AH-MAY-ZING!!! 4 adults ended up oohing and ahhing like kids while we watched whales breach, fluke slap, flipper slap, and generally cavort in the blue, blue waters of the Lahaina channel. It was a fantastic way to end 2019 on New Year's Eve day. Such an exhilarating experience!
Sergio and Gina were professional with a full safety brief, plus I let Gina know I was prone to seasickness so she sat me at the back of the boat, checked in on me and fed me ginger chews. Boats are basically a receptacle for sick, and have been my whole life, but somehow Sergio's skills meant I wasn't sick or even nauseous at all. I spent 2 hours in a boat and felt fine....nothing....nada....it was a miracle!!!!! I can't express how happy I am! So a huge THANK YOU to Sergio for making a sailor of me...lol :) :)
Water and sunscreen are provided, so make sure you put plenty of sunscreen on the top of your feet as you will be shoeless, and make sure you wear rash shirts and hats as it is hot and you will burn if you are not covered up. We had a great group of about 18 onboard and everyone was respectful of each other, sitting down to let others see and swapping places to give others a chance of a great photo. We had a few kids onboard and Gina and Sergio included them, but it wasn't hard as the kids were so well behaved and enthralled as much as the adults when the whales put on their show.
Gina, and Sergio, were full of relevant interesting info about the local wildlife as well as the whales and we learned so much from them. I really enjoyed their genuine excitement when they shared the whales with us, it doesn't get boring watching such beautiful animals in their natural environment. We managed to get some national geographic worthy photos from our whale watching tour, some will end up framed on the wall, all due to Sergio's ability to get close and personal with the whales.
Booking was easy, and they offer kama'aina rates and 20% off for returning customers in the same 12 months too, so we are planning on another whale and a snorkel tour soon. There are a lot of companies offering whale tours but we would definitely recommend Makai Adventures, and Sergio and Gina if you are considering a tour yourself.