The Splendor of Maui Sunsets

They say the best things in life are free, and who are we to argue? If you've ever experienced the natural beauty of Maui, you'll realize how true that is. Take in the views of our majestic mountains, soak up the sun on our warm beaches, explore the brilliant coral reefs offshore, and bask in the glow of Maui's famous flaming sunsets.

Here in West Maui, the setting sun puts on spectacular shows on a regular basis. The views from this part of the island make them even more dramatic. Here, the ocean takes center stage. You'll find tranquil little beaches lining the coast, and the sun descends down to the beautiful blue Pacific beyond.

The neighboring islands of Lanai and Molokai add extra dimension to the scene. When clouds drift above them, so much the better. Those vibrant shades of pink, red and orange only appear when the setting sun's rays pierce the atmosphere to reflect colors off the clouds. That's what makes each sunset fascinating and unique. The clouds are always changing. Puffy cumulous take on a colorful outline, wispy cirrus tend to glow all the way through, and the low stratus bring all the colors closer to the ground so our eyes (and our cameras) can capture every detail.

You can enjoy all this from the beach, or from your accommodations, but you could also treat yourself to an especially lovely sunset dinner cruise to make the most of your evening. What better way to enjoy those gleaming arcs of light than aboard a smooth boat out on the ocean. The photo opportunities are amazing. On one side, you have your sunset, and on the other, a stunning look at Maui's dynamic landscape from the water, cast in an enchanting glow. After the sun has finished its show, the twinkling stars and lights on shore will emerge to dazzle you all over again.

Our dinner cruise features an elegant meal, sightseeing and dancing. For more information, take a look at our Maui Sunset Dinner Cruise page, and if you still need assistance, you'll find our contact information at the bottom of the page. Mahalo!

Try Waterproofing Your Phone for Your Maui Ocean Tours

No Maui vacation is complete without ocean adventures. Whether you're out exploring tide pools, walking the beach, swimming, snorkeling, or coming out on any one of our Maui boat excursions, taking great pictures can be rewarding. In fact, everyone seems to have a camera or smart phone in hand these days when they're out on their adventures around the island. But with so many ocean activities, you can imagine how many accidents vacationers have with their phones. They're dropped overboard on boats, soaked on the beaches by surprisingly ambitious waves, and slipped from pockets into streams. Water damage is no fun, and few warranties cover water damage. So why not be the savvy, prepared vacationer in the pack and waterproof your phone?

Not only does waterproofing save your phone from wet accidents, but it also provides the opportunity for even more exciting pictures. Some waterproof cases even include flotation so your phone won't sink to the bottom of the ocean. With all these options, people are bringing their phones with them while body boarding, surfing, kayaking, and even snorkeling. Imagine the images you could capture from the surface of the water, and even beneath it.

There are a few good options in particular, that are known for their quality.

DiCAPac: This company provides waterproof cases for a number of different types of phones and other gadgets. For example, their case for the iPhone 6 protects the phone at depths of up to 10 meters of water, which is about 32 feet. Believe it or not, they're selling it for about $15. These cases also float. Sounds like a small investment to protect something much more valuable, right?

Case Marine: This is a nice option if you want your case to be almost invisible. Unlike the DiCAPac, it doesn't provide floatation, but it does protect your phone to the same 32-foot-depth. It costs just $9 at this point in time, but being a Japanese company, shipping costs might be more expensive than other options.

AquaPac: This UK company makes waterproofing cases for an impressive array of products. Unlike the other two options, flotation depends on the phone, so they recommend you test it out. On the plus side, the touchscreen works normally through the case. Their smart phone cases cost around £20-30, which is about $30-40, depending on the fluctuating values of our currencies.

Another option is to explore the many waterproof phone cases on Amazon and check out the reviews and product specifications. There are so many choices these days, it's just a matter of taking some time to select the one with the features that are most important to you.  We hope you find the perfect case to ensure that you don't have any mishaps on your Maui ocean excursions and other aquatic adventures!

Maui Whale Watch Season Just a Few Days Away

Whale watching season will officially begin in four days, on Tuesday, December 1st. That means you can go ahead and book your Maui whale watch trip with us on that date, and beyond. Whale watching is probably the most popular Maui activity during our warm winter months, so you won't want to miss it!

The humpbacks that migrate here every winter to breed and give birth are lively, playful, and a whole lot of fun to watch. Given their extraordinary size, there's no wildlife experience quite like whale watching. As if the whales themselves weren't exciting enough to inspire you to take a tour of the beautiful sapphire waters off Maui's shorelines, we like to enhance your experience in many ways.

