Will You be able to Swim with the Dolphins on Maui?

The chances of swimming with dolphins while you’re on Maui are less then they are on the islands of Oahu or Hawaii. The big reason why it is not likely that you will actually be able to get into the water and swim with dolphins on Maui is that in order to do so on a regular basis, you need to be able to predict exactly where they will be. On some islands like Oahu and the Big Island it dolphins can be found quite regularly in quite specific areas. This knowledge allows the dolphin tour guides to enter the water in locations where the dolphins are likely to swim past. On our last trip to the Big Island in fact, we actually jumped into the water as the dolphins past us then got back into the boat, sped ahead of the dolphins and jumped in again for another pass and then proceeded to do that a total of four times on that single trip.

The dolphins can be found off Maui as well but the areas they roam are much broader and finding them in any specific location is much less predictable. Random opportunities will avail themselves however as evidenced by a day charter we took to Lanai and encountered the dolphins in the open ocean on our zodiac raft and simply jumped off the side and were surrounded and swarmed by dolphins coming at us from all angles. Sighting dolphins and following them on their daily migrations is something that happens on a much more regular basis and it is quite a thrill to find yourself in the midst of one-hundred or so dolphins in a huge dolphin pod. Getting close to them at these times is no problem either as they often readily come right up to the boat and race along the bow. Photos taken of the dolphins from this location are generally better than photos taken of them from the water anyway as your chances for good “in the water” shots are spotty at best.