Swim with humpback whales in Moʻorea, September 2027 · from CHF 4,500See the trip →
Ocean Calling

Ocean Atlas · Pacific

Pacific

Cook Islands

Reef and lagoon islands with turtles and rays, and humpback whales seen from shore in season.

Taakoka Island and the shallow Muri Lagoon on Rarotonga, Cook Islands
Muri Lagoon and Taakoka Island, Rarotonga · Photo: Christopher Johnson from Tokyo, Japan, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Exploring

Ethics pass, with care. We found a way to visit this country that meets our animal-welfare standard, as long as we work with the right local operator. Checked by Ocean Calling on 30 Sep 2026. Sources: Biodiversity, Marae Moana (Cook Islands Government); Deceased humpback calf prompts temporary whale swimming restriction in Aitutaki, Cook Islands News, 18 Aug 2026; Aitutaki forms committee to set guidelines for whale tourism, Cook Islands News, 25 Aug 2026.

🧭 Travel advice, checked 30 Sep 2026. Australia's Smartraveller advises exercising normal safety precautions in the Cook Islands, updated 22 July 2026. Sources: Smartraveller travel advice, Cook Islands · UK FCDO travel advice, Cook Islands, Tokelau and Niue Advice differs by passport: check your own government before you plan.

ScubaWhalesTurtlesSharksCoral reefs

Why Cook Islands

Rarotonga is a reef island for scuba, with reef fish, sharks, rays and turtles. Aitutaki's lagoon adds eagle rays, Napoleon wrasse and local culture. On both islands, humpback whales may be seen from shore, or from the boat at Aitutaki, from July to October. April and May suit a reef and lagoon trip.

Conservation-led. Ocean Calling guests never chase, touch or bait animals.

FijiAitutaki, Cook IslandsRarotonga, Cook Islands

When to go

Apr-Nov. Timing changes by place and by animal, so check each place below.

We have researched this place and keep learning about it. There is no trip here yet.

Our ethics check

Can we travel here ethically?

Ethics pass, with care

Good with the right operator. Here is how we choose.

All Cook Islands waters are a marine park by law since 2017, and sharks are protected since 2012. Whale swims at Aitutaki were paused in August 2026 while the island writes clear guidelines. We watch whales only from shore or from a calm boat, and we enjoy reef and lagoon life gently.

Checked 30 Sep 2026. Places change, so we look again every year.

Sources for this check
Places we are exploring

Where in Cook Islands

Short notes from our research. Wildlife is never guaranteed.

Aitutaki

Exploring

A lagoon island with turtles, eagle rays and Napoleon wrasse, and humpback whales seen from shore or boat in season.

🤿 In the water: Turtles, Eagle rays, Napoleon wrasse, Reef fish

⛵ From the boat or shore, never in the water: Humpback whales (Jul-Oct)

When: Jul-Oct. Whales visit July to October. April and May suit a reef and lagoon trip.

Rules and fees: Aitutaki lies within Marae Moana, the Cook Islands marine park set up by law in 2017, and sharks here have been protected since 2012.

Rarotonga

Exploring

A reef island for scuba, with reef fish, sharks, rays and turtles, and humpback whales seen from shore in season.

🤿 In the water: Reef fish, Sharks and rays, Turtles

⛵ From the boat or shore, never in the water: Humpback whales (Jul-Oct)

When: Apr-May, Sep-Oct. April and May suit reef diving. September and October add dry weather and seasonal whales.

Rules and fees: All Cook Islands waters form the Marae Moana marine park, and sharks have been protected here since 2012.

Animals

Animals recorded in Cook Islands

Tap an animal to learn how it lives, where it travels and how to meet it respectfully.

Humpback whale swimming close with long pectoral finHumpback whaleMegaptera novaeangliaeSeen in 87 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernPicasso triggerfish with painted pattern over sand in the MaldivesPicasso triggerfish (lagoon triggerfish)Rhinecanthus aculeatusSeen in 41 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernHumphead wrasse swimming over a coral reef in Raja AmpatHumphead wrasse (Napoleon wrasse)Cheilinus undulatusSeen in 34 countries in the AtlasEndangeredGreen turtle resting on the reef, shell and head pattern in sharp detailGreen turtleChelonia mydasSeen in 103 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernTwo spinner dolphins swimming over sand in clear waterSpinner dolphinStenella longirostrisSeen in 66 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernGiant trevally swimming close to a coral head, with small reef fish in blue water behind itGiant trevallyCaranx ignobilisSeen in 33 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernHawksbill turtle swimming, pointed beak in profileHawksbill turtleEretmochelys imbricataSeen in 88 countries in the AtlasCritically EndangeredSperm whale mother raising her fluke beside her calf off DominicaSperm whalePhyseter macrocephalusSeen in 114 countries in the AtlasVulnerableWhitetip reef sharks resting stacked in a reef creviceWhitetip reef sharkTriaenodon obesusSeen in 43 countries in the AtlasVulnerableWall of grey reef sharks cruising in blue waterGrey reef sharkCarcharhinus amblyrhynchosSeen in 33 countries in the AtlasEndangeredWhite-spotted eagle rays gliding over coral at Heron Island, Great Barrier ReefSpotted eagle ray (ocellated eagle ray)Aetobatus ocellatusSeen in 28 countries in the AtlasEndangeredBluestreak cleaner wrasse with black stripe and blue tailBluestreak cleaner wrasseLabroides dimidiatusSeen in 51 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernCuvier's beaked whale surfacing, pale scarred head and small dorsal finCuvier's beaked whaleZiphius cavirostrisSeen in 42 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernRed lionfish with spread fins over sand in Dauin, PhilippinesLionfish (red and common lionfish)Pterois volitans and Pterois milesSeen in 80 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernWedge-tailed shearwaters resting togetherWedge-tailed shearwaterArdenna pacificaSeen in 46 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernMasked booby on Ascension IslandMasked boobySula dactylatraSeen in 80 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernRed-tailed tropicbird in Glendowie, Auckland, New Zealand, iNaturalist research-grade observationRed-tailed tropicbirdPhaethon rubricaudaSeen in 28 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernBlack noddy perched in a shrub on Tern Island, French Frigate ShoalsBlack noddyAnous minutusSeen in 37 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernAdult brown booby standing on a rock with its bill open against blue sky, PrincipeBrown boobySula leucogasterSeen in 104 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernClose view of a red-footed booby head with blue, pink and red bill and throat skin among green leavesRed-footed boobySula sulaSeen in 91 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernHuge flock of sooty shearwaters flying low over the sea beside a rocky coastSooty shearwaterArdenna griseaSeen in 53 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedGreat frigatebird in flight, with long angled wings and a forked tailGreat frigatebirdFregata minorSeen in 44 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernLesser frigatebird soaring against a blue sky with its wings spread and tail forkedLesser frigatebirdFregata arielSeen in 39 countries in the AtlasLeast Concern

Read before you go

Responsible travel and conservationWhen Whale Tourism Rules Are Still Taking Shape, We WaitRead ↗
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