Swimming With Whales in French Polynesia: The 15 Best Boats

1.Swimming with Whales in Moorea (Half Day tour)

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 264 reviews · from $305Our pick

From Moorea, you spend about four hours searching for humpback whales from July through late November, with possible encounters with dolphins, rays, sharks, and turtles. Guides such as Johnny, Joe, Grace, and Laura provide safety instructions and ocean insight. Strong open-water swimming and snorkeling skills are required, though you may watch from the boat.

“Guide and Captain were skilled and made our experience safe and amazing. You need to be comfortable in the water and confident using mask and snorkel. You have to swim fast and be aware of your surroundings”

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2.Whale Watching Tours in Bora Bora

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 250 reviews · from $305

Join Simon or his team at Tohora Bora Bora for a small-group whale-watching trip lasting about 3.5 hours. Listen for humpback whales with a directional hydrophone, watch from the boat, or enter the open sea when conditions and whale behavior allow. Swimming more than 100 meters may be required, and sightings are never guaranteed.

“THANK YOU! An unforgettable day with whales 🐋🩵🫶🏼 Simon is the passionate and professional man of the sea. Thank you for these intense moments, we were able to go several times in the water to swim with the whales! What an incredible experience to be able to admire this beauty of nature. Thank you for your perseverance and knowledge. A dream come true.Auto-translated”

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3.Humpback whale watching and marine life in Moorea

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 199 reviews · from $327Top rated

Spend about three hours on Moorea’s ocean with Pacifik Attitude guides such as O’Neil, Doris, Mata, or Chewy. You’ll search for humpback whales, listen for whale song, and may enter the water when conditions and wildlife behavior allow. Spinner dolphins, turtles, stingrays, reef sharks, and colorful fish can also appear.

“The crew was excellent and very knowledgeable. They tried their best to put us in the best position possible to see the whales. Due to Mother Nature we weren’t able to swim with them, but that is not for their lack of not trying. If we came back I would book with them again.”

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4.Half day whale tour 4h00

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 181 reviews · from $191

Spend four hours searching Moorea’s waters for humpback whales with guides Kevin, Mahai, Michele, or Ari. You may swim near mothers and calves, then visit the lagoon for rays, reef sharks, turtles, and fish. The boat holds up to 12 people, but only six may enter the water at once. Good swimming ability is essential.

“A once in a lifetime experience! I would 1000% do this again. Kevin and Mahai were the best duo to captain our boat and take us swimming with the whales. My wife and I are not the greatest swimmers but his knowledge, experience, and leadership made us very comfortable. Kevin made sure we were all at team before getting in the water, we swam and looked out for each other. We got in the water, swam to 3 humpback whales and a few pilot whales and it was an incredible experience. It is the ocean so we encountered 2 whitetip sharks at the end. However we had signals and knowledge…”

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5.Private tour observing and swimming with humpback whales in Moorea

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 126 reviews · from $1,640

Spend about four hours aboard Mana Moorea Tours’ private Mana’hau boat, exploring Moorea’s bays, lagoon, and open sea. Guides including Nicky, Fabien, Lolo, and Lingee may tailor the outing around rays, sharks, turtles, dolphins, and seasonal humpback whales. Snorkeling gear and safety equipment are included, with pickup available.

“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!”

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6.Respectful whale excursion to Tahiti in 4h30

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 123 reviews · from $222

Set out from Papeete Marina for a four-and-a-half-hour search for humpback whales and spinner dolphins. A small boat carries up to 12 people, with guides such as Moana, Israel, Remy, and Bernardo sharing their knowledge of local sea life. If conditions and whale behavior allow, you may enter the water, then snorkel among tropical fish before enjoying fruit and drinks.

“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.”

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7.Half Day Small Group Whale Watching

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 88 reviews · from $267

Join captain and guide Mana for a four-hour whale-watching trip from Coco Beach in Moorea. The boat carries no more than six customers, keeping the outing calm and giving you room to enter the water when conditions allow. Humpbacks are seen from August to November, with snorkeling gear, fruit, juice, water, and punch provided.

“Our guide ◇Mana was incredible and his compassion for the whales and care in human interaction was great to see. His patience with me as a relative snorkeling novice was a gift. This was one of the most memorable experiences of this and many other trips! Thank you!”

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8.Tahiti island: Whale watching Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 79 reviews · 5 hours · from $227

Join a maximum of 12 people for a five-hour Tahiti whale-watching trip led in English, French, or Portuguese. Guides such as Israel, Teva, and Moana help you look for humpback whales, dolphins, and other marine life. If conditions and whale behavior allow, you may enter the water. Fruit, drinks, and snorkeling gear are included.

