Sea turtles in the lagoon
Seven of the twelve tours on this site name sea turtles as part of the day, two mention them only if time or conditions allow, and three do not mention them at all. This Moorea snorkeling turtles guide sorts them by the exact words of each listing, where they look, and what the price covers.
Quick answer
The short answer. For Moorea snorkeling turtles with the strongest wording, take the $160 glass-bottom boat: it starts in a turtle sanctuary and its listing counts about 20 turtles there, rated 4.9 by 87 reviewers, with lunch on a motu. For the most reviews on the site, the $113 lagoon and reef tour (171 at 4.9) returns to the lagoon to dive with sea turtles. For the lowest fare among the seven, the $90 transparent kayak. No listing promises a sighting.
What is promised
Seven name turtles, two make them conditional, three leave them out.
Every listing on this site words turtles differently, and the wording is the most honest clue to what a Moorea snorkeling turtles day holds. Seven listings put turtles into the plan itself: a stop, a swim or a sanctuary. They still say nothing about how many you will meet, and none of them uses a word like promise.
Two listings make turtles conditional. The $247 whale swim, our top pick for its humpback encounters during the season (August to November), adds turtles only «with enough time». The $336 private boat says turtles come «If the weather conditions and your snorkeling level allow it».
Three listings do not mention turtles: the floating lounge, the cooking-class cruise and the helmet walk. They are built around stingrays, coral gardens and the sea floor instead.
Tour by tour
Quoted from each listing for your Moorea snorkeling turtles shortlist. Read the verbs: dive, swim, stop and observe are not the same as see.
«The tour starts in a turtle sanctuary», about 20 of them, where you can swim among them or watch through the glass floor.
After snorkeling outside the reef: «Return to the lagoon to dive with sea turtles».
«Swim with sea turtles in the lagoon». The itinerary gives the turtle stop 40 minutes, with six guests at most.
A stop at «the spot of the Tiki (Polynesian statue) and sea turtles», plus a coral garden.
The scooter glides over coral reefs, and the listing says you «swim with turtles», rays and tropical fish.
In the south-west lagoon you «encounter marine life» such as sea turtles, stingrays and blacktip reef sharks.
Paddling the Hauru lagoon, you «observe sea turtles passing under your glass-bottomed kayak».
Turtles, rays and sharks only «with enough time»; the humpback season runs August to November.
Green sea turtles «If the weather conditions and your snorkeling level allow it».
Where they look
The Moorea snorkeling turtles stops: a sanctuary, Tiahura and Hauru, the south-west lagoon and a protected zone.
The listings name places rather than coordinates. The glass-bottom boat begins its day in a turtle sanctuary. The lagoon and reef tour and the small-group tour both meet in Tiahura, on the north-west of the island, and find turtles back inside the lagoon after their time at the reef. The kayak launches from Tiahura Public Beach into the Hauru lagoon. The scenic cruise works the south-west lagoon, the canoe stops at the spot of the Tiki, and the private boat heads for the largest marine protected zone of the island.
Travellers often describe the Moorea lagoon snorkeling turtles stop as a drift with the current. Cherie from the United States, on the lagoon and reef tour: «we saw 7 turtles swim when we visited the current drift through the motus.» Anna-Maria from Austria, on the small-group tour: «The drift snorkel with the turtles was the best snorkel I've ever done!»
In the water
Turtles over coral, among rays and at the surface: three of the ways they turn up.
A green sea turtle lies still on a bed of grey coral rubble, its patterned shell and front flippers tucked in among the rocks.
A turtle swims through hazy turquoise water while dark eagle rays with long thin tails glide around and above it.
A turtle lifts its head just above flat blue water, with the white line of the reef far behind it on the horizon.
Ways to see them
Two of the seven work without snorkeling at all.
You do not have to be a strong swimmer for every one of these tours. The glass-bottom boat says it is «friendly for all swimming level», and those who stay aboard watch through the glass panels. Judy from New Zealand: «our glass bottom boat captain manoeuvred us expertly around the lagoon and beyond the reef, showing us green turtles, coral beds, colourful fish, small sharks and stingrays.»
The kayak keeps you above the water, with turtles «passing under» the transparent hull and a snorkel stop in a coral garden. Emilee from the United States: «We saw so many turtles, eagle rays, and colorful fish from our clear-bottomed kayaks.» The sea scooter tour calls itself «perfect for everyone, from beginners to experienced snorkelers». The small-group tour and the private boat ask that you are comfortable in water, and the small-group tour includes open-water swimming at the outer reef.
