When planning your visit, Please be aware of the current situation on Maui after the Lahaina Fires. While the island needs tourism to survive, many people and businesses mentioned in this article lost their premises and employees lost their homes so unfortunately, may not be operating at this time or on a limited basis. Please continue to be mindful of what people have gone through while you are visiting the island, many are still displaced and grieving those who were lost.
Maui is the Number one destination in the world for Whale Watching. Every winter thousands of enormous Humpback Whales descend on Maui to breed, give birth and rest in Maui’s stunning warm and protected waters. The best way to see the Whales is via a Whale Watching tour. This is the top activity for tourists during the winter months even outdoing Luaus and the Summit of Haleakala. However, with the tours being so popular there are hundreds of options out there, and not all tours are as good as the others, and while some are equally great they are just different. And no one type of tour suits everybody.
Our Guide to the Best Whale Watching tours in Maui guides you through the minefield and helps you to pick out the absolute best tour suited to your family so you can enjoy your time with the Whales to the maximum extent.
Do we need to do a Whale Watching Tour to See the Whales?
Absolutely not. Whales can be seen from most of the tourist resorts right from the beach or your ocean-facing Lanai. Without a doubt this is the best way to see whales as you relax, sipping your morning coffee or evening Mai Tai while watching the Whales play off in the distance. It really lets you know how special this island Paradise is.
On top of this Whale sightings during the peak months are so numerous any activity that involves being out on the water will involve some type of whale encounter. Some of our best trips were not actual Whale Watching trips, we have had amazing encounters from Dive or Snorkel trips, you will even see whales on a dinner cruise. Simply put, in Maui, during Whale season, Whales are EVERYWHERE, All the time and if you are on or near the water, you are going to see Whales.
That said, Whale Watching trips are still incredible. You are likely to get really close and see a lot of whales on any dedicated trip. There will be a naturalist on board to narrate and point out the whales and explain a ton about them. These trips are amazing and well worth their ranking as the number one activity in winter.
What about Other Islands?
If you are Island hopping and wondering which Island to do your Whale Watching trip on. Stop. Do it on Maui. The Au’Au Channel holds more Whales during Whale season than the rest of the Hawaiian waters combined. You can book Whale Watching Trips from all the other Major islands but they are not a patch in Maui’s trips. Simply put the only reason to not book your Whale Watching for Maui is if you are not coming to Maui…and you probably won’t be reading this!
When is Whale Watching Season?
The Season runs from mid-December to April, but the season only really shows when Whale Watching tours run, there are likely to be whales around outside these dates and it is even possible that there will be NO whales within those dates if they depart early as they sometimes do. So, understanding the season is essential to getting the best trip possible. We have written an extensive guide on this here:
When is Whale Watching Season in Maui Hawaii?
Can We Swim With the Whales?
No. None of the Whale Watching tours allow guesting into the water in the presence of whales. This is not allowed by law and would probably be highly dangerous. There are some dive trips where you have the “chance” of whale interactions if they choose, but these are unlikely. 45+ton Whales are best viewed from the safety of the boat with minimum distance rules applied.
Types of Whale-Watching Tours
Rafting – Small Ribs (Ridgid Inflatable Boats) or Zodiac Boats are used on these types of tours. These work well due to their speed and versatility. They get you to the whales fast and being low to the water can mean a very close encounter. The Flipside is they are pretty basic. The ride is rough and billed as adventurous. This can be seen as a good or bad thing depending on your preference. But you will be bounced around, splashed, and generally uncomfortable for the entire tour. But the Tour will likely be very comprehensive and get you to a lot of whales and most people if they know what to expect, LOVE these tours.
Sailboat – Most sailing boats are also powered so if the wind is not right they can still get to and from the whales. However, these are true Sailing catamarans and can be powered fully by the sails. This makes for silent and smooth sailing and disturbs the whales far less on approach. This means they are far less likely to be spooked and head for the depths.
Powered Catamaran – The Powered Catamaran is the cruising boat of choice out on Maui’s waters. These are a cross between a Sailing Cat and a regular pleasure boat. The twin-hull makes for effortless sailing and great wave penetration, meaning, less propulsion is needed and the boats are quieter and more efficient. However, they lack the charm of a real sailboat, However, they are fully fitted often with galleys and bars for your comfort and pleasure.
