Plan your trip
When your Molokini boat is full: the Pacific Whale backup and others
The short answer Check other dates and times with the same operator first, then call. If you still need a boat, Pacific Whale Foundation's Turtle Arches trip runs several departures a day, and other Māʻalaea and Kīhei trips give you a match by harbor, length or price.
On this page
A full boat doesn't have to end your Molokini plans. Work through these steps in order. We have no data on how often any boat sells out, and a calendar only shows what is open on the date you look at.
Step 1: Try the same operator
Check the day before and the day after. Then check other departures. Many operators sell more than one trip, and a different length may still be open.
Step 2: Call
A phone call is worth a few minutes. A booking page shows a date as closed, but only the operator can say whether a spot might open or whether another trip fits. We can't promise a call changes anything, so ask what your options are.
Pacific Whale lists several departures a day
Pacific Whale Foundation's Molokini and Turtle Arches trip lists multiple departure times a day. That gives you more chances to find an open seat. It runs about five hours from Māʻalaea Harbor, and check-in is 45 minutes before departure at its Ocean Store in the harbor shops.
The price is $119.95 adult, tax not stated, on Pacific Whale Foundation’s site, checked . Pacific Whale Foundation, which sells its trips as PacWhale Eco-Adventures, is a nonprofit and says 100% of profits support its whale and ocean programs.
Two catches. The operator doesn't name the boat for each trip, and the fleet includes boats that carry up to 90 snorkelers. If you want a smaller group, ask first or look at its Molokini & Turtle Adventure (the former Wild Side trip), which has its own limits.
If you wanted a sailing or deck boat from Māʻalaea
Same harbor, similar five-hour morning trips:
- Four Winds II: 7:30 a.m. start, about five hours. $180 adult, before tax and fees, on Maui Classic Charters’ site, checked .
- Calypso: daily at 7:30 a.m., 5.5 hours. $178.95 adult, tax not stated, on Calypso’s site, checked .
The comparison chart lists the rest of the harbor.
If you can go in the afternoon
Four Winds II runs a 3.5-hour afternoon trip at 1:30 p.m. See the afternoon page. The catch is that it goes to Coral Gardens and only occasionally to Molokini. Molokini tours mostly go early, and the state separately notes that currents inside the cove may get stronger in the afternoon. The best-month guide covers the conditions. Book an afternoon trip for Coral Gardens, not for the crater.
If you can live with a shorter trip from Kīhei
Kīhei rafts leave from the Kīhei Boat Ramp, about 6 miles from Molokini in a straight line. Māʻalaea Harbor is about 11 miles.
- Blue Water Rafting: a 2-hour trip at 10:30 a.m. (check-in 10:15) and a 3-hour trip at 7:00 a.m. (check-in 6:30).
- Redline Rafting: a 2-hour trip with two starts, 7:00 and 9:30 a.m. (check-in 30 minutes before).
Several raft operators list limits for pregnancy and for back or neck problems. Read them before you book.
Which is the closest match?
- Wanted a big boat with food: Four Winds II or Calypso, both Māʻalaea.
- Wanted a short trip: a Kīhei 2-hour raft.
- Wanted several departure times: Pacific Whale Foundation, Redline Rafting or Trilogy's Discover Molokini.
Prices differ in what they include, so match on the basis printed next to each one.
Questions
What if my boat is sold out?
Try another date or departure with the same operator, then phone it. After that, pick a backup by the harbor, trip length or price you wanted.
Which trips have more than one departure?
Three operators list more than one start time for a Molokini trip: Pacific Whale Foundation (several times a day on its Turtle Arches trip), Redline Rafting at 7:00 and 9:30 a.m. on its 2-hour trip, and Trilogy at 7:00 and 8:00 a.m. on Discover Molokini. Other operators run separate morning and later trips; check each tour page for its times.
Sources and corrections
The 10 sources for this page
- pacwhale.com (Pacific Whale Foundation), read . Backs: Pacific Whale Foundation's Turtle Arches trip: daily, multiple departure times, about five hours, check-in 45 minutes before; the operator is a nonprofit and says 100% of profits support its programs.
- pacwhale.com (Pacific Whale Foundation), read . Backs: The operator does not name a vessel for each trip.
- fourwindsmaui.com (Maui Classic Charters), read . Backs: Four Winds II morning trip: 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. daily, Slip #80, about five hours; afternoon trip 1:30 to 5:00 p.m. to Coral Gardens, occasionally Molokini.
- calypsomaui.com (Calypso), read . Backs: Calypso: daily at 7:30 a.m., 5.5 hours, from Māʻalaea.
- redlinerafting.com (Redline Rafting), read . Backs: Redline's 2-hour trip departs at 7:00 and 9:30 a.m., with check-in 30 minutes before; the 5-hour trip checks in at 6:30 a.m.
- bluewaterrafting.com (Blue Water Rafting), read . Backs: Blue Water Rafting: 2-hour trip at 10:30 a.m., 3-hour trip at 7:00 a.m., both from the Kīhei Boat Ramp.
- sailtrilogy.com (Trilogy Excursions), read . Backs: Trilogy Discover Molokini lists 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. departures.
- Maui – Molokini Shoal (HAR 13-31) (Hawaiʻi DLNR, Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR)), read . Backs: Wind and current build in the afternoon at Molokini.
- Hawaiʻi Statewide GIS, Navigation Aids layer (from NOAA chart 19350): Maʻalaea Harbor entrance buoy G "1" (Hawaiʻi Statewide GIS Program / NOAA), read . Backs: Māʻalaea Harbor is about 11 miles from Molokini.
- USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) via The National Map geonames service: Molokini (Island, GNIS 362473), Maluaka Beach (1919873), Makena Bay (1919869), Keawakapu Beach (1919814) (U.S. Geological Survey), read . Backs: The Kīhei Boat Ramp is about 6.2 miles from Molokini in a straight line.