Pacific Whale Foundation, Wailuku

My family and I went snorkelling with these fellows during our escape from Canadian winter. Really when it comes down to it the trip was quite simple: hop on the boat, head out to a sheltered reef and jump in the water. The four of us had a blast. Lunch and drinks were served on the boat by some very friendly staff who seemed to have genuine care for the eco-systems which they were showing us. The food was good, as was the beer:) on the way back the catamaran encountered quite a few humpback whales which were a treat to see. The guy driving the thing was always very careful and patient when the whales were nearby, shutting the engine down to reduce the possibility of collisions with the beautiful creatures. They also claim that any profits made from the business go towards protecting our delicate marine environments.

These guys do more to harm whales then help them. They were under federal charges for fake science. Never heard how they got out of that. They run over at least one or two whales and calves a year in an attempt to get close. They try to sign you up as a foundation member for an extra hundred bucks and then sell you tee shirts and hats. These are East Coast low lives who have come to pillage in Hawaii.

We have gone whale watching many times on Pacific Whale Foundation boats, and this week we took a dinner cruise (which turned out to be just appetizers). The whale watching has almost always been satisfactory, although I can't say that these folks do any better than other organizations who offer whale watching. They are not non-profit (although they want you to think they are), and their president is an environmental nutcase.

We loved the big boat, every seat had a view, the food was decent, the drinks, although on the weak side, plentiful! A full day of fun in the sun, and snokeling. Would definitely use their services again. But one of the crew needs some classes on class. She yelled very loudly at someone for not sitting down so they could do a head count. It was quite uncalled for.

End of the whale watching season played in our favor since there were no other boats trying to crowd the waters. There were only 30 people on a boat that carries 100+, which also helped. Whales came up to the boat and stayed near for an hour doing there thing, which the crew were really surprised as they had not seen this closeness the entire season. It was a family of three and everyone got great pictures. Crew was nice and gave good lessons in life of these wonderful creatures.

We went on the 7 hour tour of Molokini and Lanai. It was fabulous. The staff was knowledgeable about the ocean life and provided educational lectures on the boat ride. They also gave a reef tour at one of the sites. The snorkeling was tremendous. We had more than 2 hours in the water. Food was good. We saw a large number of dolphins and the captain left the boat in the spot for a long time for us to enjoy the spinner dolphins playing beside the boat. A tremendous experience - well worth the money.

It was wonderful! The staff was very informative and lots of fun to be around. The experieince is one I will never forget and cant qait to experience again!