The ultimate fantasy of many Hawaii visitors would be swimming with the dolphins in the wild in the waters off Maui.

The Hawaiian name for dolphin is nai'a, and refers to all species of dolphins found in Hawaiian waters. Four species of dolphins are often found in the waters around Mauii. They are the Pacific bottlenose dolphin, the Rough-toothed dolphin, the Spotted dolphin and the Spinner dolphin. Other dolphin species have been known to pass through the islands but are relatively rare.

The two most popular species of dolphins located in Maui waters are the bottlenose dolphins and the spinner dolphins.

Spinner dolphins are the smallest of Maui's common dolphins. Dolphins are generally between five and six feet in length and weigh 130 to 200 pounds. Hawaii has its own subspecies that is easy to recognize by its distinctive "three-tone" color pattern which consists of a sharply defined dark gray "cape" on their backs, a stripe of lighter gray on their sides and a white or pink belly. This species gets its name from its spectacular habit of leaping high into the air and spinning several times on their tails before falling back into the water. Researchers are not sure why the dolphins spin, but most people who have had the opportunity to watch the dolphins don't seem to mind, and find it a real treat.

Around Maui, spinner dolphins congregate at night in large herds in the deep channels between the islands to feed. During the day, dolphins break up into smaller groups and come near shore to rest and play. A few of the places where dolphins can commonly be seen are in Kealake'akua Bay on the island of Hawaii, off the Leeward Coast of Oahu, on the southern boundries of Maui and off the coastline of Lanai.

The life cycle of dolphins is similar to that of other cetaceans. As mammals, dolphins bear live young and the mothers nurse them on milk and provide care. A dolphin calf is born tail-first with eyes open, senses alert and enough muscular coordination to follow its mother immediately. At birth, the mother helps her calf to the surface to get its first breath. While nursing lasts between one and a half to two years, the mother will remain with her calf for a period between three and eight years. There is some variation in the age at which sexual maturity is reached, the reproduction rate and the life expectancy among the different species of dolphins. Most species tend to bear one calf every other year or so during their reproductively active years and are believed to have an average life expectancy of about thirty years.

As anyone who has had the opportunity to watch dolphins perform in a show can attest, dolphins have an impressive ability to learn and imitate behaviors, often for what appears the sheer pleasure of doing so. This observation, together with their large brain size, has led to numerous studies of dolphin intelligence. Dolphins' brains are about the size of our own. Unlike Maui's famous humpback whales, dolphins are year-round residents of Maui and can be seen swimming off all the Hawaiian islands during virtually every month of the year.

Though dolphins are regularly seen swimming in Maui there is never any guarantee you'll find dolphins swimming during any particular excursion, but your chances can be increased by joining one of the many dolphin tours that sets out to watch and discover the secrets of Maui's dolphin population. We've included here some of the more popular "dolphin excursions" on Maui.

During the busy seasons many of these dolphin tours can fill up fast so try to make your dolphin tour reservations early.

Here are a few of the dolphin tours that are available from Maui:

Captain Steve's Rafting - is one of the oldest and most respected rafting companies on Maui's west side. Captain Steve's takes clients from Lahaina to Lanai's coastline daily to view the reef life and spectacular dolphin population.

Pacific Whale Foundation - Cruise scenic shorelines where wild dolphins are found. Snorkel along Lanai's famed coral reefs off one of these new power catamarans featuring water slide, freshwater showers and easy access swim on swim off platforms.

Trilogy - Join Maui's First Family of Sailing for an unforgettable ocean experience. Go to Molokini, Lanai, or snorkel Kaanapali. Also, offers a sunset sail, Whale Watching trips and dolphin viewing (in season) and Scuba Diving.

This page contains information about: maui dolphin, maui dolphin swimming, watch dolphins swimming in maui.

Hearing Impaired - Read the full transcript for this page's audio narrative.

It’s always been a source of interest to me that when speaking to a client about tours or activities that when I mention the word “Dolphins” their eyes light up and suddenly I have their absolute and undivided attention. Perhaps no other sea creature evokes the sheer excitement, joy and playfulness in ourselves as the dolphin. Seeing dozens of spinner dolphins racing alongside the vessel your on and jumping high out of the water and flipping back into the sea just can’t help but bring the child out in you.

Maui has many dolphins to see and many different tours to see them on, but remember that actually seeing them on any specific trip is not a given. During whale season we can all but guarantee that you will see a whale but the dolphins are a bit more elusive. The best we can do is take you to an area that they are known to frequent such as the coast off the island of Lanai or the backside of Maui near La Peruse or Kanaio. Generally we will see them in these areas but just keep in mind that there are no guarantees. When you do see them however, then it is a guarantee that this will be a highlight moment of your trip to Maui.

Island of Maui - Discount Tours and Activities
Maui Air Tours - Fixed Wing	Maui Jet Ski Rentals	Maui Sunset Sails and Cruises
Maui ATV Off-Road Tours	Maui Kayaking Tours	Maui Surfing Lessons
Maui Bike Tours Down the Volcano	Maui Kid's Tours and Activities	Maui Theatre and Shows
Maui Combo Packages	Maui Land Tours	Maui Unique Tours and Activities
Maui Dinner Cruises and Sails	Maui Luaus	Maui Watersports
Maui Diving and Scuba	Molokini Snorkeling from Maui	Maui Whale Watching Tours
Maui Dolphin Excursions	Maui Motorcycle and Car Rentals	Maui X-Treme Activities
Maui Fishing Charters	Maui Parasailing	Maui Zipline Tours
Maui Golf	Maui Sailing Charters	Visit the Other Islands from Maui
Maui Health and Wellness	Maui Scuba Diving	Discount Tours and Activities - Only on the Island of Maui
Maui Helicopter Tours	Maui Sightseeing Tours
Maui Hiking Tours	Maui Snorkeling Tours	Visit and Snorkel Lanai from Maui
Maui Horseback Riding	Maui Spa and Massage	Visit Molokai from Maui
Inter-Island Excursions from Maui	Maui Submarines and Glass-Bottom Boats	Molokini Snorkeling from Maui

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