You know those mornings when you wake up and simply feel as though something wonderful is about to happen? Every day on Maui, during whale viewing season, is like this. I’m not now referring to your typical run-of- the-Dive Maui whale viewing expedition. I’m referring to front-row tickets in the top theater in the world, where the show is live and the performers—actually—larger than life.
Furthermore not everything is that. The encounter transcends simple tourism based on appearance. It starts to feel like an emotional roller coaster. Just seeing these delicate giants breach like aquatic missiles causes some individuals to cry. Children look in wonder while adults rush to catch that once-in-a-lifetime event—as if these ocean giants might just vanish into thin air.
Maui does not just present this experience as given. From the moment you board a watch boat, the island ensures you are covered in aloha spirit. Real people, guides abound in stories that straddle Hawaiian mythology and marine life on their trips. Expect to hear all about Maui’s whale legends, which could inspire jealousy in Moana.
And believe me; people here know their whales. These cetaceans could tell you about “barnacle bling,” the booming bellowing sounds of a male wooing serenade either carried or replicated. “Why do the whales leap like that?” a friend once asked a guide quietly. Grinning, he said, “maybe they’re just happy to be here!”
Now, even if you enjoy the countryside, you still have opportunity to see the action. Go to the viewpoints dotting the terrain. Get your binoculars, find a seat, and wait. They splash, slap, and sing along like whale karaoke.
Are you therefore prepared to offer your heart and soul a whale of a time? Maui promises memories that will jump from your heart every time you consider them, wind in your hair and salt on your lips. Here you are part of an exciting, wild, marine journey, not just observing whales.