Whale watching and swimming in Moorea
Recommended by 95% of travelers
Moorea, French Polynesia
- 4 hours (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Many people come to Moorea to snorkel in the coral gardens but if you travel here between July and November there’s the chance to see whales on their seasonal migration. With a small group and dedicated guides who follow all whale-protection regulations, head out into the ocean to spot the amazing creatures. If conditions and whale behavior allow on the day, over-15s may even swim and snorkel with the whales.
- As well as whales, look out for dolphins, sharks, and turtles
- Make the most of this seasonal activity in French Polynesia
- All necessary snorkeling gear is provided so you don’t need your own
- Receive personalized attention and commentary in a small group
What's Included
- Coffee and/or TeaCoffee, fruit juice, water are included
- Use of Snorkeling equipmentFins, mask, snorkel and neoprene suit
Meeting and Pickup
Meeting point
- Quai des croisièresG56J+9VV, Moorea, French Polynesia
Meet on the quay, our guide will come to meet you
End point
This activity ends back at the meeting point.What To Expect
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
- 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 strong physical fitness level
- Being comfortable with fins and a snorkel mask is necessary for launching into the ocean.
- Being able to climb back up the boat ladder is necessary for ocean and lagoon launches
- Be over fifteen years old for ocean launches
- Good physical conditions for launching into the ocean
- Be able to palm 300 meters autonomously for launches in the ocean
- 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
I booked this excursion last minute because the first snorkeling with whales excursions I had booked ended up being a flop due to inclement weather and lack of whale sightings. Ivy and Christoph were truly amazing guides. Ivy’s energy was infectious and you couldn’t pick truly see her passion for the whales. She was informative and so driven to get us up close and personal with the whales. We had to work hard to see them but with the help of Christoph she made sure to make it happen. We were in and out of the water three times and had to swim quite a distance to track and find the whales but we did it and it was magical!! I would highly recommend booking this company for your whale watching experience while on the island!!
Reviews
4.9
based on 130 reviews
Sort by: Most recent
Just a total dream come true experience. We were able to get in the water and swim with 4 whales (a 5th whale swam up right as we were getting out of the water). Ivy was just a total ray of sunshine & joy to be around. You can tell she really loves what she gets to do everyday and appreciates all the animals she encounters. The best experience!! To note, if you get seasick at all, prepare with medications. I do get seasick and I did just fine on the boat, but when getting in the water, I got a good bit sicker just from the waves. Didn’t take away from my experience but just a note 🙂
This tour was operated by Lagoon Vibes. If there is any rain in the forecast, best to cancel. I know the operators cannot control the weather, but the can make the experience better. Note that if you aren’t getting in the water, this is not for you. The boat floats 200+ meters behind the swimmers. If it’s rainy/foggy, you won’t see anything. That said, if you are getting in the water you will need to use your fins only to quickly travel 200+ meters because the boats cannot get close and the guide doesn’t wait for you. This is open water with waves. Not a pool. I was a college swimmer and this was still challenging for me. Because it had rained the day before and was raining on our tour, visibility was horrible. I go back to - the guides should have offered this information and the option to cancel or provide a credit for a tour the next day (if available). We found a whale and were able to get in the water. We swam quickly. Couldn’t see anything. But you could feel the whale song. It swam away and when we got back to the boat, our guide blamed this man in our group who “made too much noise”. I felt bad for him. He was trying to swim with his arms and didn’t know how to use fins. And he wasn’t necessarily the reason the whale moved. Why make him feel bad? We traveled again and found another. Again in the water. Song was powerful and vibrated through your soul. But we didn’t see anything. With 1.5 hours left in our tour, the rain is pouring. The couple next to us did not bring jackets, did not get in the water and were soaked. We offered them a towel trying to help. We thought we were going to go looking for another whale, but instead the captain just drove the boat for 1.5 hours with rain pelting our faces. Telling us they are “looking”, but that’s not the conversation they had in French. Looking would have meant sitting quietly and watching for a air breath but how could you do that in pouring rain? It would have been great if we were given the option to go back. Also if our guide had given us some information about whales. We took another Viator trip in another country and the group was fantastic and honest about the weather and our options - even willing to cancel and refund us that day. This group did not do this. Bottom line - If there’s any rain in your trip, cancel. Or start with another group all together.
