Sometime in November, someone on a South Maui lanai will spot the season’s first whale spout out past Molokini and call everyone outside. And on your next trip to Maui you might watch a humpback breach from the beach, look up from your snorkel mask to find a honu grazing on the reef beside you, or come across a monk seal asleep on the sand.
These encounters are a big part of what makes a Maui trip memorable, and each animal comes with its own guidelines, some of them federal law. Here’s what to know so you can enjoy the moment without disturbing the animals.
Honu (green sea turtles)
Honu are the animals you’re most likely to meet, whether snorkeling off Kihei and Mākena or resting on the sand in the late afternoon. NOAA recommends staying at least 10 feet (3 meters) away, on land and in the water. Turtles basking on the beach are resting and warming up, so give them room and leave their path back to the ocean clear.
Touching, feeding, chasing, or riding a turtle is off-limits, and honu are protected under both state and federal law. If a turtle swims toward you while you’re snorkeling, stay still and let it pass. For some Hawaiian families, honu are ʻaumākua (ancestral guardians), which is one more reason locals are protective of them.
Koholā (humpback whales)
Humpbacks are in Hawaiian waters from about November through April, with the peak from January through March. The shallow channels around Maui, Lānaʻi, Molokaʻi and Kahoʻolawe are part of the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, where mothers nurse their calves through the winter.
Federal law prohibits approaching within 100 yards of a humpback by any means, including swimming, kayaking, paddleboarding or flying a drone. Aircraft have to stay 1,000 feet away.
If a whale surfaces near you while you’re on the water, do your very best to stay calm, keep still and let it move on. From the South Maui shoreline you can often watch whales breach and slap their tails without leaving the sand, and a keeping pair of binoculars on your lanai goes a long way.
ʻĪlioholoikauaua (Hawaiian monk seals)
Hawaiian monk seals are one of the most endangered seal species in the world…and the one of the most adorable. They’re occasional visitors to Maui beaches, where they haul out to sleep, often for hours at a time.
NOAA recommends staying at least 50 feet (15 meters) away, and at least 150 feet from a mother with her pup, since mothers are protective and can be dangerous when disturbed. Keep dogs leashed and well back, and walk around a sleeping seal on the land side, never between it and the water.
Naiʻa (spinner dolphins)
Hawaiian spinner dolphins feed offshore at night and come into calm bays during the day to rest. Since 2021, federal rules have prohibited swimming with, approaching or staying within 50 yards of them, which rules out “swim with dolphins” outings that were once common. If a pod swims toward you, the rule asks you to make no effort to engage and to move away.
For other dolphins and small whales, NOAA recommends the same 50-yard distance.
Reefs, sand and sunscreen
Coral grows slowly and breaks easily, so float over the reef instead of standing on it, and keep your fins up when you’re near it. If you need a rest, head back to sand or use a flotation device.
Leave the beach as you found it. State law prohibits taking sand, rocks and coral rubble from Hawaiʻi’s beaches, and the old personal-use allowance was removed in 2013. (The sand stuck to your feet is fine.)
Sunscreen matters here too. Since October 1, 2022, Maui County has banned the sale, distribution and use of non-mineral sunscreens without a prescription, so pack or buy one whose active ingredients are zinc oxide or titanium dioxide.
Who to call
If you see a turtle, seal, dolphin or whale that looks sick, injured, entangled or stranded, call the NOAA Marine Wildlife Hotline at (888) 256-9840. To report someone harassing wildlife or damaging a reef, call the DLNR enforcement line at (808) 643-3567. A photo and a location help responders act quickly, and keeping your distance while you wait gives them the best chance to help.
For the full set of distances, NOAA’s Hawaiʻi marine wildlife viewing guide is worth a look.
Planning a Maui trip? The Sunny Maui Vacations team is here to help, from finding the right vacation condo or beach house rental in South Maui to sharing our favorite local spots and things to do. Reach us at info@sunnymauivacations.com or call 808-240-1311, ext. 21.
