Small group, September 2027
Time in the blue, on the whales’ terms.
A small-group, ethical whale retreat in Moʻorea, French Polynesia, September 2027. Six guests at most. You stay at Villa Royal Palms in Tiahura, enjoy a lagoon day, then spend two open-water days with humpback whales and a professional local operator. Solo travellers welcome. Nothing is guaranteed, and nothing is chased.
Not sure yet? Tell us about you and ask a question.
Real guests on past trips“Highly recommended! Rocio is an excellent guide and very knowledgeable about the best locations.”
“Joining Ocean Calling Retreats was honestly one of the most special travel experiences I’ve had. It’s so much more than just a trip — it’s a beautiful mix of adventure, connection, and time to truly reset.”
Quotes are copied as written from public reviews on BookRetreats. See all guest photos · Read all reviews
Your place is waiting. Reserve it now, or say hello to Rocío first.
Flexible payment plan The non-refundable deposit secures your place. The balance is due 60 days before departure. Where possible, you can pay it in monthly instalments, with the last one paid by that date. Ask Rocío for a schedule.
Book with RocíoAsk on WhatsApp
To book, message Rocío by email or WhatsApp. No payment here: she replies personally, confirms your place and sends the next steps.
Real guest reviews: Google · BookRetreats
Conservation-led. Ocean Calling guests never chase, touch or bait animals.
Why Moderate? Open-ocean boat days with calm in-water entries. You need to feel comfortable in the water. You do not need freediving experience.
Gentle. The easiest we offer. Beginner-friendly, at your own pace. Good if you are nervous. No skills needed.
Easy. A beginner course or guided session in calm water, at your own pace. No experience needed.
Moderate. Open-ocean or deeper water with boat days. You should feel comfortable in the water and follow guidance.
Adventurous. Longer days, stronger conditions or more skills needed.
You stay at Villa Royal Palms and its studio in Tiahura (Haapiti): five air-conditioned bedrooms around a pool, a full kitchen and shared living space. The lagoon, Tipaniers and the Tiahura motu are in the same district.
The covered veranda and pool at Villa Royal Palms
All prices are per person, for the whole 6 nights and everything listed in Trip details. The room is chosen when you book.
You can share one room together. Each of you pays the shared price, so in a double room that is CHF 4,500 each. Shared rooms are only for two people who travel together. Coming alone? You get your own room, from CHF 4,700.
A villa bedroom with a double bed. Quiet, air-conditioned, your own space inside the house.
Shared with your own partner or friend: CHF 4,500 each
On your own: CHF 4,700
The bigger bedroom in the villa: a queen bed, more space after boat days, air-conditioning, mosquito nets and a door you can close.
Shared with your own partner or friend: CHF 4,700 each
On your own: CHF 4,900
Across the pool from the villa, with its own entrance and a kitchenette. A little more independence, same house, same mornings.
Shared with your own partner or friend: CHF 5,200 each
On your own: CHF 5,400*
* Studio on your own: available until 35 days before departure.
Week one is September 1 to 7, week two is September 9 to 15, 2027. The whale mornings are September 3 and 4, or September 11 and 12. Weather, rules and the animals can change the plan, and we adapt with you.
Day 1
Arrive in Tahiti and take the ferry to Moʻorea. We pick you up at the ferry terminal and drive to the villa in Tiahura, by the lagoon. Settle in, unpack and take your first swim. Welcome dinner together in the evening.
Day 2
In the morning you make your own flower crown with a local mama. In the afternoon we take the kayaks from the villa across the lagoon to North Beach, swim, and meet the stingrays at the sandbank. Dinner, an optional game night, or simply rest.
Day 3
From 09:00 to 13:00 we are on the ocean with the whale guide, with professional photos included. The whales decide what happens. In the afternoon you slow down at the villa, swim and relive the morning.
Day 4
Back on the ocean from 09:00 to 13:00. Two mornings give more chances with the weather and the animals, never a promise. Free afternoon to kayak, swim or explore Tiahura.
Day 5
A 4x4 trip through the volcanic inside of the island: pineapple fields, green valleys and the viewpoints over Cook’s Bay and Opunohu Bay. In the afternoon, a natural-light portrait session in the villa gardens.
Day 6
Choose what you want: another whale snorkelling trip, a scuba dive, an introduction to freediving, or something else on the island. Rocío tells you the cost before you choose. Farewell dinner together in the evening.
Day 7
Last breakfast, one more swim in the lagoon, then we drive you to the ferry for Tahiti and your flight home.
Encounters with stingrays and reef sharks in the lagoon happen on their terms. We look, we never touch or feed them.