We spotted a whale from the boat really quickly, swam to it but there were too many people there already and bad visibility under the water so we maybe saw the whale from the distance for like 10 seconds and it just swam away. And by all means, you are not next to the whale - it’s very far away and you barely see it. The second time we spotted a whale from the boat, we swam again but never seen it (just heard it), the visibility was really poor. We still had an hour left for the tour but the tour company didn’t really look for another one - we just tried to find dolphins but there was none and returned back. I think the tour operator could do more to try find a whale we could actually see. There were many whales reported that day. A bit disappointed.
This was one of the most amazing experiences we have ever had. The captain. Christophe, and the guide, Ivey, were able to locate and take us within swimming distance of a whale they located. We then watched the majestic monster slowly come from rest, probably 30-40 feet down, to a breach for a couple of breaths only a few feet away from where we were waiting. We got to do this twice! Ivey swam us to where the whale was resting again and that amazing experience we had just gone through happened one more time. Incredible. Supposedly this is one of the few places in the world that you’re allowed to swim near whales so do not miss out.
Can’t say enough about the whale watching/ swimming tour with Ivy and Christophe. Ivy had a wealth of knowledge about whales and the island plus a fun personality! We saw many tail breaches which was unusual and exciting. Even though we had to wait our turn in a queue of boats to swim out to the where the whales were- it was well worth it. We did have to swim at a good pace to get out to the area so it is not for the faint-hearted. We got up close and personal with a mama and baby humpback- it was MAGICAL!!! Ivy filmed everything with her Go Pro and was able to air drop several videos to us. Highly recommend this experience with Lagoon Vibes- it is a once in a lifetime one!
We honestly planed our entire vacation around this excursion.
It did not disapoint one bit.
The guide and capitain work their butts off making the experience special without taking any unnecesary risks, which is common when it comes to wildlife experiences.
We ended up going twice, couldnt recomend it more.
It was magic! We saw a singer and it was an absolutely stunnig experience. The crew was very experienced. Highly recommended
We were able to get very close to a mother humpback and her calf! The guide was awesome and informative. She made us feel very comfortable in the water. This was a once in a lifetime experience for me and my husband!
It was challenging swimming in open water. But the reward was great to experience sharing a moment with one of the largest mammals on the planet.
Amazing experience! The staff were extremely professional, and Lagoon Vibes provided us with everything we needed. I swam just a few centimetres away from a baby whale and its mother—it was absolutely unforgettable!Emotional!! Thank you
We booked two tours with Lagoon Vibes and were absolutely not disappointed. Ivy gave it her all and, together with Christoph, made sure we had an amazing day out on the water.
After only a short time, we were already in the water with a mother and her calf, accompanied by an escort. It was truly one of the most beautiful moments of my life. We were able to observe the group for a long time, sometimes from incredibly close by. The curious little calf kept coming back to the surface and seemed to inspect us!
We eventually returned to the boat — but not for long. Two adult whales were nearby, and once again we had the incredible opportunity to get into the water and see them up close.
What we especially loved about Lagoon Vibes was how warm and welcoming Ivy is and how much passion she puts into every tour. You can really feel how much she cares about the animals and about giving her guests an unforgettable experience.
If you’re thinking about booking a whale tour in French Polynesia, don’t hesitate to book with Lagoon Vibes! We wholeheartedly recommend them. ❤️🐋
Easily the coolest experience my partner and I have ever done. Ivy and Christof were informative, fun, and masters of their craft. Right when our excursion started, they had already confirmed a sighting and wasted no time getting our group to the location so we were able to see two whales successfully our first time getting into the water. It was absolutely phenomenal and Ivy ensured our group was prepared, informed, and enjoying ourselves the entire time both in and out of the water. You can tell she really loves what she does, which makes the experience that much more enjoyable. We went to two other locations, where we were able to hear and just make out some singers, which was also an incredible experience to get to hear and FEEL the vibrations of their song while in the water. Overall, this was an absolutely fantastic experience and one we would recommend and do again with Ivy and her team. Thank you Ivy and Christof!
