Pacific Islands · WHALE WATCHING

The 15 Best Whale Watching Trips in French Polynesia

43 tours  ·  from $128

Humpbacks come through from roughly July to October and nothing runs outside that window. The 15 below compare the boats, the group sizes and the operators who put a guide in the water with you.

Swimming with Whales in Moorea (Half Day tour) - Finding whales between July and late November
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Swimming with Whales in Moorea (Half Day tour)

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

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

Join Moorea Expedition for a four-hour ocean trip limited to six swimmers per boat under 2025 rules. From July through late November, the crew searches for humpback whales, with possible encounters with dolphins, stingrays, sharks, and turtles. Strong open-water swimming and snorkeling skills are required. Guides including Johnny, Joe, and Laura have led memorable outings.

“This was an amazing experience from pick up to drop off. Taxi was on time at resort and super pleasant. Johnny and his captain were tremendous, safety was a priority for the whales and participants. He explained everything wonderfully and offered in both French and English. We were able to make two entries into the water the first with a mom and two calves and the second the same, except from the boat you could see there were two pods meeting up. The captain and Johnny navigating to the second entry point was amazing to watch — how they understood the ocean, whales and movements. We didn’t focus on taking…”

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Whale Tour - Observe and swim with whales - Entering the water near humpback whales
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Whale Tour – Observe and swim with whales

2.Whale Tour – Observe and swim with whales

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 257 reviews · from $270Top rated

Set out from Moorea with an experienced boat crew to look for humpback whales, dolphins, and sharks. If conditions and animal behavior allow, you may enter the water in groups of six guests plus a guide. The trip also includes lagoon snorkeling with stingrays and reef sharks. Pickup, gear, water, and a flotation device are included.

“Wow, what an incredible experience! Really surreal. With only a few days left in the season, there was a good chance we weren't going to see any whales but we got super lucky in seeing a mother and calf not once, but twice! The first time shRead more”

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Whale Watching Tours in Bora Bora - The hydrophone adds a second way to meet the whales
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Whale Watching Tours in Bora Bora

3.Whale Watching Tours in Bora Bora

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

Spend about 3.5 hours offshore with Tohora Bora Bora, led by Simon and his team, searching for humpback whales. Hear their songs through a directional hydrophone, watch from the boat, or enter the open sea if conditions and whale behavior allow. Swimming is never guaranteed and requires strong fitness.

“It was an amazing journey! Simon and his team did a great job to find the location of whales! Thank you for the impression and memories!”

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Swim with humpback whales - What the whale swim feels like
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Swim with humpback whales

4.Swim with humpback whales

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 224 reviews · from $264

Set out from Moorea at 8:30 a.m. with Corallina Tours for a three-hour boat trip in search of humpback whales, then swim with rays and black-tip sharks in a lagoon. English and French-speaking guides, snorkeling gear, water, and round-trip transport are included. Expect open-ocean swimming and a maximum of 12 people.

“Although we saw whales, it's unfortunate that the whales were constantly moving, so we couldn't swim together with them.”

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Humpback whale watching and marine life in Moorea - Searching for whales with O’Neil, Chewy, Doris, and Mata
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Humpback whale watching and marine life in Moorea

5.Humpback whale watching and marine life in Moorea

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

Spend about three hours off Moorea searching for humpback whales, dolphins, turtles, rays, sharks, and reef fish. Guides such as O’Neil, Chewy, Doris, and Mata explain the animals and set safe swimming rules. Whale swimming is possible from July 20 to November 20, but sightings and water entry depend on nature, weather, and whale behavior.

“Le guide sono state davvero brave, a timonare la barca con le onde, a trovare le Balene grazie al microfono marino e soprattutto abbiamo avuto la possibilità di nuotare con 2 balene!”

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Half day whale tour 4h00 - Ōpūnohu Bay provides the practical test
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Half day whale tour 4h00

6.Half day whale tour 4h00

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

Spend four hours searching Moorea’s humpback whales with guides such as Kevin and Mahai, then snorkel among reef sharks and rays when conditions allow. The boat carries up to 12 people, but only six may enter the water at once. Masks, fins, snorkels, and drinks are included. Strong swimming ability is important.

“My husband really liked swimming with the whales, an experience of a lifetime. However I decided to stay on the boat after we experienced the "test" swim. Which i was not planning on doing and it was disappointing. I did pay for the experience!! The swim out to reach the whales was a long, hard swim in the open sea. Which we were tested on to see if we could quickly swim the length of a football field in the bay before we went out to sea. I only have one hard swim in me and was sad to waste it on a "test". That is after our guide gave…”

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Private tour observing and swimming with humpback whales in Moorea - Swimming with whales: what you should expect
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Private tour observing and swimming with humpback whales in Moorea

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

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

Join Mana Moorea Tours for a four-hour private trip aboard the Mana'hau, limited to eight people. With guides such as Nicky, Fabien, Lolo, or Lingee, you may watch or swim with humpback whales from July to November, snorkel with rays, sharks, and turtles, visit Moorea’s bays, and try the towed underwater board.

“Lolo and Lingee were awesome! Finding whales is hard, getting in position with moving whales is even harder! But we did it! We got to be with a mother and calf and words can’t describe how magical it was to be there with them! Unbelievable!”

