For a truly thrilling and once in a lifetime experience the island of Maui is the place to head to view the great humpback whales, around 1,000 of which travel 4,000 miles from Alaska to the archipelago to breed and give birth between the months of November and March. For whale watching, Hawaii is the place to travel to, if you want to see the Hawaiian humpback whale in its winter home to which it returns to give birth. The months between December and April are all good months to see this magnificent beast so there are plenty of whale watching Hawaii opportunities.

These fabulous beasts can be seen off the shore of Maui and there are several good vantage points such as McGregor Point, which overlooks Maalaea Bay on the west coast of Maui or the Outrigger Wailea Resort where you can stop and view the whales and can sometimes also spot spinner dolphins. The important factor is you need a wide ocean view, to increase your chances of spotting whales, and if you visit from around January, you might see their calves. For a closer view of whale watching Hawaii visitors should head out on a whale-watching cruise from Lahaina and Ma’alaea, which virtually guarantee sightings in January and February.

As it takes patience for whale-watching Hawaii thankfully has plenty of beautiful ocean views to keep you interested. Lahaina is itself worth exploring for its historic past as the center for the Pacific whaling industry with many significant buildings to visit including the Old Prison, the Seaman’s Hospital and the Pioneer Inn.

Maui is a beautiful island to visit with stunning scenery, beautiful beaches, great restaurants and a vast range of activities including some of the best whale watching Hawaii has to offer. Beach lovers will be stunned by the wonderful beaches at Wailea and Makena whilst Ka’anapali is the largest resort area on Maui and has large sweeping beaches. The scenery on the long drive along the Hana Coast is fabulous and is hailed one of the world’s most spectacular drives. For fantastic food Maui’s award-winning establishments offer a winning meal or for a more relaxed atmosphere there are casual seaside fish houses to visit.

Haleakala National Park on Maui offers an awesome view from the summit of Mount Haleakala to the look out point at the Haleakala crater to look down at the vast 25-square-mile crater floor and it is well worth taking a break from all the opportunities for whale watching Hawaii offers, to add another once in a lifetime experience to your trip. There are some wonderful snorkelling spots to be discovered including Molokini, a sunken volcanic crater rim and marine reserve off Maui. Another great spot is Turtle Town just off Wailea where there are green turtles to swim amongst.

To spot a whale, look out for water spray that rises 10-20 feet into the air. The creature only needs to breathe every 7-20 minutes so you may have to watch for a while. Once you have spotted the water spray being exhaled from the whale’s blowhole, zoom your binoculars on the area and wait. Soon, the whale will surface to breathe.

As it takes patience for whale-watching Hawaii thankfully has plenty of beautiful ocean views to keep you interested. Lahaina is itself worth exploring for its historic past as the center for the Pacific whaling industry with many significant buildings to visit including the Old Prison, the Seaman’s Hospital and the Pioneer Inn.

About the Author
The thrill of seeing whales in abundance makes a visit to Maui well worthwhile. Thomas Cook offers a 14 night stay with flights staying at the Sheraton Maui from £2,499 per person, from 1st– 30th June 2010. Visit http://www.tcsignature.com for more information.