Swim With The Turtles Rarotonga
Description
We believe the ocean should be experienced safely, respectfully, and in its most natural state. Our tours are designed with a minimal-impact, eco-friendly approach, allowing you to enjoy Rarotonga’s marine life without disturbing the reef or its wildlife. Unlike some operations that rely on motorized equipment, our experience focuses on guided, human-powered snorkeling, creating a quieter, more natural encounter with turtles and other marine life. Safety is at the core of everything we do. Since 2018, we have maintained a 100% safety record, with experienced guides who carefully assess daily ocean conditions to select the best and safest locations for each tour. We intentionally operate in a way that prioritizes: Guest safety and comfort Protection of marine ecosystems A more authentic and immersive snorkeling experience By choosing this tour, you’re not only creating an unforgettable memory—you’re also supporting a more responsible way of exploring Rarotonga’s ocean environment.
Tour Options
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(604)
Had a great morning with Josh and his crew The weather was pretty crap but we saw many turtles up close and eagle Ray's . A great tour
We had the best time on the turtle swim tour with Snorkel Cook Islands! From start to finish, the whole experience was so well organised, relaxed and welcoming. The guides were incredibly friendly and lovely, and made us feel comfortable and excited from the moment we arrived. We were given a really thorough introduction, with clear explanations of how to use the equipment and what to expect once we headed out into the lagoon. Everything was explained so well, which made the experience feel safe and enjoyable even before we got into the water. A special shout-out to Jacinda, who was absolutely wonderful. My friend was struggling a little in the water, and Jacinda noticed straight away. She stayed close by, helped her along and continued keeping an eye on her for the rest of the tour. She was so encouraging, patient and reassuring, and it genuinely made such a difference to my friend’s experience. It was lovely to see how attentive and caring the guides were towards everyone in the group. And then, of course, the actual experience was incredible! We saw so many turtles, as well as a huge school of rays. The experience was something we’ll never forget. It was honestly one of the highlights of our trip to Rarotonga. A huge thank you to the whole Snorkel Cook Islands: Josh, Jacinda and the rest of the team for such a memorable experience
The experience was great, always wanted to swim with turtles and we did, plus rays, it was really good.
Love hearing this!!! 🩵 Finally getting to swim with turtles, plus seeing the rays too, makes for a pretty special day. Really glad you enjoyed it!
A fantastic experience. A wonderful day.
That's a pretty good way to spend a day! We're so glad you enjoyed the experience and made some great memories with the turtles.
We found the whole experience very scary and felt we shouldn't have gone out that day as the current was so strong, there was 40 of us in the group so it was far too large, as the day before had been cancelled and only about 4 or 5 guides which was clearly not enough for that amount of people, as a number of them had difficulties swimming in the current, we had to swim from the shore right out to the passage and the current was so strong you could barely move. There was 4 of us that went (me, my partner, brother and his wife) and we all struggled along with alot of others, when we spoke to some of the others in group they also said they found it really scary and hard. I think I'm not too bad a swimmer but not in those conditions, we heard about some of the other turtle tours the following day and they were alot smaller groups and they didn't have to swim out to the passage, they were taken out on paddle boards so we wish we had gone with them and we only saw one turtle, we found the whole experience stressful and was so glad we made it back in one piece as we weren't sure that we would!!
We are very sorry to hear about your experience. Please email us directly at kiaorana@snorkelcookislands.com so we can look into this properly with you. We would really like the opportunity to understand more about what happened that day. Your safety should always come first, and reading that you and the others in your group were struggling in the current and felt unsure about making it back safely is very concerning to us. We understand your concerns about the conditions, the size of the group, the number of guides, and the swim out to the passage. We never want a guest to feel that they have been put in a situation beyond what they are comfortable or able to manage. Our Team are doing our best to keep improving our operation, including how we assess conditions, swimming ability, group sizes, guide numbers, and when we need to change or cancel a tour. We take these decisions seriously because we would never want to risk anyone's safety just to operate a tour. We are truly sorry that your experience became stressful and frightening instead of the special experience you had hoped for. Thank you for taking the time to share this feedback. We will take your concerns seriously and use them to review what happened and where we can improve.
Had the best time! Guides were fun and chill, was such a good price too. Will 100% book again when we come back
Love that you had such a good time! 🩵 We try to keep things fun and easygoing while still looking after everyone in the water. And if you're already planning to book again, we'll take that as a pretty good sign!
The guides were excellent. They knew their stuff really well.
Thank you! Our guides love what they do, so it's great to hear their knowledge came through. Glad you enjoyed your time out there!
We unfortunately had an awful experience, reasons as follows The group was far too big for the conditions 40 people with not enough guides (we had 2 groups joined together, the day before had been cancelled. Josh admitted he had to rope family members in to help him & jokingly said he even put his twin babies names on the list ! It was not easy for at least half of the group, all being not experienced. We had to swim across a very strong channel as well as the current. He kept shouting at us to keep up & go faster. Many were struggling with the current & dodging so many people whilst trying to snorkel . we spent more time fighting the conditions then actually seeing anything. Even the long walk back to shore was unpleasant lots of people were hanging on to each other . One young girl thought she was having a panic attack ..He was not very sympathetic . As far as refreshments were concerned it was just some pieces of fruit !
We are very sorry to hear about your experience. Please email us directly at kiaorana@snorkelcookislands.com so we can discuss this with you properly and work towards resolving the matter. We take what you have described very seriously, especially your concerns about the group size, strong current, the number of guides, and guests who were struggling in the water. Safety is something we never want to compromise on, and we are sorry that you and others in the group felt this way during the tour. We would really appreciate the opportunity to speak with you directly, understand exactly what happened on the day, and see how we can make this right. Please reach out to us at kiaorana@snorkelcookislands.com. We are genuinely sorry and would be happy to work through this with you.
Highlight of the holiday.Josh was excellent, beautiful family run business,he put safety first as postponed the first time due to strong current but went the next day. must be able to swim good but most Aussies do lol
We’re glad you trusted us with the change of day! 🩵🌊 The current was definitely doing its thing, so waiting for a better day was the right call. And sounds like the turtles made up for the wait! 🐢 Thanks for the lovely words about Josh and the family.
A great experience although the vensue had to be changed due to weather . No problem with that except the communication was very poor . It was assumed that we would be able to change our travel arrangements at the last minute which wasn’t possible for all participants. It also meant that I was left without any transport back to my hotel. The experience itself was fabulous, all staff members were super friendly, helpful and professional in ensuring all participants stayed safe throughout the experience. The fantastic staff made up for the poor communication and confusion at the start of the day .
Thank you for your honest feedback and for being so flexible with the change on the day. 🩵 We’re really sorry for the inconvenience and confusion around the venue change and transport. We always do our best to notify everyone by email as soon as conditions change, even when it's last minute, and your feedback helps us see where we can improve. We're so glad you still enjoyed the experience and that our team helped make the day a memorable one.
