WHALE TOUR - Watching and Swimming with Whales
Recommended by 90% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Moorea, French Polynesia
- 4 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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OverviewAuto-translated
What's Included
- Use of Snorkeling equipmentUse of Snorkelling equipment
- Bottled water
Meeting and Pickup
You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup
What To Expect
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 6 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Wow! This is truly an incredible experience. We saw a mother and baby; they got so close to us! You definitely need to be a decent swimmer.
Our guide, Nicolas, and boat driver, Henua, were knowledgable, skilled, and accommodating. They had cold beverages available on the ride back and dropped people off right at their resort if it was along the water. This is a must-do while in Mo’orea.
Suggestions- wear a wetsuit if you have one and bring your own fins. They give you a life jacket which creates a lot of drag. Snorkel gear is provided, but we would have been more comfortable in our own fins.
Reviews
4.7
based on 81 reviews
Sort by: Most recent
Worst tour ever! Weather was horrible. We should never have gone out. 40 mile an hour winds and 10 foot swales. We went out and sat in a group of 2 other boats waiting with no plan or time frame to get close to one whale. No music, nothing g just sat there getting g tossed around for two hours. Kid went upon the room of the boat and talked on his phone. We made them bring us back after 2 hours. This was not a whale WATCH. It was a park and wait up to
Four hours to MAYBE get close to a whale. Save your money. Book with another company and don’t go out in bad weather.
Our guide Johan and captain Pappy were amazing! We saw a big beautiful
Whale and they were safe and respectful
Of the whales, and took great care of us. I highly recommend. The best experience!!
I took this tour with my boyfriend along with two other, nice snorkeling guests who unfortunately did not match us at all. They were young, very athletic, and had professional equipment with them. We are in our sixties and normal, good swimmers.
Our problem: The group must always stay together. The guide bluntly demanded that we keep up with the young, experienced diving couple – which was impossible from the very beginning! Among other things, the young couple had wetsuits and huge swim fins, while we only received small fins from the boat and had to wear life jackets. During the briefing, it was seriously demanded of us that we must keep up with the two of them, otherwise we would have to stay on the boat!
After only a single snorkeling session, during which a whale could only be seen very briefly and shadow-like, we were high-fived by the guide and banished to the boat for the rest of the tour. That was an insolence! As a guide, he is paid to ensure that everyone who can swim normally and has a moderate level of fitness can participate in the snorkeling sessions! The homepage literally states: "Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level." He, on the other hand, decided that he did not want to bother with us and preferred to have fun himself with the outstandingly athletic young couple!
For hours we had to watch the others having fun while we had to remain behind on the hot boat! And for that, we had to pay 650 USD together!!! For this rip-off, a refund would be the bare minimum of decency!
Unreal experience swimming with the whales, highly recommend if you get the chance! We got to swim with 3 whales for an hour or so that were pretty close to us. Our captain Nicola and guide Henua were awesome. Very mindful of respecting the whales space while making sure we had a great experience. They had a little floatation ring to help anyone who isn’t a super strong swimmer or was getting tired while swimming. Got us a taxi on the way back that way we didn’t have to ride back on the boat in the wind or rain which was much appreciated! Will definitely never forget this experience :)
Yoann was our guide and Papi Niko was our driver and a second scout. Great guys but Papi does not speak English. Yoann is very knowledgeable about the whales and their behaviors, which was helpful in predicting when they would dive and when they would come back up for air. We located a mother and her baby pretty quickly but there were already 3 other boats there so we had to wait our turn. Be patient, there could be a lot of waiting during this excursion. When we entered the water, you have to swim quickly and it can be tiring but we had wetsuits and were very buoyant so no issues. The water was flat and very calm the day we went.
Other tours that were there were not following the guidelines and that did not help with the whales behavior. They were chasing the whale and not remaining in a tight group as you are supposed to do. Yoann spoke to them to no avail.
We did swim near the whale and it was awesome. The other groups behavior kept her further away than she probably would have been but it was still amazing to be in the water with her. She was stunning to watch and it made you realize just how small we really are! We only went in the water once, due to regulations set by the authorities, but t hat was all we needed, we swam with the humpback! I would recommend this excursion, it is worth the cost and Yoann is excellent at what he does.
Yoann was an incredible guide, taking time to tell us about the whales while we waited for our opportunity to swim with them. We were finally able to swim with them at the end of the tour, and we had many beautiful views of them swimming around as we waited for the right time to get in the water. I highly recommend this tour - be honest about your swimming ability because it can be challenging and recognize that while your guide will do their best, whales can be unpredictable and you may not actually swim with them! Overall, it’s a once in a lifetime chance and completely worth it.
My husband took the tour and loved it. He said it was a life changing experience for him. The people were professional and were great! They provided a video of our excursion that day with the whales. I was able to see and hear a mom and baby whale, and again it was incredible! Would definitely recommend!