First, we are currently offering a money back guarantee that you will see whales on your tour. We also offer 10% off your booking when you book online. On our tours, you'll get an expert whale narration from our wonderful Captain and crew. Depending on water conditions and our proximity to the whales, we can also use our on-board hydrophone so you can listen to these rather vocal marine mammals. Of course we also provide binoculars at no charge. Then there's our on-board gift shop, where every penny you spend goes directly to cutting edge marine scientists whose priceless efforts help educate the whole world on the countless nuances of the lives of the ocean's fascinating inhabitants.

Check our Maui Whale Watch Tours page for price details and the most up to date information on what we're offering. Currently, we have four time slots to choose from: 7:30am (Early Bird), 9:45am, 12:00pm and 2:15pm. The tours are two hours in duration, and we ask that you arrive a half-hour before departure time so we can head out right on time. We'll be departing from the north end of the scenic Lahaina Harbor. Since the tour is two hours, we have snacks and beverages available for you to purchase.

We hope to see you soon as the excitement of whale season kicks off on Tuesday! If you can't make it then, check our Maui Whale Watch availability calendar for your preferred dates. Whale season continues all the way through May of next year.

Booking Maui Ocean Activities Online

Here at Hawaii Ocean Project, we strive to make your Maui ocean tour an unforgettable adventure, and we're also always looking for ways to make your booking experience more convenient. That's why we're encouraging our guests to book their excursions through our user friendly website.

Not only is the online booking process streamlined and easy, but we're also offering a nice 10% discount if you book with it. Since our offers are subject to change in the future, we recommend that you take advantage of it now, while it's available. Especially if you're planning a future vacation to Maui and you know the dates that you'll be on the island.

The 10% discount currently applies to all our activities, so whatever it is that piques your interest, whether it's a Molokini Snorkel or a Maui Dinner Cruise, or even some top rated Maui Whale Watching you can get the online booking discount. A 10% discount really adds up, especially if you are booking activities for your family or another big group.

All our tours are conveniently listed right on the home page, including the Dinner Cruise, Whale Watch, Molokini Snorkel, Lanai Snorkel and Molokai Day Tour. We've even recently added our newest adventure on Molokai, the Kalaupapa Hike. Click each Maui activity on our home page for plenty of helpful details on what your trip with us will entail. This info can help you decide which option will be the most fun for you and your group!

Our main page also provides information on our fleet and our mission here at Hawaii Ocean Project, as we work to provide exciting ocean tours while furthering the work of extraordinary marine scientists. Their work is instrumental in education, conservation efforts and policy decisions, to help keep Maui's underwater world vibrant and healthy for generations to come.

We look forward to seeing you out on one of our cruises! Mahalo!

Whale Species of Hawaii

Humpback whales tend to get all the attention, especially considering their tremendous size, how aerial they are, and the sheer number that migrate to Hawaii in the winter months. They really know how to steal the show. They also tend to be at their thickest number in the shallower waters around Maui, Lanai and Molokai as they breed and give birth to their calves. We get countless humpback sightings as we continue to provide our exciting Maui whale watch tours, but it may be surprising to know how many other kinds of whales (and dolphins) can be spotted in Hawaii, particularly odontocetes (toothed whales and dolphins).

Here are the fascinating odontocetes you might see here in Hawaii, starting with the most common and descending to the least common.

  1. Short-finned pilot whale
  2. Pantropical spotted dolphin
  3. Rough-toothed dolphin
  4. Common bottlenose dolphin
  5. Spinner dolphin
  6. Dwarf sperm whale
  7. Cuvier's beaked whale
  8. Melon-headed whale
  9. False killer whale
  10. Blainville's beaked whale
  11. Sperm whale
  12. Striped dolphin
  13. Pygmy killer whale
  14. Risso's dolphin
  15. Pygmy sperm whale
  16. Killer whale
  17. Longman's beaked whale
  18. Fraser's dolphin

We're guessing you didn't expect such a long and impressive list! We can thank the Cascadia Research Collective for their exhaustive efforts to study these whales, and we are proud to say that our Maui ocean tours help fund their work. Out of all the species we've talked about, Hawaiian spinner dolphins and North Pacific Humpback whales are protected within the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. That's because Hawaiian waters provide vital habitat for those two species in particular.

If you're aboard one of our whale watch tours and you spot something, but you're not sure what it is, our expert crew can help identify what it is that you saw. It's a tricky process if the sighting is brief, but that's half the fun! You never know which of the species on the list might show up. Every outing is unique. We look forward to sharing one with you! Mahalo!

