Guided Small Group Whale Watching and Swim Tour Tahiti

Highlights

Inclusions

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

Ratings come from 102 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Showing reviews written in English.

• 5מושלםםם

  היה מושלם. המדריכים מסבירים ממש טוב ודואגים שכולם ישחו איתם. כולם עושים 4 שעות ואנחנו עשינו 5. It was amazing. The guide was very nice and care about that we all can swim with the whales.

  Voyage16431175350October 2026via Tripadvisor

• 5Amazing experience, would...

  Amazing experience, would highly recommend. Be prepared to swim a bit. The boat can only get so close to the whales.

  Eric_LOctober 2026via Viator

• 3While I know there are no...

  While I know there are no guarantees to see or swim with the whales(we saw 3 from the boat briefly) there were too many boats all in the same small area. We were in position for two whales but other boats who were farther away and not following all the legal rules like our boat was yet they bullied our guide to go elsewhere. Unfortunately even when they were not following the rules our guide didn't stand up to it and just shrugged it off so we never ended up inthe water at all Unfortunately. At the end it was rough winds and water which is fine and expected but on our way back to drop off spot the crew just told us to get off quickly and never even said much about the day or say too bad. Seemed more like they just wanted us off the boat and onto the next tour or something. Guide and captin were knowledgeable and did their best but could use some work on customer service. We booked two more excursions to swim with the whales with two other companies so fingers crossed we can swim on one of them. Overall still a okay day on the water viewing the sea and island of Tahiti.

  Jason_BOctober 2026via Viator

• 3Watch the forecasts and pick your weather

  Unfortunately one distant whale wasn’t the operators fault, it’s stated clearly that an encounter isn’t guaranteed. We were given our wetsuits to put on and a pre departure talk about a possible encounter ands what goes into positioning the boat and watching the whales behavior which was well communicated. We then exited the harbor and began to look for whales, we made our way east towards the heavier seas and saw 2 other boats that had made contact with a whale. By the time we approached there were 3 boats already there and we were were informed that only 3 boats could approach at a time. The whale didn’t slow and we were getting into heavier seas (3-4’) and winds around 20kts so that wouldn’t work even if the whale had slowed. No problems with all of that, it’s nature and we respect that. Then we turned and headed west, the seas remained high and winds were gusty for the next 3 hours as we crossed and recrossed the north side of the island. No more communication, no water offered. The boat was low freeboard and smaller than all the other boats out there, we were all blasted by salt spray for the majority of the trip, with occasional waves cresting over the bow and soaking anything not stowed in the one plastic tub offered to 5 guests. Lastly after the 4 hours of salty rolling and bracing we turned into the harbor and it became obvious the boat was underpowered and couldn’t get 8 adults onto the plane which meant that if the seas had got much higher or more chaotic then we could have been in a dangerous situation. I have been a professional captain of large power and sailing yachts for the last 40 years and do understand seamanship and boat handling and wouldn’t say these things lightly. Please communicate your intentions during the trip and offer the refreshments that are stated as included.

  Benjamin_BOctober 2026via Viator

• 2Disappointed

  I left this tour feeling very disappointed. We did not swim with whales which I understand can’t always be guaranteed, but of course it was a bummer overall. What really bothered me though was our guide. He engaged with us to tell us all the rules the first 20 minutes of the tour. Once he completed his instructional talk he did not talk, share, engage or teach us anything for the remaining 3.5 hours. Instead he was on his phone frequently. The boat driver also did not engage, he may have said 2 words the entire trip. Sitting in a boat too small for the choppy conditions and big waves for this many hours was also not fun at all. It was a teeter totter ride the whole time. This tour should have been cancelled due to rough seas or a bigger boat should have been provided. I can’t believe I paid so much for such a boring, uncomfortable and uninteresting experience.

