Captain Steve's Oceanrafting

Imagine that out of the corner of your eye you see a glowing turquoise color moving through the crystal clear, deep blue waters of the Pacific. The silence is broken as the captain sings out, “Thar she blows!” He explains that it’s the white pigmentation on the 15-foot-long pectoral fin of a mother humpback whale with the bright Maui sun reflecting off it. You look down as a 45 foot, 45 ton whale glides under your raft with her newborn calf riding on her back. Your heart is racing, and the silence is broken again, this time by the vigilant crew. He yells, “Breach at 2 o’clock!” You look out to see the 40 foot, 40 ton male escort whale in mid air. He spins and crashes to the surface with a thunderous roar. Then the captain stands and exclaims, “Looks like a large competitive pod out toward the shipwreck on Lana’i. Hold on, let’s go!”

You look down at your watch: 20 minutes ago you were still standing on the dock. The most recognized visitors to Hawaii each and every year are the North Pacific humpback whales. While not every animal in the population visits Maui County, there are many days when you might think that is the case. It is widely accepted throughout the cetacean research community that the Au’au Channel (Coastal Maui and Lana’i) receives the second largest concentration of Humpbacks during the winter months. The largest concentration is located just off the coast of Moloka’i, which is also in Maui County and within the range of Captain Steve’s rafts on a calm day.

Imagine that out of the corner of your eye you see a glowing turquoise color moving through the crystal clear, deep blue waters of the Pacific. The silence is broken as the captain sings out, “Thar she blows!” He explains that it’s the white pigmentation on the 15-foot-long pectoral fin of a mother humpback whale with the bright Maui sun reflecting off it. You look down as a 45 foot, 45 ton whale glides under your raft with her newborn calf riding on her back. Your heart is racing, and the silence is broken again, this time by the vigilant crew. He yells, “Breach at 2 o’clock!” You look out to see the 40 foot, 40 ton male escort whale in mid air. He spins and crashes to the surface with a thunderous roar. Then the captain stands and exclaims, “Looks like a large competitive pod out toward the shipwreck on Lana’i. Hold on, let’s go!”

You look down at your watch: 20 minutes ago you were still standing on the dock. The most recognized visitors to Hawaii each and every year are the North Pacific humpback whales. While not every animal in the population visits Maui County, there are many days when you might think that is the case. It is widely accepted throughout the cetacean research community that the Au’au Channel (Coastal Maui and Lana’i) receives the second largest concentration of Humpbacks during the winter months. The largest concentration is located just off the coast of Moloka’i, which is also in Maui County and within the range of Captain Steve’s rafts on a calm day.

Imagine that out of the corner of your eye you see a glowing turquoise color moving through the crystal clear, deep blue waters of the Pacific. The silence is broken as the captain sings out, “Thar she blows!” He explains that it’s the white pigmentation on the 15-foot-long pectoral fin of a mother humpback whale with the bright Maui sun reflecting off it. You look down as a 45 foot, 45 ton whale glides under your raft with her newborn calf riding on her back. Your heart is racing, and the silence is broken again, this time by the vigilant crew. He yells, “Breach at 2 o’clock!” You look out to see the 40 foot, 40 ton male escort whale in mid air. He spins and crashes to the surface with a thunderous roar. Then the captain stands and exclaims, “Looks like a large competitive pod out toward the shipwreck on Lana’i. Hold on, let’s go!”

You look down at your watch: 20 minutes ago you were still standing on the dock. The most recognized visitors to Hawaii each and every year are the North Pacific humpback whales. While not every animal in the population visits Maui County, there are many days when you might think that is the case. It is widely accepted throughout the cetacean research community that the Au’au Channel (Coastal Maui and Lana’i) receives the second largest concentration of Humpbacks during the winter months. The largest concentration is located just off the coast of Moloka’i, which is also in Maui County and within the range of Captain Steve’s rafts on a calm day.

This trip has stood the test of time and has been taken by literally thousands of guests, many of whom continue to return year after year. Captain Steve has been conducting this adventure for almost three decades. Waste no time in discovering the secrets of the reef and playing with dolphins, whales, turtles, and rays.

There is no telling what we might encounter on any given day! Sea caves, burial caves, towering sea cliffs, secluded coves, and lava rock pinnacles make up the setting. Imagine a pod of 200 spinner dolphins putting on a show just for you or swimming next to an endangered green sea turtle in the crystal waters of the Pacific above the most exquisite fringing reef in the entire State of Hawaii. Perhaps you will catch a glimpse of the most curious creature on the reef…an octopus! They are sure to be watching you!