Whale watching and swimming in Moorea
Description
Join us to observe whales in their natural environment in compliance with regulations, supervised by a team concerned with your safety and animal welfare. We will share our knowledge and passion for the Polynesian marine environment and will do our utmost to ensure you have an unforgettable experience. Although unpredictable, it is not uncommon in Moorea to contemplate whales with their calf, love parades, jumps, pectoral fin strikes, caudals out of the water. These observations of the vessel do not require any particular physical ability. If the behavior of the animals and the sea conditions allow, we can offer people over 15 comfortable with fins, mask and snorkeling framed by our Aquatic Guide with these giants of the oceans. You may also have the chance to meet dolphins, globicles, turtles, skates and sharks.
Tour Options
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have a high level of physical fitness
- Being comfortable with fins and a snorkel mask is necessary for launching into the ocean.
- Being able to climb back up the boat ladder is necessary for ocean and lagoon launches
- Be over fifteen years old for ocean launches
- Good physical conditions for launching into the ocean
- Be able to palm 300 meters autonomously for launches in the ocean
Reviews(76)
Great experience, we were able to swim with a pair of whales twice at the end of the tour. Make sure to take sea sick medicine if you get seasick as even on a calm day the waves can be rocky.
It was a magnificent experience. After some searching, we spotted and saw whales up close, and it was thrilling. The captain was excellent, and our guide, Ivy, was outstanding—courteous, polite, and very knowledgeable. She explained everything we needed to know and made the experience safe and captivating.
Ivy and the Captain were AMAZING! We were able to see several whales and swim close to them. She is very informative, knowledgeable and great personality. 10/10 recommend this tour!
The tour with Ivy and the captain from Lagoon Vibes was truly incredible! 🐋💙 Both were super friendly, and you could immediately tell how much experience and knowledge they have about the creatures in the sea. We found it especially great that they always made sure not to stress or chase the animals. They know exactly what they are doing and gave their all to make an unforgettable experience with the whales possible for us. In the end, we were allowed to get incredibly close to the whales, and this moment was simply magical. We were all so happy and could hardly believe our luck. 🥹🐋 As an absolute highlight, we were even able to hear the whales singing! We can truly recommend Lagoon Vibes 100%. If you have the opportunity to go out to sea with them: Do it! It was definitely one of the most beautiful experiences of our trip. 💙🌊
Trip canceled due to too much swell to see the whales, so I found another provider. And there I saw and observed whales on a boat and at sea. The dream of my life, but not with your provider.
my best friend and I went and had the most incredible experience! we saw many whales and got to swim alongside one. The guides were very kind and fun as well as knowledgeable. They made the experience better than imagined and with the small number of people on our group we had a greater experience on the water and got to see and swim with turtles as well. Would definitely recommend:)
What an experience. My wife and daughter were in the water when a whale breached. It was spectacular. The captain and guide were full of enthusiasm and knowledge. Oh and we got close to a huge pod of spinner dolphins on the way home! It was a joyous experience!
This was the highlight of our trip to French Polynesia and one of the most amazing things we have ever done! We did the tour early in the season so managed our expectations that we may not see a whale. However, in the most perfect of weather, we saw two whales that swam directly below us in incredible visibility! It was a few seconds where we held our breath but the moment so far reaching and profound. Absolute praise for Lagoon Vibes and the staff. Christophe and Ivy were our captain and guide; both exude complete skill, knowledge and experience in what they do. We felt completely at ease on the boat with Christophe's understanding and navigation of the sea. Our guide Ivy is one of the most beautiful souls we have ever met. Totally in love with the ocean and all its creatures, her passion is infectious. She was calm and professional, instructing us on what to do and led us to the place where we had our whale encounter. Her thrill at seeing the first whales of the season met ours and you couldn't ask for more enthusiasm from a guide. We have been left very affected by this trip. A lifelong memory and experience. If you book any tour, go with Lagoon Vibes and ask for Christophe and Ivy!
We had the most incredible time with Francesca and Christophe on our whale adventure tour this week! We did the AM tour, and quickly sighted two whales who were very active. We weren’t able to find them in the water, so we went to spot whales at a few other locations. We found a young male humpback who was nearby, got in the water, and within minutes, we were able to find him. It was breathtaking! The whale surfaced and then went back down, and we were able to just observe and watch in amazement. Thank you for the wonderful experience!
We didn't get to swim with any whales. It was early whale season and I knew our chances wouldn't be as high. When we finally spotted a whale, there were already 3 boats of people getting into the water. There were probably 5 boats waiting. Only 3 boats are allowed near the whale at a time. We would have been the third group to get in the water. We sat and waited for about 25-30 minutes, then our boat captain left the area. I don't know if he knew the whale was stressed and was trying to be respectful of the whale, or if he just wasn't patient enough. They took us to a sand bar to swim with stingrays and sharks. (We had been there the day before) I would have rather waited another 45 minutes to an hour or longer to swim with the whale than go to the sand bar. Also, there was a no smoking sign on the boat, but the captain and the tour giude smoked the whole time. I recommend booking multiple excursions with different companies if swimming with whales is really your goal.
Dear Guest, Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We are sorry to hear that your tour did not meet your expectations. Whale encounters depend entirely on the animals' behavior and on the regulations in place to protect them. Early in the season, sightings are naturally less predictable, and only a limited number of boats are permitted to approach a whale at any one time. On the day of your tour, our captain decided to leave the area for several reasons. The juvenile whale we encountered had already been observed over the previous days displaying avoidance behavior and was no longer in a condition that allowed for a respectful approach. The welfare of the animals always takes priority over any attempt to enter the water. In addition, the number of boats waiting for their turn, the repeated unsuccessful attempts by other operators, and the limited time remaining before the end of the excursion meant that there was no realistic opportunity for our group to enter the water with this whale. We understand that you would have preferred to continue waiting, and we appreciate your feedback. When whale activity is limited, we do our best to offer the best possible alternative experience, including a stop in the lagoon to observe rays and sharks, allowing our guests to enjoy Moorea's exceptional marine life. Regarding vaping, thank you for bringing this to our attention. Providing a comfortable experience for all our guests is important to us, and we will discuss this matter with our team. We appreciate your feedback, as it helps us continuously improve our operations while maintaining our commitment to responsible wildlife encounters. If you would like to discuss your experience further, we invite you to contact us directly through the Viator messaging system. Kind regards, Christophe