Yohan and Nico were both nice and talented! It is such an art to find whales. Especially for us it was a rough sea and we could have waited for several hours in line to watch a whale but Yohan decided to move so we dont have to wait like that and lucky us we found 3 whales together including a giangantic one, we went in water 3 times ! Incredible and unforgettable moments.
Went into this expecting we might not see whales in the water since that’s just nature, and we were fine with that risk. What we weren’t prepared for was the organizational side of things. At our spot, 4-5 other boats had already arrived, and regulations only allow 3 boats in the water at once — so we had to wait our turn. By the time it came, the whales had moved on.
What was frustrating is that our guide didn’t try pivoting to another location, even though we asked about that possibility early on. Maybe every spot would’ve had the same crowding, but for an expensive tour on a boat that wasn’t particularly high quality, it would’ve been nice to at least attempt somewhere else. Because we were stuck waiting further out, we also barely got to see the whales from the boat itself.
If you go in expecting basically a 4-hour boat ride with a small chance of a whale encounter, you’ll be fine. If you’re hoping to actually see something, know that the outcome may come down to boat traffic and timing more than the whales themselves. I wouldn’t recommend committing half a day to this if your time in Moorea is limited, unless you’re comfortable with the real possibility of seeing nothing at all.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Ia ora na,
Thank you for your feedback; we are sorry that your experience with us did not meet expectations.
It was indeed the start of the season with few whales around; my team did their
best! You did manage one successful in-water sighting, though it wasn't possible to try again at the end of the trip due to the high number of boats on the water relative to the number of whales present during your early-August outing. In fact, we extended the tour by 45 minutes, which shows that our team really tried everything. One successful in-water encounter is still better than none; and consider we go out for 6 people and you were only 3 that day.. as you said, we are dealing with nature...
Mauruuru roa
This tour is pure magic. Seeing whales in their natural habitat is so special. It’s something I’ll never forget.
Response from Host, Aug 2026
Ia ora na,
Thank you to choose us and so glad you had an unforgettable moment!
Mauruuru roa!
Hinicko was the best guy ever
The captain was amazing too
We have the best time ever
The crew really knew what to do
I highly recommend this company! The crew was incredibly dedicated, professional, and truly caring — both towards the guests and the animals. You could really feel their passion and deep respect for nature. Thanks to them, we saw whales up close in a safe and respectful way — an unforgettable experience!
What an incredible experience, with an incredible guide! We were travelling to Moorea on a cruise so I was very worried about communication without having wifi. At first I was very upset, I tried reaching out on several occasions looking for answers on where to meet, how do we know who they are, what if the ship can’t dock but we have no wifi; those sort of questions. It took days to get a response and every time I asked something in return to their response… days. The night before we left, we were ready to cancel because of the lack of communication and not knowing for certain what was happening. Thankfully everything worked out for the better, and our guide Henua, was absolutely incredible. He is a huge reason this trip is getting 5 stars. His people skills, knowledge, and leadership through this whole experience was amazing. Apart from the whales, he is the reason for the 5 stars, I give him as a guide 5+ stars for this experience. Thank you for this amazing opportunity!
Wow! This is truly an incredible experience. We saw a mother and baby; they got so close to us! You definitely need to be a decent swimmer.
Our guide, Nicolas, and boat driver, Henua, were knowledgable, skilled, and accommodating. They had cold beverages available on the ride back and dropped people off right at their resort if it was along the water. This is a must-do while in Mo’orea.
Suggestions- wear a wetsuit if you have one and bring your own fins. They give you a life jacket which creates a lot of drag. Snorkel gear is provided, but we would have been more comfortable in our own fins.
Nicolas and Henua made our experience a 10/10 experience. Our time out at sea with the humpbacks was a one of a kind, up close and breath taking experience. I would recommend to anyone wanting a one of a kind experience.
Henua and our capitan were so friendly and got us right on the whales! Remarkable experience for our honeymoon HIGHLY recommend. The beers after were a nice touch!
Wonderful experience! It is a lot of waiting but absolutely worth it and one of the most amazing experiences we have had. The guide and captain were wonderful and very knowledgeable. We look forward to going again
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!
This was an absolute incredible experience. We had an amazing time out with our guide Johan and Niko. The boat was fairly small and the waves were quite large so would recommend taking gravol before hand if you are sensitive to sea sickness. We saw many whales from the boat and swam with a momm and her calf for approximately 30 min. Worth the money and would do this again in a heart beat!!! They provide snorkel gear and life jackets that you must wear out once swimming with the whales. Johan gave had a Go Pro and took video of our Whale encounters and then provided us the footage afterwards. Must Do if you can swim and are okay with big waves once way out in the ocean.
Great tour with knowledgeable guide! Great communication before and during the tour. Provided us with several opportunities to be in the water swimming with the whales. Highlight was putting us in the path of a family pod with a calf where all three whales passed within 20-30 feet of our group in the water. Some in our group got great pictures to share. This tour was worth every penny and then some! Highly recommend!
