French Polynesia · WHALE WATCHING
28 reviewed
Humpbacks come up from the Antarctic between roughly August and November and calve in the lee of Mo’orea, Tahiti and Bora Bora. Some operators will put you in the water with them, some keep you on deck, and the licensed ones follow the approach rules. Here are the best trips, with prices, season notes and which ones actually let you swim.
Swim with humpback whales in Moorea on a small-group half-day tour, with strong-swimmer rules, safety-first guides, and possible dolphin and ray sightings.
“It has been an awesome experience! We swam with whales, they danced in front of us and when we got back onto the boat we could see lots of whales from the boat too. Absolutely recommended”
Swim with humpback whales and snorkel with stingrays on a small-group Moorea tour, with pickup, gear, and a respectful water limit.
“We had an amazing experience swimming with the whales. The captain and guides were fun and professional. They put us in the best spots to see the whales and got some amazing pictures.”
Bora Bora humpback whale watching and possible swimming with Simon, on a small boat with a directional hydrophone, pickup, and 3.5 hours on the water.
“Where do I start? We had this booked for the 4th of Oct at 1 pm. A few days before our cruise to bora bora the tour operator messages us to change the tour to 9 am or the next day as there’s weather issues etc. or they’ll be forced to caRead more”
Swim with humpback whales in Moorea with guided snorkeling, plus lagoon rays and black tip sharks in a small group.
“amazing tour!! Once you’re out there you will see a lot of whales but they moving very fast and it’s hard to do snorkel. If everything went well and you have the chance of snorkeling with the whales in the water you will remember for life!!”
Pacifik Attitude humpback whale watching in Moorea with respectful guides, possible whale swims, and lots of lagoon marine life. 3 hours.
“Great tour. Snorkel leader O’Neil and Captain Ikeo were awesome on adventure of a lifetime. Saw turtles and dolphin on way to deeper waters , then found 2 humpback whales on surface. We were soon in water and had amazing views of thRead more”
Moorea half-day whale watching with snorkeling gear and drinks, small-group care, and a real shot at swimming with humpbacks.
“It is a very rocky ride to the ocean so if you get seasick or are not used to boats/sea, make sure to take some medicine beforehand. We did get to see the whales which was unlike I have ever done and definitely a once in a lifetime experience. Don't expect to see the whales up super close--from where we saw the whales I would say they looked about ~6' big so we were prob 10x away from them. However getting to see them in their natural habitat in the Pacific Ocean was unreal and breathtaking vs an enclosed man-made habitat. I definitely recommend this as a once in a…”
Private Moorea boat trip with humpback whales in season, plus snorkeling with rays, sharks, turtles, dolphins, and a subwin seabed glide.
“Such a wonderful experience with our guide, Nicki, and her father! Knowledgeable and personable, they geared the trip to our needs and wants. We never felt rushed as we snorkeled with stingrays, sharks, and turtles. And you cannot beat the scenery!”
Respectful humpback whale spotting from Papeete on a small boat, with snorkeling gear, fruit, and a real chance to swim if conditions allow.
“My wife actually got to swim with a baby whale and its mother, only about 20ft away. This was an OMG experience for her. As I was not a strong swimmer, I stayed in the boat. The Boat captain, Moana, was very respectful of the whales and did not intimidate or attempt to get too close. The swimming group entered the water and swam about 100 yards towards the whales. The group leader, (I am sorry I forget his name but he was from Brazil) did a good job of helpinf the swimmers get close to the whales. Snorkle equipment was provided as were snacks of fruit, juice, water and…”
Half-day small group humpback whale watching in Moorea with a max of 6 people, expert guide, fruit and drinks, and optional snorkeling gear.
“Incredible experience with knowledgeable helpful tour guide. We quickly found whales and were able to swim with them for over an hour! Would recommend taking motion sickness medication beforehand. Highly recommend this tour!!”
5-hour Tahiti whale watching on a small boat, with humpback sightings and a possible sea-swim option. Drinks, fruit, snorkel gear included.
“Amazing experience! The guides were really friendly and informative, swimming with the humpback whales was out of this world. Thank you!”
Whale watching and snorkelling in Moorea with Lagoon Vibes, small-group humpback sightings, guided ocean swims, and marine-life bonuses.
“English: It was one of the best experiences of my life. Unfortunately the weather wasn't the best, the ocean was a bit rough, the wind was blowing and the visibility was medium-good but not excellent. Despite this, our guide Ivy took us to meet a humpback whale who was taking a nap. You have to be patient and resist the fatigue, but when I saw the humpback whale coming up to breathe swimming right in front of me, all the tiredness disappeared. Smart tip: if you have time, book at least two trips so you'll have a better chance of finding good weather. Mauruuru Ivy and Christoff Italian: It was…”
Moorea humpback whales plus lagoon snorkeling for dolphins, turtles, rays, and blacktip sharks on a small-group half-day.
“Best excursion ever!! The crew was knowledgeable and made us feel comfortable. 2 guides with us in the water with boogie boards if you need to hold on. 2 drops with whales. The first we swam with 2 juveniles. Then the second drop swRead more”
Small-group humpback whale watching and a possible swim from Tahiti. Wetsuits, snorkel gear, snacks, and lagoon stops if conditions prevent swimming.
“The tour owner/operator was wonderful! He tried to meet all of our needs. We saw amazing whale activity and also had the opportunity to snorkel and see turtles and fish and also a sunken boat and plane. He also prepared for us a local dish that was wonderful for lunch! We recommend him highly. You’ll have a great time!”
Swim with Moorea humpback whales on a small-group 4-hour boat trip with safe, whale-respect rules and pickup options.
“I would highly recommend this trip, Nicolas and Henua were fantastic, we had some pretty large swells but at no time did we feel worried, Nicolas handled it very well! Henua was extremely informative about the whales and the island. He was a great guide, we watched each of us and made sure we were all ok. We were able to see a mom and calf!”
Moorea 4-hour small-group boat tour for humpback whale swimming, stingrays and turtles, plus fruit and water. Shared with up to 6.
“We had the most amazing time with Yannick and Clevis(sp) today. We saw mother and calf humpback whale. We had several sightings underwater when they were diving deep and coming up breaching the surface with tail splashes and then diving back down. After the whales, we had an opportunity to swim with many black tip reef sharks and stingrays. After that, we did a drift in search of turtles. There was a strong currents so we only saw one. However we did see two when we were in the boat before we got there. The boat was clean and they provided mask, snorkel and fins as well as drinks. We…”
