If you are choosing February over another winter month, the reason is whales, and it is a good reason. This is the peak of humpback season, the animals are numerous and active, and on Maui you can see them from the beach without paying anybody.
Everything else about February is a normal Hawaiian winter: warm, occasionally wet, big surf on north shores, green mountains.
The whales
Humpbacks migrate from Alaska to breed and calve in Hawaiian waters, and February is when the population peaks. The Auʻau Channel, the sheltered water between Maui, Lānaʻi and Molokaʻi, is shallow and protected and holds the highest concentration in the islands.
You do not need a boat. Whales are regularly visible from the shoreline along Maui's west and south coasts, from the Pali lookout on the road to Lahaina, and from Makena. Bring binoculars and give it twenty patient minutes.
A boat trip gets you closer and adds a hydrophone, which is what most people remember afterwards. Federal rules require vessels to stay 100 yards away, and a good operator says so rather than promising a close encounter. Trips run from Lahaina and Māʻalaea on Maui and from every other island at smaller scale.
The water is at its coolest
February averages 76 Fahrenheit, the coolest month of the year and still warmer than most of the mainland in August. Most people are fine. If you feel the cold, a rash guard or a shorty makes a two hour snorkel comfortable rather than something you cut short.
Visibility is generally good on the leeward sides. North and east shores are affected by swell and runoff.
Surf, rain and where to base yourself
North Pacific swell is still running, so north-facing beaches are for watching rather than swimming. Snorkeling and swimming happen on the south and west coasts, which is where most of the resort areas are anyway.
February is a wet-season month with the usual split: windward wet, leeward dry. Basing on a leeward coast, Wailea, Kīhei, Kāʻanapali, Waikīkī, Poʻipū or Kona, buys you far more dry days than picking a different month would.
Presidents Day week
The one price spike in the month. School holidays across much of the mainland land in the middle of February and rates move accordingly for roughly a week.
Outside that week, February is ordinary winter pricing, which is higher than autumn and considerably lower than Christmas.
What to pack for February
Start from the packing list and add:
- A light rain shell. Same as every wet-season month.
- A rash guard, if cooler water bothers you. Cheap, packs flat, doubles as sun protection.
- A warm layer for boats. A whale watch at 7am in February is windy and genuinely cold on the water.
- Binoculars, which is the one February-specific item worth the space.
Compact 8x42 binoculars for whale watching
Is February a good month?
Yes, if whales are the point, or if February is simply when you can travel. It is not the cheapest month, not the driest and not the warmest, and the whales are a genuinely exceptional thing that is only available in winter.
If you have complete freedom over dates and no particular interest in humpbacks, September gives you warmer, calmer water for less money.
If the whales are the point but February will not work, early March is nearly as good and the last month you can rely on them.
Check the live numbers
Every month, side by side, is on the Hawaii weather reference: monthly rainfall for five stations plus sea temperature, taken from NOAA. The figures on this page describe a typical year. For the one you are actually travelling in:
- Water temperature, NOAA station 1612340. Live and historic readings from Honolulu Harbor. The monthly averages quoted here are the 34,802 hourly observations, 2021 to 2024 mean from this station.
- National Weather Service, Honolulu. Forecasts and warnings for every island, including the high surf advisories that decide which coasts are swimmable this week.
- National Hurricane Center. Worth a look in the week before you fly between June and November, and worth ignoring the rest of the year.