Kayak – If you want to really get up close to the Whales then a Kayak is the way to go. By far the best option is a Kayak tour as the whales can be pretty far out and simply heading out into the channel by yourself is not the best idea. Minimum distances must still be maintained but kayaks can get a little closer than a large immovable vessel. If the Whales decided to come and check you out in a Kayak you are in for the experience of a lifetime!
From the Air – A completely different way to see the Whales is from the air. Either by Helicopter or by chartered Fixed-wing Aircraft you can really appreciate the huge numbers of whales that populate the Channel.
What to Expect and Minimum Distances.
Some people get a little upset that the boats do not always get very close to the Whales. This is partly out of respect for the animals and partly because the Law only permits boats up to 100 yards (or 1000ft from any Aircraft, including Drones!) from the Whales. However, upon approaching a pod of whales the boat will kill its engines and simply float in the water. Guidelines for boat captains can be found on NOAA’s website.
These practices mean the whales can go about their business undisturbed by human activity which is vital for the health and well-being of the creatures.
However, the rules do not apply to whales, and sometimes being the intelligent, inquisitive, and gentle creatures that they are, they will decide to take a closer look at your tour boat. Once a whale is within 100 yards there is nothing the captain can do to prevent this as he must keep the propeller off. So if the Whale approaches the only choice is to sit dead in the water and let the magic happen.
This is not to be expected, however, and on most occasions, the boats approach at a safe distance and simply observe the whales going about their business. Whales during the peak season can be very active, the males are in full courtship and this can involve all sorts of spectacular behavior from lunging, pec slapping, fluke slapping, or full-on breaching. To be perfectly honest when a full-grown male breaches 100 yards is plenty close enough!
Most tours will have an onboard naturalist who will share plenty of fascinating info about the Whales and will be an expert in tracking them down. They will also have a hydrophone on board that will be deployed so you can hear the whales sing. The Hawaii Whales are very vocal and will certainly be singing during your trip. Hearing the incredible vocalizations is really magical.
Top Tip – If you are Snorkelling anytime during your stay, remember to Dive under the water at some point and hold still and listen out for the Whales. A hydrophone is pretty cool but actually hearing them underwater is something you will NEVER forget.
Whale Guarantees
Most Whale Watching Tours offer a money-back or free trip guarantee on most dedicated whale-watching tours. If you are doing a tour in peak season forget about this Guarantee. It will not be honored! Why? you WILL see whales. Most Nature tours caveat their trips with sayings like “nature can not be predicted” and “Wildlife does not perform to a schedule”. All that is true enough and there are rarely guarantees on wildlife. But the Au’Au Channel is SO chock full of Whales during peak season you cannot help but see whales!
Should the unthinkable happen we are sure the tours will honor any guarantee they made but the truth is we all want to see whales and Maui makes that a Reality!
Weather Cancellations
The Au’Au Channel is one of the calmest and most protected waters in the Hawaiian Island chain. For the most part, the trade winds come from the north and the east meaning the island takes the brunt and the north shore gets the largest swells.
Still, from time to time, things get choppy in the Au’Au Channel and the “swimming pool” gets torrid. This is no place for tours and no one would have a good time even if the tours run. Even rarer is a large weather system rolling in. These can bring heavy rains and horrible conditions. No one wants to be out on the water in those conditions.
Safety is the number one concern and if the weather is bad the captains will cancel the trips. This is upsetting but it is better than them not canceling. In this instance, you will have two choices, Reschedule or a Refund. The company will always try and get you on another tour but it is not always possible and in that case, you get a refund.
We have heard of companies trying not to give refunds but they have canceled the trip, thereby not honoring their side of the contract so you are entitled to your money back.
Locations
Tours tend to depart from either Maalaea Harbor, or the Kihei Boat ramp for the Raft tours. Lahaina Tours heads up the West Maui coast which is truly stunning while Maalaea Tours heads out into the main Channel still with stunning views of the island and the West Maui Mountains.
We Prefer West Maui tours as you tend to be on the whales faster and the scenery is just slightly more epic than the Maalaea tours, just slightly. But there is very little in it and we tend to advise you to book by convenience and pick the tour closest to your resort. So Maalaea if are in South Maui and Lahaina if you are in the West.
