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Moorea Tours
Half Day Small Group Whale Watching
5

Half Day Small Group Whale Watching

By Moorea Sea Experience
Recommended by 98% of travellers
98% of reviewers gave this product a bubble rating of 4 or higher.
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
In order to guarantee a better experience for our customers, our tower has a maximum capacity of 6 people, i.e. two times less than a classic tour generally offered on the market. This allows our guide and our captain to take care of you. It is essential for us to ensure respect for the tranquility and well-being of animals, and more particularly humpback whales. This is why having a capacity of up to 6 customers allows us to have a minimum impact on the animals. It also promotes better observations and interactions with animals.

Ages 5-75, max of 6 per group
Duration: 4h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Live guide: English, French
More


  • fresh fruit
  • Local punch rum
  • Bottled water
  • Use of Snorkelling equipment


Start:
  • Coco Beach Restaurant Parking, PK 24, Moorea-Maiao, French Polynesia
    The starting point of our tours is at the parking lot of the Cocobeach restaurant. It is located on the north coast of Moorea, not far from the Intercontinental hotel. Parking is free. Once your car is parked, you will have to go to the nearby floating pontoon.
End:This activity ends back at the meeting point.

    • Not wheelchair accessible
    If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 360152P4

    • No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
    • Travellers should have a moderate physical fitness level
    • This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
    • This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
    • This tour/activity will have a maximum of 6 travellers

    • For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.

