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Ultimate Whale Watch & Snorkel

Ultimate Whale Watch & Snorkel

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Ultimate Whale Watch & Snorkel
5
#31 of 142 Boat Tours & Water Sports in Lahaina
Scuba & SnorkellingDolphin & Whale Watching
7:00 AM - 9:30 PM
Monday
7:00 AM - 9:30 PM
Tuesday
7:00 AM - 9:30 PM
Wednesday
7:00 AM - 9:30 PM
Thursday
7:00 AM - 9:30 PM
Friday
7:00 AM - 9:30 PM
Saturday
7:00 AM - 9:30 PM
Sunday
7:00 AM - 9:30 PM
Full view
About
We're honored to be TripAdvisors Travelers' Choice Award Winners for small group ocean eco-rafting tours in Maui since 1982! Ultimate Whale Watch & Snorkel invites you to share encounters with whales, dolphins and turtles and snorkel the island of Lanai! Our rafting vessels host 6-26 guests per trip and includes marine naturalist guides, creating a fun, educational and uncrowded experience! The low to water style vessel offers eye-level encounters and a fun boating adventure! We're stoked to have been featured on National Geographic, the Travel Channel, HGTV, Hawaii Magazine and ABC’s Good Morning America and thanks to our ohana’s feedback we have been recognized for Tripadvisor Hall of Fame for the past 5 years! Every ticket supports our volunteer efforts as NOAA first responders to entangled whales as well as our research partners at U.H. Cascadia, SCRIPPS, HAMER, Whale Trust, Keiki Kohola, NOAA, CETOS, NASA and many others. We can't wait to share Maui's ocean with you!
Lahaina, Hawaii
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Awards
Travelers' Choice
2024
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Tours and Tickets by Ultimate Whale Watch & Snorkel
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Travelers talk about

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions
5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles3,020 reviews
Excellent
2,794
Very good
121
Average
46
Poor
23
Terrible
36
bktpro808
Kihei, HI64 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Small raft, big whales
Jan 2020
The hard bottom rafts are an excellent way to enjoy up close and personal whales, dolphins and sea life. The have seats for most of the guest and you can move up on the side of the raft after your out of Lahaina Harbor. Just a few minutes into our whale watch we saw dolphins, and they were riding the wakes of the rafts. The advantage to a small zodiac is that you generally have better views and not as many people. Larger boats do give you a drone perspective which is nice too, but being up close and personal is just a great way to view the sea life on Maui.

They offer hour and half, 2 hour and 3 hour whale watches. The captain and crew were great and I would have given them 5 stars if we had a better showing of whales, which really had little to do with them, because they made their best guesses of where the whale activity would be the best. I've been on a number of whale watches and it's different every time. We did see breaches in the distance, and some that we saw some beautiful whale tails, but that usually means they are diving and can be under for quite a while. I look forward to going again in Peak whale season, but had a great day on the Water with Ultimate Whale watch and Snorkel.
Written January 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
_Team_Ultimate_
So stoked you had a great time with our crew, enjoyed the rafts and saw marine life! We wish the whales were more cooperative on your tour and hope to have you out during peak season in the future! Mahalo!
Written January 20, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
mkh051
Kansas City, MO70 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Unforgettable experience
Mar 2021
Ultimate Whale Watch 2 hour tour with Emma and Meygan will forever be etched in my brain. While I know it’s not under their control to find whales, these gals hauled a** in our speedy inflatable to a far away pod of activity. We watched 7-8 males fighting over a female for 20 minutes. If that wasn’t enough, they pointed our mighty small craft out towards more activity in the water only to be blessed with a whale we named Hubert, that spent 20 minutes mugging out boat. Unbelievable to watch the single huge creature gently swim from one side of our boat to the other so all of us could experience his majesty.

A truly unforgettable experience with 2 experienced guides made our day and our trip awesome!

Thank you ladies! Mahalo!
Written March 4, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
_Team_Ultimate_
Wow a mugging! Yay! Those are amazing when they happen, so glad you had a fun whale watching experience with Emma and Maygan!
Written April 3, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
BuenViaje68
Tempe, AZ563 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Amazing guides! We saw multiple breaches!
Mar 2021 • Family
We loved this tour! It’s a smaller boat which makes it more agile in the water. Much easier to turn and find the whales and dolphins. We felt closer to the water. Our tour only had 11 people plus the captain and guide. I think they keep the tours to 12 people or less. This is not like the larger catamarans that have much larger groups.

Our captain and guide, Chrissy and Emma, were excellent. They were super friendly and engaging. They answered all of our questions and shared a ton of interesting things. With the smaller group, it was much more personable.

Right at the start we saw a mother whale with her baby breach about 10 times. It was spectacular! So cool! We were able to see a lot of whales, bottle nose and spinner dolphins.

When we got to the snorkeling area, there were a ton of larger catamarans parked in the bay with lots of people swimming and snorkeling. Fortunately, being in a smaller boat, we were able to go to another area and found a great spot away from the crowds. Such a better experience!

