Sport Diver's Digital Editor, Becca Hurley, was on assignment in Maui from February 20-28, 2017. Below is a look into her daily travel updates during that time, which can be used as a resource if you are planning a trip to Maui.

DAY 1: It was an early start— awake at 3 a.m. and boarding my flight out of Orlando, Florida, at 6 a.m. EST. A quick layover in Dallas, Texas then direct to Maui. Although it’s been a long travel day for me, it was so nice to be able to fly direct into Maui rather than transferring in Honolulu.

This is the first time I’ve used Avis Preferred when renting a car and let me tell you, it is worth it! With it being prime season here in Maui and Hawaii in general, the lines were long for rental cars. I walked right up to the counter since they have separate check-ins for preferred members and they got me in a car right away— and not just any car, but a Mustang GT! So crazy, I’m cruising Maui in ultimate style. The best thing about Avis Preferred is that it is completely free to sign up.

Next stop, the Aston at Kaanapali Shores— where I had high-hopes for an afternoon on the beach but Maui traffic had other plans. The nice part about the slow cruising speed around the coast was I had my first, second and third whale sighting from the comfort of my Mustang! It was awesome and I cannot wait to get out on the dive boat.

The Aston at Kaanapali Shores could not be in a better location: right on the beach and across the street from a grocery store and restaurants. I’m excited to explore the hotel when I have more energy tomorrow, but for now I’ll leave you with this view from my balcony (right) … better pics to come!

This is the first time a Sport Diver editor has traveled to Maui during high-season (January-March) in hopes of a glimpse of humpback whales in their natural habitat. Stay tuned for daily updates and keep your fingers crossed for more whale sightings!

For now it’s bedtime, in preparation for another early start tomorrow to catch the sunrise at the Haleakalā summit.

DAY 2: Another 3 a.m. wake-up call. It was much easier to get out of bed this morning since my body is still on Eastern time. I'd been warned about the hairpin turns on the drive up to the summit of Haleakala and was a bit nervous to drive it myself. To my surprise it was not as scary as it sounded. The road is maintained really well with fully painted lines and reflectors. I think this is important to note since a lot of mountainous roads are not always marked well. It's also important to know that as of February 1, 2017 if you want to view the sunrise at Haleakala you must make a reservation in advance. They now limit the number of visitors in the park during the hours before sunrise, which in my opinion is a great thing because that means less people to obstruct your view!

But I'll get to the good part, check out this view:

My tips for viewing the sunrise at Haleakala National Park:
• Dress warm with lots of layers— to put it in perspective, this morning it was 71 degrees Fahrenheit when I left my hotel and it was 36 degrees Fahrenheit and windy when I reached the summit.
• Check the sunrise times and get there at least an hour before sunrise to watch the sky turn from complete darkness to full-sun.
• Take lots of photos! The clouds are constantly moving and changing so you get a different view every few minutes.
• Bring your own snacks and water, there is no food for sale within the park.

I worked up quite the appetite after my early start and rather than driving back to Kaanapali right away, I searched for a local spot to grab coffee and breakfast. Slightly out of the way but I stumbled upon Baked on Maui. A quaint coffee joint in the middle of the town of Haiku. I may have been the only tourist there but I loved every minute of it. Not only did they have a wide variety of fresh breakfast pastries and homemade quiche, they had a full breakfast and lunch menu and delicious coffee grown right here on Maui.

Heading to Lahaina this afternoon to check-in with Hawaiian Rafting adventures before my dives tomorrow.

DAY 3: Not even Sport Diver editors are immune to seasickness. It was a bit rough out today on the trip over to Lanai and back with Hawaiian Rafting Adventures. Unfortunately, I was one of a few divers to get sick and for those of you who have been there, you know that getting sick on a boat is basically one of the worst feelings ever. But the vis was incredible and I even saw a few frogfish, they're so ugly they're cute!

Hawaiian Rafting Adventures makes the trip over to Lanai and back every Monday through Friday, and you return to the dock about 1-2 p.m. This is great because it allows you to still schedule some afternoon activities. Although the last place I wanted to be was back on another boat, I had dinner plans with the Pacific Whale Foundation — well their boat, that is.

Luckily we cruised the calm waters close to the Lahaina Harbor in search of whales on a two-hour-long sunset dinner cruise. The food was delicious and locally sourced, there was an open bar and tons of whale action! Keep checking back for more updates!

DAY 4: No seasickness! It was a beautiful dive day, Captain Steve ran the boat all the way round to the southern most tip of Lanai, about 25 miles from the dock in Lahaina but it was totally worth it.

Calmer seas at the surface and tons of life below at dive site Lighthouse Point. Sharks, eels, octopuses and a turtle were among other critters just on the first dive! We enjoyed a calm surface interval (much to my liking) before heading back around the corner of Lanai to the famous First Cathedral site. It was beautiful and that's all I'm saying ... for now.

I enjoyed a late lunch with a view at Aloha Mixed Plate and finally got my Kalua Pig fix. Then I took care of some business back at the hotel, answering emails and downloading images. Then time for another meal at Kimo's on Front Street. It's a busy waterfront establishment, but I had to try the Hula Pie! Maui treated us to a beautiful sunset but unfortunately I do not have photos of that, so just imagine cotton-candy skies with a volcano and sail boats in the background.