The Best Whale Watching Tours in Maui
Redline Rafting
South Maui
- Price: $75 (8-65)
- Type: RIB/Zodiac
- Location: Kihei Boat Ramp
- Duration: 2-Hours
- Included: Small Groups and more whales
Redlines Whale Watching tours are a great way to get out to the whales fast and see the most amount of whales possible. The Fast Moving rib will get you out to the whales fast and even though the trip is a short 2-hour excursion you will see tons of whales and hopefully some fantastic interactions. The group size is always small so the boat is never crowded and you are guaranteed excellent viewing.
The Rib is low to the water level so if you get any close interaction you can be sure they are breathtaking. Reline is one of our favorite operators out of South Maui and they are well worth checking out for their amazing 5-hour Molokini Adventure Tour, which will certainly provide whale sightings during Whale Season.
Hawaii Ocean Rafting
West Maui
- Price: $69 Adult – $54 Child
- Type: RIB/Zodiac
- Location: Maalaea
- Duration: 2-Hours
- Included: Small Boats and Small Groups with cold drinks included.
Hawaii Ocean Rafting offers really fun tours with small groups of up to a maximum of 17 on their small 17ft rafts. Sailing out from Lahaina these tours are perfect for anyone staying in West Maui. The Whale activity off the coast of west Mai can be fantastic the channel is narrow and the whales come right in close to the shore making West Maui the capital for Shoreline viewing.
While the Bigger raft tours from Kihei have a long steam until they hit the whales the Lahaina tours can be on them immediately. This then leaves you maximum time to cruise up the incredible west Maui Coastline taking in the Whales and astounding West Maui Mountains.
Blue Water Rafting
- Price: $70 – Adult – $59 Child
- Type: RIB/Zodiac
- Location: Kihei Boat Ramp
- Duration: 2.5 Hours
- Included: Adventure Tour with Whale Watching and Snorkeling, Snacks and Drinks
Rafting is a great way to explore Maui’s wonderful oceans. These tours are a little rough and you can expect to get wet and bashed around quite a bit while the 27ft RIBs pound along the Ocean Swells. Depending on your tastes that may be right up your street or your own version of hell. If it’s the latter look further down the list for some of the more sedate ocean expeditions.
For those of you who are up for the adventure, Blue Water Rafting offers a fantastic way of getting out and seeing the Whales. We love this trip as it is not solely focused on the Whales and gives you time to explore Molokini and get some awesome snorkeling in.
The Rafting trips, in general, are a great way to get up close to the whales. being low to the water means any encounters are very close and you are likely to be able to smell the whale’s breath and really appreciate the size of these creatures. The Fast-moving Ribs mean you can cover far more ground than other types of vessels and this brings far more chance of great whale sightings as the Rafts can hunt out the more active groups.
Pacific Whale Foundation
The Big Name on Maui for whale watching tours is the Pacific Whale Foundation. As such we simply couldn’t not talk about them. They have a massive fleet and offer a wide range of tours from Maalaea on Sailing Cats and Powered Cats.
Their fleet is state of the art, their Naturalists fantastic and their offering is one of the best. Whether you want Real Sailing Experience on their Eco-Friendly Sailing Cat, or on their large and stable powered cats they have a tour to suit most.
The one issue some people have with them is their non-profit status and the fact they appear to run as a non-profit charity. The actual situation is a little murky and not as obvious as it seems. From what we can tell there are two parts to the business the Non-Profit Foundation and the Profit making tour operation. The Foundation does some great work and helps research and conservation of the whales and other marine life of Hawaii. The Moneymaking arm is a business like any other but it donates part of its profits to the foundation.
Really this is no issue if you are aware of it. We think people dislike this arrangement as it seems the tours are all charity-driven and you are helping to save the whales, whereas the reality is you are probably only making a very small contribution. But the other companies operating in Maui do not contribute at all, they are just more open about that. And remember any donations to the foundation will go directly to that and not the profit arm!
However you feel, the quality of the trips is fantastic and these are right up there with the best tours in Maui. The boats are top-of-the-range and fully appointed and the onboard naturalists are the best in the business. As we said they offer several tours of different types:
Ocean Spirit Whale Watch Sail – Pacific Whale Foundation
- Price: $89.95 Adult – $49.95 Child (7-12)
- Type: Sailing Catamaran
- Location: Maalaea
- Duration: 2 Hours
- Additional: Drinks and Snacks including Alcohol for Purchase
This short two-hour sail on the Ocean Spirit, a fantastic modern Sailing Cat. Sailing out of Lahaina the tour cruises up the west mail coast searching for whales. The Channel along the West Maui coast is very prolific for whats so you are all but guaranteed a fantastic tour.
