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LAHAINA — “Hana hou! Hana hou!”
It means ‘do it again’ in Hawaiian, and we’re shouting it, squealing really, at a 40-foot humpback whale perched near our catamaran, willing him to keep playing with us. A minute ago, this massive cetacean popped its knobbly head above water to get a good look at us. This time, he lifts his colossal fin, showing off his fluke before slapping it down, hard and fast. We’re soaked and elated.
Elation turns to gratitude when, at least 10 times during this Pacific Whale Foundation tour, we spot breaches a few hundred meters away. A breach is the touchdown of whale watching, when a whale twirls its 80,000-pound body in the air with the grace of an Olympic figure skater. No one knows exactly why they do it, but experts believe it might be to impress a potential mate.
This is certainly the time and place to find one. Each year, from December to April, Maui’s waters are saturated with an estimated 15,000 humpback whales. They travel 3,000 miles from Alaska to birth and breed in the calm, bath-like conditions of the Au Au Channel. No where else, at no other time, are the chances this high to witness their splendor. And there are so many ways to do so.
In our five days on Maui we got up close and personal aboard the catamaran, kayaked near whales off the coast of Kihei and dove into the island’s whale museums, including the Maui Ocean Center, home of the ground-breaking Humpbacks of Hawai‘i Exhibit Hall and 3D Dome Theater, the first of its kind in Hawaii. Both are set to open later this fall.
The 3-hour sail was definitely the most luxurious — full lunch, open bar — and action-packed of our experiences. It wasn’t so much whale-watching as it was whale-interacting. And whenever there was a lull in surface activity, our naturalists explained the meaning behind mystifying humpback behaviors, from singing to trumpeting and peduncling, a forceful rotation often performed by a female who is irritated by an aggressive escort.
The next day, I drive south to Makena Landing in Kihei, where I meet my kayaking guide, Sunomen, of Maui Kayak Adventures. It is early, 7 a.m., and the waves are choppier than I expect. But Sunomen and his crew are unfazed; they wait, patiently, for the perfect moment to shove each of our group’s eight kayaks into the sea.
A little bump and we’re off, slicing our paddles into calm waters. It’s not long before we spot, from a distance, our first whale, spouting and peck slapping before retreating below. Over the next three hours, we paddle out a mile and witness fluke slaps and spy hops (when a whale pops its head out of the water to get a better look around). This view, far-off whales and Lanai in the distance, evokes a deep sense of peace, a lovely contrast to yesterday’s high-energy sail.
Not that whales mind kayaks. A week before, a guide and his two guests met a yearling, or juvenile whale, right here. By law, boats are required to stay 100 yards away. If a whale wants to get closer, or “mug” the boat, that’s fine, but the boat is required to idle. This yearling was swimming 50 feet underwater then suddenly appeared next to the kayaks and played peek-a-boo with the guests for half an hour. Both guests said it was the best day of their lives.
I know the feeling. Toward the end of our tour, Sunomen finds a spot where he thinks we’ll be able to hear the vibrations of whales singing. We throw on our goggles and jump in, surprisingly only 10 feet down, before we hear something: A distant door creaking open, or an elephant’s low-frequency rumble that you feel in your bones more than you hear in your ears. I pop up, take a breath, whisper my plea, “hana hou,” and dive back in.
On our last day, we get off the water and into Maui’s museums to learn more about humpback whales. We start at the beachfront Visitor Center for the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary located in Kihei. Admission is free and it’s a great spot for kids to learn about the marine environment, take a dip in the historic, stone-walled fishpond and look for turtles. During peak season, in February, when the ocean is called whale soup, you’ll spot whales here.
Even the Maui Ocean Center in Wailuku offers an outdoor exhibit, Ma‘alaea Lookout, as a whale-watching platform to observe humpback in the winter months. But a soon-to-open whale-focused exhibit and digital theater may lure you indoors. The 139-seat 3D Dome Theater and 1,200-square-foot Humpbacks of Hawai‘i Exhibit Hall will focus on the humpbacks’ nomadic lifestyle, their roles and behaviors, and their global migration routes, including, no doubt, in Hawaiian waters.
If you go
Pacific Whale Foundation: Whale Watch Deluxe Sail is $85 for adults; $42.50 for children 12 and younger. Includes lunch. Dec. 1-April 30. Pacific Whale Foundation Ocean Store, 612 Front St., Lahaina; www.pacificwhale.org/cruises
Maui Kayak Adventures: Whale Watch Tour is $85 per person (including water and snack) and departs mornings, January to March, from Makena and Olowalu. Includes free digital photos of tour; https://mauikayakadventures.com/tours
Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary: This renovated beachfront visitor center is free and open to the public 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Mondays-Fridays (and 10 a.m.-1 p.m. last Saturday of the month) at 726 S. Kihei Road, Kihei; https://hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov
Maui Ocean Center: This aquarium’s existing whale exhibits at its Marine Mammal Discover Center will be replaced with a state-of-the-art 1,200 square foot Humpbacks of Hawaii Exhibit and 3D Dome Theater. Slated to open in late fall at 192 Maalaea Road, Wailuku. Museum is open daily; https://mauioceancenter.com
