Whale watching tips: what to bring, kids, seasickness and photos

What to bring

• Reef-safe sunscreen. Hawaiʻi bans oxybenzone and octinoxate. Put it on before you board.
• A hat with a strap and polarized sunglasses. Polarized lenses cut the glare and let you see whales just under the surface.
• A light windbreaker for the 7 AM trips. It is 70°F and you will be moving at 25 knots.
• Shoes that can get wet, or none. Beach loading at Kāʻanapali means wading to the shuttle or the boat.
• A camera or phone in a dry bag. Spray happens, especially on the raft.
• Binoculars, optional on the boat (the whales come to you) but essential from shore.
• Water. The catamaran serves drinks; the raft carries water but bring your own bottle.
• A photo ID if you are 21 and want the open bar on Teralani.

Leave the big camera bag, the beach umbrella and anything you would hate to lose over the side.

Morning or afternoon

Morning, nearly always. The West Maui Mountains block the trade wind until late morning and the channel is often glassy until 11. Flat water means you see blows a mile away and whole bodies at the surface, not just the bits that break through chop. Light is softer for photos. The exception is Teralani’s Premium trip at 12:30, which is still worthwhile because the big catamaran is steady in a breeze and the lunch and bar make the afternoon part of the point.

Seasickness

The ʻAuʻau Channel is one of the calmest stretches of ocean in Hawaiʻi; it is protected by three islands and the mountains. Most people who get sick elsewhere are fine here on a morning trip. If you are prone to it:

• Choose the catamaran over the raft. Bigger boat, less motion, sails to steady it, and a bathroom.
• Take meclizine (Bonine, Dramamine Less Drowsy) the night before and the morning of, not when you feel ill.
• Eat something light. An empty stomach is worse.
• Stay on deck, look at the horizon or at Lānaʻi, and avoid reading your phone.
• Ginger chews help some people. Scopolamine patches work but need a prescription and a day’s lead time.

Kids

Teralani is the easy answer for toddlers and babies: children 5 and under ride free, the deck is big and shaded, there is a restroom, and kids can move around. Maui Whale Adventures takes ages 2 and up, and it is a wonderful trip for school-age kids who can sit and hold on, because the whales are so close. For a four-year-old who will not sit still for two hours, pick the catamaran. Both boats carry child-size life jackets.

Grandparents and mobility

Beach loading is the thing to think about. At Kāʻanapali you walk into knee-deep water to board a shuttle boat (Maui Whale Adventures) or the catamaran’s bow stairs (Teralani). Both crews help and both are used to it, but if steps and uneven footing are hard, say so when you book; Teralani in particular has a lot of experience with it. On board, the catamaran’s cushioned seating and stable deck are the gentler ride.

Photographing whales

• Shutter speed first. 1/1000 second or faster for breaches. On a phone, use burst mode.
• Zoom helps but is not everything. A 70–200mm lens is the sweet spot. On the raft you are close enough that a phone works.
• Watch the water, not the screen. Blows give you three to five chances; the fluke comes after the arch. When you see the arch, raise the camera.
• Shoot in sets. Breaches often repeat. Keep the camera up for 30 seconds after the first one.
• Flukes are science. A sharp photo of the tail’s underside can be uploaded to Happywhale to identify the whale.
• Put the camera down for at least one whale. You will remember the one you watched.

The raft versus the catamaran, in one paragraph

If you want to be close, fast and at eye level, and your group is adults or older kids, take the Maui Whale Adventures raft. If you want shade, a bathroom, a seat, lunch and a drink, and your group includes grandparents or small children, take the catamaran. Both will show you whales; both guarantee it. The full comparison is here.