First Maui Humpback Whale Sighted

We'd like to share some exciting information with our avid whale watching guests, and those who are interested taking a tour with us to see these majestic creatures in person. The first humpback whale of the season was recently spotted from the tiny crescent island of Molokini, which is located off Maui's South Shore.

The whale was cruising around two nautical miles north of Molokini in the early morning hours. We can expect more and more of these gentle giants to arrive until the season peaks in the winter. Kauai had their first sighting at the end of September, so it's likely that several have arrived already, although their numbers are still thin.

While the season doesn't officially start until December, we want to share a friendly reminder that you can pre-book your Maui whale watch, which may be wise because of how popular this activity is. Our vessels are stable and very spacious, so you and your family and friends can enjoy unobstructed views of these dynamic marine mammals as they wow you with their above-water antics. Being the most acrobatic of the baleen whales makes them a lot of fun to watch.

Another thing you should know about our Maui whale watching tours is that we guarantee whale sightings, or you'll get your money back. That's how confident we are that you can get a look at them, and we provide binoculars in case they happen to be at a distance.

Our tours are two hours in duration, but we're not allowed to maneuver when the whales are within a certain distance of the boat, which is a situation known as "mugging." You never know if the trip will be a bit extended because of this circumstance, but one thing is for sure. If they're that close, you'll get the most amazing up-close view that you could hope for. There really is nothing quite like seeing a 45-foot animal in person. We hope you'll come out with us for that unforgettable experience. Mahalo!

Maui Ocean Safety Tips

The ocean, more than anything, defines the nature of Hawaii. It separates the islands, it has shaped the culture since our very first residents arrived in their canoes, it provides us with food, houses a vast array of biodiversity, influences the weather, anchors several exciting types of recreation, and many businesses depend on it, including our own. Those perfect postcard beaches draw countless visitors to enjoy their beauty. Considering the popularity of Maui ocean activities, and the fact that the state is currently working to increase ocean safety education for visitors, we'd like to share some tips so you have the best, safest ocean experience possible.

When you're out aboard one of our Maui ocean excursions, your safety is in excellent hands, but we're guessing you get in the water at other times too, so here are our tips:

Watch the weather: Always check the weather report to make sure conditions are ideal for getting in the water. Once that's done, and you're at the beach, keep an eye on the weather yourself. Conditions can be unpredictable on the ocean, just like with rivers and even lakes. Remember, Hawaii is right smack in the middle of the biggest ocean on Earth. These waters are powerful and changeable. Choose a calm, clear, sunny morning. Conditions are safest when the water is gently lapping against the shore, and there's little to no wind. If the wind and surf start to kick up, or the sky gets cloudy opt for dry land. Early mornings are generally the best time for these conditions.

Keep an eye on the water: When people say you shouldn't turn your back to the ocean, they are sharing some wise advice. This is true no matter where you are. Rogue waves happen, and they can be pretty fierce. All you have to do is keep the ocean in sight, at least in your periphery, and you can avoid these waves.

Know your limits: It's so easy to get swept up in the excitement of the moment, pun intended. On vacation, people tend to feel more adventurous than usual, and eager for interesting new experiences. If you feel yourself coming to that point in the ocean, check yourself. Are you a strong swimmer? Do you have any health issues that could complicate your ability to swim? Maybe you feel short of breath, or a little tired. Don't push yourself when you're in the water. Save that for the land, if you have to.

Solo is a no-no: Scuba divers know this rule, and that's why every safe diver has a buddy. The same is true even if you're going for a quick swim. Bring someone with you, at least to keep an eye out from shore. Snorkeling is a lot like diving, so please don't go alone. Even if your companion can't help, they can get help. Fortunately, here in Hawaii, there are a lot of powerful swimmers, many of whom have performed heroic deeds in the past. That being said, it's best if they don't have to, and you can't bank on the hope that they'll always be around.

Ask a resident: Statistics show that visitors get into trouble more often than residents, the difference being familiarity and experience with our environment. Just think how much you know about your area of residence compared to someone who might never have been there. So if you know a Hawaii resident who's had a lot of exposure to the ocean, it doesn't hurt to ask for a bit of advice. They may think of some tips that we haven't thought of!

That should be enough to get your safety bases covered, for now. If you're out on an excursion with us, and you have a question about safety, ask! Our expert crew is there to help you. Mahalo!

