Moorea Half-Day Small-Group Whale Watching (6 Guests)

About This Experience

Moorea Sea Experience runs this half-day humpback trip from the public landing in Cook's Bay, on Moorea's north coast. The boat takes a maximum of six guests, which the operator says is half the size of a typical tour on the island, with a guide and a captain looking after the group. It holds a 5.0 rating from 113 reviews, the highest score among the Moorea whale tours on this site with more than 100 reviews.

You meet at the Cook's Bay public landing next to the Cook's Bay Inn. Free parking is on the mountain side of the road, and from there you cross over to the platform by the water. The boat then heads out through the reef to the open ocean, the only place whale watching and swimming are allowed, and the crew starts searching. Reviewers describe a guide who knows where to position the boat and where to wait, and who gives clear instructions before anyone gets in.

Swims happen only when the guide judges that the whales' behavior and the sea state allow it, and they follow French Polynesia's rules: swimmers keep 15 m from a whale, and no more than six guests from a boat are in the water at once. With six guests on board, everyone fits in the same swim group. Reviewers report mothers with calves and, on good days, two swims in one trip. None of that is guaranteed, because the whales are wild and free to move on.

The trip suits reasonably fit swimmers who want a quiet boat. The listing asks for at least a moderate level of fitness and advises against it for travelers with poor cardiovascular health, and reviewers add that you should be a good swimmer and take seasickness medication before boarding, since the open ocean outside the reef can be lumpy. If you would prefer to stay dry, or are traveling with young children, a watching-focused tour is a better fit.

Snacks, bottled water, alcoholic drinks and snorkeling gear are included, and the crew speaks English and French. Prices start from $254 per person, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start time.

Highlights

• A maximum of six guests on board, so the whole group can swim together under the six-swimmer rule
• Departs from the Cook's Bay public landing, with free parking across the road
• Four hours on the open ocean outside the reef, where the swims take place
• Reviewers report mother-and-calf encounters and two swims on good days
• Crew help guests who are less experienced in the open ocean, according to reviewers
• Rated 5.0 from 113 reviews

What's Included

• ✓ Half-day boat trip on the open ocean with a guide and captain
• ✓ Use of snorkeling equipment
• ✓ Snacks
• ✓ Bottled water
• ✓ Alcoholic beverages

Not Included

• Hotel pickup and transport to Cook's Bay
• Wetsuit (not listed among the inclusions)
• Towels (not listed among the inclusions)

What to Bring

• Swimwear
• A towel
• Reef-safe mineral sunscreen
• Your own mask, if you have one that fits well
• Seasickness tablets, taken before you board
• A dry layer for the ride back

Good to Know & Caveats

• Whale tours run only in French Polynesia's legal season, 20 July to 20 November, between 07:30 and 17:30.
• Whale sightings and swims are never guaranteed; the guide decides on each swim based on the whales' behavior and the sea state.
• The listing asks for at least a moderate level of physical fitness, and reviewers recommend being a good swimmer.
• Moorea operators require swimmers to wear a life jacket unless they wear a wetsuit; ask the crew what they provide.
• Reviewers recommend taking seasickness medication before the trip, as the ocean outside the reef can be rough.
• Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start time through Viator.

Meeting Point

Cook's Bay public landing, next to the Cook's Bay Inn, Paopao; free parking on the mountain side of the road, then cross to the waterfront platform.