Family Combo
Troll to the FAD for ono, mahi and ahi, then snorkel a Kohala reef where honu usually are.
From$795 per boat
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Whale watching · Dec 14 – Apr 1
Private whale watching off the Kohala Coast
Two and a half hours with humpbacks — breaches, tail slaps, mothers and calves, and song you can hear through the water — with only your group aboard.
2.5 hours · 7am or 10amUp to 6 guestsPeak Jan – Feb
More than a tail on the horizon
Every winter, humpbacks travel from their feeding grounds in Alaska to the warm, shallow waters around Hawaiʻi to mate and give birth. Scott talks you through all of it — the migration and what the whales face on the way, their place in the islands’ culture, and how what we do on land shapes the water they live in.
Tail and fin slapsUsually males courting females
BreachesThe whole whale out of the water
Mothers and calvesThe season’s newborns
SongYou can hear them sing
December 14 to April 1, peaking Jan–Feb
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Dec
PeakIn season (Dec 14 – Apr 1)
No boat can guarantee a whale
“The animals have tails, and there are no fences or gates in the ocean.”
Capt. Scott
Any operator promising sightings is guessing. What Scott offers instead: if the whales don’t show, a make-up trip when weather and the schedule allow.
Good guests in their home
Federal rules keep boats at least 100 yards from humpbacks in Hawaiʻi, and Scott doesn’t push it. Some boats crowd wildlife to get closer. He won’t. The trip runs half an hour longer than most whale watches so Scott can try for a fish if you’re up for it — totally your call. Pick a reel, and if it goes off, it’s yours.
What’s aboard, what to bring
What’s included
- Private boat for up to 6 guests
- Snacks, water and soft drinks
- Life jackets aboard and a safety briefing
- A head (bathroom) on board
- Scott’s commentary the whole way
What to bring
- A hat and polarized sunglasses — shade is a T-top only
- Reef-safe sunscreen, lotion not spray
- Your own drinks if you’d like alcohol
More charters
Other ways to spend the day
Sportfishing
Half or three-quarter day off Kawaihae from a center console set up for every tactic — and the fish is yours to keep.
From$795 per boat
Book
Sunset Cruise
Golden hour on the Kohala Coast — for anniversaries, birthdays, or no reason at all.
Introductory$695 per boat
BookReady when the ocean is.
Tell Scott what you want out of the day and he’ll build the trip around it. Private, up to six guests, from Kawaihae.