    If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 360152P4

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    About the operator
    Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
    • Moorea Sea Experience
      106
      Moorea, French Polynesia
      Joined in July 2022
    • IleanMcQ
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Tourguides committed to our mother earth 🌎
      We thoroughly enjoyed our trip. Our tour guides demonstrated a commendable commitment to environmental protection, going so far as to reverse the boat to retrieve litter, a gesture that delighted my husband (a sailor) and myself (an ecology teacher). We must all strive to protect our planet. Johnny possessed extensive knowledge of the local ecosystem's flora and fauna, and even assisted two less-confident swimmers through a strong current. We observed turtles, dolphins, stingrays, spotted eagle rays, blacktip reef sharks, triggerfish, and various other reef fish. It was a truly wonderful experience, and I would gladly repeat it.
      Written 28 December 2024
    • Yvonne C
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Great afternoon on the water!
      Great afternoon with Johnny and Teddy, they took exceptional care of us, both in and out of the water. Had a lot of fun with these two as they're easy going with a good sense of humor. The half day tour was a great choice to see several locations and some amazing sea creatures. Highly recommended!
      Written 24 December 2024
    • 467ivetteg
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Half day whale watching experience
      The guides & tour was amazing! They were very friendly, knowledgeable & accommodating! They truly has respect for the ocean & the whales, they made sure we were very aware of all the rules & explained the process pretty well. They were also very accommodating to me in terms of getting off the boat & helping me keep up with them so that the group would not be separated. 10/10 recommend & when I return I will be booking my tour again with them!
      Written 11 December 2024
    • colinv690
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Amazing!
      We went on multiple trips with Mana, Ariihau, & there team. Amazing. As inexperienced snorkelers, we felt very safe and taken care of. They were patient and positive and we had a genuinely great time. The whales were amazing, and the respect and wonder that this team has for them is palpable. Absolutely recommend to anyone looking to experience the humpback whales in an intimate and respectful way.
      Written 13 November 2024
    • KLMG
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      The best tour for swimming with the whales!!!
      We were recommend to book this tour by our Enjoy Moorea Island tour guide as we were looking for a last minute booking. Moorea Sea Experience did not disappoint. The guide and driver were great and really know there jobs well. We had two incredible encounters with a Mama, Baby and escort whale. If you want to go whale watching and swim with the whales choose this tour!
      Written 11 November 2024
    • Coastal65698725687
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Excellent guides
      We went for 2 half-day whale trips and both boat captains and both guides were wonderful. The guides gave us very good instructions in and out of the water to keep us safe and get amazing views of the whales without disturbing them. The water was rough and we had quite a few people get sick, but the guide was helpful and kind trying to help everyone through it, while still providing an amazing experience in the water. Another group arrived at one of the whales and their customers broke the rules getting too close to whales and diving and immediately the whales left. Last year we went with another very popular company and saw many customers breaking the rules getting too close to the whales and freediving with them. Moorea Sea Experience has only small groups and is very respectful of these interactions with the whales and thei whales' space. We had a great experience and would 100% use this company again.
      Written 3 September 2024
    • 429debg
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Incredible Experience - Book It
      What a fantastic tour! We ended up the only 2 on the tour with guide Johnny and Captain Teddy who took great care of us and showed us the wonders of the lagoon. We saw spinner dolphins, snorkeled in beautiful spots with turtles, eagle rays, sharks and giant but friendly stingrays. Plus they gave us great knowledge of the area and local culture and were very friendly and happily answered all our questions. We finished with fruit juice, fresh local pineapple and coconut, plus rum punch too! Highly recommended and a great way to spend an afternoon or morning in this stunning island.
      Written 18 July 2024
    • ilovegreenandorange
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Great experience after some miscommunication
      There was and initial miscommunication between viator and the tour operator and there was no one available to take us. Someone on the dock called them for us and they rescheduled the tour from AM to PM. Everything went smoothly in the afternoon.
      Written 2 July 2024
    • U3265DFmaryl
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Beautiful! Exciting! Easy!
      This is an amazing excursion! Teddy and Andrew were perfect hosts. They are fun, kind and very knowledgeable about the marine life. We swam for hours with rays, sharks and turtles and then watched the dolphins play. The views of Moorea are breathtaking and the local fruits and juices they shared were delicious! Worth every penny!
      Written 18 June 2024
    • NorthStar42721635619
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Super good operators
      The operators are super friendly. I don't know swimming. She holds my hands and brings me around, swimming between huge stingray. Sharks. Turtles etc.. giving me a very memorable experience of my life.
      Written 25 April 2024
    • KiwiBritSophie
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Highly recommended!
      Highlight of our holiday! Fantastic trip where we saw sting rays, sharks, turtles, dolphins and plenty of tropical fish! Go early in the morning as there are less people around with the sting rays and you can actually have them come swim right up to you. Service and hospitality was excellent and highly recommend Moorea Sea Experience
      Written 22 April 2024
    • M2237PPchristophev
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Awesome sea excursion
      Amazing experience with a huge insight of the local sea fauna and flora. A big thanks to Teddy and Johnny who took the time to explain lot of things and especially they were very kind and helpful with our 2 young sons. Many thanks guy and many thanks Moorea Sea to propose and manage this sea excursion! Chris, Isa, Gaby & Samy
      Written 6 April 2024
    • Compass394277
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Highly recommend this tour!
      Our tour with Mana and Davi will definitely be the highlight of our trip to Moorea! We are a family of five with three older children. The guides were very friendly and knowledgeable. The tour was planned to avoid crowds and to see all the natural wonders of the lagoon - multiple stops and swims to see different sea life in different environments, including rays, sharks, dolphins and turtles. We learned so much about the life around Moorea. Finished with snacks and rum punch and juice on the sandbar. A wonderful experience.
      Written 30 March 2024
    • L9849PLpaulc
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      Could it get any better?
      Can’t recommend this enough! It was such a fun, laid back day. We got to check out the shark/stingray sandbar, then went to deep water to look for lemon sharks, then around part of the island to see dolphins, and finally ended with a float through what I would like to call “turtle paradise!” If your vibe is laid back and cooool then this is the boat for you! 🤙
      Written 20 March 2024
    • dustinbR3231MH
      0 contributions
      5.0 of 5 bubbles
      The best ocean experience of my life!
      I can’t recommend Moorea sea experience enough! We did 4 trips with them and they were absolutely incredible. Very knowledgeable about the area and the wildlife. The crew is very respectful of the ocean and wildlife and make sure you have the he best experience. If you are on moorea definitely check out Moorea sea experience!
      Written 10 November 2023
    See all 106 reviews
    These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

    Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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    5.0
    5.0 of 5 bubbles56 reviews
    Excellent
    55
    Very good
    0
    Average
    1
    Poor
    0
    Terrible
    0

    These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
    This service may contain translations provided by Google. Google disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to translations, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and freedom from forgery.

    Mdraver
    Fort Lauderdale, FL8 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    This was hands down the best snorkel/boat excursion we've ever done. And we've done many and all over the world. These guys practice what they preach and keep the size of the group to six people or less. This enabled us to be in and out of the water faster so that we were experiencing and up close to the whales while other excursion groups were just getting there to the same location.

