Respectful whale excursion to Tahiti in 4h30
Badge of Excellence
Tahiti, French Polynesia
- 4 hours 15 minutes (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Group discounts
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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What's Included
- Snacks
- Bottled waterStill water and fruit juice
- Use of Snorkeling equipmentFins, mask, snorkel and life jacket
- Floating noodles, life jacket, buoy for children
- Bath towels
Meeting and Pickup
You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup
Itinerary
1
Tahiti by boat
15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
2
Tahiti
3 hours 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
3
Tahiti
30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received within 48 hours of booking, subject to availability
- Wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Transportation is wheelchair accessible
- Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Travelers should have a strong physical fitness level
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
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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
Outstanding, knowledgeable guide - he was able to predict when the whales would surface, then the six of us left our boat 300ft away and swam fast to get close. Fantastic experience. (He actually assisted our swimming by pulling us on a rope attached to a buoy - so strong!). The whale was underneath us then surfaced right next to us. Unbelievable! Highly recommend Tahiti by Boat.
Reviews
4.4
based on 138 reviews
Sort by: Most insightful
We had high hopes for this tour based on other reviews. We were unable to see whales with the exception of a brief breach and that’s not the tour’s fault. However we signed up with the knowledge that the tour would be available in English translation. It was conducted primarily in French with the translation to English significantly less robust. There was no introduction of the guide or captain, no safety briefing (ie no info on life vests), and little information about the plan for the next 4-5 hours. The description indicates fresh fruit and drinks would be available, and if time permitted snorkeling in a lagoon. The snack was a half open package of cookies and shared fruit juice. There was no lagoon side trip offered. The weather and nature is out of the guide’s control of course but the experience on the boat itself is in their control. The description did not meet the actual experience.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Dear Janell,
Thank you for your feedback and we are very sorry you didn't get to see whales properly on that day.
Our guides do speak both English and French and we always try our best to provide information in both languages.
We understand that the disappointment comes mainly from not seeing whales, and we are truly sorry for that, as whale encounters in the wild can never be guaranteed despite all our efforts.
Kind regards,
The Tahiti By Boat Team
You may not always get to swim with the whales. Your guides will determine if it is safe to do so on the day of your excursion and i appreciate their knowledge about the environment/conditions surrounding these animals.
Response from Host, Sep 2026
Dear Jessica,
Thank you so much for your lovely review and for your understanding.
You are absolutely right - swimming with the whales is never guaranteed and always depends on the ocean conditions and the behavior of the animals. Our priority will always be the respect and safety of the whales, and of our guests.
We are glad you appreciated our guide's knowledge and our respectful approach. That is exactly what we aim for at Tahiti By Boat.
We hope to welcome you again on board!
Warm regards,
Tahiti By Boat Team
Outstanding, knowledgeable guide - he was able to predict when the whales would surface, then the six of us left our boat 300ft away and swam fast to get close. Fantastic experience. (He actually assisted our swimming by pulling us on a rope attached to a buoy - so strong!). The whale was underneath us then surfaced right next to us. Unbelievable! Highly recommend Tahiti by Boat.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
Maruru roa! 🌴 for taking the time to share your amazing review! We're thrilled to hear that you had a fantastic whale encounter with our team 🐳. Our guides are passionate about providing exceptional experiences, and it's great to hear that their knowledge and expertise shone through 💡. We're grateful for customers like you who make our job so rewarding! 🙏 Mahalo for choosing Tahiti by Boat 🌊, and we hope to welcome you back soon! 🌴"
Boat and crew were first rate. Very friendly and professional. Equipment was excellent.
Can’t give 5 stars when a whale watching excursion turns into a four hour boat ride. Seeing no whales. But that’s not the crew’s fault.
Response from Host, Oct 2025
"Sorry to hear you didn't spot any whales during your tour! However, it's great to hear that the crew was friendly and professional, and the equipment was excellent. We appreciate your feedback and hope you'll have better luck next time!"Would you be available to come back with us ?
The guides were knowledgeable and fun. It was great to have a small group - we had 11 people in our boat.