Ivy and the captain were absolutely incredible and very knowledgable! Ivy made sure everyone was aware of the rules to keep us all safe. We had an amazing experience with a mom and calf, and even Ivy said it was a memorable one! 10/10 would recommend. Being in the water with these majestic creatures is life changing!
I had the chance to swim with humpbacks thanks to Ivy’s passion and professionalism. I cannot express how grateful I am to lagoon vibes and again Ivy for making my dream come true. Mauruuru roa 🙏🏼☺️🤩🤯
This was a last minute booking and first time going with a group and not private. It was excellent.
Only 6 allowed on boat, which is important as only 6 can get in the water at a time.
One of our party could not swim well, never used flippers on ocean and did not want to wear 3mm wetsuit and wanted life jacket. Captain Christoph and Ivy let her know this would not be possible unless she was confident. I liked that the crew thought of the rest of the party and the whales NOT the individual who had not done research.
Morning conditions we rough and it took a lot of swimming to get to the first 2 whales. This is not an activity for the non swimmer.
Conditions were so rough that another passenger/swimmer suffered with sea sickness and could only complete 1 drop. I felt so bad for her as she and her partner were on their honeymoon. So by the 3rd and best drop of the day there were only 3 of us plus Ivy in the water to witness a curious, spinning and dancing solo male.
Great day where the Lagoon Vibes team did their best to avoid all the other boats.
Great trip and only advice I would give is to try Tahiti for whale watching. Less boats, more bays, less rough conditions and great vibes too.
Thank you Lagoon Vibes, we’re glad you have is an excellent time and expertise in Moorea and that you believe in looking after the integrity and safety of all.
Excellent experience! The guide, Ivy, did a great job of orienting us at the beginning. They had all the snorkeling equipment and wet suits for you if needed (we brought our own shorty wet suits and mask/snorkel and only used their fins). Once out on the water the captain and Ivy were constantly communicating with the other boats out doing the same thing. All the boats were very respectful of each other and the whales. We came upon a couple of whales toward the beginning, but there were other boats in the area, so we moved on to another location, guided in part by the underwater microphone and communications from others. We eventually encountered a couple of whales along with two other boats. We were quickly in the water, led by Ivy. After a vigorous sprint-like swim to where she thought we would find them, we waited a bit while she free dove and moved around a bit. We followed after her and eventually we saw two whales! We watched them briefly before they were no longer visible under water, then we looked up at the surface and saw them just a bit in the distance and observed them dive with full flukes, amazing! Then, we moved around a bit as Ivy and the guides from the other two boats communicated and eventually we saw them again, what seemed like right underneath us! They swam past us and surfaced again in the distance, and again we saw them dive with full flukes. Both encounters were brief, but it was amazing! We were blessed with very calm seas during this part of our excursion. It is important to note that you need to be very comfortable in the water, this is the deep blue ocean outside the reef. My wife and I are experienced snorkelers, but we are 64 and 62 years old and not in super great shape, I guess average shape, and we were able to handle the rigorous swim, but it definitely stretched us. We would have passed on getting in the water a second time if we had encountered any more whales. You also need to be prepared to slip into the water over the side of the boat and get back in via a ladder on your own. For us the seas were calm, it if it was rocking a bit you would just need to be prepared for getting up the ladder. One thing great about this excursion is that they limit the group size to six guests. This means that everyone can get in the water all at the same time. We understand that there is a limit of six swimmers plus a guide from any boat at one time. Bigger boats with more than six (we saw some doing 12) must take shifts. This reduces your chances of getting an in water encounter. We have read reviews and seen you tube videos where people were not able to get an in water encounter with whales, even after multiple rigorous “swim sprints.” You need to be prepared with your expectations that you may or may not get the encounter. We were blessed to experience it, and it was amazing!
