberry. I couldn't taste the alcohol. Later we were served chocolate chip cookies. All in all a great trip. read more

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We spent a fantastic morning with Lizzy (researcher) and Brian (research drone specialist) from Pac Whale at McGregor's Point, along with other volunteers, as part of the annual Humpback whale count 2023. Lizzy is an excellent instructor and made sure everyone knew what they were doing and having fun! We spent 4 hours recording whale sightings and behaviors and were lucky to share slapping, breeching, diving and spouting whales in our group, along with calves trying to breech. It is fascinating learning how the whale count works and how sightings are recorded throughout the HI islands, and exciting to be part of it. If you get the chance to sign up you won't be disappointed. You can find details online. Lizzy and Brian, a big MAHALO for your hard work and dedicated research on our oceans in HI and beyond, and thank you for sharing your knowledge with us :) read more

Excellent whale watching tour out of Ma'alaea harbor today. the crew and naturalists were great as always, but the highlight was getting "mugged" by a mother humpback whale, her calf and male escort. The whales circled around and under the boat, not once, not twice, but three times. We always love getting out on the water with Pacific Whale Foundation, but this was an experience to remember. read more

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I would like to say the positives out way the negatives on every trip. I've been cruising with PWF for years. Snorkeling, sunset cruises, stars with Harriet, and more. I do say they try ti accommodate special diets but they literally forgot the lunch (or the caterers did). This happened more than one occasion. The crew is usually friendly and will help you were you need. Sometimes, onboarding is hectic and doesn't make sense. Overall, a good company with a good cause. Hopefully, they'll be better with special diets in the future. read more

Pacific Whale Foundation - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Wailuku, Hawaii

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Can't recommend Pacific Whale Foundation enough!! We snorkeled Molokini with them a few years ago and did a whale watch this time (Exclusive Whale Watch with the Experts). Captain Chris, Desmond, and Caitlin were fantastic through the whole trip. They were all funny, knowledgeable and wonderful for the 3 hour trip. The highlight was a calf that breeched less than 100 feet from the boat 7 times in a row. I think 3 hours was perfect and it left at 7am which was nice as the weather was perfect, it started to warm up towards the end. The smaller boat was really nice as it was easy to see whales with less people. Highly, highly recommend using PWF for your next Maui adventure! read more

Pacific Whale Foundation - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Wailuku, Hawaii

First and foremost, I despise fraudulent charities and causes. The Pacific Whale Foundation is registered as a charity opened in 1985 according to the IRS. PacWhale Eco Adventures appears to be the profit arm of the so called charity. Checking out these companies on Charity Navigator shows that only The Pacific Whale Foundation (TPWF) is registered as a charity as PacWhale Eco Adventures (PWEA) is for profit. TPWF is unrated on Charity Navigator as they hadn't filed the proper tax forms with the IRS since 2017. Somebody is getting filthy rich off this setup and it definitely is not the whales. TPWF 2017 tax return shows an income of almost $1.5M and expenses of almost the same amount. This does not include profit income from the very profitable PWEA water tour business. Whales are used to enrich the owners and from my research, very little has been spent on environmental protection. Now let's talk about our experience with these organizations in July of 2022: Food was the worst food of any of my 13 snorkel trips with other companies. The fruit punches were watered down right out of the spigot. This is the most overpacked and uncomfortable boat I have been on. These boats are designed for maximum profit, minimal comfort. There are no cargo net hammocks on these boats. This company appears to host two to three times the amount of travelers I have encountered on my 13 other trips with other companies. This company should really start the tours at 6am like other companies in the area. By the time you get to Molikini, which is the first stop, the wind picks up ferociously, like clockwork, everyday around noon. Your second stop at Turtle Town will be too windy and your captain will cut your trip short. What do they do well? They have enough staff to patrol the water to help their customers in need and several staff helping customers in and out of the water. Go Pro underwater cameras are affordable to rent as are wetsuits. Plenty of alcohol at the bar. In keeping with their whale charity motif they do a little nature spiel to keep appearances up. I asked the captain of our boat what TPWF and PWEA had actually done to improve the lives of the marine life in the area: His reply was that they got plastic bags pulled from stores on the island. My thought was that they pulled plastic bags from many places in western countries and this was not something to take credit for. read more

