This is the Maui Kai webcam, a live Kaanapali webcam on the rooftop of our oceanfront condos at the north end of Kaanapali Beach, just into Honokowai. The default view faces northwest across the Pailolo Channel toward Molokai and Lanai. The camera is yours to direct: use the controls at the bottom of the player to move it to other spots along the coast. Controls work best on desktop.
Direct the camera yourself
Most Maui webcams show one fixed frame. This one is yours. Click the controls at the bottom of the player and the camera responds to your input, moving to the spot you want. If another visitor is already directing the camera, the player holds a short queue; when their turn ends, yours begins. Refresh the page if the controls do not respond.
Travelers on the Maui TripAdvisor forum have pointed this cam at Honua Kai, Mahana, and the Kaanapali resort strip for years. If you came here to check conditions in front of your condo down the beach, or to see what the wind is doing at Black Rock before a snorkel trip, you are in the right place.
Camera controls on touch devices are currently limited. Use a desktop or laptop to control the camera; the live feed itself plays fine on any device. The live Maui Kai webcam is streamed by Ozolio.
Spots to point it at
Nine places the camera can show you, starting from the default and working outward along the coast.
Molokai and Lanai across the channel
This is where the camera rests when no one is directing it. Look straight out and you see the Pailolo Channel between Maui and her sister islands. From May through October the sun drops between them in the evening; from late November through early May, humpback whales travel through this same frame, sometimes within a few hundred yards of the beach.
Black Rock at the south end of Kaanapali
Black Rock is the lava promontory at the south end of Kaanapali Beach, about a half-hour walk from Maui Kai along the sand. Its Hawaiian name is Keka’a Point. Pan south and zoom and you will see the cliff-diving point, snorkelers along the north-facing reef, and the Sheraton Maui Resort built above it.
Airport Beach directly south of Maui Kai
Airport Beach is the wider, quieter stretch of sand directly south of Maui Kai, named for the airstrip that used to run parallel to the coast. Early mornings you can see snorkel-tour boats loading from the beach. By midday it is one of the most consistent swim-and-boogie-board spots on this side of the island.
The Kaanapali Resort strip a mile down the beach
Zoom the camera as far south as it goes and you will see the beach walk lined with the Westin, Sheraton, Hyatt, and Marriott, plus the Whalers Village shopping center. The stretch of coast between Maui Kai and the resorts stays undeveloped oceanfront, so the resort strip reads as its own cluster in the distance rather than a continuation of the same beach.
Honokowai Point just north of the property
Honokowai Point is the rocky reef immediately north of Maui Kai that gives this corner of the beach its calmer water. Sea turtles rest here most afternoons. In winter the point takes the north swell and lights up with surf; the reef stays shallow and clear even on windy days.
Honua Kai and Mahana at the Honokowai end
Honua Kai and Mahana are two of the larger condo-hotels at the Honokowai end of the beach. Pan north to see them, their pool decks, and the beach in front. This is the use travelers on the Maui TripAdvisor forum have been recommending since 2018, usually to compare what a neighboring property looks like from the outside before booking.
Kahana and Napili toward the Kapalua headlands
Keep panning north and the coastline bends toward Kahana, Napili Bay, and Kapalua. Napili Bay itself hides behind the point on most days. The West Maui mountains catch the light in the afternoon and turn the ridgeline a color you do not see from the resort strip.
The reef directly in front of Maui Kai
The reef directly in front of Maui Kai sits right below the camera. Tilt down and zoom and you will see the shallow snorkel reef, the occasional monk seal hauled out in winter, and the green sea turtles that come ashore past the shorebreak on calm afternoons.
Humpback whales in the channel (late November through early May)
During humpback whale season, the default view becomes the spot. Tilt slightly down and pan slowly across the channel; from late November through early May, peak January through early March, whales are visible breaching and tail-slapping without needing zoom. On the lanai you would also hear the blow, which the webcam cannot deliver.
The view from the condos
The webcam sits on the roof, one level above our top-floor condos. Every Maui Kai condo is direct oceanfront. The view you are watching is the view our guests wake up to from their lanai, shifted up by the height of the roof.