Why You Should Take a Maui Ocean Cruise

One of the toughest challenges if you're visiting Maui is deciding what activities to book. Really, Maui has a reputation for having so much to do, you can end up exhausting yourself trying to see and do it all. You should definitely take a few trips to the island if that's your goal, or one really long trip. But be careful, you might opt to stay forever! Most Maui vacationers go through a careful process of selecting activities based on who is in their group and what kind of things each person has always wanted to try, along with places each person has always wanted to see. The real challenge arises when inevitably, not everyone agrees. What if some of you want to go on a Maui ocean excursion, but some don't?

To answer the question, you have to think about the reasons why someone might be reluctant to engage in an activity on a boat. Once you know the answer, you can address those concerns. Here are some examples of common concerns.

I can't swim. Fortunately, on some of our excursions, you never dip a toe in the water. It's not all snorkeling. We provide ferry services to and from Molokai, as well as dinner cruises off Maui's beautiful west coast. We also carry life vests in case of any emergency.

I get seasick. You don't want to put a damper on your vacation by getting queasy aboard an ocean tour, but there are a couple things to be aware of. Dramamine is really effective at preventing seasickness. If you'd rather avoid pills, just know that our craft are among the largest tour boats operating on Maui, and were built with cutting edge designs to maximize stability. Our fleet consists of fast, smooth and comfortable boats.

I've been on ocean cruises elsewhere. Maui no ka oi. That means Maui is the best. If you haven't had dinner on the unobstructed top deck of the 120-foot-long Maui Princess under a flaming sunset in the sparkling blue Pacific, then you shouldn't skip this opportunity. We have wonderful entertainment, delicious food, and in the winter months, you'll probably see some humpback whales playing not far away.

Aren't ocean tours expensive? They may be less expensive than you think. For example, our Molokini Snorkel Tour is affordable, with cheaper rates if you book online than if you book in person. Be sure to check current rates because they are subject to change over time. On this exciting outing, we'll take you all the way from Lahaina Harbor to the charming crescent island of Molokini, off Maui's South Shore. In fact, we are currently the only tour company taking guests to Molokini from the Lahaina Harbor. Once you've arrived, we'll provide you with your gear and any instruction you might need. We also provide your food. Check our website to see what's on the menu.

No matter how you choose to spend your vacation, we hope you have the time of your life. If you do choose to take a tour with us, we look forward to seeing you on Maui's stunning coastal waters. Mahalo!

The Benefits of a Membership with Hawaii Ocean Project

Have you ever thought about a membership with Hawaii Ocean Project? There are several benefits, but in these times, it means a lot to join a business with integrity. Not only are we supremely concerned with the health of our marine ecosystem, but we also send part of our earnings to scientific researchers who work hard to better understand our oceans. For example, 100 percent of the profits from our merchandise sales go to these scientists, helping to ensure their ability to keep doing the vital work that they do. We also give 100 percent of your membership fee to these researchers. If you support us, you will be supporting them.

As for the benefits you'll enjoy, a membership can be a wonderful thing, especially if you've booked with us on more than one occasion. First, we provide you with a 25 percent reduction on the prices of the following ocean excursions:

You will also receive our quarterly newsletter to keep you apprised of all our latest events, changes, and special announcements. If you're a Maui resident, the newsletters are a great way to stay in the know. If you're a Maui visitor, they can help keep you connected to our efforts out here in the big blue Pacific.

Since every member is not the same, we offer a few levels of membership, so you can choose the one that suits you best. Each one is unique, just like our members. Here is a list of what you will receive under each membership level. Remember that 100 percent of your membership fee goes to our Research Direct Program that funds the work of brilliant marine research scientists.

We look forward to you joining as a member, so we can work together to support marine research! Mahalo!

Special Molokai Ferry Voyage in October

Sea Link of Hawaii provides the only ferry between Maui and Molokai. This provides residents and visitors alike with an alternative to flying, a travel method that isn't always convenient or preferred. Best of all, it gives Maui and Molokai folks what people like most: a choice. In the spirit of providing choices, Sea Link of Hawaii will be adding a special voyage to the regular schedule this month.

October's current schedule provides trips on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The departure times are as follows:

However, on Wednesday, October 21st, an additional voyage will be added. The ferry will depart from Maui at 3pm on the trip to Molokai. It will depart from Molokai at 5pm for the return trip to Maui. We wanted to make you aware of this special voyage just in case it happens to be ideal for your travel preferences.

If you need more information or if you would like to book a trip, visit www.MolokaiFerry.com or call 1-808-667-6165. Mahalo, and we look forward to seeing you on your next visit to Molokai!