Pacific Whale Foundation
Ocean Explorer and fleet (catamarans)
- Trip length
- 5 h
- Lowest adult price
- $119.95adultTax not statedon Pacific Whale Foundation’s site, checked
- Ages
- Child 5-12. Children 4 and under free
- Phone
- (808) 249-8811
Molokini tour · Māʻalaea Harbor
Maui Reef Adventures Molokini snorkel
By Redline Rafting, a Molokini raft company that runs this site · Prices checked
A 4-hour Molokini and Turtle Cove trip on Reef Explorer, a 60-foot custom raft with two restrooms, from the Ferry Dock end of Māʻalaea Harbor. Ages 4 and up.
- Sells trips on its own site
Ready to look at dates?
$175adultBefore taxon Maui Reef Adventures’ site, checked
Check dates with Maui Reef Adventures Call (808) 244-7333Opens mauireefadventures.com. You book with Maui Reef Adventures, on its own terms.
Operator facts
Raft
- Phone
- (808) 244-7333 (office)
(808) 268-9175 (text) - Leaves from
- Māʻalaea HarborCheck in: End of the Māʻalaea Harbor pier at the large Ferry Dock; yellow boat; check-in 7:30 am.
- Boat
- Reef Explorer, custom raft
- Trip length
- 4 h
- Ages and child fares
- Kids 4-12. Children must be 4 or older
What’s included, food, restroom and more
- Operator
- Maui Reef Adventures
- Website
- mauireefadventures.com
- Stops
- Molokini, Turtle Cove
- Included
- All snorkel gear, Breakfast, Lunch, Non-alcoholic beverages, Maui Gold pineapple
- Food
- Pastries, juice, fresh fruit; turkey or vegetarian sandwich
- Restroom
- Two restrooms
- Shade
- Ample shade
- Booking on its site
- FareHarbor
Maui Reef Adventures sells one scheduled Molokini trip, run on Reef Explorer: a bright yellow, 60-foot custom raft. It leaves from Māʻalaea Harbor, which is about 11 miles in a straight line from Molokini.
Who it suits
It suits people who want a raft but would rather start from a harbor and have restrooms on board. It is a good match for kids 4 and up, since the operator lists a kids fare for ages 4 to 12.
The day
- Arrive by 7:30 a.m. for check-in at the Ferry Dock, at the end of the harbor pier. The boat is yellow.
- The trip runs from 8:00 a.m. to noon, about 4 hours.
- It stops at Molokini and then Turtle Cove.
- Snorkel gear, breakfast and lunch, non-alcoholic drinks and Maui Gold pineapple are included. Breakfast is pastries, juice and fresh fruit. Lunch is a turkey or vegetarian sandwich.
- Price: $175 adult, before tax, on Maui Reef Adventures’ site, checked .
The operator lists two restrooms and ample shade.
Whale season
The operator says its snorkel trips between Dec. 15 and Apr. 15 include whale watching. Humpbacks are generally in Hawaiʻi from November through April, peaking January through March. Federal law keeps boats and swimmers 100 yards from them, so close views are not guaranteed.
How it differs from a catamaran
Reef Explorer is a raft with four 350 HP outboards. A raft sits low in the water, so the ride is likely bumpier than on a big catamaran.
The harbor is about 11 miles from Molokini in a straight line. The operator's pages we read give no crossing time, so ask when you book.
Downsides
The operator does not recommend the trip for pregnant women, non-swimmers, fragile people or anyone in poor physical health. Children must be 4 or older.
Private charters
The operator's 3-hour private snorkel charter goes to Molokini or the Pali coast. Ask the operator for details, or see private charters compared.
More on Molokini itself is in the crater guide. Morning trips are the calmer ones, and the whale and snorkel guide covers combined trips.
Trips this operator sells
| Trip | Length | When | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Molokini Crater & Turtle Cove Tour | 4 hours | 8:00 am to 12:00 pm; check-in 7:30 am | $175adultBefore taxon Maui Reef Adventures’ site, checked |
| Private Charters | 3 hours | By arrangement | From$2,600per boatTax not statedon Maui Reef Adventures’ site, checked |
Prices as shown on the operator’s own site. Check taxes and fees with the operator before you book.
Questions
How is it different from a catamaran?
It is a 60-foot raft with four 350 HP outboards, and the operator lists two restrooms and ample shade. A raft is likely to be a bouncier ride than a big catamaran.
Where exactly is check-in?
At the end of the Māʻalaea Harbor pier, at the large Ferry Dock, at 7:30 a.m. Look for the yellow boat.
How young can kids be?
Children must be 4 or older. The operator lists a kids fare for ages 4 to 12.
Is there a restroom?
Yes. The operator lists two restrooms on Reef Explorer.
Other boats from Māʻalaea Harbor
Order: our own order. Many operators sell some dates below their listed price.
Malolo
Malolo, 55-ft power catamaran
- Trip length
- 5½ h
- Lowest adult price
- $159.95adultTax not statedon Malolo’s site, checked
- Ages
- Children 4-12. One child 0-3 free per paying adult
- Phone
- (808) 270-0885
Maui Snorkeling (Lani Kai II)
Lani Kai II, 53 ft, max 65
- Trip length
- 5 h
- Lowest adult price
- $178adultTax not statedon Maui Snorkeling’s site, checked
- Ages
- Youth 13-17. Child 4-12
- Phone
- (808) 244-1979
Sources and corrections
The 8 sources for this page
- mauireefadventures.com (Maui Reef Adventures), read . Backs: The trips, times, prices and departure point in the facts panel and trip table on this page.
- mauireefadventures.com (Maui Reef Adventures), read . Backs: Trip, check-in 7:30 a.m., times 8:00 a.m. to noon, stops, included food and gear, two restrooms, ample shade, ages and child fares. · The operator does not recommend the trip for pregnant women, non-swimmers, fragile people or anyone in poor physical health; its snorkel trips from Dec. 15 to Apr. 15 include whale watching.
- mauireefadventures.com (Maui Reef Adventures), read . Backs: Reef Explorer is a 60-foot custom raft with four 350 HP outboards; yellow boat; Ferry Dock at the end of the harbor pier.
- mauireefadventures.com (Maui Reef Adventures), read . Backs: The Private Afternoon Snorkel Charter is 3 hours, Molokini or the Pali coast.
- Hawaiʻi Statewide GIS, Navigation Aids layer (from NOAA chart 19350): Maʻalaea Harbor entrance buoy G "1" (Hawaiʻi Statewide GIS Program / NOAA), read . Backs: Straight-line distance from Māʻalaea Harbor to Molokini.
- Maui – Molokini Shoal (HAR 13-31) (Hawaiʻi DLNR, Division of Aquatic Resources (DAR)), read . Backs: Mornings are calmer; wind builds in the afternoon.
- About the Sanctuary, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary (NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries), read . Backs: Humpback season in Hawaiʻi.
- Regulations, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary (NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries), read . Backs: Federal law keeps vessels and swimmers 100 yards from humpbacks.