Every trip, current fare
The seven tours that name turtles, then the two that make them conditional. Prices are per person; the ferry from Tahiti is not included in any tour.
| Tour | Price | Price is for | Length | What the price covers | Turtles, per the listing | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glass-bottom boat | $160 | per person | 5.5 h | Lunch on a motu with raw fish salad, grilled fish and fruit; boat with shade and a ladder | Turtle sanctuary, about 20 | 4.9 · 87 |
| Lagoon and reef tour | $113 | per person | 4 - 6 h | Drinks and a snack on board; lunch on the islet as an option. No toilets on board | Dive with sea turtles in the lagoon | 4.9 · 171 |
| Small-group tour | $141 | per person | 4 - 6 h | Cocktail and tropical fruits; lunch with the premium option. Six guests at most | Swim with sea turtles, 40-minute stop | 5.0 · 23 |
| Canoe with barbecue | $129 | per person | 6 h | Pickup included; barbecue lunch on a motu and a raw-fish workshop. Up to 12 per canoe | Stop at the Tiki and sea turtles | 4.8 · 82 |
| Sea scooter tour | $159 | per person | 3.5 h | Sea scooter and snorkeling equipment; photos optional. Food not included. Up to 7 | Swim with turtles | 4.9 · 101 |
| Scenic cruise | $148 | per person | 4 h | Pickup included; refreshments and a sandbank stop. Up to 9 guests | Sea turtles among the marine life | 4.8 · 54 |
| Transparent kayak | $90 | per person | 3 h | Guided kayak, fruit juice or seasonal fruit. Bring your own mask, snorkel and water shoes | Turtles passing under the kayak | 4.9 · 77 |
| Whale swim, our top pick | $247 | per person | 3.5 h | Shared boat, six at most; life jackets for those without a wetsuit | Only with enough time | 4.6 · 142 |
| Private boat | $336 | per person | 3 h | Private boat, fruit platter and fresh juices, underwater photos | Only if weather and your level allow | 5.0 · 1 |
Before you go
The listings set no rules for behaving around turtles. These are the requests they do make before a Moorea snorkeling turtles trip.
The kayak listing asks you to bring a mask, snorkel and water shoes, and to contact the team at least 48 hours before the trip.
The lagoon and reef tour asks for eco-friendly sunscreen, beach shoes and a waterproof bag, and your own towel.
The small-group tour and the private boat ask that you are comfortable in water; the small-group day includes open water.
French rules require a life jacket on whale swims in the August to November season, unless you bring your own wetsuit.
Snorkeling equipment is named on the scooter tour only among the seven; the others do not say. Bring your own if unsure.
Our verdict
Book the glass-bottom boat at $160 if turtles are the point: it is the one listing that starts in a turtle sanctuary, rated 4.9 by 87 reviewers, with lunch included. For the most reviews, the $113 lagoon and reef tour. For a small boat and a 40-minute turtle stop, the $141 small-group tour. On a budget or staying dry, the $90 kayak.
Book direct
The sanctuary boat, the most reviewed tour, the six-guest boat and the kayak. All are priced per person.
★ 4.9 · 87 reviews
★ 4.9 · 171 reviews
★ 5.0 · 23 reviews
★ 4.9 · 77 reviews
Common questions
Seven tours here name them: the glass-bottom boat (a turtle sanctuary with about 20), the lagoon and reef tour, the small-group tour, the canoe, the scenic cruise, the sea scooter tour and the kayak. The private boat names them only if weather and your snorkeling level allow it.
No. None of the twelve listings promises a sighting, and the wording varies from a stop or a sanctuary to «with enough time». On the whale swim, Soleil Knight from the United States wrote: «There was a strong currents so we only saw one.»
On two tours, yes. The glass-bottom boat is «friendly for all swimming level» and lets you watch through glass panels, and the kayak has turtles «passing under» its transparent hull.
Among the seven, only the sea scooter tour names snorkeling equipment. The kayak asks you to bring a mask, snorkel and water shoes. The other five do not say, so bring your own if unsure.
Two: the glass-bottom boat, with a meal on a motu, and the canoe, with a barbecue lunch on a motu. The lagoon and reef tour and the small-group tour offer lunch as an option.
Two of the seven include pickup: the canoe and the scenic cruise. The sea scooter tour has pickup as an option. The others meet at a set point, mostly in Tiahura. The ferry from Tahiti is not included in any tour.
Your options
If Moorea sea turtles snorkeling is the main reason for your trip, start with the seven tours that name turtles in the plan, then choose by boat, lunch and price. A Moorea snorkeling turtles day on this site costs $90 to $160 per person, all with free cancellation.
Go deeper
Every snorkeling tour on Moorea bookable here, side by side: boat, hours, stops and what the price covers.
Rays and sharksThe stop with stingrays and blacktip reef sharks, and which tours include it.
Kayak and helmet walkPaddling the Hauru lagoon and walking the sea floor in a helmet.
With childrenWhich tours suit a family: ages, boat types and time in the water.
Moorea Shared Boat Tour Whale Swimming and Snorkeling
★ 4.6 · 142 reviews · 3.5 hours