This was a tour of Lifetime. We had seen humpback whales before but laws in most countries only allow you to get up to 100 m distance and that’s all. This is swimming with the humpbacks up close. They swam beside us and even underneath us. Our Tour guide Julie was out of this world. Energetic positive and truly loves her job. And why not?
We had a wonderful trip with Ivy. She knows everything about wales and the marine life. We were so lucky to see a mother with a young baby wale and Ivy made an incredible video of it. Best wale trip ever
I went whale watching with Lagoon Vibes twice, and I absolutely loved the experience! I had originally booked just one tour, but I enjoyed it so much that as soon as I got back, I immediately booked the next available trip with them!
I was with Ivy and Christophe, who were both amazing, very friendly, and incredibly knowledgeable. The briefing was clear and thorough, and I really appreciated how much care they took to make sure the experience was respectful of the whales and their environment.
It was an unforgettable experience, and the fact that I booked a second trip straight away probably says it all! I would absolutely recommend Lagoon Vibes to anyone wanting to see whales in Moorea. 🐋
Such a great experience! We had the most amazing encounters and everyone was awesome! Thankfully, I've was able to take and share some fantastic videos! Thank you again!
Amazing guide! She knew very well how to track the whales and she was very respectful with the animals.
Amazing experience, we could swim with multiple whales and hat lots of time with them in the water. Boat ist also very comfortable and the guides are great 👍👍
Once in a lifetime experience! Our group was lucky & able to actually swim with the whales! We saw several above water behavior like blows, breaching, & head slaps. We also saw a group of dolphins on our tour. Heads up, boat sitting idle may cause sea sickness depending on choppy water. Also, be patient. We saw most activity during the last half of tour. ; )
A dream came true!! First of all, Ivy and the Captain were amazing and incredible professionals. I loved that they respected all the rules to be able to swim with whales. We waited patiently until two huge humpback whales showed up in front of our boat and it was time to jump on the water to swim with them. So beautiful. Ivy was great guiding us through the swim. It was a windy day and still the captain was able to navigate in a very smooth way. I would repeat this tour with them 1000 times. Thank you Ivy and Captain!
Great experience, we were able to swim with a pair of whales twice at the end of the tour. Make sure to take sea sick medicine if you get seasick as even on a calm day the waves can be rocky.
It was a magnificent experience. After some searching, we spotted and saw whales up close, and it was thrilling.
The captain was excellent, and our guide, Ivy, was outstanding—courteous, polite, and very knowledgeable. She explained everything we needed to know and made the experience safe and captivating.
Ivy and the Captain were AMAZING! We were able to see several whales and swim close to them. She is very informative, knowledgeable and great personality. 10/10 recommend this tour!
my best friend and I went and had the most incredible experience! we saw many whales and got to swim alongside one. The guides were very kind and fun as well as knowledgeable. They made the experience better than imagined and with the small number of people on our group we had a greater experience on the water and got to see and swim with turtles as well. Would definitely recommend:)
Was a nice experience and we did see whales but didn’t get chance to swim with them. Ivy and Christophe were great guides nonetheless, gave us lots of fun facts, and took us to a great snorkelling spot where we saw rats and sharks when we realised the swimming wasn’t happening.
Ivy and Kristof (sp?) were very passionate and motivated to get our group a worthwhile whale watching and swimming experience. The day before our trip, they saw 0 whale activity, not even a sighting so we were very fortunate to see a bunch of whale activity. It took 3+ hours of navigating until we found one chance to go in the water and see them. We lucked out and got to see the mother whale and her calf in the water during a 20 minute swim! At this point, most other boats gave up and turned around, but we had this wonderful experience thanks to the determined nature of our guides. All provided equipment, including wetsuits and snorkels, functioned well. The boat ride was pleasant and not very choppy even during the storm on the way back to the quay.
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per personWas $228.35(-5%)
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Whale watching and swimming in Moorea
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