Response from Host, Sep 2025
"Merci, NatalieGarvis, pour votre avis ! Nous sommes ravis que vous ayez apprécié les guides, leur connaissance et leur sens de l'humour ! Nous sommes également heureux que la taille de notre groupe ait été idéale pour vous offrir une expérience personnalisée et agréable. Nous nous efforçons de maintenir des groupes petits pour garantir que nos clients puissent profiter pleinement de l'expérience ! 🐳😊"
There is nothing bad to say about this excursion. The boat picked us up on time and the Captain Moana and crew member Israel were very friendly and knowledgeable.
We saw Spinner Dolphins in the Lagoon before heading out to the ocean to find the Humpback Whales. Once located, and it was safe to go in the water, we did and made our way towards them, with Israel at the front.
The experience of being that close to Humpback Whales and their baby was amazing. We spent around 45 mins in the water (but could have been more). We then returned to the boat for a drink before heading to a sand bank to do some snorkeling, have some fruit and more drinks.
We then were dropped off where we were picked up.
Highly recommended excursion.
If you want to win 139 euros DON’T Go on this tour. We were expecting to see some whales. Sitting in a boat and waiting for a whale to appear, God must love not only you but all the passengers in the boat. What we saw from afar was a bit of a whale's back. as for snorkeling to see fish that too was a failure. some passengers vomited even though the crew said we had very good weather. while in the afternoon of the previous day a message was received if I would like to change the day of the excursion. I'm crying my 139 euros!!!!!!
The reason for a low rating is because how unprofessional and abusive the guide (not the captain) was. We followed his instructions and jumped in the ocean. He then yelled at us for not following his instructions. He then threatened us to go back to the boat. A few minutes later he criticized me for not swimming fast enough. He ended up blaming us for not swimming with the whales.
We have never been treated in such a rude and threatening manner as a paying customer. This is supposed to be fun.
Swimming with wild animals is unpredictable but customers should not be treated in this manner.
Unfortunately the seas were not friendly and the whales were hiding. We searched for 4 hrs. The boat crew was lovely, nature was not on our side
Sadly booked this at least a month prior… they overbooked and wanted us to change to another day just a day or so prior…we already had another commitment… told us we could go snorkeling instead not whale watching… we managed to find another tour on our own… be careful
Great experience! At first we weren't certain we were going to see any whales, but as the trip progressed two mothers with their two babies came out to play. I wouldn't expect to swim with them as the seas were rough and it took a lot of effort just to swim in the waves. But we had a great spring experience. Our guides were very experienced and great fun.
Awesome adventure searching for whales! Our guides were so fun and shared their love of the ocean and its inhabitants.
Unfortunately we didn’t see any whales. Other boats seem to communicate with each other but this captain didn’t. We rode around for three hours and then went to a snorkel spot with stingrays. Staff were friendly but didn’t communicate with passengers very much.
We went of this tour in the morning on a Wednesday. There were 6 couples on the boat and 2 crew. We met our captain adjacent to our cruise ship dock and headed off to search for whales. As a long time skipper of our own cruising yacht in Australia, I was very surprised that at no time were we provided with any type of safety briefing. Lifejackets were obviously contained in overhead storage Hamm,ocks, however these were never demonstrated to passengers. All we were asked on boarding was whether my wife and I were strong swimmers, which we are having snorkelled for much of our lives.
We cruised south from Papeete harbour offshore from the reef in search of whales for approximately 2 and half hours. However, in that time we only saw one whale and calf in the distance and soon lost sight of them. This obviously is not the fault of the operators, nature's schedule does not always align with ours. However, following that period of time, we started heading towards Papeete harbour with no information provided by the crew as to what we were actually doing or what to expect next. At one point, we were asked if we wanted a break? We said yes and the boat was diverted inside the reef to a place where other divers were, in a area that was not very calm and told if we wanted to go snorkelling then jump in and that we would only be there around 10minutes. The crew were asked what was here to look at we were told there were fish! That was it. The crew were then asked if we were doing more searching for whales and they said we could on the way back, so all passengers agreed we would rather do that. The crew then headed the boat back outside the reef and we headed north again close to the reef but the crew didn't appear to be interested in searching for whales.
