Whale Watching: Eye-Level Encounters in Maui

Experience eye-level whale watching on a 2-hour eco-raft tour from Lahaina, Maui. Join Hawaii Ocean Rafting, voted TripAdvisors Traveler’s Choice, for an unforgettable adventure.

Duration: 2 hours
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • 1223 Front St - Experience Maui’s exclusive Hawaiian-owned eye-level Whale Watching and Dolphin Search Tours aboard our intimate, low-to-water eco-rafts.
    Escape the crowds and enjoy comfortable seating in a small group while taking in breathtaking views of Hawaii’s humpback whales or Maui’s playful dolphins.
    December-April: Each winter, the…
What's Included
  • Plan to get wet! This is a low to water boat- ocean spray and light rain can occur during tour.
  • Snacks
  • Hydrophone to listen to whale songs
  • Life jackets are provided for emergencies but are not required to be worn during the tour.
  • Type of encounters vary in the wild- Up close sightings not guaranteed
  • Whales or Dolphins (Based on option…
What's Not Included
  • Not suitable for pregnant persons or those with back/neck injuries.
  • Tour leaves promptly. Must arrive 30 minutes prior to board or will miss the tour.
  • Hotel pick-up and drop off
  • BYOB (Plastic or Cans Only)
  • Whales or Dolphins (Based on option selected at check out)
  • Gratuities
  • Upclose wildlife encounters are not guaranteed as animals are in…
Additional Information

Experience eye-level whale watching or summer dolphin watching aboard our low-to-water, small group zodiac rafts.
Owned by Native Hawaiians and recognized as TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice, Hawaii Ocean Rafting has been offering Maui’s original ocean rafting adventures for over 30 years.
Our small group tours provide a delightful, family-style whale…

Location
1223 Front St
Front Street
MANDATORY CHECK-IN 30 minutes prior to start time at tour operator Hawaii Ocean Rafting location. Park on near Lahaina Cannery and check-in at 1223 Front St., Dive Maui Shop, located next to Snorkel Bobs. No refunds for late arrivals. Due to closed roads & traffic, plan additional travel time.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(2855 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Michelleka3623rk
Oct 16, 2026
Spectacular - Wonderful Tour!! Both Captain and Guide were very friendly, knowledgeable and full of information about not only the Dolphins but the Ocean and the area surrounding. Definitely a must do while in Maui!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Bigjoe71
Oct 13, 2026
Captain Jack on the high seas - Captain Jack and Bree Lee us in a high sea adventure with so many dolphins. They were fun , knowable and cool! Come to Lahaina town for a great trip!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Erictf8935vn
Oct 12, 2026
Incredible experience - Jack and Nicole were very accommodating and very persistent to find the school of dolphins and gave us an incredible experience. The best.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Apurv_u
Oct 10, 2026
Awesome dolphin tour! - Excellent trip. Saw lots of dolphins! The captain and other staff were very knowledgeable and friendly! Would definitely recommend!
Review provided by Viator
Thrice4life
Oct 9, 2026
excellent day snorkeling lanai - went snorkeling today they took us to shipwreck beach and club lanai . did not disappoint. saw turtles , monk seal and tons of fish
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Moniquel275
Oct 5, 2026
Best experience with Captain Jack & Nicole! - Captain Jack and Nicole were exceptional! We will never forget this dolphin trip 🤩
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Wendy_s
Oct 2, 2026
We had a great time... - We had a great time searching and finding dolphins with Captain Jack and Bree. They were very informative and fun to interact with. I especially appreciated the shade parts of the boat rather than full sun. We saw some sea turtles and dolphins which was awesome. We would definitely recommend this tour and are making plans to come back for whale watching season.
Review provided by Viator
917eunicek
Sep 18, 2026
No dolphins - Only reason for 4 stars is we didn't see any dolphins which was a big disappointment
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jasmine_r
Oct 14, 2026
No dolphins just snacks and history - Unfortunately we weren’t able to see dolphins on this tour but we enjoyed the snacks and the history lesson.
Review provided by Viator
Avinash_k
Oct 4, 2026
1 star – the customer service is what made this unacceptable - The tour itself was disappointing, but I fully understand that wildlife sightings are never guaranteed. That alone would not have led me to leave a one-star review. What did was the way the situation was handled afterwards. Our original departure time was changed from 8:30am to 11:00am, which caused significant disruption to our plans and additional costs. We still went ahead with the tour because we had already planned our day around it and had limited alternatives. When I raised my concerns afterwards, the customer service from the local operator was incredibly dismissive and, at times, outright rude. One response included the comment, “You don’t get to go on the tour for free.” That completely missed the point of my complaint and was an unnecessarily confrontational way to speak to a paying customer. I then escalated the issue to Viator several times. Rather than acknowledging the poor handling of the situation, apologising, or offering even a small goodwill gesture, they repeatedly relied on the operator’s account and eventually told me their decision was final. An apology and some basic understanding of why the experience had been frustrating would honestly have gone a long way. I even said I would have accepted Viator credit rather than a cash refund. Instead, I ultimately had to raise the matter with American Express, who reviewed the situation and provided a full refund. So credit where it’s due: Amex handled this far better than Viator did. The disappointing tour could have been forgiven. The rude and dismissive customer service afterwards is what turned this into a one-star experience.
Review provided by Viator
From $85
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).