Any recommendation on whale watching charters?

I%26#39;ve seen a lot of info on PWF. It appears that these are rather large boats.

Has anyone gone whale watching on any other smaller private boats that you would recommend?

Has anyone tried Aloha Blue Charters?

Not really concerned about price, just a nice crew, a little smaller group, and a nice vessel to be in.

THanks!

Also, how soon should a person reserve this excursion? Going last week of March.

Any recommendation on whale watching charters?

I went on a PWF boat and we saw TONS of whales. It was amazing. We saw whales breaching over and over. It is an experience I won%26#39;t forget. We also saw a lot of dolphins and sea turtles on the trip.

Any recommendation on whale watching charters?

Thanks dargueta. What time of year were you there? I can%26#39;t wait to go, especially after reading your reply! Was the PWF boat crowded? Did you feel like sardines, or was there plenty of room to move around?

Thanks!

From what others have said on other posts, you can see the whales from shore. We are planning to go on the PWF tour ourselves in

early Feb, only because of the outstanding reviews it has be received on ths board.

From what others have said on other posts, you can see the whales from shore. We are planning to go on the PWF tour ourselves in

early Feb, only because of the outstanding reviews it has be received on ths board.

I am a newcomer to this forum -- what does PWF stand for? I am going to Maui for the first time the second week of March.

Sassy13:

Don%26#39;t feel bad, I didn%26#39;t know what PWF was either until recently.

Pacific Whale Foundation

We just got back from a 2-week vacation from Maui and did the PWF charter. Paid less than $100 for 5 people. If you sign up on line, the prices are a little cheaper. Pacificwhalefoundation.com.

Sorry about the acronyms. Sometimes you can see the whales from shore, but the boat was awesome. We did not feel like sardines at all and the crew was very knowledgeable and very nice.

anybody get seasick on the PWF boat?

My wife and I had simply the most incredible experience on the PWF cruise last week. We took the early morning charter on Tuesday. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable. The boat, although fully booked, did not seem crowded.

PWF coordinates with other boats and with watchers on shore. The result: We came across a mother and her calf. An ';escort whale'; was around them. Our boat stopped the proper distance away. The mother decided to use our boat to try and get rid of the escort. The result: The mother and her week-old calf swam directly to the boat, and then under it, hung around a bit, and then swam away. Meanwhile, the staff provided intelligent commentary on that was occurring. It was absolutely one of the most moving experiences in my life. Incredible.

With regard to the sea-sick question: First, the boats do have bathrooms, so the impact is not as bad as it could be. Second, the lower deck tends to have less sway than the upper. My wife and I were on the upper and had no problems at all though. My only time of any concern was when the whales swam directly up to the side, and literally everyone on board went to that side of the boat. The boat did tip a bit. Third, following up on the Discovery Channel show ';Mythbusters';, you may want to try ginger tabs (or have sushi with ginger the evening before). The ginger helps with any of those problems.

With regard to booking: Unless your schedule is very tight, you may want to book when you arrive in Maui, and after reviewing weather reports for the week. You probably do not want to plan for a day when high winds are predicted.

One final note: The PWF tours are CHEAP, but they do have a tip jar at the end. I was amazed that people were not tipping the crew. I tossed in $10.00, and could not believe that people walked by without tossing in anything. The crew was amazing. They worked hard. If you take the cruise, toss in something extra at the end.