Molokini, Maui’s iconic crescent-shaped islet, is a beautiful reef known for its crystal clear waters, abundant coral, colorful fish, and resting seabirds. A protected marine conservation area, this volcanic crater is only accessible by boat with a certified tour operator. Turtle Arches offers a bonus snorkel site with its underwater lava formations and frequent turtle sightings. Continental breakfast is included and a delicious BBQ lunch is prepared onboard. We provide all the snorkel gear, including sanitized masks and snorkels, fins and flotation devices. There’s even a “Learn to Snorkel” class for beginners!
Posted By : funson
Truly the worst excursion I’ve ever been on in my life. I would never recommend this tour given Maui has so many wonderful places to snorkel right off the beach. The tour left on time and the large boat had shade and was very stable. We went to Molakini even though it was clear that the ocean was extremely rough for snorkeling. While the visibility was great at Molakini, the swells were so high we were asked to exit the ocean after about 30 minutes. Rather than spend extra time in Turtle Town or at a beach with good snorkeling, we tried a second location. The mooring buoy couldn’t be located. This should have been known and was a huge waste of time. We made a second snorkel stop about half way between Lahaina and the Maui Ocean Center in an area that was dirty with extremely poor visibility. The continental breakfast was decent but no water was available with the breakfast. Finally water came out later. Lunch was very average and the cookies were handed out with melting chocolate chips as we were getting off the boat. Why weren’t cookies out with lunch and why weren’t napkins available? The crew did a decent job with the Naturalist talks but mentioned very few fish and wanted people to follow on their cell phones. My cell phone was packed away so it wouldn’t get wet or salty. Why not offer laminated cards? For over $200 per person, this is the absolute worst value activity I’ve ever done and I have done over 100+ adventures all over the world. The company should have cancelled the tour and put clients before profits. This is the last time for PacWhale in Maui.
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Posted On : 2024-06-04 21:25:12 
Posted By : Jill_T
The Captain and crew went out of their way to make sure everyone had a wonderful day! They were friendly and helpful.
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Posted On : 2024-05-31 19:29:40 
Posted By : Mary Jean B
Loved our day but had issues with snorkeling boat. We asked 4 times if they had a ladder going down into the water for getting out of water. They told us yes. There’s no such thing! The steps started after you climbed onto a landing area and stood up which was nearly impossible for me. Don’t believe them! If you need an easy out of water, go with Calypso company. They have 8 ladders off the back of their boat. I’m bruised all over from trying to get up in the boat and very sore.
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Posted On : 2024-04-26 20:19:36
Posted By : smathure14
Went on molokini tour and turtle town but unfortunately due to weather conditions we couldn’t snorkel molokini. However we snorkeled turtle town and coral gardens! And the tour doubled as a whale watching tour as we ended up seeing a competition pod which made up for not snorkeling molokini! The crew def were very good and I appreciated them checking the water before we went on and making a decision to keep us all safe! Also when we were all snorkeling they had lifeguards on boards looking out for us while we were snorkeling which made me feel very safe! Thanks pacwhale for two good tours this trip!
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Posted On : 2024-03-16 00:39:17
Posted By : scones100
Captain and crew were impressive, knowledgeable, friendly, hard-working, generous with their knowledge and enthusiasm for both customers and the marine environment. They also provided great safety measures for everyone.
Ashley, one of the crew and a marine biologist led a very informative underwater tour of the Molokini Crater.
We saw a huge variety of fish and coral and urchins.
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Posted On : 2024-02-28 02:28:11
Posted By : babyseagull
This trip was THE highlight of our time on Maui! Billed as a two-stop snorkel adventure (which was wonderful!), it doubled as an incredible whale-watching tour! We say DOZENS of humpback whales on our adventure, along with so much other beautiful marine life.
Both snorkel destinations (Turtle Arches and Molokini Crater) had their own special highlights - vibrant, colourful fish, turtles, a small reef shark (SMALL - I was nervous at first but the tour guides pointed it out and I even would have called it cute!) and so much more. We even saw a pelagic manta ray!!! Highlights, other than the underwater views, include the wonderful guidance of the marine biologists/guides on board and in the water. They helped make each new sighting more meaningful. They were not at all pushy with information, but always had answers to any of our or our kids questions and were happy to help out when requested.
