Moorea 4-Hour Private Humpback Whale Encounter (Tama Tours)

About This Experience

Tama Tours, the Moorea crew that also runs a shared half-day whale trip, offers this four-hour version as a private boat for your group. It holds a 5.0 rating from 11 reviews, a small number, but every one of them is five stars, with captain Nono and swim guide Rai named.

If your hotel has direct access to the lagoon, the listing indicates the crew can collect you there. Otherwise you choose from Paopao Marina near the Cooks Bay hotel, Papetoai Marina behind the Papetoai post office, or Tiahura public beach in Haapiti.

A certified guide working in English or French leads the swims, and snacks are on board. Reviewers describe a curious calf rolling over beside them, a sleeping whale, and hearing a male sing. One reviewer noted that on their trip the whale was easier to see from above the water than below. The crew also talks about Polynesian culture and life on the lagoon, and the listing puts the privacy of mothers and newborns first.

The listing asks for moderate fitness, and one reviewer put it plainly: this is for able-bodied swimmers willing to swim to see the whales. An older couple chose it so they would not hold others back and could have the guide's full attention. It is not recommended for pregnant travelers or people with spinal injuries or poor cardiovascular health.

The price is from $1,559 for the boat (up to six people), about $260 a head for six or about $390 a head for four. On Viator all sales are final, with no refund. The same trip is also sold on GetYourGuide at $1,701 per group of up to four with free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead, where it is newly listed with no reviews yet.

Highlights

• Boarding from your own hotel beach if it has lagoon access
• Captain Nono and swim guide Rai named in recent reviews
• Reviewers describe a curious calf, a sleeping whale and a singing male
• Talk of Polynesian culture and lagoon life from a local crew
• Suits slower swimmers who do not want to hold a group back
• About $260 a head when six share the boat

What's Included

• ✓ Private four-hour whale trip for up to six people
• ✓ Certified guide (English, French)
• ✓ Guided swims with the whales when conditions allow
• ✓ Snacks
• ✓ Pickup from hotels with direct lagoon access, or a choice of meeting points

Not Included

• Lunch
• Refunds on cancellation (all sales are final on Viator)

What to Bring

• Swimsuit and towel
• Wetsuit if you own one
• Mineral sunscreen and a hat
• Motion-sickness tablets, taken before boarding
• Water and something for lunch afterward

Good to Know & Caveats

• Licensed whale tours can run only from 20 July to 20 November, between 07:30 and 17:30; outside those dates no operator can take you to the whales.
• Sightings and swims are never guaranteed. Whales are wild, and the crew decides on the day whether sea state and whale behavior allow anyone into the water.
• The listing asks for at least moderate fitness; reviewers say it is for able-bodied swimmers.
• Operators require a life jacket in the water unless you wear a wetsuit; confirm with Tama Tours what they supply.
• Priced per group for up to six people; infants must sit on an adult's lap.
• All sales are final on Viator, so book only once your dates are fixed.

Meeting Point

Pickup from hotels with direct lagoon access; otherwise meet at Paopao Marina near the Cooks Bay hotel, Papetoai Marina behind the post office, or Tiahura public beach in Haapiti.