Never guaranteed, never chased. Tap an animal to see how it lives, where it travels and a fun fact.
Humpback whaleMegaptera novaeangliaeSeen in 40 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
Spinner dolphinStenella longirostrisSeen in 28 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
Blacktip reef sharkCarcharhinus melanopterusSeen in 15 countries in the AtlasVulnerable
Grey reef sharkCarcharhinus amblyrhynchosSeen in 17 countries in the AtlasEndangered
Pink whiprayPateobatis faiSeen in 4 countries in the AtlasVulnerable
Great barracudaSphyraena barracudaSeen in 12 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
Remoras (suckerfish)EcheneidaeSeen in 1 country in the AtlasVaries by species
Rough-toothed dolphinSteno bredanensisSeen in 11 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
Whitetip reef sharkTriaenodon obesusSeen in 18 countries in the AtlasVulnerable
Sicklefin lemon sharkNegaprion acutidensSeen in 1 country in the AtlasEndangered
Tawny nurse sharkNebrius ferrugineusSeen in 9 countries in the AtlasVulnerable
Spotted eagle ray (ocellated eagle ray)Aetobatus ocellatusSeen in 11 countries in the AtlasEndangered
Green turtleChelonia mydasSeen in 43 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
Hawksbill turtleEretmochelys imbricataSeen in 40 countries in the AtlasCritically Endangered
Short-finned pilot whaleGlobicephala macrorhynchusSeen in 9 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
Common bottlenose dolphinTursiops truncatusSeen in 39 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
Oceanic whitetip sharkCarcharhinus longimanusSeen in 8 countries in the AtlasCritically Endangered
RareMelon-headed whalePeponocephala electraSeen in 2 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
RareSperm whalePhyseter macrocephalusSeen in 27 countries in the AtlasVulnerable
RareRisso’s dolphinGrampus griseusSeen in 19 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
RareFraser’s dolphinLagenodelphis hoseiSeen in 6 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
RarePantropical spotted dolphinStenella attenuataSeen in 21 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
RareOrca (killer whale)Orcinus orcaSeen in 17 countries in the AtlasData Deficient
RareFalse killer whalePseudorca crassidensSeen in 8 countries in the AtlasNear Threatened
RarePygmy killer whaleFeresa attenuataSeen in 2 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
RareCuvier’s beaked whaleZiphius cavirostrisSeen in 3 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
RareBlainville’s beaked whaleMesoplodon densirostrisSeen in 2 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
RareDwarf sperm whaleKogia simaSeen in 3 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern
RareTiger sharkGaleocerdo cuvierSeen in 24 countries in the AtlasNear Threatened
RareSilvertip sharkCarcharhinus albimarginatusSeen in 4 countries in the AtlasVulnerable
RareSilky sharkCarcharhinus falciformisSeen in 1 country in the AtlasVulnerable
RareScalloped hammerheadSphyrna lewiniSeen in 23 countries in the AtlasCritically Endangered
RareReef manta rayMobula alfrediSeen in 10 countries in the AtlasVulnerable
RareOceanic manta ray (giant manta)Mobula birostrisSeen in 10 countries in the AtlasEndangered
RareHumphead wrasse (Napoleon wrasse)Cheilinus undulatusSeen in 3 countries in the AtlasEndangered
RareWhale sharkRhincodon typusSeen in 27 countries in the AtlasEndangeredAnimals marked Rare are recorded here, but seen only now and then.
🟢 Harmless🟡 Calm, give space🟠 Defensive if pressured🔴 Potentially dangerous, respect
Sources: NOAA Fisheries · Australian Museum
Sources: NOAA Fisheries
In season: Jul to Nov.
Humpback whales return to Moʻorea’s warm waters every year, from July to November. You slip into the ocean quietly, with a professional local guide, and let them decide how close to come. Sightings are never guaranteed.
Blacktip reef sharks and stingrays glide through the shallow lagoon, a joy to watch.
An incredible coral reef and a calm lagoon ring the whole island.
All year.
Spinner dolphins are seen around the island all year.
All year.
Sea turtles are seen around the island all year.
Wildlife is never guaranteed. Months can vary from year to year.