During the return trip, the boat re-entered the lagoon where we had to stop and drift while the captain topped the fuel tank. We then headed off again inside the lagoon. At this time one of the crew cut up some fruit, offered a drink (fruit juice, beer or water). The boat then continued back to the dock at Papeete with no further information provided by the crew.
While the lack of whales to observe and/or dive with can't be helped, my wife and I were pretty disappointed with this tour. It certainly didn't live up to the description in the Viator website which was disappointing and left us with a feeling of being short-changed given what we paid for the tour - $450 AUD!!! Frustratingly at no time during the tour did the crew provide any details on the plan for the day or what to expect during the tour. Interestingly I note that this particular tour does not seem to be being offered anymore on the Viator web site. Maybe that is a good thing.
Captin Remi & his diver Israel were amazing. The boat trip alone was wonderful even if we had not seen whales. But as luck would have it we had the awesome experience of a mother & her calf right there in the water with us. I highly recommend booking this excursion. In addition we did shallow snorkeling too with wonderful fruit snacks. Also the group was small which was a plus too. Thanks much for affording us a memory of a life time. Libby Cook
It was super relaxed search for the whales. Israel and Moana are masters and they are super respectful with a mother nature. We were lucky enough to see a mom with a baby humpback and a few dolphins having a good time jumping around. Thank youuu.
The crew was great. They are very knowledgeable and passionate. It was truly an amazing experience. Highly recommend!
This was the highlight of my trip. It was the end of the season, so we didn't expect to see much. However, we got to swim with a mom and her calf. It was a truly magical experience.
So fun! Started out sunny, ended rainy but who cares?!? The guides were so nice and very well-versed in humpback 🐋 info. The season ends 11/11 and I went on 11/5 & still managed to catch site of a mom and her calf! We then had some fresh fruit and went to the Lagoon for some shallow-water snorkeling...wonderful time, highly recommended! BTW if you are American, they do speak both French and English!
Seeing this huge whale jump out of the water right in front of me.....unbelievable, remarkable, exhilarating, unforgettable. Thought I was going to get caught in a tsunami. This company has the utmost respect for the animals in the ocean. They are in tune with these large mammals and watch their every move to ensure safety to their customers and wildlife. These two young men are very professional and caring. Undoubtably the best experience in my life.
THANK YOU
One of the best whale watching excursions I ever attended. Snorkelling in the presence of Humpback whales is an experience I’ll never forget.
Most memorable was being eye to eye with a whale and her baby. Swimming with the whales was extraordinary! Our guides, Moana and Bernardo were great. We found whales the first hour and were able to swim with them right away. Then we saw a few whales breaching and that capped off the day.
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 a terrific rum punch.
Got to swim with whales the staff were lovely definitely worth doing just maybe not book through Viator as they had over booked and 6 people couldn’t come
The tour was not in english even though I booked one for english. No instructions given, you were yelled at and refused if u wanted lifejacket. They said they were out of flippers so my husband and I had no way to swim with whales. We only had 10 minutes at the sand bar bc they were rushing to get back to get more people. Also it was 3 hours instead of 5 like the description
Most amazing once in a lifetime experience! Both captain and mate were friendly and found close by whales. The boat capacity of 12 was really nice...no big group or crowd. I had a little trouble locating the boat, but I was able to call (shockingly on my US tmobile phone). The person on the other end got me right where I needed to be! Thank you all!
Beautiful scenery, but non cooperative whales! Were able to track a couple of mothers with calves, but they kept moving, so couldn’t get close to them. Got in the water once, but not able to get close enough to see them, either above or below water. Quite disappointing, but that’s Mother Nature! Did do a stop at end in shallow lagoon to see a couple nice sized sting rays. Nice platter of local fruits and tasty rum punch at end.
Best day in Tahiti! The group is super knowledgable about whales and their behaviour and are very respectful about them and rules within the channel between Mo’orea and Tahiti. We’ve been very lucky as we not only saw a whale and her calf, but also managed to swim with them!
What a great trip with a great team .. Remy and Israel are great .
The trip was one of my top 10 things I have done in my life .
Amazing tour. The guides were fantastic - educational and you felt very safe with them. Swimming with the whales was one of the most incredible experiences, such beautiful and majestic creatures.
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