The 6 Best Whale Watching in Tahiti

1.Respectful whale excursion to Tahiti in 4h30

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 123 reviews · from $222Our pick

Leave Papeete Marina at 7am or noon for a 4.5-hour whale trip with a maximum of 12 passengers. Guides such as Moana, Remi, Israel, and Bernardo may lead the search. Expect dolphins, humpbacks when present, local fruit, drinks, and lagoon snorkeling.

“My wife actually got to swim with a baby whale and its mother, only about 20ft away. This was an OMG experience for her. As I was not a strong swimmer, I stayed in the boat. The Boat captain, Moana, was very respectful of the whales and did not intimidate or attempt to get too close. The swimming group entered the water and swam about 100 yards towards the whales. The group leader, (I am sorry I forget his name but he was from Brazil) did a good job of helpinf the swimmers get close to the whales. Snorkle equipment was provided as were snacks of fruit, juice, water and…”

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2.Tahiti island: Whale watching Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · 79 reviews · 5 hours · from $227

Join Tahiti by boat for a five-hour humpback whale trip from Tahiti’s main hotels. With up to 12 people aboard, guides such as Israel, Teva, and Moana explain the marine life, prepare you for open-water swimming, and provide fruit, drinks, and snorkeling gear. Whale encounters and entering the water depend on conditions.

“A superb afternoon out on the boat, seeing some absolutely amazing sights - the 3 humpback whales breaching right out of the water was incredible. Would highly recommend!”

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3.Guided Small Group Whale Watching and Swim Tour Tahiti

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 57 reviews · from $238Top rated

Join captain Michael and guide Teiki for a four-and-a-half-hour whale search from Papeete Marina, limited to six people. From July to November, you may watch humpbacks, snorkel with turtles, explore coral gardens and wrecks, and enter the sea only when conditions and whale behavior allow.

“What a dream ! We loved everything about this experience. The boat , the people , the view …. great vibes and very professional. We had the chance to dive with the whales, once in a life time moment. We recomend 100%”

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4.Whale watching on the preserved and quiet coast of Paea (Pk26)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 40 reviews · from $205

Join Mobydick Tahiti from Paea’s quiet west coast for a four-hour search for humpback whales. Your guide explains whale biology, plays male whale calls, and may authorize a supervised swim when conditions allow. The Stenella carries up to 12 swimmers, with smaller and private options available.

“We came at the tail end of whale migration season-saw 4 humpback whales, two pods of dolphins, grey shark, and many flying fish! Our guides were very pleasant and knowledgeable of the marine life. The ocean was a little rough on the journey back to shore but Isabel navigated like a pro! Incredible experience.”

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5.4 Hours of Humpback Whale Watching in Tahiti

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 36 reviews · from $127Best value

Spend about four hours off Puna’auia searching for humpback whales with guides such as Luo, Julien, and Bastien. Watch from a spacious boat, listen to whale song through a hydrophone, and enter the water only when whale behavior and sea conditions allow. Snorkeling experience is required.

“We got to see Whales from a distance it was end of the season but the tour guides were fabulous they kept looking we saw a few blows and swimming and a tail but that's nature recommend this tour”

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6.Half Day Whale Watching in a Small Shared Group

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 33 reviews · from $236

Board the six-passenger POTI MARARA at Ārue Stadium for a four-hour whale-watching trip with Tahitian-style boat design, guides such as JB, Solenne, Nathan, or Vehiatua, fresh fruit, drinks, and optional snorkeling near the whales or reef.

“Amazing trip with JB and Oneal! Thank to these two professional gentleman we got chance to saw whales at the last day in Tahiti. We decided to join pretty late at night, but the team help settle everything down and make it very easy to us. :) Don’t hesitate to join if you want to have a wonderful whale-watching tour!”

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