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Maui Dolphin Tours

Name: Maui Dolphin Tours
Brand: Dolphin Tours
Rating: 4.7 (125 reviews)

Where can I swim with dolphins on Maui is a most asked question.

There are 18 tours in this category. Hawaii's Leader in Affordable Tours and Discount Activities

Best Dolphin Tours in Maui
Here is a short list of the best Dolphin Tours in Maui as determined by client reviews.

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Maui Dolphin Tours

Maui Dolphin Tours are among the most popular category of activities we have on Maui. It is no surprise then that dolphins on Maui win the award for being the most popular marine mammal. People love to view the dolphins from one of our many boats on Maui and people love to swim with the dolphins however on Maui this is not generally offered as an option. Many of the dolphin tours on Maui are offered here at a discount price.

Here are some interesting facts about Dolphins:

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 reproductive active years.
Dolphins are believed to have an average life expectancy of about thirty years.
Dolphins' brains are about the size of our own.

The two most popular species of dolphins located in Maui waters are the Spinner dolphins and the Bottle Nose 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.
The Bottlenose Dolphins are not seen as frequently but there are lots of them out there. They usually travel in smaller pods and are much larger dolphins. They are usually well over six feet in length and weigh in excess of 400 pounds.
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.

Where are the best places to see dolphins off the coast of Maui?

Around Maui, 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 on Maui are:

Along the southern boundaries of Maui especially the La Perouse Bay and Kanaio area
Off the coastline of Lanai.

Swimming with the Maui dolphins.

One of the most asked questions regarding Maui dolphins is 'Where can we swim with them?' Unfortunately this is not a viable option for Maui visitors. The islands of Oahu and the Big Island are such areas however as they have dolphin populations that frequent specific areas and can be seen at the same locations time and time again with a high degree of regularity.

Pride of America Cruise Ship:

Dolphin Excursions on Maui do not pick up at the cruise ship but may be reached via Rental Car on the Sunday afternoon o Monday morning of your Maui visit. We can arrange for you to be picked up at the ship by your Rental Car on the day of your choice. View the 'restrictions' area after you click on each of the Maui Dolphin Tour companies listed below for specifics regarding the cruise ship itinerary.

Checkout Tom's Tips and Insights about Maui Dolphin Tours

Tom's Tips - Maui Dolphin Tours
Dolphins are perhaps everyone's favorite sea animal. There is so much popularity surrounding dolphins that the request for people wanting to go on a dolphin watch is very,very high. Even more than just seeing them, people want to go swimming the wild dolphins in the open ocean. Unfortunately, Maui is not the place you want to be to do that. We do have many dolphins that can be found in the waters surrounding the island of Maui but these are most often simply found and seen from the boat rather than being able to swim with them... read more.

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Dolphin Tours Sorted by Company

Recent Reviews

'Alihilani - Lahaina to Lanai Snorkel with Picnic - Paragon Sailing Charters

Our extended family of 12 embarked on this adventure with excitement and great anticipation. The.. Wendy Jones

Discover Molokini - Trilogy Excursions on Maui

My boyfriend and I did this excursion and had a great time! The crew made it especially enjoyable.. Meredith McPhail

Discover Molokini - Trilogy Excursions on Maui

My husband and I booked a snorkeling excursion on our second-to-last day in Maui. He did a ton of.. Christine A

Discover Lanai - Trilogy Excursions

We took this excursion today on our last day in Maui and it was outstanding and very highly.. Norma Kreilein

Ocean Spirit Dolphin Watch - Pacific Whale Foundation

This tour was on a sailing catamaran and lasted close to 3 hours. Within a short time of leaving.. John Richard YATES

Circumnavigate Lanai - Ocean Riders

This was the best tour we did while in Maui. It was the perfect combination of a boat adventure and snorkeling! Margy Beaver

Ocean Spirit Dolphin Watch - Pacific Whale Foundation

Nina Delgadillo

'Alihilani - Lahaina to Lanai Snorkel with Picnic - Paragon Sailing Charters

Awesome crew, awesome boat just an amazing trip Tim Mallon

Discover Lanai - Trilogy Excursions

Amazing day trip to Lanai! We saw dolphins on the way over and back. The snorkeling on Lanai was.. Charles Biegel