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Respectful whale excursion to Tahiti in 4h30 - What an in-water whale encounter really requires
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Respectful whale excursion to Tahiti in 4h30

8.Respectful whale excursion to Tahiti in 4h30

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

Set out from Papeete Marina for a 4.5-hour search for dolphins and humpback whales aboard a boat limited to 12 people. Guides such as Moana, Israel, Remi, and Bernardo share marine-life knowledge and may help you enter the water if conditions allow. Fruit, drinks, snorkel gear, and a lagoon stop are included.

“The crew was great. They are very knowledgeable and passionate. It was truly an amazing experience. Highly recommend!”

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Half Day Small Group Whale Watching - Meeting the humpback whales from August to November
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Half Day Small Group Whale Watching

9.Half Day Small Group Whale Watching

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

From August to November, join captain Mana or another experienced guide from Moorea Sea Experience for a four-hour whale-watching trip limited to six people. Look for humpback whales from Antarctica, with possible in-water encounters conducted carefully and respectfully. Fruit, drinks, and snorkeling equipment are included.

“We got to swim with an entire family of whales (mama, calf, and dad), not once but twice! It was truly a life changing experience! The crew was super knowledgeable. Our guide was both caring in terms of watching out for folks who wereRead more”

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Tahiti island: Whale watching Experience - What the boat day feels like
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Tahiti island: Whale watching Experience

10.Tahiti island: Whale watching Experience

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

Set out from Tahiti for a five-hour whale-watching trip with up to 12 people. Your English, French, or Portuguese-speaking guides search for humpback whales, dolphins, and other marine life. If conditions and whale behavior allow, you may enter the water. Drinks, fruit, and snorkeling gear are included, but bring a towel.

“whale watching is quite something - animal and nature lovers, who are decent swimmers (and not afraid to be in the open sea) will love this.”

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Whale watching and snorkelling in Moorea - Searching for whales along the coast
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Whale watching and snorkelling in Moorea

11.Whale watching and snorkelling in Moorea

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

Set out from Moorea’s cruise quay with guide Ivy and captain Christoph to search for humpback whales along the coast. You may watch from the boat or enter the open ocean with fins and mask when sea conditions and whale behavior allow. The small group, supplied gear, drinks, and possible dolphin and turtle sightings add value.

“Ivy and Christof were a great team; Ivy had so much energy and shared loads of information about the whales and the island. We had a beautiful day on the water and spotted several whales from the boat, some breaching really close and swimming alongside us for a while which was pretty special. We jumped in to swim and from the water got a glimpse of a tale ahead but didn’t see any whales up close in the water - they were likely around but due to the swell the underwater visibility was not great. But it was still an incredibly special experience to be swimming out in open ocean…”

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Whale watching in Moorea - The 8:30 a.m. departure from Temae
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Whale watching in Moorea

12.Whale watching in Moorea

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

Set out from Temae at 8:30 a.m. for a three-hour whale-watching trip with a maximum of 12 people. With licensed guides in the water, you may swim about 150 meters round trip near humpback whales before snorkeling Moorea Lagoon with turtles, rays, blacktip sharks, and possibly dolphins. Whale sightings and swims are never guaranteed.

“We had a great time on the boat! We were not apart of the resort where the pick up spot was (we were in an airbnb)! Next time i would make it clear you must be staying at the resort to be picked up there!”

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Guided Small Group Whale Watching and Swim Tour Tahiti - Searching for humpback whales from July to November
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Guided Small Group Whale Watching and Swim Tour Tahiti

13.Guided Small Group Whale Watching and Swim Tour Tahiti

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

Join Wild Explorer Tahiti for a four-and-a-half-hour whale tour from Papeete, limited to six people. Guides Teiki and Captain Michael search for humpbacks from July to November, then may offer carefully managed snorkeling with whales, turtles, rays, and coral gardens when sea conditions and animal behavior are right.

“What can we say but WOW, INCREDIBLE, AMAZING EXPERIENCE! Teiki and captain Michael went way above beyond to insure we had the best adventure! We did three dives to see a mama humpback and her baby. Once in a lifetime memorRead more”

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Moorea 4H Shared Boat Tour Whale Swimming and Snorkeling - What whale season means in Moorea
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Moorea 4H Shared Boat Tour Whale Swimming and Snorkeling

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

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

Join Ariki Tours for a four-hour Moorea boat trip limited to six people. Captain Yannick and water guide Clovis may take you to humpback whales from August to November, followed by lagoon swims with rays, blacktip sharks, turtles, and tropical fish. Fruit, drinks, gear, and selected hotel-pier pickups are included.

“The tour was excellent, the crew were excellent, everything exceeded our expectation. We would recommend this to everyone!”

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WHALE TOUR - Watching and Swimming with Whales - Mother and calf encounters are the great prize
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WHALE TOUR – Watching and Swimming with Whales

15.WHALE TOUR – Watching and Swimming with Whales

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

From Moorea’s cruise pier, Temoana Tours takes you out for about four hours to watch and possibly swim with humpback whales. Guides such as Henua, Nicolas, Nico, and Johan assess the sea and whale behavior before each launch. The boat is open-air, the activity is strenuous, and the advertised group size is six.

“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”

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