Four condo types share this frame. Junior suites are studios, smaller footprint, same direct ocean view. One-bedroom oceanfronts have a full oceanfront lanai on one side of the building. One-bedroom corner oceanfronts are the premium view product, with a lanai wrapping two sides of the unit; guests pay about twenty-five percent more to book them and they are the highest-earning unit type in the rental program. Two-bedrooms are the largest layout, deeper floor plan and the highest nightly rate.
Two guests wrote in the lanai guest book earlier this year:
Great views of whales from the lanai
Ginny and Mike, Oregon
and
The whales were always on display for us
Sara Haynes, February 2026
If you are ready to look at dates, floors, and specific condos, check available vacation rentals at Maui Kai.
What the webcam cannot show you
The sound of the waves is the part a webcam cannot deliver. Guests write about it more than anything else in the lanai guest book. “Love hearing the waves all night long” (Lottie and Joseph). “Waking up to the sound of waves was the best part of living here” (Swaati, Pineet, and Ayaansh). “Sleeping with the doors open is the best” (Lisa Van Bakel). A live video feed from a rooftop is not the same as the open lanai door at three in the morning. That part you have to book to hear.
About Maui Kai
Maui Kai is the closest building to the water on this stretch of Kaanapali Beach, at the north end just into Honokowai. Twenty-five to twenty-six individually owned oceanfront condos, no street-side units, every one of them direct oceanfront. No resort fees. No booking fees. Free parking. The rental program has been operating continuously since 1970. The live Kaanapali webcam at the top of this page shows the view every oceanfront condo shares.
Frequently asked questions
How do I control the camera?
Use the controls at the bottom of the player. You can direct the camera to different spots along the coast; the specific movement options live in the control row. If another visitor is already driving, the player holds a queue and your turn begins when theirs ends. Refresh the page if the controls do not respond.
Why can’t I control the camera on my phone or tablet?
Touch controls are limited right now. Use a desktop or laptop for full camera direction. The feed itself plays fine on any device; only the movement controls are limited on touch. We are working on mobile controls, and in the meantime the simplest workaround is to note the page and come back on a laptop when you want to explore the spots.
What are the best spots to point the camera at?
The Kaanapali webcam reaches both north and south of the Maui Kai rooftop. For wildlife, tilt down and zoom to the reef directly below for sea turtles, or pan slowly across the channel during whale season for humpbacks. For the coastline, pan south for Airport Beach, Black Rock, and the Kaanapali resort strip a mile down the beach; pan north for Honokowai Point, Honua Kai, and the Kahana beaches. The full list with direction and concrete detail is in the Spots to point it at section above.
Can I see whales on the webcam?
Yes, during humpback whale season. The window runs from late November through early May, with peak activity in January and early March. The channel between Maui, Molokai, and Lanai is the main winter breeding ground for the North Pacific humpback population, which is why every Maui Kai lanai faces into it. Breaches and tail-slaps are visible on the webcam without zoom; on the lanai you would also hear the blow.
Is the webcam on at night?
No, the camera goes dark at sundown. Ozolio rebroadcasts a time-lapse of the day in the evening, so you can still see the sunset, the trade winds, and the tide cycle roll through at speed. Live streaming resumes the next morning.
Can I see this same view from one of your condos?
Yes. Every condo at Maui Kai is direct oceanfront, and the camera sits just above the top floor, so every unit gets a version of the same view from a lower elevation. Corner one-bedrooms wrap two sides of the building and give you the widest angle, closest to the rooftop camera POV. To see what is open and pick a floor, check available vacation rentals at Maui Kai.
Does Maui Kai have resort fees, booking fees, or parking fees?
No resort fee. No booking fee. No parking fee. The only additions to your nightly rate when you book direct are a cleaning fee, disclosed before checkout, and Hawaii state taxes. Free parking is available to all guests on site.
How do I get the webcam-watcher discount code?
Leave your email in the Webcam watchers form above. Once the offer is live, subscribers receive the code by return email plus a short monthly note covering whale season timing, reef conditions, and last-minute openings at Maui Kai.