'Alihilani - Lahaina to Lanai Snorkel with Picnic - Paragon Sailing Charters

We had a fantastic time on our tour! The crew was super fun and knowledgeable and they did a great.. Carly Marker

Lanai Snorkel and Dolphin Watch - Pacific Whale Foundation

Highly recommend. Loved seeing the "other side" of the island on our half-circle tour... Jennifer Flora

Ocean Spirit Dolphin Watch - Pacific Whale Foundation

it was fun the captain and first mate hanna did decent job of leading the passngers andrew gaetz

Quicksilver Lanai Snorkel Dolphin Excursion - Frogman Charters

Excellent trip..loved the boat and crew were fantastic! Would highly recommend. Blair Holett

Lanai Snorkel Trip & Beach Landing - Maui Adventure Cruises

Wonderful day! We saw some whales on the way over to Lanai. The crew was friendly and easy to talk.. Lisa Daronatsy

Lanai Snorkel Trip & Beach Landing - Maui Adventure Cruises

We had a great time and the crew was friendly and fun. It was our 4 th time for doing this trip and it was incredible Carol Butler

'Alihilani - Lahaina to Lanai Snorkel with Picnic - Paragon Sailing Charters

the paragon charter was amazing. The crew was very friendly and helpful. they had everything.. sarah hussaini

Ocean Spirit Dolphin Watch - Pacific Whale Foundation

It was everything we hoped for and more. The boat was really nice, awesome and welcoming crew. We.. Anna Searle

Lanai Snorkel and Dolphin Watch - Pacific Whale Foundation

The trip was great. We have done just about every snorkel trip Maui has to offer and this was the.. Eastside Lawncare

Ocean Spirit Dolphin Watch - Pacific Whale Foundation

I would have given it 5 stars if we had seen some dolphins. We got skunked. But a very nice crew.. Jeff Kerr

Discover Lanai - Trilogy Excursions

It was fantastic - I left a 5 star review on TripAdvisor Omar Deen

Discover Molokini - Trilogy Excursions on Maui

We had an amazing time on our Trilogy Excursion to Molokini Crator. I would highly recommend this.. Alton Smith

Lanai Snorkel and Dolphin Watch - Pacific Whale Foundation

We were lucky to have a lightly attended, smooth day. Dolphins were fun, crew was great, food was.. Nichole Derrick

Quicksilver Lanai Snorkel Dolphin Excursion - Frogman Charters

We had an amazing time! I did hours researching which trip would be best for us and I am so glad we.. Alyssa Prieto

Ocean Spirit Dolphin Watch - Pacific Whale Foundation

Lots of fun. We only saw 2 bottle nosed dolphins. We had hoped to see spinners, but we still had a.. Ken Blair

Discover Molokini - Trilogy Excursions on Maui

Excellent snorkeling tour! Nice size group of about 40 which made getting off and back on the boat.. Glenn Ball

Discover Molokini - Trilogy Excursions on Maui

We had an excellent trip with Trilogy, and would go out with them again over any other.. Loriann Villanis

Discover Lanai - Trilogy Excursions

My family and I have done A LOT of excursions over the years and this was by far the best. We saw a.. Kristin Jiles

'Alihilani - Lahaina to Lanai Snorkel with Picnic - Paragon Sailing Charters

We had an excellent time with Paragon Sailing Charters. Me and my family went on the day trip to.. Frank Whitley

Lanai Snorkel and Dolphin Watch - Pacific Whale Foundation

I highly recommend this. I took my two daughters and we all enjoyed it. The staff on the boat were.. Lisa Smmi

Lanai Snorkel and Dolphin Watch - Pacific Whale Foundation

Our second trip with pacific whale foundation. Wond! Everything was exceptional, friendly helpful.. Angie Mcfarland

Lanai Dolphin Snorkel - Hawaii Ocean Project

It was FABULOUS and we had a great time! Thank you! TRISHA MURPHY

Lanai Snorkel and Dolphin Watch - Pacific Whale Foundation

Had a great time snorkeling and saw lots of dolphins. Crew were great. Barbara Polasko