  susannetU3027YAOctober 2026via Tripadvisor

• 1No focus on whales - but on anything else

  When the guide, who is also the owner and operator, is rather checking his phone for WhatsApp or Instagram rather than helping us looking for or finding whales, then it tells you a lot about this business, but more on this later. ​In principle, there were no issues because the booking and the organization went smoothly. The communication with Gina was outstanding. She was very clear, fast, and unmistakable in her responses, information, and instructions. ​Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about the actual activity, which was whale swimming. ​It started off with the guide, who as mentioned is also the owner of this business called Teki, telling us more about sharks and the danger of potential oceanic whitetip or tiger shark attacks than about the humpback whales. The fact that there is an oceanic whitetip population here is clear, that tiger sharks occur is also clear, and that safety first applies is clear as well—yet it didn't seem as though safety was just his biggest concern, but rather his only concern. ​And if this is indeed his only concern, then I wonder why he equips his guests with shorties instead of full-body wetsuits, as he as a local should be aware of the fact, that especially with populations of tiger sharks as well as oceanic whitetips, the exposure of pale, light contrasts looks like an injury and thus attracts these animals. In this respect, it stands in stark contrast to his precautions regarding sharks. ​Also, pointing to a flock of birds circling about 400 meters away and claiming it as definitive proof of shark activity—even though that is by no means the only reason for such bird activity, as it could just as well indicate whale activity or simply a school of fish—puts the whole situation in a very poor light. ​On a positive note, I would like to highlight that it is important to the operator to respect the whales and nature, and that we abide by the rules to protect the animals—such as not being allowed to swim with the whales inside the bay, as the whales choose this place as a sanctuary and resting zone. However, it remains questionable why we then spent one to one and a half hours in that exact bay, where we were constantly told: "Oh, look, there's a whale, but we can't go in because we're in the bay." Why don't we drive to a location outside the bay and look for whales there instead? ​Also, the fact that he spent 20 to 30 minutes gossiping about another boat, bad-mouthed how other guides treat their swimmers and how poorly they allegedly behave in the water, shows that he cares less about his guests having an enjoyable experience and more about avoiding getting into the water altogether. I can't explain it any other way—he seemed to be looking for excuses not to enter the water rather than opportunities to get in. ​It is completely clear that nature cannot be controlled. Whether a whale is seen, whether it approaches us, or whether we can swim with it is decided by the whale and nature itself. No one—neither the operator, the guests, nor other operators—has any influence over that. That is completely clear, and I have no complaints about it whatsoever. ​However, it makes a huge difference whether an operator—especially given his rather hesitant and reluctant approach to getting into the water—puts in particular effort to find whales. It makes it all the more dismaying and frankly frustrating that during the last hour he was glued to his phone, checking WhatsApp, Instagram, or whatever else, instead of helping us look for whales. Arriving back at the harbor on time—or even ahead of time—was clearly far more important to him than making sure his guests had the experience they had hoped for, or at least showing that he was genuinely putting in the effort. ​I know that several guests have had great experiences with him in the past, which is precisely why we chose him in the first place. His approach to interacting with nature and the whales is also highly commendable. That makes it all the more disappointing and frustrating that we had to endure such an experience with him. For that reason, as much as I regret to say it, I definitely cannot recommend this operator.

  Dominik_GOctober 2026via Viator

Know before you go

How it compares in Papeete

• Its from-price is close to the median of the 175 experiences we list in Papeete.
• Its length is typical for the group.
• By number of reviews it ranks 38 of 175.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Papeete

Papeete is the capital of French Polynesia, a harbour town on the north-west coast of Tahiti with a big market, pearl shops and green mountains behind.

Papeete is the main port of Tahiti, the largest island in French Polynesia, and a French-speaking town laid out around a sheltered harbour, with the island of Moorea rising on the horizon across the water. Steep green volcanic peaks stand behind it. The Marché de Papeete, a two-storey covered market, sells fruit, flowers, fish, vanilla, monoi oil and shell crafts.

Top-ranked sights in Papeete: Arahoho Blowhole (Trou de Souffleur de Arahoho), Papeete Town Hall (Mairie de Papeete), Territorial Assembly (Place Tarahoi).

See all 175 experiences in Papeete