Whale season
Moorea humpback whale snorkeling on this site is one shared boat that sets off to find humpback whales during the season, August to November, with the chance to swim alongside them. It costs $247 per person, takes six people at most and is listed at 3.5 hours. Here is what it includes, the life jacket rule, and what to book in the other months.
Quick answer
The short answer. Moorea humpback whale snorkeling happens between August and November, on the $247 shared boat: the only tour here built around the whales, six people at most, 142 reviews at 4.6. No listing promises a sighting. For the rest of the year the listing says nothing about whales, so book a lagoon tour instead; lagoon tours here start at $83.
The season
Four months on one boat, and nothing promised outside them.
The whale listing is clear about timing: the boat sets off to encounter humpback whales «during the season (August to November)». Those four months are the window for Moorea humpback whale snorkeling, and they are the only months the listing names. It does not say what the trip does from December to July, so we do not guess, and you should not book it for whales in those months.
Moorea whale snorkeling on this site comes down to that single listing. None of the other eleven tours here mentions whales in its description: they are lagoon and reef trips, built around rays, blacktip reef sharks, turtles and coral.
Inside the season, a sighting is still not promised. The listing speaks of an opportunity to swim alongside the whales, not a certainty, and the reviews further down show both kinds of morning.
On the boat
Everything below comes from the Moorea humpback whale snorkeling listing itself.
A local guide takes you out on a shared boat limited to six participants, so everyone gets time in the water.
From August to November the boat looks for humpback whales, with the chance to swim alongside them.
With enough time, there are swims with stingrays, blacktip reef sharks and turtles. The listing makes this conditional, so treat it as a bonus.
Those are the listing's own words. No sighting of any animal is promised.
You meet at the tourist office in Paopao. Hotel pickup is not in the key details, so plan your own way there.
Comfortable swimwear, sunscreen and a waterproof camera. Be ready for occasional splashes on the ride.
The rules
A life jacket in the water, or your own wetsuit.
One rule shapes Moorea humpback whale snorkeling here. In the listing's words, «French regulations require the wearing of a life jacket during whale swimming excursions». The crew provides life jackets for anyone without a wetsuit.
There is one exception. A neoprene wetsuit, either a shorty or a full-body suit, counts instead of the jacket. The listing puts it plainly: «If you prefer not to wear a life jacket, please make sure to bring your own wetsuit». The wetsuit is yours to bring; the listing does not say one is handed out.
So you have two options: wear the jacket the crew provides, or pack your own shorty or full suit. Nothing in the listing sets a swimming level for this tour, so if you have doubts about the open water, ask before you book.
Beyond the whales
If time allows, the whale boat also stops for rays, sharks and turtles. These frames show the waters around the island.
A dolphin leaps clear of grey water below a steep green slope, with houses along the shore and a cloud-wrapped peak behind.
Five small sharks with dark-tipped fins cruise over rippled sand in bright turquoise water, their shadows sharp on the bottom.
Seen from above, a sea turtle swims over pale blue water while several eagle rays glide past around it.
Clear turquoise shallows ripple over sand, with a white sailboat moored offshore and green peaks rising behind the shore.
Reviewers
The tour has 142 reviews at 4.6. These come from people who went during the season, quoted as written.
Emma from the United Kingdom, late August: «We saw whales pretty much right away and had plenty of time in the water with them. We also then stopped to see rays and reef sharks as well as turtles.»
Antje from the Netherlands, in October: «I was not expecting to get so close to the whales.»
Pany from the United States, in November, on a slower day: «It was hard to find the whales during the first few hours but the guides were determined…»
Isabel from Guernsey, at the very end of the season: «Despite not seeing any whales (end of the season), we saw lots of dolphins…» She adds leopard rays and plenty of turtles.
That is how Moorea humpback whale snorkeling works: some mornings the whales come close early, some take hours, and at the end of the season some bring dolphins and turtles instead. It is why the listing speaks of an opportunity rather than a promise.
Every tour, current fare
The whale boat and six lagoon tours for the other months. All prices are per person.