“Amazing experience! The guides were really friendly and informative, swimming with the humpback whales was out of this world. Thank you!”

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9.Whale watching and snorkelling in Moorea

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 64 reviews · from $230

Spend about four hours off Moorea with Lagoon Vibes, watching humpback whales and, if sea conditions allow, swimming near them with an aquatic guide. Ivy and Christophe lead small groups of up to six, supply snorkel gear and wetsuits, and may also find dolphins, turtles, sharks, and rays.

“This was the best whale swimming tour I have done in Moorea. The team was prepared the boat comfortable and only4 people which is good for an intimate experience and no turns! We swam 3 times and also found dolphins and turtles!”

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10.Whale watching in Moorea

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 58 reviews · from $194

Leave Moorea at 8:30 a.m. for a three-hour whale-watching trip with Top Jet & Top Quad Moorea. From July 20 to November 20, you may swim near humpback whales under strict approach rules, then visit the lagoon for turtles, rays, blacktip sharks, and possible dolphins. The boat holds no more than 12 people, but strong swimming skills are required.

“To do absolutely!! Even if we didn’t get into the water to see the whales (lots of swell for us), we could see them jump! And the other stops on top, swim with turtles, sharks and rays. We were able to stroke the lines too. Thanks to fred and the whole team for making our dreams come true. You are on top of the top!!!Auto-translated”

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11.Guided Small Group Whale Watching and Swim Tour Tahiti

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 57 reviews · from $238

Set out from Papeete at 8:00 a.m. with guide Teiki and an experienced captain for a four-and-a-half-hour search for humpback whales, July through November. You may snorkel with whales only when behavior and sea conditions allow. The trip also includes turtles, rays, coral gardens, wrecks, snacks, wetsuits, and a maximum of six passengers.

“We highly recommend this tour group for your humpback whale adventure. All gear is provided with detailed instruction on interacting with whales. Both the ship Captain and Dive instructor were excellent at locating whales and went above and beyond to ensure we had a wonderful experience. Overall a fantastic excursion that exceeded our expectations.”

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12.Moorea 4H Shared Boat Tour Whale Swimming and Snorkeling

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 52 reviews · 4 hours · from $259

Join Captain Yannick and guide Clovis on a four-hour Moorea boat trip for up to six people. From August to November, you may swim near humpback whales, then snorkel with rays, blacktip reef sharks, turtles, and tropical fish. Hotel-ponton pickup, drinks, fruit, masks, snorkels, and fins are provided.

“Hands down the BEST in all of Moorea, maybe even the best whale swimming in the whole world. Our guide was so friendly and very knowledgeable, he knew exactly where the whales would swim to the surface. We got within a couple of metres of the whales - once in a lifetime opportunity! Definitely recommend them and definitely would do again.”

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13.WHALE TOUR – Watching and Swimming with Whales

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 52 reviews · from $327

Join Temoana Tours in Moorea for about four hours on the open sea, watching and possibly swimming with humpback whales. Guides such as Henua and Nicolas search for favorable conditions, then place small groups in the water only when whale behavior allows. Expect a strenuous outing, changing sea conditions, and no guarantee of a close encounter.

“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.”

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14.Whale Watching Bora Bora

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 46 reviews · from $304

Spend about 3.5 hours aboard a small boat with a captain and marine-life guide, searching for humpback whales, dolphins, orcas, rorquals, and turtles. Pickup is available by boat, and the crew provides snorkel gear, towels, jackets, bags, fresh water, tea, and a snack. Sightings are never guaranteed, but swimming near whales is possible when conditions and animal behavior allow.

“Sebastian and BG were amazing guides. We saw a momma and baby. They were experts with finding the whales and explaining what we needed to do. Highly recommend.”

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15.Sacred Experience Swimming with a Whale in Moorea

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 46 reviews · from $157Best value

Join Moorea Reo Tours from Marina Vai’are for a four-hour search for humpback whales, led by local guides Averii and Anthony. Six people may enter the water, while up to four observers can ride along at a reduced rate. Expect whale watching, possible dolphin sightings, snorkeling gear, fruit, drinks, and a clear safety briefing.

“amazing, magical experience! moorea reo was the best - extremely knowledgeable and fun as well. we ended up moving our tour location to a different place in order to get better sea conditions and they very clearly communicated anRead more”

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