Whale Watching on Big Island: Observe Migrating Humpback Whales from a Comfortable Catamaran

25 Ratings

Kailua-Kona

Save

View Gallery (9)

Experience the thrill of whale watching on Big Island! Observe migrating humpback whales from a comfortable catamaran while enjoying breathtaking views and complimentary refreshments.

Duration: 2 hours, 30 minutes

Cancellation: 24 hours

learn more

Highlights

Honokohau Harbor public restrooms (south harbor) - Your 2,5-hour journey begins aboard our modern passenger powered catamaran. It is designed for open oceans conditions that will allow you to sit back, relax and enjoy breathtaking views of the beautiful Island of Hawaii while watching the humpback whales in their natural habitat. Drinks and snacks are included. There is an available restroom onboard.

What's Included

Professional Guide
Bottled Water, Sprite, and Juices
Snacks

What's Not Included

Hotel pickup and drop-off
Gratuities

Additional Information

The Big Island in Hawaii is a popular spot for pods of migrating humpback whales, who often leap above the water surface as they gather momentum for their journey north. On this guided trip, you will be taken to the prime spots for whale-watching on a 26-passenger catamaran. If you don’t spot a whale, your next tour is on the house.
Watch humpback whales…

Location

Honokohau Harbor public restrooms (south harbor)

Once you turn into the harbor, drive quarter-mile straight, you should see a public bathroom on your right hand side in the parking lot with a red top. We will meet you in front of it.

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings

4.5

(25 Ratings)

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Thrrubner

Mar 14, 2026

Fun experience even in rain - Even with the bad weather, Jeremiah and Ula made sure to make the best of it. We did get to see five whales which was so cool. And towards the end of our tour, we spotted two more and instead of rushing us back to the harbor, they let us stay and watch them. Thus is the perfect lengrh of time for a tour like this.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

142kristid

Mar 9, 2026

Great marine animals - Crew was very helpful and friendly. Very knowledgeable. They tried to find as many animals for us as they could. We saw a whale, spinner dolphins and bottlenose dolphins.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Diana_m

Mar 6, 2026

Great crew, smaller boat. - Everyone was great. The whales maintained a distance. We saw several from a distance and they did not come back up after we got closer. They did a great job of moving around to find the whales and even asked if we wanted to stay out longer to get some better views.

Review provided by Viator

Rogelio_t

Feb 22, 2026

There be whales! - We booked this excursion last minute, the night before. We had 14 people on our boat. I don't remember the crews names but they made us feel very comfortable on the boat. They gave clear instructions on what to do in case of an emergency, ie how to put on the life preservers and how to use the radio and call the coast guard. We saw at least 5-6 whales with one male whale slapping his tail in the water for over 4 minutes. He was definitely the highlight of the excursion. The tour lasted over 2 hours and we were satisfied with the tour! If we ever come back to the big island we will definitely book with this tour again!

Review provided by Viator

Johnck9545xn

Feb 18, 2026

Saw the whales and more - Fellas made sure they had us in the right place at the right time. Saw seals, dolphin, humpback and lucky enough to swim with a whale shark. Out ton the water about 2.5 hours. Wonderful trip and highly recommend.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

D468rsjohna

Feb 5, 2026

Great experience. Do it! - Great experience. The operators were friend yet very safety conscious. They explained in detail how to spot an area where a whale might break the surface.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Jeffgd7816yd

Feb 2, 2026

As good as we had hoped - Bryce and his asst. did a great job on the cruise. We had some really good whale and dolphin sightings.Bryce had some interesting knowledge about the whales.

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Cyndi

Jan 27, 2026

Perfect Way to Spend an Afternoon in the Area - Such a fun experience We saw lots of humpback whales and spinner dolphins. Both put on a show for us Fantastic crew!!! Helpful, informative and friendly. I highly recommend this outing

Review provided by Tripadvisor

Markus_e