Maui and the Big Island

[NigerHadiza]

Hello everyone! I looked through the forums trying to find answers to my questions. I am a single traveler and diver. I will be flying into Maui on December 2nd and hopefully going to the Big Island for part of my stay. My flight leaves from Maui on December 14th.

I really want to make the most out of my stay. I've already been to Oahu and dove there, and am now ready to see some of the other islands. When do the Humpbacks show up? Early December or late December? Should I do a whale watch on Maui or the Big Island?

I was thinking about going to the Big Island for 5 days. I know that isn't enough time there but I really want to do the Volcano and the manta ray dive. I have about 50 something dives and am looking to see some big animals.

Lastly, my flight doesn't leave Maui until a bit before midnight on the 14th (Red-eye) and am wondering if I should fly back to Maui the day before on the 13th or earlier? I have so many options for this trip that I'm pretty overwhelmed! I'm hoping that someone can help me to iron this trip out and make it relaxing yet amazing considering this is the only vacation time I get since I teach ESL at a university.

Sincerely,

Anna

 

[BettyRubble]

Lastly, my flight doesn't leave Maui until a bit before midnight on the 14th (Red-eye) and am wondering if I should fly back to Maui the day before on the 13th or earlier? I have so many options for this trip that I'm pretty overwhelmed! I'm hoping that someone can help me to iron this trip out and make it relaxing yet amazing considering this is the only vacation time I get since I teach ESL at a university.

Don't forget to manage your surface interval time from your last dive till your flight.

 

[NigerHadiza]

Hi BettyRubble. yes, I have been keeping that in mind as well as elevation with volcanoes, etc. I'm just unsure if I should devote my time to the Big Island or to Maui.

 

[BettyRubble]

Hi BettyRubble. yes, I have been keeping that in mind as well as elevation with volcanoes, etc. I'm just unsure if I should devote my time to the Big Island or to Maui.

I prefer Maui but that was my pre-diving life. Maui is a boat ride away from Molokai and Lani too so you got lots of options there. But the Hawaii veterans here will have better advice then I on the best diving options.

 

[StuartT]

I'm not sure but I think the whale watching in Maui is better due to the several off shore islands nearby. Maybe someone else living on the islands can confirm. I've done several boat dives and shore dives in Maui and both are great. If you need a place in Maui we have a condo for rent in South Maui. Palms at Wailea 703 if you want to check it out.

Stuart & Marta

 

[kidspot]

Most of the Humpbacks in the world come to Maui - so if you are wanting to see them (and hear them while diving) Maui is your best opportunity. The later in December the better, but it should be pretty good most of the month.

as you have almost 2 weeks I think going to the big island for a few days would be a good idea - see the volcano and do some diving there. I'd actually do it at the very beginning of your trip or the very end, so you lose as few dive days as possible. For your first day on Maui schedule a sunrise trip to Haleakala and make Jet Lag work for you too (it's a very early morning tour) Plus you get the elevation issue taken care of on your first day.

Have fun

Aloha, Tim

 

[MauiScubaSteve]

Most of the Humpbacks in the world come to Maui - so if you are wanting to see them (and hear them while diving) Maui is your best opportunity.

Just a small correction on humpbacks in the world. According to Wikipedia, which is by no means the best source for all facts, Maui may only lay claim to being one of the places visited by a significant number of humpbacks

The humpback whale is found in all the major oceans, in a wide band running from the Antarctic ice edge to 65° N latitude, though is not found in the eastern Mediterranean or the Baltic Sea. There are at least 80,000 humpback whales worldwide, with 18,000-20,000 in the North Pacific, about 12,000 in the North Atlantic, and over 50,000 in the Southern Hemisphere, down from a pre-whaling population of 125,000.

The humpback is a migratory species, spending its summers in cooler, high-latitude waters, but mating and calving in tropical and sub-tropical waters. An exception to this rule is a population in the Arabian Sea, which remains in these tropical waters year-round. Annual migrations of up to 25,000 kilometres (16,000 statute miles) are typical, making it one of the farthest-travelling of any mammalian species.

A 2007 study identified seven individual whales wintering off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica as those which had made a trip from the Antarctic of around 8,300 km. Identified by their unique tail patterns, these animals have made the longest documented migration by a mammal.

In Australia, two main migratory populations have been identified, off the west and east coast respectively. These two populations are distinct with only a few females in each generation crossing between the two groups.

 

[S0ckm0nk3y]

Just a small correction on humpbacks in the world. According to Wikipedia, which is by no means the best source for all facts, Maui may only lay claim to being one of the places visited by a significant number of humpbacks

The Kohala coast here on the Big Island is lousy with whales during the season. If you're out for an hour you're likely to see a half dozen by just heading out of the harbor. Not sure if Maui has more... but we certainly gots our fair share.

+1 for traveling to both islands. Kidspot's advice is pretty sound regarding heading to both and for sure seeing sunrise from Haleakala. If you're bicycle person you can rent a bike and bomb down the mountain after you get your fill of the sunrise. The manta dive and Volcano National Park make the Big Island trip totally worthwhile (among all the other stuff to do here... hiking, scuba diving, and naturey stuff).

-Eric

 

[kidspot]

Just a small correction on humpbacks in the world. According to Wikipedia, which is by no means the best source for all facts, Maui may only lay claim to being one of the places visited by a significant number of humpbacks

I wonder what the truth is - one of the whale museums on Maui used to mention 85% of the humpback population came to Maui ... course I never asked who did the headcount

Thanks for the new info Halemano.

Aloha, Tim

 

[KrisB]

The Kohala coast here on the Big Island is lousy with whales during the season. If you're out for an hour you're likely to see a half dozen by just heading out of the harbor. Not sure if Maui has more... but we certainly gots our fair share.

+1 for traveling to both islands. Kidspot's advice is pretty sound regarding heading to both and for sure seeing sunrise from Haleakala. If you're bicycle person you can rent a bike and bomb down the mountain after you get your fill of the sunrise. The manta dive and Volcano National Park make the Big Island trip totally worthwhile (among all the other stuff to do here... hiking, scuba diving, and naturey stuff).

-Eric

I don't know *exactly* about the Big Island, but the Humpbacks do like Maui County!

Due to the shallow depths in the basin formed by Maui, Molokini, Kahoolawe, Lanai and Molokai, it's the popular (read: safe) place for the calving.

During whale season, you often can't motor in a straight line for more than about 5-10 minutes without having to stop and wait for the whales to get out of the way.