DAY 5: Another great day of diving with Hawaiian Rafting Adventures. Seriously, these guys are great and I will definitely think twice about traveling with my own gear next time I'm in Maui because their rental gear is top of the line. The crew hooked me up with a couple pieces of gear (I forgot) and a nice video light to use underwater. We dived Shark Fin Rock and Second Cathedrals off Lanai. We had a real treat on the boat ride over, out of nowhere we were suddenly surrounded by a large pod of dolphins. It was such a peaceful experience to have the opportunity to just sit and watch them. It doesn't matter how many pods of dolphin I encounter, it is always just as exciting as the first time. The visibility was absolutely phenomenal again and a few of my fellow divers said they could even hear the whale songs during our first dive. And, I saw a sea turtle on all three of my dives today!

After returning to Lahaina, I immediately boarded another boat back to Lanai, but this time I would be staying the night at the Four Seasons. Their crew took me for an afternoon dive off their catamaran and then up to the resort where I enjoyed an amazing dinner at their One Forty restaurant. The property is breathtaking with open-air views from the lobby and restaurant areas of the Lanai coast.

DAY 6: Today I had a chance to explore the amazing Four Seasons Lanai property and the surrounding Lanai City. This island is so unique, with a human population of 3,000 and a deer population of 8,000 to 16,000, depending on who you talk to. This small island has a lot to offer— think four-wheeling adventures, horseback riding, an archery range, secluded beaches and of course great dive sites.

But no trip to Lanai is complete (in my opinion) without visiting the Lanai Cat Sanctuary. The sanctuary was started as a way to sterilize Lanai's street cats. It has grown to a sanctuary with more than 500 cats that have been provided care and been spayed and neutered.

The sanctuary in turn is helping the native bird population on the island, since some of these ground nesting birds only lay one egg a year. Call me a crazy cat lady but I thought this was a fun and unique way to experience a different side of Lanai. After an amazing 24 hours exploring Lanai, it's back to Maui on the ferry. The ferry operates several times throughout the day and is only a 45 minute trip each way, making Lanai easy to access for even a day trip from the Lahaina Harbor on Maui. Now that I'm back on Maui, I'm heading to Kihei to check-in to my next hotel, the Aston at Maui Banyan— conveniently located less than a five minute drive to the Kihei boat ramp where I'll be meeting the crew of Ed Robinson's Diving Adventures tomorrow morning!

DAY 7: Today I heard the whales singing underwater! Still haven’t seen a whale while diving but there are plenty on the surface. I’ve got one more day of diving on Maui, so fingers and fins crossed! However, just the sound of their “singing” underwater was unlike any other experience. Today the boat left Kihei area with Ed Robinson’s Diving Adventures and fifteen minutes later we were at the backside of Molokini crater, an iconic Maui dive.

Today we did a drift dive around the side of Molokini at a site named Enenue. A little over a week ago it was right near this site that the crew at Ed Robinson's had this magical encounter below:

Even though we didn't see whales underwater today, it was another wonderful day of diving with more nudibranchs and eels than I could count. On the second dive we even saw FOUR frogfish on ONE rock!

Shorter boat rides mean we were back at the ramp before lunchtime. The timing works out really nice if you have big plans for the afternoon. My plans consisted of a picnic lunch at Makena Beach. My time in Maui is coming to an end but it feels like I just arrived, I never tire of driving alongside the beach and having a view of the ocean on one side and the mountains on the other.

DAY 8: It was my last dive day in Hawaii and I headed out with Ed Robinson’s Diving Adventures hoping for a magical underwater whale encounter. The first site we visited was Slides, another spot on the backside of Molokini crater and a drift dive. Within the first five minutes of the dive, a pelagic manta came cruising by! This is why backside of Molokini is so exciting, you literally never know what is going to show up.

Our second dive at Reefs End, did not disappoint. The whales were at full volume this time, making me constantly check between the reef and out into the blue in hopes of a glimpse at a humpback but no dice. However, I did see giant lobsters, more nudibranchs, eels and the beautiful endemic cowry shell.

My afternoon was spent exploring Kihei and checking out the local shops, this little town has such a laid-back vibe that I really enjoy.

Day 9: Time to off gas before my red eye back to Florida! My morning started with a guided kayak tour leaving from Makena Landing - a beach park just past Wailea area. The hope was to get up close to some humpback whales, though we did see whales, not as many as I had hoped— but that’s nature. My guide Curtis of Maui Kayak Adventures was extremely knowledgeable and kept us all entertained with his jokes and facts while we kayaked. Whales or not, this was still such a peaceful way to spend the morning.

I think I may have saved the best lunch spot for last today, Nalu’s South Shore Grill in South Kihei was out of this world yummy, it was so good I had to try two sandwiches — the applewood smoked brie burger and the smoked ahi sandwich— I’d highly recommend both. Since my flight is departing so late I had the whole afternoon to explore the surf town of Paia and nearby Ho'okipa beach park off the Hana Highway. Volunteers are stationed on the beach daily to make sure visitors don't get too close to the local residents. It was quite a treat to see so many sea turtles up close. I counted at least 16 on the beach!

I’m not sure if checking out of my hotel or returning my Mustang GT rental was the worst part of my day, I’m just not ready to leave this island! But as they say in Hawaiian - A hui kaua (until we meet again!)

Want to read up on Hawaii diving? Check out The Ultimate Hawaii Dive Guide to Oahu, Maui, Lanai, Kauai and Hawaii Island.

Ready to start planning your trip to Maui? Maui Visit has everything you need to plan a perfect getaway!