Pacific Whale Foundation — Local services in Maui

I booked a snorkeling tour on Thanksgiving with the Pacific Whale Foundation (PacWhale Eco Adventures) through my cruise ship, Norwegian. The 6-hour experience titled "Molokini Crater and Turtle Snorkeling" sold for $279 USD.

Would I recommend this tour or this company? No!

We started with a bus ride from the ship's pier to PacWhale docks driven by Mr. Kim, a local. During the 20-25 minute ride, he pointed out sites to explain their history to us. This part of the excursion was pleasant. The bus ride was comfortable and Mr. Kim was a kind and gracious host.

When we arrived at the docks, that's when everything went downhill. We were met by members of the boat's crew. We were told they would take our photos to "help with the head count." It was not an ask posed as an option. These photos consisted of us holding a ring buoy and would be sold to us later.

For my own reasons, I asked to opt out. Me: (3rd in line) I am not interested in having my photo taken Young Female Photographer: It will only take a minute Me: (2nd in line) I am going to pass on the photo, but thank you YFP: Please don't make me look bad in front of my boss Me: (now its my turn) Let me be clear (as I walk onto the boat) I won't be taking the photo YFP: (mocking me like we're in High School, no 3rd grade with those waiting in line behind me and rolling her eyes) Wow. I promise this doesn't hurt folks. It's not even that big of a deal. It's really not that serious.

I board the boat. Now I'm upset, because I felt disrespected. My NO should have been respected, not mocked. After she's done taking photos, I hop off the boat to take my power back by talking to her - not her boss or management, just her.

She's young - a Gen Z and this could be a learning lesson for her, I think. I pull her to the side to explain why I didn't want the photo taken. She says she just wanted to "encourage me." Seeing that she still wasn't getting it, I say, "If I were indecisive then encouragement would be appropriate, but I was resolute. You just needed to respect the decision I made for myself as an adult."

Herein lies a running theme with PacWhale: I constantly felt like I was being treated like a child. It didn't stop with the photo. I was told I could not use my full face snorkel mask - my mask that I always snorkel with, have snorkeled all over the world with and never had an issue with - I was not allowed to wear it. I get they are assuming liability for me and some folks have actually died using faulty full face masks, but they made me sign that away as soon as I hopped on the bus. It was the first thing Mr. Kim handed us - a liability waiver to sign so they were not responsible for pretty much anything, so why did I need to be treated like a 5 year old on their first day of kindergarten?

Then, when we arrived to Molokini, a 2 1/2 mile long structure, all 94 of us - yes, almost 100 people, folks - were kept in a 30'X30' bullpen seeing just a very small fraction of the wall. The space was so small there was no room to swim. We were literally on top of one another.

We were treated like children, no cattle. For my $279, I was made to feel like an animal not a human, because we were herded like cattle. Just how a cow is pimped for its milk, I felt pimped for my money. Everything was extra. They made $26,000 off of our group, alone, yet they nickel-and-dimed us for everything.

Need a wet suit? That's extra! Want that photo you were forced to take? That's extra! Need sunscreen that won't put you in jail? That's extra! Want a second cocktail? That's extra!

Get this! When we arrived back at the docks, we were escorted (like children) to our bus to ensure we did not stop to buy anything from any other merchant except PacWhale.

This tour is very constricting. If you desire or need freedom when you snorkel, this is not the tour for you. I saw other operators with smaller groups allowing their guests freedom to explore. Google them and ignore this tour altogether. I had such a bad experience that I never wish to return to Hawaii, particularly...

My husband and I did the snorkeling event through this wonderful organization and would HANDS DOWN 100% do it again. The profits go back to the Pacific Whale Foundation, which honestly just made this experience even better!

We were greeted by everyone who saw us upon arrival. Upon arrival, we had our picture taken next to a lifebuoy. When we left the dock, they took a head count and then served us a perfect little breakfast complete with POG juice.

We had about 45 mins before getting to our first stop. They made safety announcements and went over some rules while everyone was eating breakfast/enjoying the miraculous views. They even showed us some hand motions to signal if we were okay vs if we need help.

The first stop was off of Molokoni. They set everything up quickly and gave everyone a set of snorkel equipment and flippers. There were also optional flotation devices and wet suits. One thing that made a HUGE difference was that they offered prescription goggles! My husband has to wear glasses. The kind gentlemen (I think Aaron?) went through several pairs of goggles until we found ones that were perfect for my husband. They offered all passengers reef safe sun screen and explained the risks of not using verified safe ones. I had no idea that most Sun screens were bad for marine life until then! They also used a fog spray that was mixed with “No Tears” baby shampoo rather than dish soap. I appreciated their attention to details.