The Option to purchase drinks is always nice and gliding along the ocean with a drink in hand and watching out for the Whales is a wonderful thing. Unfortunately, the sails are not often deployed during Whale Season as the control of the craft is limited under wind power. This poses a risk if a Whale Pod surfaces right in front of the boat, this means the Cat is usually under engine power.
Whale Watch Maalaea – Pacific Whale Foundation
- Price: $69.95 Adult – $39.95 Child (7-12)
- Type: Powered Catamaran
- Location: Maalaea
- Duration: 2 Hours
- Additional: Drinks and Snacks including Alcohol for Purchase
These are the Bread and butter of the Pacific Whale Foundations’ offering. Their state-of-the-art powered Cats get you out to the whales fast and in comfort. The boats can be a little crowded and being large keeps a good distance from the whales. The high decks give an elevated viewing area that is a blessing and a curse. You can see further and look down on any close encounters but you are a bit remote from the whales in general.
The Tours pretty much always find Whales and while we prefer the Lahaina location the Maalaea Habour location will still get you out to the whales fast.
Whale Watch Lahaina – Pacific Whale Foundation
- Price: $69.95 Adult – $39.95 Child (7-12)
- Type: Powered Catamaran
- Location: Maalaea
- Duration: 2 Hours
- Additional: Drinks and Snacks including Alcohol for Purchase
The Same tour as above only from Lahaina. We think this is the best option for most people the tour will get you out to whales super fast and you could easily encounter over 30+ whales on a typical tour. The Naturalists know an awful lot about the whales and are all involved with the Foundation’s good work and will let you know exactly what they do to help protect the whales.
The Cruise up the West Maui Coastline is spectacular in itself and bringing the Whales in the mix only makes it more stunning. While some question the ethics of the foundation’s Profit arm, from a pure quality point of view we love their tours.
Trilogy Excursions
- Price: $95 Adult – $77 youth (13-17) – $56 Child (3-12)
- Type: Sailing Catamaran
- Location: Maalaea or Kaanapali Beach
- Duration: 2 Hours
- Included: Drinks and Snacks included plus 2 Alcoholic drinks for Adults including Cocktails, Wine, and Craft Beers
Trilogy off sailing catamaran tours out to the whales during whale watching season from Both Lahaina and Maalaea Harbours as well as a Kaanapali beach pick-up so where ever you are you can take a Trilogy tour. Their Catamarans are top of the range and the Trilogy team really tries to get the sails going on every trip.
This tour is the most expensive on our list but it includes food and drinks including 2 premium alcoholic drinks for the adults (Craft Beer, Wine, Prosecco, or cocktails!) this makes the whole trip really good value and the tour is probably our favorite of the whole list. It is sophisticated, relaxing, and genuinely awe-inspiring.
On top of the 3 basic 2 Hour tours, they offer the Deluxe Sunset Whale Watch. A gourmet PuPus dinner and unlimited cocktails await as you watch the whales play as the sun goes down. Utterly magical!
South Pacific Kayaks Tours
- Price: $110 Adult – $50 youth (10-12) – Children not allowed(0-10)
- Type: Kayaks
- Location: Makena or Olowalu
- Duration: 2.5-3.5 Hours
- Included: Drinks, Snacks, and Snorkelling Gear
South Pacific Kayaks offer several guided tours at various locations all are around 2.5-3.5 hours and take in either the wild and remote Makena coastline or the stunning and calm Olowalu reefs. Tours are in small groups and instructor-led. The tour is primarily a snorkeling tour but gives you the chance to hunt for whales during Whale Season. Even Kayaks are required to obey the minimum distance rule of 100yard but kayaks can push the boundaries a little more than a 70ft vessel and the whales often approach the group as they are less threatened by small kayaks.
After the Whales, you will be taken to a snorkeling spot where you hit the water. Expect to see Turtles, along with a whole host of reef fish.
These tours are for the reasonably fit, but you don’t need to be an athlete just have a reasonable level of fitness. They are fantastic for really immersing yourself in ocean life.
