Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Visitor Center

Awesome resource! We visit whenever we’re on Maui and always enjoy it and learn a lot. Be sure to attend one of the free whale lectures that are given a few times each week. Very knowledgeable volunteers give very engaging and informative presentations about the Humpback whale population that splits its time between the northern Pacific and Hawaii. Don’t miss the ancient fishpond behind the center - it’s cool to see what remains from what the Hawaiians built hundreds of years ago. And it’s a fantastic place to see huge green sea turtles basking among the rocks. You can wade out to within 10 feet of them. Magnificent creatures.

Great place to learn more about whales and related sea life. Although we didn't see whales from this point, there were some large sea turtles basking on the rocks and beach. Best of all it's free to enter. Great exhibits and knowledgeable volunteers.

Great place to learn about whales and view them, and sea turtles 🐢 It's free too!

This was a fun and interesting stop for our extended family group. We spent about an hour here checking out the different displays and watching some interesting videos. The staff were able to answer questions we had about the displays. I would recommend this for all ages- there were quite a few options for children. Great for a low cost option and to get out of the sun!

Lovely place to visit and learn about the sanctuary. Opened my world to other Marine Sanctuaries. Beautiful view and a friendly staff. Special place. Thank you!

We came here on our last day of vacation. Thought we were expecting more, it was still worth the stop and a great experience! It's free. The volunteers are definitely passionate about what they do and were very informative. It was educational and we learned a lot! We like this kind of stuff and definitely recommend it to those that do. It's right next to turtle bay and we didn't go at peak time when most of the turtles are there, but we did catch one! Only because one of the volunteers pointed it out to us. We never would've known otherwise. It looks like a rock!

The Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary Visitor Center is a must-visit for anyone interested in marine life. The knowledgeable volunteers provide fascinating insights into whale migration, conservation, and local marine ecosystems. The center offers interactive exhibits, children’s activities, and stunning ocean views. If you’re lucky, you might spot sea turtles or even whales offshore. Free entry and parking make it an easy stop, and it's especially great before a whale-watching tour.

Free to visit. Very warm, friendly, knowledge staff who are happy to share everything that they know! Lots of children's activities like puzzles and school age books. You can see turtles from the windows at the right times. Plenty of parking.

What an amazing place to help you to respect, protect and enjoy Hawaii's humpback whales, sea turtles, monk seals and other marine animals that are protected at this National Marine Sanctuary in Kihei, Hawaii!! So much information is available. There are so many displays showing the history of the whales. Volunteers are enthusiastic and helpful. Children's interactive activities are fun!

This is a great stop to learn about the Humpback Whales you probably came here to see. There are regularly scheduled presentations that cover things like whale identification and tracking to attempts to help whales that are tangled up with heavy fishing gear. The visitor center has lots of displays and volunteers who will answer your questions. They also have binoculars you can use to look out for whale activity.

Wow, I helped out volunteering with a school group at the Sanctuary today and I was so impressed with the staff and the visitors centre/education centre. It is a really great setup, and we had a very educational session on turtles and turtle behaviour run by a knowledgeable intern. They have a seal skeleton, turtle carapaces, whale vids, and just tons of interesting information which will appeal to many ages and abilities. You also get to see a traditional Hawaiian fish pond and look for turtles basking on the pond walls. I would definitely recommend a visit here for locals and tourists, especially families. Lots to do and see and learn. Something for everyone :)

This is such an interesting place. Lots to see and read in their small museum. The volunteers working are very knowledgeable so get all your questions ready to be answered. They aren't open on the weekends but during the week 930-4. On Fridays they have an hour talk in their big auditorium that is excellent. We learned alot. There is a nice large outside deck with binoculars you can borrow to find whales or get a closer look at the fish pond.

I was lucky enough to be staying just across the street from this this sanctuary, and I have to say: I can count on one hand the reasons for me to wake up before the sun rises. Seeing Hawaiian turtles swimming, playing and resting in the sanctuary's fish pond: that's one of them. Bonus: You can swim right up to them in the pond. Just don't touch them.

IMHO My husband has always wanted to drop into this place. As fate would have it, traffic stopped us directly in front of the driveway, and we pulled in at the last second. The visitor center is small but perfect! The outdoor lanai overlooks a shallow fishpond, where we saw a group of people standing in the water, staring at something... The volunteer docent encouraged us to go outside and walk in there too. She said there were 5 turtles resting on the rockwall! "Just look for the smooth shell-shaped backs." We walked to the beach, took off our shoes/sandals, and gingerly walked out into the shallow water up to the designated "safe viewing" spot. We counted out 4 huge turtles half in and half out of the water. The 5th was swimming around, according to my husband. I did see his head pop up once... Overall, a delightful stop and respite, and quite educational, especially if you love humpback whales!!!