Once in the water, the sights were BREATHTAKING! We saw so many wonderful fish! Triggerfish, Tangs, a few Parrotfish, and even a couple eels!! Someone even saw a shark and got the image on their go pro! We were there for a little over an hour- but it felt like 15 mins. I probably could have stayed out there another couple hours. Anyways- between our first spot and our second spot, they did a head count to be sure we had everyone and then they made lunch. It was not 100% done by the time we got to the second spot so that us passengers were able to hop out and snorkel at the second location (I believe it was called Rock Wall) while a couple team members finished preparing everything for lunch. The crew that came out into the water with us were very aware of everyone and checked in often. Tons of people reported seeing a turtle but I had already gotten back on the boat by then so I missed it- however my husband saw it and it was a good size! We had seen bigger ones on Ho’okipa Beach, but it was still magnificent to see one in the water.

Back on the boat for lunch- It was a choice of a chicken sandwich, a veggie burger, or a hot dog (many people were even able to go back for seconds!) They also had a couple of sides and more juice/water. Anyone over 21 who was done snorkeling was offered an adult beverage (1st one free, any ones after we’re at normal price) - that was a nice little touch to an already wonderful day!! After everyone was back on the boat, they did another headcount to ensure that all were present- and then set out for the docks. A couple crew members were doing tasks like sterilizing the snorkel equipment or cleaning snd drying the wet suits- all while answering guest questions/ maintaining seemingly positive demeanors.

All in all- we are for sure going to snorkel again. If Pacific Whale operates in other locations then we will choose then every time hands down. If only in Hawaii, then we will be sure to go back to them when we are able to get back out to Hawaii ❤️ Thank you Pac Whale for being such a huge highlight on our trip to Maui and for opening my eyes to snorkeling and the beauty it can hold.

TLDR: If I could give this 500 stars I would. This experience has made snorkeling something I’m excited for rather than something I feared (I mean, I’m still scared of sharks but this is worth that fear!) I hope that you step out of your comfort zone to witness the beauty that is right...

My experience with PacWhale Eco-Adventures was excellent. With the exception of some confusion at the Lahaina Harbor for the Whale Watching tour. For us, this unfortunately was a matter of staffing on behalf of PacWhale, so we didn't let it dent our day or tour experience overall.

Booking online was efficient. I can now say the descriptions provided for each tour is accurate to the experience. Reading the descriptions and reviews is how I decided to book a whale watching tour and snorkel adventure with PacWhale. All the information you need for a tour is provided in an email confirmation at the time of booking as well as 24 hours prior. The email provides detailed information regarding: what to bring, what to expect if a meal or drinks is provided, covid precautions, and parking near the harbor.

Make sure to note which harbor a tour you pick departs from as there are two that PacWhale commonly uses to my knowledge.

Whale Watching: First, make sure that you book this tour during whale watching season. We visited at the beginning of March, and we able to see plenty of whale activity on our tour. Our guides mentioned seeing whales into early to mid April, but that they had seen a noticeable decline between February and March. We rented a pair of binoculars for $10. I would recommend this, or bringing a pair of your own. Definitely worth it to see some of the whale activity in the distance. The crew members on our tour were very knowledgeable. They provided bits of information and openly answered questions. They also had an underwater microphone that allowed us to hear the whales "sing." Very cool. We were also provided a small breakfast onboard of: banana bread, yogurt parfait, fruit and a pastry with coffee and water.

Snorkeling: This was a first for my husband and me. We booked this tour because we were told snorkeling in Hawaii was a must. This tour had two stops for snorkeling as well as breakfast and lunch provided. An all around win. The two snorkeling locations were great. Our Captain took us to a new location that was noted to have a lot of Sea Turtles. We were literally swimming with the turtles gracefully moving just below and around us in the water. The second stop was at Molokini - just beautiful. The water was so clear, and there was a lot more to see at this site. On the way to our second site, we were graced with whale activity all around us. There were whales breaching! It was truly a site to see. Since we didn't see whales breach on our whale watching tour, this was my favorite part. The breakfast provided was the same as what was provided on the whale watching tour and the lunch was a barbeque (chicken, hot dogs, and veggie patties) with beans and a pasta salad. The snorkeling tour was on time and we arrived back in the harbor right on schedule. The crew members were friendly and welcoming. On another note, they offer wet suits "t-shirt style" if that makes sense. They cover only your top half and zip in the front. They rent for $20, but worth it to keep warm in the water. Snorkel gear is provided.

Overall, I would 10/10 recommend PacWhale for their whale watching...