Wildlife and weather by month. Nothing here is a promise.
| Feature | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Humpback whales | January: not listed | February: not listed | March: not listed | April: not listed | May: not listed | June: not listed | July: in season | August: in season | September: in season | October: in season | November: in season | December: not listed |
| Spinner dolphins | January: all year | February: all year | March: all year | April: all year | May: all year | June: all year | July: all year | August: all year | September: all year | October: all year | November: all year | December: all year |
| Sea turtles | January: all year | February: all year | March: all year | April: all year | May: all year | June: all year | July: all year | August: all year | September: all year | October: all year | November: all year | December: all year |
| Weather | January: wetter months | February: wetter months | March: wetter months | April: wetter months | May: good weather window | June: good weather window | July: good weather window | August: good weather window | September: good weather window | October: good weather window | November: wetter months | December: wetter months |
| Trip dates | January: no listed trip | February: no listed trip | March: no listed trip | April: no listed trip | May: no listed trip | June: no listed trip | July: no listed trip | August: no listed trip | September: Sept 1–7, 2027, Sept 9–15, 2027 | October: no listed trip | November: no listed trip | December: no listed trip |
Dry season from May to October. Brief showers in the greener months, November to April.
An honest look at food, noise, smells, heat and local customs, so you can decide calmly. If something matters to you, tell Rocío and she will check it for you.
EasyPossible with planningAsk Rocío
Local food is mostly fish, like poisson cru (raw fish in coconut milk), plus French bread and supermarket food. Vegetarians can manage with a little planning. Tell Rocío early so the meals fit you.
Gluten free options exist on the island, though not everywhere. Many meals are built around fish, meat and vegetables, which are naturally gluten free, while French-style bread and baked food are everywhere. Tell Rocío before you book and she will plan it with you.
In whale season the lagoon and the whale area off the reef can be busy with boats, and many can gather when a whale is found. There is a ring road with cars and scooters. Night noise at the villa is not yet confirmed; ask Rocío.
We did not find any haze season or regular smoke problem recorded for Moʻorea. In the dry season (about May to October) a south-east trade wind usually blows.
Daytime is about 27 to 31°C all year and humidity is often 70 to 80%. The sun is very strong (UV often 10 or more), so plan for shade, water and rest after boat days.
A small group of no more than 6 guests, staying in a villa. You can skip any activity or rest. Whale boat days depend on wind and sea, so a day can change or be cancelled, and whales are never promised.
You reach Moʻorea by ferry from Tahiti (about 25 to 45 minutes) or a 15 minute flight. The island has cars, scooters and a ring road of about 60 km. Whale days mean getting in and out of the water from a boat. Steps at the villa are not yet confirmed; ask Rocío.
It is hot, humid and very sunny, and dengue (spread by mosquitoes) is a risk in French Polynesia. Health care is good for simple problems; serious cases may need a bigger hospital. The only hyperbaric (dive) chamber in French Polynesia is at the Taaone hospital on Tahiti. Divers with asthma need a dive medical check first. Please check with a doctor or a dive medical before you book.
Yes. Moʻorea’s waters are a marine mammal sanctuary, and the lagoon has its own management plan.
All of French Polynesia’s waters are a sanctuary for whales, dolphins and every other marine mammal that passes through. From July to November, humpback whales travel thousands of kilometres to these warm, sheltered waters to mate, give birth and nurse their calves, then leave again. Worth sitting with: as a species, humpbacks have recovered enough to be rated Least Concern by the IUCN Red List, but the smaller Oceania population that passes through French Polynesia is still Endangered. Time in the water with them, at a respectful distance, is never something anyone can promise. It is a small privilege inside a longer story of recovery, and the sanctuary protects that story: whale-watching operators need approval from the Environment Department, boats must slow to 3 knots within 300 m (about 985 ft) of a whale and may never encircle it, and the regulated season runs from 20 July to 20 November.
A local plan, created by the municipality in 2004 and revised from 2014, that sets out how Moʻorea’s lagoon and reef are shared and cared for — quiet governance behind the calm water you swim in.
French Polynesia’s waters are special for a simple reason: they sit in the path of a whale migration and a marine sanctuary large enough to hold it. Few places let you be a quiet guest in a recovery story this size.
A protected area still has rules. Your guide explains them before every session.
Solid circles are part of the trip. Dashed circles are ideas for your free time.
Cook’s Bay, Opunohu Bay, the Belvédère, pineapple fields and Magic Mountain, with local tastings. Morning or afternoon. Included.
Included.
Two open-water whale days: Sept 3 and 4, or Sept 11 and 12.
Reef and marine life, with a local provider.
Five air-conditioned bedrooms around a pool, close to the lagoon.
Part of the 4×4 safari.
Viewpoint at 240 m over Cook’s and Opunohu bays, with marked trails.
About 2.5 hours, with 360-degree views.
Ancient open-air temple sites. A visit takes 30 to 45 minutes.
A quieter bay with calm water.