Non-Whale Watching Tours
As we said any type of tour that heads out into the Au’Au Channel will undoubtedly come across Whales. While the dedicated Whale Watching tours offer some of the best opportunities we have had fantastic whale sightings doing all sorts of other activities. Getting your whale Watching in this way can kill two birds with one stone.
Snorkeling Tours
Any Snorkeling tour taken in Whale season will include an element of whale watching. Molokini Snorkel tours are particularly suited to whale watching as the journey out to the islet is a particular hotbed for whales. Boats will listen to radio chatter and attempt to steer a course to the islet that will ensure whales galore!
Dinner Cruises
A sunset dinner cruise is great for whale watching. Dinner cruises rarely have a particular destination so simply cruise up and down the coastline taking in stunning vistas and the mindblowing sunset. This is really suited to hunting for whales and the captains will often try and includes whales in the itinerary.
Diving Trips
Some of the best Whale Watching we have done has been on Dive trips. The Surface interval is perfectly suited to Whale Watching and we have spent our time between dives with the whales on many occasions. Really the boat captain has little to do during the interval and is happy to take a look at their ocean inhabitants.
The Fast boats used also cover a lot of ground and whenever whales surface nearby they are obliged by law to kill the engines so you are automatically on a whale watch cruise even if it is no one’s intention.
Helicopter Tours
Helicopter Tours don’t even look for whales. From the Air, they are just unavoidable. Any tour that covers the Channel will spot whales during the season. The Molokai Cliffs tours are especially suited as the channel is crossed twice and whale sightings are inevitable.
Shore Viewing
You do not need to take any tour at all to spot whales in Maui and the shoreline has a ton of great locations where you can spot the whales. We go into detail about onshore locations in our When To See the Whales in Maui post.
Have Your Say
Have you taken a Maui Whale Watching tour? Which tour company did you go with? How many whales did you see? Maybe you have a great experience with a non-Whale Watching tour? Or maybe you had a poor experience and a company on our list? Whatever you have to say feel free to share it in our comments section we would love to hear from you.
I have never been to Hawaii yet but my Japanese best friend worked for the Hilton and she got the $200 coupon discount fir staying at the Hilton Hawaii 🙂 It is great to know that we can watch whale at the resort. I have always wanted to see one in real life. We were planning to go to Hawaii in June but I guess we have to go between December to April like you suggested. Thank you for all the reviews, preempts and recommendations’ cannot wait to go there!
Hi Nuttanee,
We are sure you will have a great time in Hawaii. The Hilton Hawaii you are referring to is probably the Hilton Waikiki on Oahu, These tours are all in Maui but there are plenty that head out from Oahu too, they are not as great as the Maui Tours but you still should see whales.
Have a Great Trip
Steve
Hi, I enjoyed reading this article. I have always wanted to see a whale in my life.
I also love dolphins. Are there any dolphins there? Would it be mostly be on some cruise boat or what sized are the boats that we see the whales with? I would love to go in a shark cage at the same time.
To be honest, this sounds like a great vacation to take with friends. How is the weather there?
thanks
Hi Jake,
There are many dolphins in the waters off Maui and Hawaii in general. Most boat trips have a 50/50 chance of seeing dolphins. They are very mobile and move around a lot and most trips do not focus on the dolphins but even so, there is a great chance you will encounter them.
The Boat sizes vary, from the small rafts to sailing cats to the bigger ferry-sized cruise ships of Pacific Whale Foundation. Rafting is by the best way to encounter dolphins, they will spot dolphins on MOST trips.
There is no Cage diving in Hawaii, however, we have done plenty of shark diving, from white tip reef sharks, Galapagos Sharks, even Tigers, and schooling Hammerheads, there is even the chance of a Whale Shark making an appearance! Check Our Maui Dive Guide for more.
The weather varies from amazing in winter to incredible in summer! It is year-round warm weather and sun! See more here
Thanks for reading
Hop you make t to Maui one day for an awesome trip
Steve
It’s been some time since I’ve been on a whale watch and this post is a nice reminder of how exciting an experience it can be. Maui sounds like an outstanding whale watch tour and it’s good to know that you can see whales pretty much anywhere you go and I think it would be amazing to see a whale while snorkeling, though perhaps dangerous like you’ve mentioned. It’s good to know that there are laws and procedures in place for making it a safe whale watch trip. Of your choices I think Whale Watch Lahaina – Pacific Whale Foundation sounds the best. I might be heading to Hawaii next year and I will definitely save your post for closer to travel date as this trip sounds pretty wild. Thanks for a great recommendation!
