Whale Watching in March on the Big Island

We typically vacation in Hawaii during the summer months because we have kids in school. We have also taken trips in April and October as well. However, whale watching season is from December to the end of March on the Big Island. So we decided to take the family during spring break this year which allowed us to book a whale watching trip with Ocean Sports.

Our first excursion was canceled due to wind, so we rescheduled the tour for two days out. It turned out to be a beautiful morning with no wind and perfect weather. The whale watching tour started and ended at A-bay right by the Marriott Hotel. The captain went over a few instructions and then we loaded onto Seasmoke, which is a 58 foot catamaran. One of my concerns was whether we would actually see whales up close and personal. I must admit that the crew did an excellent job of making sure we were able to see as many whales as possible. With that said, breaching is by the luck of the draw, and we did not see any whales breach fully out of the water. Even though I was really wanting to see a full breach, I was amazed at the size and beauty of such a large creature as I saw it dive under and around our boat.

The crew was exceptional. Our eight year old son got a little sea sick and the crew went out of their way to make him feel as comfortable as possible. They got a damp cloth for his forehead, put him in a seat at the back of the boat, and offered him extra treats (which got a little smile out of him). They offered a lot of education and history on why the whales come back to the Big Island of Hawaii every year and details on birthing, mating, and how long mom and baby stay together.

Overall the trip lasted about 3 hours. They offer breakfast which consists of fruit, doughnuts, muffins, and drinks. The catamaran had an area where you could go and sit out of the sun, but no one did as everyone was out on the edges of the boat trying to get as close as possible to the whales. It would have been a perfect activity if we would have been able to see a full breach, but as I said that is luck of the draw, so maybe our family will have to try again another time.