A public beach with a shallow turquoise lagoon, on the north-east coast.
Opening hours and fees can change. Rocío will help you plan your free time.
Preparation guide. We send you a full guide, gear, fitness, transfers and ocean conditions, once you book. Meanwhile, see Ro’s packing picks ↗.
You fly into Papeete, Tahiti (PPT), then the ferry to Moʻorea. Routes and prices change often, so this opens a live search instead of a guess.
Type in any language: Geneva, Genève, Ginebra or Genf all work. Not on the list? Just type your city and press a button.
Entry rules depend on your passport, your itinerary and current regulations, so please always check for yourself rather than relying on this page. IATA Travel Centre ↗ is a free tool used by airlines worldwide to check passport, visa and health requirements for any nationality and destination. CIBT Visas ↗ is another good place to check. And it is always worth a quick check with your own embassy or consulate too, just in case.
Speed is one of the simplest things a boat captain controls, and it matters a lot to animals. Studies from many oceans show the same pattern: a slower boat is less likely to hit a whale, turtle or manatee, gives animals time to move away, and makes less noise underwater.
A study of 47 recorded ship strikes on large whales found the chance of a deadly injury was 21 per cent at 8.6 knots but 79 per cent at 15 knots. Below 11.8 knots, a strike is more likely to be survived than not.
Since 2008, the United States has required vessels 65 feet (about 20 metres) or longer to travel at 10 knots or less in set areas and seasons along the East Coast, to protect North Atlantic right whales. A later study estimated these limits cut the risk of deadly ship strikes by 80 to 90 per cent.
In Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia, researchers watched 1,890 green turtle encounters. 60 per cent of turtles moved away from a boat going 4 km/h, but only 22 per cent at 11 km/h and 4 per cent at 19 km/h.
In Sykes Creek and the Barge Canal on Merritt Island, Florida, eight manatees were killed by boats in the 42 months before year-round slow speed was enforced. In the 42 months after, only one was killed.
Recordings of 1,582 ships in Haro Strait, between Washington State and British Columbia, showed that most ships get about 1 decibel louder for every extra knot of speed. This noise reaches the high sounds that killer whales use to find food.
When ships in Haro Strait were asked to slow to 11 knots, underwater noise fell by 2.5 decibels, about 44 per cent less sound energy. Scientists estimated this cut the feeding time killer whales lose to noise by 22 per cent.
Check Rocío’s recommendations: reef-safe sunscreen, recycled swimwear, comfortable hair accessories for the mask, and the camera she actually dives with.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Ocean Calling plans and hosts your retreat. All in-water teaching, certification and safety supervision are led by independent, licensed local professionals, who keep full responsibility for training standards and operational safety.
Marine Wildlife Guide & Founder, Tahiti Shark Expeditions
Founder of Tahiti Shark Expeditions and one of the most experienced marine wildlife guides in French Polynesia. Based in Moorea, he has spent years leading private expeditions between Tahiti and its sister island, with real educational depth on sharks, rays, dolphins, turtles and seasonal humpback whale encounters between July and November. Small groups, private boats, a wildlife-first philosophy: the animal always leads.
“Moorea is a magic place. We are waiting for you to meet the megafauna that inhabits these waters.”
Tahiti Shark Expeditions / Nemo’z Diving Center, Tiahura, Moorea · tahitisharkexpeditions@gmail.com · nemozdiving.com
Tiahura, Moorea
One of the most established dive operations in French Polynesia, founded in 1989 at Tiahura on Moorea’s north-west coast. PADI and SSI certified, with a maximum of 4 students per course. In 2024, Nemo’z launched a dedicated freediving centre in partnership with Bluenery Academy, founded by world champion freediver Guillaume Néry, the first of its kind on the island.
nemozdiving.com · nemozdiving@gmail.com
Sept 1–7 and Sept 9–15, 2027
Why Moderate: Open-ocean boat days with calm in-water entries. You need to feel comfortable in the water. You do not need freediving experience.
To book, message Rocío by WhatsApp or email with your dates and the room you would like. She confirms your place herself and sends the next steps.
More answers in Planning & FAQ · About Rocío · Protected waters we visit · Ethical ocean travel journal
Close your eyes for a moment: warm water, a low hum somewhere below, and then two shadows drifting past together, a mother and her calf, close enough to take your breath away. That is Moʻorea in whale season, and it is waiting for you. See how to join.
Visit the Ocean Calling storefront on Amazon.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. You are not only choosing products that respect the ocean, you are also helping us keep going: paying our local partners fairly and keeping our retreats ethical, sustainable and honestly priced for you. 💗