Discover Lanai - Trilogy Excursions

Fantastic day The snorkeling in Lanai is was great large healthy reef that is easy to get to from.. Charley Myers

'Alihilani - Lahaina to Lanai Snorkel with Picnic - Paragon Sailing Charters

We had an awesome day on the Lanai sail and snorkel. Gorgeous day, wind was up and dolphins and.. Carol Ann Smallwood

'Alihilani - Lahaina to Lanai Snorkel with Picnic - Paragon Sailing Charters

Outstanding snorkeling and crew
Could we vary the snorkeling site? This was our 3rd trip. Deb Smith

Leilani Morning Snorkel - Leilani

This trip was amazing. The crew is fantastic. We went to Turtle Town first and Molokini second to.. Dawn H

Discover Lanai - Trilogy Excursions

This trip was awesome, you must take it, especially during the winter months. Everyone was very.. Wesley Quenichet

Lanai Half Day Snorkel Trip - Hawaii Ocean Rafting

Our family of 6 adults had the perfect trip snorkeling with this tour! It was fun to even.. P. family

Leilani Morning Snorkel - Leilani

We were two couples that went on the snorkeling tour with Leilani and we all rated this as one of.. Joanne Cote

Lanai Half Day Snorkel Trip - Hawaii Ocean Rafting

Just amazing. I feel like we got a lot more than we paid for. We got to see spinner dolphins and.. Ola Czyzewski

Extended Adventure 6-Hour Lanai Snorkel-Dolphin Watch - Ultimate Rafting

Extended Adventure 6-Hour Lanai Snorkel-Dolphin Watch - Ultimate Whale Watch & Snorkel

HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT! So much fun!!! Ryan heard of whale spotting and suggested for us to go check.. Noemi Padilla

Lanai Half Day Snorkel Trip - Hawaii Ocean Rafting

This trip was amazing! Our guide was very thorough in giving us the history of Maui and lanai, as.. Jessica Eden

Lanai Snorkel Trip & Beach Landing - Maui Adventure Cruises

We took this trip last week and had a fabulous time. The crew is helpful and tried to make sure.. Diana B

Discover Lanai - Trilogy Excursions

Do not skip this trip. It was well worth it. Started with wonderful crew, to food, to beach and.. Laura Baden

'Alihilani - Lahaina to Lanai Snorkel with Picnic - Paragon Sailing Charters

we did the lanai trip, it was excellent! The crew was great and adventure was a beautiful.. James Bradburn

Lanai Snorkel Trip & Beach Landing - Maui Adventure Cruises

This trip was GREAT! Capt. Troy & Capt. Jay drove us right to a super pod of spinner.. Adrianne Jonson

Extended Adventure 6-Hour Lanai Snorkel-Dolphin Watch - Ultimate Whale Watch & Snorkel

Excellent tour!!!!! Highly recommended. The sites we went to were stunning and the snorkeling.. Caroline Guerra

Discover Molokini - Trilogy Excursions on Maui

The excursion was great.. Great staff, equipment, location and food. Only downfall was my wife and.. Ron McMahon

Ocean Spirit Dolphin Watch - Pacific Whale Foundation

I entered my last review which was actually for snorkeling Molokini! The dolphin watch eco tour.. Michelle H

Ocean Spirit Dolphin Watch - Pacific Whale Foundation

The crew was great! They were all very informative about the right place to snorkel at Molokini.. Michelle H

'Alihilani - Lahaina to Lanai Snorkel with Picnic - Paragon Sailing Charters

WE had a great time and we saw hundreds of dolphins would do this again Randy Wallace

Ocean Spirit Dolphin Watch - Pacific Whale Foundation

Great tour. We didn't think we were going to see Dolphins, but finally did on our way back. The staff was friendly and very accommodating. Felieta Boaz

Lanai Snorkel Trip & Beach Landing - Maui Adventure Cruises

Jill & Jake made it a fun, relaxing tour with the freedom to be on our own. The snorkel spot before.. Cheryl Holder

