The whales have headed back to Alaska

We saw our last humpbacks of the season from the lanai a couple of weeks ago — a mother and calf, moving slowly north past Sugar Beach. By now the channel is quiet again.

Every winter the humpbacks come down from Alaska to have their calves in the warm water around Maui, and every spring they head back north to feed. This season ran about as usual: the first spouts showed up in December, the action peaked in February and March, and the last stragglers moved through in April.

What this season was like

It was a good one from shore. We had stretches in February where you could stand at the water’s edge in the morning and see spouts in three or four directions at once. Guests who’d never seen a whale before were coming back to the bungalow not quite believing it. A few took boat trips out of Maalaea and got close looks at mothers with their calves.

When they’ll be back

The whales return in December and build through the winter. If watching them is a priority for your trip, aim for January, February or March — that’s the heart of the season. We wrote up the details, including the best spots to watch from shore and how to pick a boat tour, in our whale-watching guide.

For now, the water has settled into its summer pattern: calm, clear and warm. Different season, still a good time to be here.