I have been whale watching for over 20 years. I love seeing these magnificent creatures. We left the dock and went a little ways out, we saw a whale way out from the boat and could see that it was going in for a dive. Let me mention here that I totally understand the rules for whale watching from a boat. You can not pursue a whale. You have to stay your distance. I so respect that. However, our captain stayed in one place well away from where the whale was, and we sat, and we sat, and we sat waiting for this whale to reappear. Time was about 40 minutes. Why? The captain could move about the ocean and see other whales, but no, we sat there. I talked to others on the boat who were wondering if this was what a whale watch was. I told them no. I even met a local on the boat who had friends from out of state. The local like myself felt this was a total waste. Her friends were happy to be here and see a distant whale because where they were from is freezing and snowing, so of course they were delighted to be in warm sunshine on the ocean. But many of the people were very disappointed. The boat was big and had 3 bathrooms. So what. It wasn't all that comfortable and a dull and boring whale watch. This place may be excellent for a dinner cruise and I would bet it is but I would opt for a smaller boat where the captain does adhere to rules and you get so amazing views on whales.
Response from Host
Feb 2025
Aloha Allan,
Mahalo for taking the time to share your experience. We understand how important it is to have an enjoyable and memorable whale-watching experience, and we're sorry to hear that this particular trip did not meet your expectations.
As you know from your many years of whale watching, these are wild animals, and every trip is unique. While we always hope for close encounters and active behavior like breaching, we must respect the whalesā natural movements. Our captains follow NOAA guidelines to ensure that we do not disturb the whales, which means we cannot approach them too closely or force interactions.
We also take pride in offering a larger, more comfortable vessel with three restrooms, ample shade, and both upper and lower decksāfeatures that many other boats do not provide. While we recognize that there are other great whale-watching operators in the area, we remain committed to providing a high-quality, respectful, and eco-conscious experience on the water.