Lanai Snorkel and Dolphin Watch - Pacific Whale Foundation

Had a great time! We would do this again. Richard Beccia

Lanai Dolphin & Snorkel Adventure - Maui Adventure Cruises

We've been on your adventure 3 times in 3 years. Each trip was amazing! Saw whales, dolphins,.. Tina Eliason

Lanai Half Day Snorkel Trip - Hawaii Ocean Rafting

Our family of four, which includes my husband, myself and son, age 17 and daughter, age 18, had a.. Stacie Taylor

Lanai Half Day Snorkel Trip - Hawaii Ocean Rafting

We had an awesome time for our friends birthday with Captain Stephanie and Sean! Super.. Jen Henley

Lanai Dolphin & Snorkel Adventure - Maui Adventure Cruises

Capt Troy and Kerry were awesome. We had good weather and we were able to see both False Killer.. Wayne Y

Ocean Spirit Dolphin Watch - Pacific Whale Foundation

Great tour. Relaxing atmosphere, beautiful boat, friendly and informative crew. Konstantin Ryvkin

'Alihilani - Lahaina to Lanai Snorkel with Picnic - Paragon Sailing Charters

We had a family trip arranged for 12 people. Trip was everything we anticipated. The snorkelling,.. James Durham

Discover Lanai - Trilogy Excursions

SO MUCH FUN! Highly recommend. Very professional crew and very fun. The time in Lani was awesome.. Linda Brandon

Extended Adventure 6-Hour Lanai Snorkel-Dolphin Watch - Ultimate Whale Watch & Snorkel

So much fun! The tour guides were awesome, beautiful sights, saw lots of dolphins,the boat ride was.. Jamie Espinosa

Extended Adventure 6-Hour Lanai Snorkel-Dolphin Watch - Ultimate Whale Watch & Snorkel

This rafting adventure was one of our most favorite activities on Maui. It's so much more fun.. Julie Misch

Lanai Dolphin & Snorkel Adventure - Maui Adventure Cruises

My teenage grandkids absolutely loved the snorkeling adventure. They said the crew were fantastic. Kay Wright

Lanai Dolphin & Snorkel Adventure - Maui Adventure Cruises

This cruise was fantastic! We saw a tonne of dolphins along the way and the staff (Jill and Andrea).. Amanda Smith

Lanai Dolphin & Snorkel Adventure - Maui Adventure Cruises

I would recommend this trip to anyone coming to Maui Darren Gellerson

Discover Molokini - Trilogy Excursions on Maui

This snorkel trip was amazing. The staff was very kind, professional and the service wonderful. .. April Newton

Ocean Spirit Dolphin Watch - Pacific Whale Foundation

The Tour and Guides were great. We would do it again definitely as we could see lots of dolphins in Nature which was so exciting! Christina Blobel

Ocean Spirit Dolphin Watch - Pacific Whale Foundation

Amazing! We saw 60-70 spinner Dolphins, including a newborn! Morgan Dosskey

Discover Lanai - Trilogy Excursions

Excellent and professional. Lots of fun. Jonathan Romuzga

Lanai Dolphin & Snorkel Adventure - Maui Adventure Cruises

I would highly recommend Maui Adventure Cruises. The crew was awesome and really nice. We saw a.. Sarah Weinzapfel

Lanai Dolphin & Snorkel Adventure - Maui Adventure Cruises

The tour was a wonderful experience. As a guest, I felt well taken care of. We were given plenty of.. Dana Grossi

Discover Molokini - Trilogy Excursions on Maui

This was an amazing tour. Customer service was top shelf. They were the ONLY tour company that had.. Lori Kinkeade

Discover Molokini - Trilogy Excursions on Maui

The Captain and crew were very attentive and hard working. Everything was kept clean and nice. .. Charlane Hodge

Discover Molokini - Trilogy Excursions on Maui

This was the best snorkel trip! The snorkeling was awesome. The captain and crew were great and the food was delicious! Tracy Mangano

Discover Lanai - Trilogy Excursions

Our day with Trilogy was outstanding. Our crew, Casey, Caleb, Byron and LOL was terrific. Their.. Rocky Rockwell