| Tour | Price | Price is for | Length | What the price covers | Where it starts | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whale boat, our top pick | $247 | per person | 3.5 h | Shared boat, six at most; life jacket, or bring a wetsuit | Tourist office, Paopao | 4.6 · 142 |
| Cooking class cruise | $83 | per person | 3 - 6 h | Coral gardens, poisson cru class on a motu, fruit and drinks | Pickup from hotel or ferry | 4.8 · 21 |
| Lagoon and reef | $113 | per person | 4 - 6 h | Reef and lagoon stops, a drink and snack; islet lunch as an option | Dock in Tiahura | 4.9 · 171 |
| Canoe and barbecue | $129 | per person | 6 h | Canoe for up to 12, rays and coral garden stops, barbecue lunch | Pickup included | 4.8 · 82 |
| Small group | $141 | per person | 4 - 6 h | Six at most, sandbar and outer reef, cocktail and fruit | Restaurant car park, Tiahura | 5.0 · 23 |
| Sea scooter | $159 | per person | 3.5 h | Sea scooter and snorkeling equipment; food not included | Marine centre; pickup as an option | 4.9 · 101 |
| Glass-bottom boat | $160 | per person | 5.5 h | Turtle sanctuary, tiki statues, lunch on a private motu | Roadside, by an orange flag | 4.9 · 87 |
December to July
Eight months of the year, the lagoon is the plan.
If your trip falls between December and July, skip the whale boat: its listing names August to November and says nothing about the other months. A lagoon morning is the better use of your time then, and it costs less.
The most reviewed tour on this site is the $113 lagoon and reef trip from Tiahura: 171 reviews at 4.9. It heads outside the coral reef, returns to the lagoon to swim with sea turtles, and stops where rays and sharks gather in shallow water, with a drink and snack on board or lunch on the islet as an option.
For the smallest group, the $141 trip takes six people at most, stops at the sandbar off Tiahura known for stingrays and sharks, and visits Haapiti, where the route lists spinner dolphins resting in the lagoon. Lunch at a local restaurant comes with its premium option.
On a tight budget, the $83 cooking class cruise picks you up from your hotel or the ferry, snorkels among coral gardens, and stops on a motu to learn poisson cru. Stingrays and blacktip reef sharks are often seen on the way. For lunch in the price, the $160 glass-bottom boat and the $129 canoe with barbecue both include one.
Before you book
A few minutes on the listing makes a Moorea humpback whale snorkeling morning go smoothly.
The listing names August to November. Outside those months it says nothing about whales.
The jacket is required for the swim. Bring your own shorty or full suit if you would rather not wear one.
You meet at the tourist office in Paopao, and pickup is not in the key details. Check the meeting time on the booking page.
The listing does not mention snorkel gear. Soleil Knight from the United States wrote that «they provided mask, snorkel and fins»; ask if you are unsure.
Free cancellation applies, as on every tour here. Check the deadline on the booking page before you pay.
Our verdict
Between August and November, book the $247 whale boat. Moorea humpback whale snorkeling here means six people at most, a local guide, and the chance to swim alongside humpbacks, with rays, sharks and turtles if time allows. Any other month, book the lagoon: the $113 lagoon and reef tour, 171 reviews at 4.9, or the $83 cooking cruise.
Book direct
The whale boat for August to November, and three lagoon tours for the other months. All four are priced per person.
★ 4.6 · 142 reviews
★ 4.9 · 171 reviews
★ 5.0 · 23 reviews
★ 4.8 · 21 reviews
Common questions
The whale listing gives it as «during the season (August to November)». That is the only window it names, and nothing in the listing covers the other months. Plan Moorea humpback whale snorkeling inside those four months.
Yes, in season. The $247 shared boat sets off to encounter humpback whales from August to November, with the chance to swim alongside them. A life jacket is required in the water unless you bring your own wetsuit. Sightings are not promised.
Yes, unless you wear a wetsuit. The listing says «French regulations require the wearing of a life jacket during whale swimming excursions». The crew provides jackets for those without a wetsuit; a shorty or full-body suit is the exception.
The listing does not say, so ask before you pay. One reviewer, Isabel from Guernsey, went at the end of the season and wrote: «Despite not seeing any whales (end of the season), we saw lots of dolphins…»
The ferry from Tahiti is not part of any tour here, and the whale boat meets at the tourist office in Paopao with no pickup in its key details. The only listing that names a ferry pickup is the $83 cooking cruise.
Six at most: the listing calls it a shared boat with a maximum of six people. Lagoon tours here that give a number take six to twelve, and the $336 private trip is your own group.
Your options
If your dates fall in August to November, plan your week around Moorea humpback whale snorkeling and keep a lagoon morning for another day. If they do not, the lagoon tours above cover rays, sharks, turtles and coral for less.
Go deeper
The stop with stingrays and blacktip reef sharks, and which tours include it.
TurtlesWhere tours look for sea turtles, and what the listings promise.
Boat daysLagoon boat days: a glass-bottom boat, a canoe with lunch, a floating lounge.
Getting thereReaching Moorea from Tahiti, and where the tours start on the island.
Moorea Shared Boat Tour Whale Swimming and Snorkeling
★ 4.6 · 142 reviews · 3.5 hours