Plan your trip
Pacific Whale vs Aliʻi Nui
The short answer Both leave Māʻalaea Harbor for about five hours at Molokini plus a turtle stop. Pacific Whale lists child fares and a kids' program. Aliʻi Nui is a sailing catamaran with a buffet and an open bar. The prices are in the table.
On this page
Both trips leave Māʻalaea Harbor, run about five hours and go to Molokini plus a turtle site. They differ in boat, food, drinks and what they say about children.
The table
| Pacific Whale Foundation | Aliʻi Nui | |
|---|---|---|
| Trip | Molokini Crater & Turtle Arches Snorkel | Molokini Deluxe Snorkel & Sail |
| Adult price | $119.95 adult, tax not stated, on Pacific Whale Foundation’s site, checked | From $249 adult, tax not stated, on Aliʻi Nui’s site, checked |
| Boat | Not named per trip; fleet of power and sailing catamarans | Alii Nui, 65 by 36 foot sailing catamaran |
| Guests | Not stated for the trip; fleet snorkel capacity runs 34 to 90 | Capped, number not stated |
| Check-in | 45 minutes before; several departures | 6:45 a.m., departs 7:00 a.m. |
| Food | Breakfast and a grilled lunch | Chef-prepared breakfast and island lunch buffet |
| Drinks | Unlimited soda, juice and water; one premium drink per adult 21+ | Maui Brewing open bar |
| Learn to snorkel | Learn-to-snorkel class and Jr. Naturalist program | In-water instruction |
| Kids | Child fare ages 5 to 12; 4 and under free | All ages; no child price printed |
| Second stop | Turtle Arches, not guaranteed | A second sea turtle site |
| Restrooms | Not listed for this trip | Two, with freshwater showers |
The difference in a sentence each
Pacific Whale Foundation is a nonprofit that says 100% of profits support its whale and ocean programs, and its trip leans toward teaching and families. Aliʻi Nui is a sailing trip with a buffet, an open bar and an onboard photographer.
Who should pick which
Pick Pacific Whale if you have children of different ages, want a kids' program or want more departure times to choose from. Compare the live prices in the table. You give up the open bar and the buffet, and the operator does not say whether your boat sails.
Pick Aliʻi Nui if sailing, a shaded cabin and an open bar matter to you. Call first if you have children, since no child price is printed. Bring a towel: the operator asks for one.
Before you book
- Pacific Whale: its largest boats carry up to 90 snorkelers, and the trip page does not say which boat you get, so ask.
- Aliʻi Nui: its pages print no guest cap and no child price, so call before booking.
Aliʻi Nui lists Molokini as weather permitting, and Pacific Whale says its sites are never guaranteed. Boats may stay on the day-use moorings for 2.5 hours at most. The crater guide has the rest, including when the crater is busiest.
Where Calypso fits
Calypso leaves the same harbor at 7:30 a.m. for 5.5 hours, with Molokini and Turtle Town. It is a three-deck catamaran with 4,000 square feet of covered seating. $178.95 adult, tax not stated, on Calypso’s site, checked . Breakfast, lunch and soft drinks all day are included. Adult drinks are $5 each. Children 4 to 12 have a fare, and one child 3 and under is free per paying adult.
Go deeper
Read the trip pages for Pacific Whale's Turtle Arches trip and Aliʻi Nui. For kids, see top Molokini tours for kids.
Questions
Which is better value?
It depends on what you use. Compare the two prices in the table, then count the extras: Aliʻi Nui includes an open bar and a buffet, Pacific Whale includes one premium drink for each adult.
Which is better with kids?
Pacific Whale prints a child fare for ages 5 to 12, free fares for 4 and under and a Jr. Naturalist program. Aliʻi Nui says all ages but prints no child price, so call before booking.
Sources and corrections
The 8 sources for this page
- pacwhale.com (Pacific Whale Foundation), read . Backs: The Molokini Crater & Turtle Arches trip page lists a learn-to-snorkel class and the Jr. Naturalist program.
- pacwhale.com (Pacific Whale Foundation), read . Backs: Pacific Whale Foundation Turtle Arches trip: about 5 hours, breakfast, grilled lunch, unlimited soda, juice and water, one premium drink for guests 21+, Jr. Naturalist program, child fares, ages 4 and under free, Turtle Arches stop, boat not named per trip.
- pacwhale.com (Pacific Whale Foundation), read . Backs: Pacific Whale Foundation, the nonprofit that sells its trips as PacWhale Eco-Adventures, says 100% of profits support its whale and ocean programs.
- pacwhale.com (Pacific Whale Foundation), read . Backs: Pacific Whale fleet sizes and the mix of power and sailing catamarans.
- aliinuimaui.com (Aliʻi Nui), read . Backs: Aliʻi Nui Molokini Deluxe: about 5 hours, check-in 6:45 a.m., departs 7:00 a.m., chef-prepared breakfast, island lunch buffet, Maui Brewing open bar, in-water instruction, onboard photographer, two restrooms, shaded cabin, all ages, second sea turtle site, bring a towel.
- aliinuimaui.com (Aliʻi Nui), read . Backs: Alii Nui is a 65 by 36 foot sailing catamaran with a capped passenger number the operator does not state.
- calypsomaui.com (Calypso), read . Backs: Calypso: daily at 7:30 a.m., 5.5 hours, breakfast, lunch, soft drinks, adult beverages for a fee, children 4 to 12, Turtle Town stop, three covered decks. · Adult beverages on Calypso are sold by the drink, at the price its trip page lists.
- HAR chapter 13-257, Day-Use Mooring Rules (amended and compiled 3/15/2024) (Hawaiʻi DLNR, Division of Boating and Ocean Recreation (DOBOR)), read . Backs: Boats may stay on the day-use moorings for 2.5 hours at most.