Tahiti Small-Group Whale Watching and Swim Tour

About This Experience

Wild Explorer Tahiti runs this trip from Papeete, on Tahiti, not from Moorea. It is a small-group outing capped at six guests, on a newer boat with shaded seating and a large rear sled, and it holds a 4.8 rating from 93 reviews. Guide Teiki, who reviewers say owns the company, comes up in many of them.

You board at the pontoon in Paofai Gardens on the Papeete waterfront, to the left of Le Moana restaurant as you face the sea. One reviewer found it easy by the heart sculpture on the park seawall. There is no hotel pickup, so this suits people staying in or near Papeete.

The guide covers the safety rules and whale behavior on the way out. When sea conditions, visibility and whale behavior make it safe, swimmers slip in from the 2 m by 2.5 m sled at the back of the boat and climb back onto it after. Reviewers describe long time with a mother and young calf and whales seen close underwater; nervous swimmers said they felt safe.

The fitness bar is higher than on most trips on this site. The listing asks for a high level of physical fitness, confident unassisted snorkeling, and the strength to climb back onto the sled without help; the guide and captain decide who is strong enough to swim. The minimum age for swimming with the whales is 15. Anyone can stay on the boat, and it is not recommended for pregnant travelers or people with spinal injuries or poor cardiovascular health.

The price starts at $226 per person, with wetsuits, masks, snorkels, fins, towels, drinks and snacks included. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before the start. The same trip is also sold on GetYourGuide at $222 per person, rated 5.0 from 4 reviews.

Highlights

• Departs from central Papeete on Tahiti, no ferry to Moorea needed
• Capped at six guests
• Easy-to-find boarding by the heart sculpture on the Paofai seawall
• Reviewers describe long encounters with a mother and young calf
• Guide commentary on whale behavior and migration
• Shaded seating on a newer boat

What's Included

• ✓ Wetsuits
• ✓ Premium masks, snorkels and fins
• ✓ Towels
• ✓ Drinks and snacks
• ✓ Rear recovery sled for swimming and relaxing
• ✓ Rockford Fosgate sound system on board

Not Included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off
• Alcoholic drinks
• Gratuities

What to Bring

• Swimsuit
• Mineral sunscreen and a hat
• Motion-sickness tablets, taken before boarding
• A dry layer for the ride back
• Waterproof camera

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.
• Neither sightings nor an in-water swim are guaranteed; the crew swims only when sea conditions, visibility and whale behavior make it safe and respectful.
• The listing asks for a high level of physical fitness: be comfortable fin-swimming in open ocean at a brisk pace, snorkel unassisted, and climb back onto the sled on your own.
• Wetsuits are provided, and the guide and captain decide who is a strong enough swimmer to get in.
• The minimum age for swimming with the whales is 15; infants can ride on an adult's lap.
• Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start.

Meeting Point

Pontoon at Paofai Gardens in Papeete, Tahiti, to the left of Le Moana restaurant as you face the sea.