April 19, 2024 - Plenty of parking, very clean bathrooms, friendly, and knowledgeable docents/volunteers. The self-guided exhibit is self-explanatory and has enough information that anyone of any age will learn something. There is also a small area of tables with items to keep the kids busy. Check the hours as the gates are locked at 3:30 PM

Nice little spot to learn about humpbacks. During certain times of year you can look out in search of the humpbacks in migration. Near by is ancient fishing area that you can also se turtles. Please make sure to be respectful of the honu and do t disturb them.

This place is amazing. This is a hidden gem and free to the public. Volunteers are knowledgeable and love sharing the information that they know. We were blessed to be there when there were a lot of sea turtles on the beach. We were in Hawaii too late in the season to see any of the whales but we were not disappointed. There is a small building with information about Hawaii and sea animals. The fish pond here is a spiritual place.

This is a small visitor center featuring efforts to support humpback whale. There are interpretive displays inside the building as well as outside. The docents are also very helpful. The visitor center is located in North Kihei and is located on the beach behind a parking area. Admission is free, and it doesn't take very long to view all the exhibits. Probably around an hour. Definitely worth your time.

Great stop in Kihei. Right on the beach and overlooking a historic fish pond. I saw turtles around the rocks. Informative volunteers and displays. I will go back for one of the whale lectures. Also good activities for kids.

Everyone should stop in and check this place out. The people there are friendly and helpful. There are some binoculars there for your use as well as a telescope to use. There is so much you can learn by stopping in and the volunteers are very knowledgeable. We stayed for a free talk on whales that was both interesting as well as entertaining. I highly recommend staying for the video and talk.

Helpful volunteers. This place is awesome to bring kids of all ages from 2-100 with fun interactive and informative games, books, toys and videos. Outside the back of building is a resting place for green sea turtles to nap. One can see as many as a dozen either on the sand beach or in the shallow water.

This was a fun little find in Kihei! We were looking for something relaxing to do and this took about 30 minutes. The volunteers were so kind and took their time to share all about the whales with us! We missed the special presentation. They have it 2x a week. They even have a small kids area with a few games/tables.

This Sanctuary is a hidden gem. They do not do Whale Watching. This is a Science and Research Facility with an Education Center and a new Conference Building Every Tuesday and Thursday, volunteer lecturers give a talk on Whales. Why Whales come to Maui, etc. It is worth spending an hour listening to the presentation and then wandering over to the Ed Center to see the new exhibits. The Center is still receiving new exhibits so it's a little sparse but what they do have is worth seeing. These folks are serious about protecting Whales and are to my knowledge, the only ones in Hawaiian Waters authorized to disentangle Whales. They have videos showing that work. They also are on call for Turtle strandings. Everyone who travels to Maui should stop by. It enriches the time spent on this beautiful island.

Epic fail! Their own Website, Yelp and others indicate that this place is open. Drove all the way over, from the Northwest side of the island to find out that they're closed for more than a month!!!! You'd think someone on their staff would be smart enough to update their website. VERY DISAPPOINTED!! One star is too high of a rating!

We visited for a few reasons. First, I wanted my daughter to see a Hawaiian fishpond and it's my understanding the only one on Maui is here. Fish ponds are critical to Hawaiian history and spirituality. They have wonderful volunteers here who explain the significance to visitors. We also wanted to learn about humpback whales and other sea life such as turtles, monk seals and false killer whales. The exhibits are very informative and the volunteers extremely kind and helpful. This isn't a big flashy tourist scene. It's simple and informative. No admission fee. Donations are requested. Sited on the water with an historical fishpond you can see. A lovely place to go. Wonderful cause.

Totally agree with the other reviewer- this is a great hidden gem. The volunteers are extremely knowledgeable and are excited to share information about the entire marine sanctuary, which spans all of the islands. They don't do organized whale watching, but their back porch is a great place to sit and look for whales, and they even have binoculars for visitors to use.

We were staying nearby and had read about it in Maui Revealed the Ultimate Guidebook. If you have 15 minutes you will be given great information about not only the whales but the turtles as well. Linda our volunteer gave us a great spot to see the turtles bask on he beach at night. ho'okipa Beach.