Pacific Whale Foundation - Charity Navigator rating for The Pacific Whale Foundation - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Wailuku, Hawaii

We originally booked a 2-hour whale watching tour in April 2022 on one of their catamarans (Whale Watch Sail) out of Lahaina. Due to low registration, it was cancelled by the company, but they were pretty accommodating in helping us reschedule to a different day. They were also very kind in trying to make up for the inconvenience by offering tours with nicer boats, or tours that included lunch. In the end, we had a 2-hour tour on one of their regular boats (Whale Watch). We picked Pacific Whale Foundation because it is an eco/research non profit and seemed reputable. The guides were pretty well educated on whales and we learned a good amount during the 2 hours. We saw 1 whale breaching early in the trip, then a bunch of whale humps and tails sprinkled over the next two hours. They let you rent binoculars, which we did, but was totally unnecessary. We had a pretty good time and recommend it to others. read more

Incredible. We saw a breach, a mom and her baby, several fin and chin slaps, and a group of males competing. It was by far our best whale watching experience. The crew was outstanding! read more

Pacific Whale Foundation - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Wailuku, Hawaii

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I wish I could give these guys 5 stars. First the good stuff: the boat was super clean, ample seating, the staff was extremely friendly, the Captain was informative and had a good music selection. The view of west Maui from the water is spectacular. 5 Stars. Now the bad: the food was meh. For the cost of the trip, it should be much better. Also, the portion sizes were small and served on a 'dinner salad' sized plate. After the cruise my husband and kids made me stop at McDonald's to get hamburgers. Three stars. And now for the really, really bad - my hubby woke up at 3 am with extreme diarrhea and in the morning he threw up. Had a fever of 99. I had to leave him in the condo all day while I went to Lahaina with one of my sons. My hubby spent the day limping between our bed and the bathroom. Never sure which end to point at the bowl. When I got back at 4:30 my husband's fever was up to 102. I ran to the store to get him Tylenol, Imodium, and fizzy water. When I got back 30 minutes later his fever was 103. Took him to Urgent Care - negative for Covid and the flu. Dr gave him an IV with anti nausea meds. Diagnosis: food poisoning. The only thing he ate that the rest of us didn't were the Ube mashed potatoes and Mai Tai's. Zero stars. Leaving for home in a few hours. Hubby's still getting a fever that comes and goes. We got the rest of his symptoms under control. Would I recommend this dinner cruise to someone else? No. But if they have a cheaper coastal tour without food, then yes. I do like supporting their foundation. read more

Pacific Whale Foundation - Beautiful sunset from the boat. - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Wailuku, Hawaii

Josh is him. The legend. The sunset cruise icon. He didn't walk--he glided. Jokes? Perfectly timed. Service? Michelin star energy. Josh remembered every drink, every detail, like a hospitality wizard. At this point, the ocean should be thanking him for his immaculate service. We came for dinner, stayed for Josh. read more

This was definitely the highlight of our visit to Maui. We showed up early for a launch on a large, comfortable vessel. We took off at a good clip towards a snorkeling spot. I took the "Snorkeling 101" class and learned a couple of things (I hadn't snorkeling in about 12 years). All of the staff are marine biologists or students and they were great. Knowledgeable, friendly and pleasant. We elected to rent wet suit tops to keep warm in the water. When we got to the first dive site the water was crystal clear. I found myself floating in a school of beautiful black trigger fish who had not a care about them. We snorkeled for a while on this beautiful reef and then got back on the boat. One the way to the next stop we had a bottlenose dolphin swimming in front of the boat, right below us. He jumped a few times and seemed to be having a great time. The second location had some sea turtles but only one of our party saw them in the water (I saw one, but it was when I was out of the water). They grilled a nice little lunch of chicken, veggie burgers and hot dogs that of course tasted great while we were out in the open air. They told us a lot about trying to renew our ocean resources and on the way back we got to see a few humpback whales. How great is that? This would be the first thing I'd do next time I come back to the island. read more