Hi,
While Seeing a Whale Snorkelling would indeed be amazing it is pretty rare, it still has not happened to us, but we live in hope! We agree it is great to see the government step in to ensure the safety and protection of these amazing creatures!
Hope you get to Hawaii next year and get to see the whales
Have a Great Trip
Steve
I was just looking for great spots to visit in Hawaii and landed on your site! I have never been to Hawaii or gone whale watching before but have always wanted to. You state that the tourist resorts are a good place for this. Specifically, what resorts do you recommend as the best for a viewing? Dinner cruises are fun! I’ve been on these in Florida and I would think this would be the best way to enjoy whale watching. There are so many options to choose from on the tours! It sounds like rafting would be the most fun. 🙂 Molokini Snorkel tours sound right up my alley too. Well, I know where my next vacation is going to be! 🙂 I’m always up for an adventure! Thanks for the info!
Hi Catherine,
Yeah, you are really spoilt for choice on Maui for ways to watch the Whales. Pretty much every option is awesome, and the ones that kill two birds with one stone like dinner cruises or Snorkelling are great value.
As for resorts we really just mean he resort Areas, Basically all the resort are channel side so the whales can be seen directly from shore and all the major resort areas, Kapalua, Napili Kaanapali Lahaina, Kihei, Wailea, etc…
Hope you have an amazing trip to Hawaii, especially your Whale Watching adventures in Maui.
Steve
Hi, Steve.
Thanks for sharing your views on Maui, Hawai – with awesome list of whale watching tours. Apart from watching the Big Miracles live, listening to their breath deep inside water would be very fascinating. I would love to go for that unique experience. Thanks for the details of each tour and also the safety precautions.
Warm Regards,
Gaurav Gaur
Hi Gaurav,
Yes, These are seriously magical creatures. Great to hear you plan to go on a Whale tour, Most tours operate a hydrophone to listen to the whales.
Failing that if you head out into the water and dive down can actually hear the whales yourself.
Thanks
Steve
Great article, I am heading to Hawaii next month for my yearly Vacation and really cannot wait! We have been Whale Watching at home in Hermanus South Africa, so it will be great to see another population of Humpbacks.
Really cannot wait for Maui to see the whales but er have so much else planned as well, so I will be sure to check out the rest of your site
Hi Nelson,
Great to hear you are heading to Maui to see whales. Maui is one of the best places in the world to see humpbacks but look like Hermanus is pretty cool too!
Have a great time
Steve
Whale watching tours are exciting indeed.
Just the thought of seeing one of the largest creatures that mother nature has created so up close gives me goosebumps. However, it’s an experience one should gain at least once in a lifetime. Reading your post has sparked the innate desire in me to go on a whale watching tour. I think the kids are going to love this idea.
I have already added it to my bucket list.
Thanks
Hi Nick!
Great to hear we have inspired you to get out onto the water and get up close and personal with these magnificent creatures!
Hope you and your kids get to rick this off really soon!
Steve
Hello Steve, thanks for putting out this article I have a lot of history with whale as they are one of my favourite animals,and also I have been to some whale Watching centers like Hermanus Whale Watchers in South Africa and would love to visit all the ones you have mentioned in your article
Hi David,
We too have seen whales in many places, Monterey California, Queensland Australia, Dominican Republic, San Diego, and many times in Hawaii. We hear great things about Hermanus in SA but have made it there yet ourselves.
Thanks for reading
Steve
Wow! What a great article, I have always like to watch those whales but it only happens on the screen, I think this is my best moment to have a live event on any of the island you suggest, I will have to share this post with few friends on mine and most likely we can plan to visit before march, we don’t want to miss out the specifies period, thanks for attaching traveling agencies I think that makes it easy for the accommodation from that side, surely we have to plan this, I am sure to subscribe to subscribe to your newsfeed to learn more about this and other related articles.
thank you.
Hi Joy,
We too love watching whales on TV Documentory’s but seeing them in their native habitat is just unbelievable. Hope you get there before the whales leave for their summer feed, but if not, fear not they will return later in the year.
Have a great trip
Steve