Finally, we headed back to the docks. We continued to search for whales and saw several more on the way back. This was a great tour. I highly recommend it!
Written March 10, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
_Team_Ultimate_
Stoked your snorkel whale watch combo trip was full of fun, whales and uncrowded snorkeling! Mahalo for going out with us!!
Written April 3, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Maria M
Jacksonville, FL26 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Do not do business with them this is a shady company
May 2022 • Family
We have not been issued a refund for a tour that was canceled due to rough surf in the Maui area. Each time I call, and have had multiple conversations directly with Adam Melnick (owner) who assures me that I will be getting back a refund and will proceed to text me “proof” of said refund which ultimately is a cut off copy of someone else’s invoice or credit card and to
date over a week later and after multiple emails and texts there is STILL NO REFUND of my $529 that did not happen and was cancelled due to rough surf. I’m getting the runaround from this gentleman and yet still no refund have had to involve my credit card company of my $529. These people are shady do not do business with them!
Written June 6, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
_Team_Ultimate_
Aloha Maria! Are you sure you booked a tour with us? Adam Melnick doesn't own Ultimate Whale Watch & Snorkel nor does he work for us? If we ever have to cancel or reschedule a tour we absolute give our guests a full refund. Please call us directly so we can deal with this issue if you actually booked a tour with us, our number is 808-667-5678. Mahalo
Written June 9, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Travel4Fun465
Tallahassee, FL595 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Private shake watch that was cancelled
Jan 2023 • Friends
Four of us booked a 2 hour private whale watching charter with ultimate whale watch on September 20, 2022 for January 21, 2023 for 4 people. We paid $739.45 on 9/20/22 for the private whale watch. On Monday, January 16, 2023 I received a phone call in the afternoon telling me they weren’t taking that boat out on that Saturday & we would need to reschedule or cancel. The rescheduling options were Friday, 1/20 @ 3:30 or Monday, 1/23 @ 1:30. With the late notice (less than 5 days) we were not able to make the Friday offering & our friends were flying home on Monday so that option was out too. We were all disappointed that we didn’t get to enjoy the private whale watch that we had booked & paid in full more than 4 months in advance. We did receive the cancellation refund quickly & were able to rebook a group whale watching tour with Makai Whale Watch (highly recommend Makai )!
Written February 8, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
_Team_Ultimate_
We are so sorry we were not able to complete your whale watch. Unfortunately sometimes things happen that are beyond our control and we try to give customers as much notice as possible as soon as we know there is any type of issue. We would much rather be able to run the trip than have to cancel. There is no benefit to us or to the customer when a trip has to be canceled. We are happy you were able to book with someone else and were still able to get out on the water. Thank you for your understanding and consideration. We hope to have another chance to give you a great trip in the future!
Written March 1, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
W S
Milwaukee, WI13 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Great whale watching/ snorkel trip
Dec 2019
What an experience we had! We saw several whales in the water as we motored along to our snorkel location. Nick always stopped and let us view them as they jumped, waved, slapped their fins and flashed their tails as they dove. A couple of whales even came so close to the boat that one of their fins went under it. It was amazing! The guides were knowledgeable about the habits of the whales and answered all the questions we had about them. We loved the small boat tour and location of snorkeling. Saw many colorful fish, turtles and coral. We would definitely advise anyone to take this tour if they get the opportunity.
Written January 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
_Team_Ultimate_
So glad you got to do the snorkel whale watching combo tour! So stoked you had great snorkeling sights and close encounters with whales!
Written January 20, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Susan Varsames
Lahaina, HI10 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Our favorite whale tour on Maui
Feb 2020
We live on Maui and like to get out several times a month duing whale season. Ultimate is our go-to comany because of the respect they show the whales. They allow the whales to come to us with the engine idiling or completely shut off. We've seen moms and babies, competitiopn pods, whales and dolphins playing together, amazing breaches, etc. because the mammals are not threatened by a small boat who navigates according to theri behavior. I appreciate that greatly.
Written February 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
_Team_Ultimate_
Mahalo for sharing our love and respect for these amazing creatures, and we appreciate the local support!
Written February 25, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
4CHNETDON
Springfield, OR6 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
A trip to remember
Nov 2021 • Family
We have a family of 8, with 3 ten year old boys, who wanted to try and see some whales, dolphins, turtles and a beautiful Maui sunset, even though it was a little early in the season for whale watching. We chartered their medium sized boat and headed our for a 3 hour excursion. Amy and Chad were amazing hosts, and took us to see some turtles right away. Check. After about 90 minutes, we not only saw a whale, but it breached for us 4 times. Double Check. We tried hard to see some dolphins but no luck. However we finished with an amazing sunset. Triple Check. With our great crew, and a little bit of luck, this was one of the highlights of our trip. Thank you.
Written November 26, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
_Team_Ultimate_
Mahalo from Amy, Chad and the team! We're so happy to hear you got to see turtles, whales, and a gorgeous Maui sunset! Definitely sounds like a day to remember! Come back and join us for another adventure anytime :) Aloha
Written November 29, 2021
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
j s
3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Amazing Experience
Jan 2023 • Couples
Our whale watching tour stands out as one of our best experiences during our time on Maui. We saw so many whales, and Casey and Levi were so great. They had so many great stories to share about whales and were very knowledgeable when asked questions. They made sure everyone had a great time. During our tour we saw many different whales ands even had a singer under our boat. Such a great experience!
Written February 5, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
chris
Honolulu, HI4 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
new boat - beware
Feb 2022
Our 10th trip with Ultimate Shale Watch, might be our last. Beware. Their 'new, improved boat' is the worst of all options. If you want to watch the back of other people's heads, or don't care to hear anything the 'guide or captain' has to say, or prefer to move around real slow, or enjoy paying for 2 hours and getting far less time; then this 'new and improved' boat is make for you. find out what boat your booking before you pay them anything. the best thing that could happen to the new boat is to sink it.
Written February 10, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
_Team_Ultimate_
We are so sorry you didn't have a fun time on our new boat- we still have tours on our other boats that are a little smaller so we hope you come back and explore with us! If you call our reservations number we will be sure your tour is on our smaller boat so you get the ULTIMATE experience you have enjoyed in the past :) Mahalo
Written March 1, 2022
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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Ultimate Whale Watch & Snorkel - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

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