Activities adventure +

Beaches with Lifeguards

Swim safely! Maui has a wide variety of beautiful beaches to choose from, but we strongly recommend swimming only at beaches with lifeguards on duty. These beaches include:

• Kama‘ole I Beach Park

• Kama‘ole II Beach Park

• Kama‘ole III Beach Park

Whale Tales

Encounters with whales and dolphins in the wild are often the most lasting memories for visitors to Maui—and they’re made all the more meaningful when your efforts have helped to protect them and their habitats. Humpback whales begin to appear in Maui’s warm waters during late fall, when these 40ton creatures travel to mate, give birth and care for their newborns. While peak season is in January and February, the entire season lasts from December through May. Did you know that 10,000 to 12,000 humpback whales swim from Alaska to Hawai‘i each year? What better place to view these animals than from their preferred breeding grounds in majestic Maui? “Maui is fortunate to offer some of the best whale watching in all of Hawai‘i; by far, the largest numbers of the visiting humpbacks congregate off Maui’s south and west shores,” said Greg Kaufman, Founder of the nonprofit Pacific Whale Foundation. Good news! In Maui, whales and dolphins will forever be wild. One of the few places in the country to protect these majestic animals, Maui has a county law making it illegal to have captive whales and dolphins on display. How do you see a whale? We recommend catching a whale-watching cruise from the harbors of Lāhainā or Mā‘alaea for the best views of whales and dolphins. While regulations forbid boats from sailing within 100 yards of a whale, you’ll still get close enough to marvel at these gorgeous animals…and take pictures, of course! You can even catch a sighting of our favorite ocean mammals from shore (but not while driving, please!). Keep an eye out towards the ocean from your beach blanket or hotel lānai (balcony) and catch a glimpse of a group of spinner dolphins or the fin of a whale. If you’re on land, here are some favorite shoreline sites for whale watching (during whale season, December-May):

• Kā‘anapali Beach

• Papawai Point, West of Mā‘alaea

• Oneloa in Mākena State Park

• The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary in Kīhei

The Mystery of Whales with National Geographic Photographer Flip Nicklin “Once in a while you have this eruption where 40 feet of animal comes throwing itself out of the water, tail and all, and you can’t even remember your name. Between Maui, Lāna‘i, Kaho‘olawe and Moloka‘i may be the best place to look at whales in the world. You have a big shallow area that’s usually pretty calm and it’s a great place for whales. There may never have been a better time to come here than right now. They’re 40 tons, 40- to 50-feet long, so powerful but also so benign and so gentle. They represent wildness and they represent mystery. They represent hope. It’s a special animal.”