The boat and snorkel equipment were beyond expectation. Snorkel equipment was of good quality and available in all sizes (confirmed as we needed all sizes between our family members!). The boat was clean, safe and staffed by kind, informative, and cheerful staff! The food was far beyond expectation.
Oh, and did I mention whales??? While they are only around during the right season, when they are (best Jan-Mar but maybe Nov-May?), this tour is a MUST. The humpback whales literally stole the show! We must have seen nearly 50 humpback whales. At any point in time, we could see whales breaching, blowing spray, tail-sailing, mother and calf pairs, competition groups -- all things I'd never seen before! SO AMAZING.
The staff were so happy to help in all ways. They were incredibly kind and informative with our kids and had answers for all ages.
Make sure to check out this wonderful adventure! You will not be sorry if you do! :)
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Posted On : 2024-02-24 23:27:21
Posted By : ericsO3836YS
The PacWhale Eco-Adventure Tour was fantastic! We took our family of 3 kids (12, 16, 18) and had a spectacular time. The trip started with good breakfast on the boat as we headed to the first snorkel site. The guides were very knowledgeable and shared local natural and cultural history of the area while we were underway. The two snorkel sites were different and both very good. Turtle Island had a good diversity of corals and marine life. In addition to plenty of fish, we saw a turtle, eel, and a small reef shark hiding out under a reef. The crater site had fantastic water clarity and a number of larger fish too. We were super lucky to swim with a 15 foot pelagic Manta Ray at the crater site (but I know that this is a rare treat).
In addition to the standard snorkeling, it is important to mention four nice things about the trip: 1) We could hear whales singing while underwater at each site and that was magical. 2) We saw dozens of humpback whales on while approaching each snorkel site. So many whales that we had to divert the boat around the whales. The captain and guides would tell us about the whales while we were watching them breech, dive, and play. 3) The guides would hang out on kayaks and help us find and identify cool things (such as turtles and small sharks). 4) The food and drinks on the trip were exceptional and the staff all worked so hard to make our trip most rewarding!
We can't recommend this trip enough and would certainly bring the entire family and friends again! :)
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Posted On : 2024-02-24 23:06:19
Posted By : R1532BEmarkg
Absolutely wonderful experience with a professional crew and knowledgeable marine experts on board. Couldn’t be better. Definitely recommend. Although it was a snorkelling experience we managed to included whale watching on the return to the dock.
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Posted On : 2024-02-23 22:12:10
Posted By : momofthenorth
We have done at least six different trips with Pacific Whale Foundation. I would say that we used to be rather devoted to the company, as we are its mission. However on our most recent trip which was supposed to feature Molokini we sailed all the way there and started to park and they decided conditions would not allow us there. We wasted so much time. There were at least five boats in there, and then it took a long time for them to find us another place; and then a very long time for us to park the boat. Honestly they seemed like amateurs on a boat full of people who paid $160 each. They parked the boat a very long swim from the reef (much longer swim than normal) and we got very little snorkeling time and one of our kids honestly was not able to do it. Other snorkeling companies include more equipment to make the activity more fun for kids and families. This was not the experience we were hoping for. I know conditions change. I know that snorkeling is not guaranteed. But I definitely would not waste my money or time on an experience like that again... if conditions aren't good, don't take our money.
We did a 3 hour whale watch with them on a different day and while the whale watching was fantastic, we overheard crews delighting in that the moonlight trip was cancelled - within earshot of those who had booked that.
In January if you book a snorkeling trip with PWF be prepared to be disappointed. You would do (MUCH) better just to go from shore in Kapalua.
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Posted On : 2024-02-07 10:08:13
Posted By : JG132
Large crew on a decent sized boat. (Boat holds 150 - so not a small group tour) Crew is well versed about marine life and gave great information on the whales we saw. Only one stop due to winds from the west which was fine.
Drinks and food were good quality.
Note: hard press at the end of the tour for tips. Mentioned about four times including a "suggested amount" per couple - $20. Which is what we planned but a little put off by the number of asks.
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Posted On : 2024-02-01 11:56:53