Pacific Whale Foundation - A humpback whale. - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Wailuku, Hawaii

My family and I have been going on Whale Watching Tours with the Pacific Whale Foundation for many years. It is very early in the season so not sure what we would see. We saw 3 whales right away being quite active. Captain Emily, marine expert Carter and 2 more crew members ( sorry, didn't catch their names), did a great job working hard and making it a great experience for everyone. $5. Maui beer and Mai tais, very reasonable. Spread Aloha and tip generously. A worthy organization. read more

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Lovely sunset dinner cruise! We had the pleasure of reserving the entire back area for our group and we were able to see whales and the stunning coastline of Maui! We were all thoroughly impressed with the knowledge and enthusiasm of the staff! Highly recommend! read more

Pacific Whale Foundation - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Wailuku, Hawaii

We went for a snorkeling tour at the Molokini crater and Turtle Arch. Everyone on the crew was very kind and helpful. We could see that they really believe and care for the social cause of preserving the marine life and ecosystem in Hawaii, Equador and Chile. The food on the boat was yum! Their equipment was very useful. And the whole trip was a joyous experience. To top it off, a portion of the ticket fee goes towards their non-profit which supports a great cause. I hope to be back soon! Thank you. read more

Aloha! I want to give big thank you Pacific Whale Foundation ! They treated us amazing. I definitely recommend their services and adventures for anyone ! I was told no whales would be around at this time but I went this morning with my gut feeling and it was whale soup out there ! even got the opportunity to see spinner dolphins & lots of whales jumping and waving so close to our boat read more

Pacific Whale Foundation - Whale - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Wailuku, Hawaii

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There are a LOT of whale watching options out of Lahaina, but I was very happy with this tour. The crew was positive and upbeat, we felt super safe, the captain had a good sense of humor, and the onboard naturalist was a great addition - learned a lot from him and he was also very approachable for questions. We went on the 2-hour experience at 9:00am and it was a big boat with two decks. Couple of things to note... they ask you to check in really early. We had at least 30-40 minutes to kill after we checked in at 8:15. It is helpful to manage your own expectations. I had mentally prepared to not see much, but we were lucky and were able to see some amazing whale activity. That said, I am sure it is "hit or miss" based on the day. The 2-hour tour went by quick and we sat at the front of the boat which seemed like a great choice. read more

Pacific Whale Foundation - Picture taken of a humpback diving while on our whale watching tour by the onboard naturalist. - Community Service/Non-Profit Near Me - Wailuku, Hawaii

We did the sunset dinner cruise and overall, we were very happy with our experience! If you book online you get a discount of 10%, which was nice so it ended up being about $90ish per person. The food was really good! You get four courses--an appetizer of bread with spinach artichoke dip, a salad with yummy lilikoi vinaigrette dressing, a main ( I got the shrimp), and a triple chocolate brownie for dessert. Plus they have a bar and you can get pretty much whatever drink you want! Our server Jaclyn was super friendly and accommodating and what is cool is that all of the servers are marine biologists, which goes to show that this organization is dedicated to their mission. Very cool. The bathrooms weren't my favorite, but they worked. It was very cool to watch the sunset from a boat out on the water while enjoying some good food! read more

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What an amazing tour. Our guide Jenn and captain Aaron were the best. Aaron knew exactly where to go to find the whales. The views were spectacular and the whales were amazing. read more

We had a delightful day searching for dolphins but spotted Humpback whales instead. A group of 3 male, female and juvenile humpbacks. I'm the drinks were as advertised and a bonus beer for adults! The meal was good, nothing fancy but it was good. The fruit and brownies were delicious! Great crew helpful, knowledgeable, and friendly. Despite the rain the captain found some sun and the whales! All and all a good tip, with lots of photos! read more

Took a tour with them today, and overall it was a solid experience. Staff was on top of everything we ended up on a five hour journey. We saw whales and dolphins, turtles, and lots of fish. A LOT of of fish. The tides were a little annoying though and I had a pretty good headache while it's over. They do a good job with space due to COVID, so there is that for sure. read more