Truly amazing experience! Our guide Henua was really helpful and made sure we had a great experience while totally respecting the nature and the whales. He contacted other boats to ask for any sightings and even extended the tour so that we were able to see the whales. Our captain Nicolas was very sweet and helpful as well. All in all: 100% recommend!
The experience was indescribable, I was left speechless after seeing the whales that close up. Henau and the captain were extremely friendly and helpful getting us around the water and in and out of the boat. If I could leave 100 stars I would. Best experience of my life.
Great experience! We mixed up our days and would have missed our adventure but the company text, emailed, called our hotel and called our personal cells. My wife and I both got sick and they still made it a great experience. Still getting us out to see a whale for a few minutes (others with us got about 20 minutes with a baby showing off). The only reason we don’t was because we were sick. We watched from the boat which was still great to see. The guide was very tentative to us being sick and seeing if we needed anything. Then they took us for a trip around the calm waters of the lagoon. All around I would still recommend 10/10!
This tour operates with an open air boat with no protection from the elements. It was rainy on the day i went and we nearly froze to death before getting back. But we did see and get to swim with whales! Captain and guide were both great.
Amazing experience seeing mother and calf whales interact in the water. Company emphasized safety and respect towards the whales. Definitely a lifetime bucket list activity.
We were lucky to see several whales on our tour, amazing experience. What brings down my rating from 5 star to 4 is the way another couple was treated when they asked to take a moment to catch up while we were swimming towards the whales. I understand the requirement of being good swimmers and we all were, but it can still be challenging to adjust the goggles from fogging up and empty snorkel gear while swimming in deep water w high waves and keeping up with a pretty high tempo to catch the whales.
I thought the tone from the guide towards this couple was unneccesary plus she ended the excursion and went back to the boat as a result of this. My hubby and I were lucky to have seen whales on the earlier swim just before but the other couple had not and they had traveled here specifically for this whale experience.
Other than that, fantastic day. I can highly recommend booking a lunch after, we had a fantastic lunch in the water at a nearby Motu where sharks and sting rays swam at our feet. Johanna and Teeva were amazing.
To swim with the whales, you can only have a maximum of six people in the water at a time with a guide. There were 10 of us on our tour, so we would have had to split into two groups, alternating (luckily, some people didn't want to go in the water). This doesn't seem fair for the price we paid (€220 per person - other friends paid €140 on other tours; unfortunately, there were no more available). Other boats only had six people on board. Furthermore, our boat didn't get very close to the whales, while other boats got closer (while still respecting the limits). We only went in the water for a few minutes the first two times, and then a third time for about 30 minutes, only managing to see one whale for a few seconds and not up close. This depends partly on luck (they are always free-roaming animals) but also on the guide's ability to predict the movements. Throughout the tour, the guide almost always spoke French and rarely repeated English, making it difficult for us to follow. On board we were offered water, juices and beers.
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Ia ora na,
Thank you for your feedback!
As you specified, not everyone went into the water. The price is the same for everyone because it is not uncommon for some non-swimmers to change their minds about going into the water! If certain boats do not respect the distances that are imposed for launching into the open water, it is up to them. You cannot blame us for respecting the regulations.... Also, I think you forgot to specify that we kindly organized your taxi transfers and boat drop-off at your hotel to make this organization easier for you! Thank you
This tour is one of the most incredible memories of our life. Despite the harsh conditions on the sea, we were able to swim with the humpback whales and dolphins that even played with us. Our guide Henua was super cool guy that made the experience even more amazing. He was determined that we swim with whales and even extended the tour a little bit. Amazing!
Unbelievable experience very knowledgeable staff and the owner is absolutely amazing. The guide is very knowledgeable and obviously takes pride in what he does and is very good at finding the whales and getting the guest out in the water to see them.
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Thank you for your wonderful review! We’re thrilled to hear that our team and the guide made your whale experience so memorable. Your kind words mean a lot !
We weren’t sure that we would see whales, let alone swim with them. Once we got on the water, we realized how difficult it was to get close to the whales.
We ended up seeing several whales from the boat and tried to get into the water to get closer and swim with them. The third time was the charm …. We ended up seeing a mother and baby whale! What an amazing experience!
Thank you to Henua (our guide) and Nico (our captain) for working hard, calling friends on the water and looking out for the whales.
We honestly would have been fine with seeing the whales fr the boat, but we were lucky to get them at the last minute … thanks to Henua and Nico.
FWIW, this is a pretty strenuous activity and just riding the small boat was a bit tiring and difficult, let alone diving into the water and swimming around a few times …
I have pictures and video from my GoPro … I wish I could post them. Maybe I will try to post a review on TripAdvisor to show the pictures if I can …
Response from Host, Sep 2025
Thank you so much for sharing your amazing experience! Henua and Nico will be thrilled to hear your kind words. It’s wonderful that you got to swim with a mother and baby whale, what a magical moment. We’re glad your effort and perseverance paid off, and we appreciate you highlighting the adventure it takes to make it happen!
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