Discover Lanai - Trilogy Excursions

Excellent! Wonderful trip. Great captain and crew. They took very good care of us. We enjoyed it a lot. Thank you! Joe Joseph Balogh

Discover Molokini - Trilogy Excursions on Maui

Excellent! Terrific captain and crew. Wonderful trip. Thank you! Joe Joseph Balogh

Discover Molokini - Trilogy Excursions on Maui

We had a wonderful trip. The staff was cheerful and appropriately attentive. We sincerely recommend Trilogy V. Lee Fox

Lanai Snorkel Trip & Beach Landing - Maui Adventure Cruises

We just loved this trip! I had unknowingly taken a trip with this same company and same crew 4.. Stefanie Halcomb

Lanai Snorkel and Dolphin Watch - Pacific Whale Foundation

Support whale research by going on their tours! Elsie Wong

Discover Molokini - Trilogy Excursions on Maui

The trip was awesome!! I would recommend everyone to go to Molokini! We went to Hawaii at the peak.. Krissy Battles

Video Transcript

I think most people will agree that the most fun of the marine animals do we found in the ocean are the Dolphins.

Dolphins are just pure fun in their most basic nature. We find them all over the place on Maui. They're always chasing out boats there, always kind of the rascals of the ocean. They're riding the wakes of the boat, they're racing one another, racing the boats, jumping out of the water, splashing seem to have the perpetual fantastic time. Everybody wishes they were a dolphin when they see them out in the wild ocean.

We've got a lot of dolphin activities on Maui. We have two different kinds of dolphins we've got the spinner dolphins, these are the smaller ones they're usually under six feet. Then we've got the bottlenose dolphins, the larger ones. Those are 6 feet plus. They're lesser seen than the spinners. The spinners are the ones that will jump up and twirl and then fall back down to the sea. They do all these peculiar antics to keep each other in a good mood and certainly, any boats that come across them are going to be in the good mood too. They're just out there being playful.

The dolphins that we have here in Maui. They feed at night, they get together in big herds kind of in the channels and feed. In the day time is when we'll see them. They're usually much less aggressive at that point they're just either sleeping or just kind of cavorting around and having fun. Not moving all too fast usually and they're just seeming to live the life of verily out there. That's when we get a chance to get a look at them. Usually, we're going to be seeing them. The main places are off south Maui, actually around the corner from La Perouse and Kanaio is a big area for where they hang out, and also off the coast of Lanai. We've got these place that we can hopefully find them.

We have boats that go out that look for dolphins, but this is a little bit different. Each island is different in how the dolphin situation occurs. We do have specific boats that go out looking for dolphins. Do they always find them? No. In some of the other islands, it's kind of the reverse. We're always seeing them, but we see them mostly and we're going out looking for them, and it's very rewarding when we do find them. The boats consider themselves dolphin watches also will do snorkeling. Just continuing on with the marine environment, Snorkeling and dolphin watching. By the way, whale watching happens during the winter months, but these guys are around all the time. We're always going to see dolphins.

One of the things that are a little different about dolphins and dolphin watching here on Maui than the other islands is that everything is considered a dolphin watch. We never really get involved with the dolphin swim. That can happen on Oahu, the Waianae coast. It also can happen in off the coast of Kona, but rare is the occasion when you have to jump into the water with dolphins here on Maui. Just be aware of that. A lot of people get confused to think that's the part of what they're going to do. It's just not that way here on Maui. The other thing is that, on just our normal snorkeling trips that you go out, go out to Molokini, or go out to South Maui. There's a great likelihood that you're going to be seeing dolphins in the mix of the day. You don't fearlessly you actually have to go out on a particular dolphin watch to see them. Just going out to enjoy yourself on a snorkeling is usually good enough. In fact, any time you get out onto the water on any kind of cruise. You have an opportunity to see them. It's just that they're found more likely to be found on south Maui or off the coast of Lanai.

In any event, the dolphin watches and the Snorkeling cruises that see dolphins are big time on Maui and something that everyone should enjoy.