    The crew on the boat are locals and grew up on the island. They were knowledgeable and we experienced things that others would not. Including the whale watching, we got to see sea turtles, lots of fish, and finally swim with rays and sharks, which is completely safe, at a sandbar. To top it all off they gave us fresh rum punch at the end of the day. You can't beat this excursion for the price.
    Written 15 September 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    greg
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Sept 2022
    Our guide Mana and boat captain were very skilled at deciding where/how to get into the water to have experiences swimming near whales and seeing them very close up without disturbing them. We really appreciated that they wanted to respect the whales and let them come to us if they wanted to. We did swim a bit to get into the best position, and Mana was very kind and let my partner hold onto him to make sure she kept up with everyone else on the trip, who happened to be more experienced swimmers. We had 3 incredible whale encounters during the half-day trip: a quick peak at a mother and baby whale as they swam by us; a very close and breathtaking encounter in which a mother, baby and male whale all swam by us slowly so we could really appreciate them. Finally, we had an unbelievable encounter in which a curious juvenile male whale swim around us for what felt like hours (was probably about 10 min!). These amazing experiences were only possible because we had a small group and our talented guide, Mana. After that, they took us to swim with lagoon sharks and sting rays, which was also breathtaking and surprisingly safe. They were swimming all around us! Finally, we had some nice fruit and cocktails on the boat to wrap us the lovely tour.
    This trip was the highlight of an incredible vacation in Moorea. We cannot recommend this trip more highly!
    Written 24 November 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Fred V
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Aug 2022 • Couples
    If you want a small group and dedicated crew looking for whales, this is the one. We were in total with three persons and saw many whales close passing by. The owners are two brothers who gained a lot of experience in other whale watching companies, but now started themselves. Their focus is to keep small groups (not like the other boats which were even with 10 or 12 people) so whales are more curious, and its also safe as the guide in the water only needs to look out for a few persons.
    Written 25 August 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Debbie M
    Miami, FL10 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Oct 2024 • Couples
    I highly recommend this organization. The weather was a bit rough, but the boat driver was very experienced and did a great job. Our guide was phenomenal! Although the sea had large swells, he made sure everyone was safe and he kept the group together and we were lucky enough to see a whale. On our ride back, we were offered rum Punch, fresh fruit, and coconut. It was a glorious day.
    Written 9 October 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    ale
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Aug 2022
    Highly recommended! Small group (max. 6 pers.), with a safe and not disturbing approach to humpback whales. The experience of a lifetime, really. We went for the half day (afternoon) tour (ca. 4 hours ). Mana and the captain are super kind but also clear, firm and careful when it comes to organization and safety! they did their very best to approach two beautiful whales and we managed to see these beautiful creatures. On the way back: fresh juice, coconut, laughs and a wonderful sunset on Moorea lagoon!
    Written 1 September 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Chap T
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Aug 2022 • Couples
    This was the highlight of our trip. Mana and his captain were knowledgeable and entertaining. We saw multiple whales and swam with several at a distance of less than 20 yards. A truly transcendent experience. I left my phone in Mana’s car and he returned it before I even knew it was missing. A local business, run by two brothers. Highest recommend.
    Written 19 September 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Patillaud
    Reims, France9 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Aug 2023 • Family
    Lana and Brian knew how to take us to the whales despite the difficult conditions. What an experience! After a first part limited to the observation of 2 whales due to a strong swell, we went west to calmer waters and there: great joy; dolphins and above all 3 ultra close passages coordinated by Lana, very reassuring. In short, we were pessimistic at the start and it ended in style (and with a little rum 😉)
    Google
    Written 18 August 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Taxman13
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    This was the greatest nature experience of our lives! We are so glad we chose Moorea Sea Experience to swim with the humpbacks. Mana was the perfect guide. Professional. Respectful of the whales. A very nice man. It was such a success. He took us through the water to the whales and twice we were so fortunate to have both calf and mother decide to come VERY close to us.
    I give them the highest possible recommendation!!
    Written 18 October 2022
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Sully W
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Sept 2024 • Couples
    Mana and Teddy were awesome! The Whales were constantly on the move and they didn’t want to spend time with us. We swam near a large singing male and we could feel the vibration in our entire bodies. It was an amazing experience despite the whales minding their own business. Mana dove in multiple times and successfully tracked 2 whales for us using his hearing… it was crazy! Unfortunately the whales had more important things to do than swim with us. After all, it is mating season! Would book with them again!
    Written 6 September 2024
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

    Josiane B
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Sept 2023 • Couples
    This excursion was just magical.
    Mana the boss who guides us in the water is a native of the country who knows the whales perfectly, spots them even when they are 15 meters underwater and we only see blue allowing us to wait for them go back up. 4 launches and 4 times hitting the bull's eye. In a small group of 6, the experience is unforgettable. Mana takes care of everyone, our fears, our well-being. Not forgetting the super nice captain.
    The company where you should book.
    Google
    Written 6 September 2023
    This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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    *Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.

    Half Day Small Group Whale Watching provided by Moorea Sea Experience

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