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

Ocean Atlas · Pacific

Pacific

French Polynesia

Regulated in-water humpback whale encounters with licensed guides, plus a lagoon with reef sharks, rays and turtles.

Green peaks and forest seen from the Belvedere Lookout on Moorea
Belvedere Lookout, Moʻorea · Photo: Justin Hu on Unsplash
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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 26 Sep 2026. Sources: Whale watching in The Islands of Tahiti, regulations, Tahiti Tourisme, 2025; Informations aux plaisanciers, Moorea brief, Service public de Polynésie française, 2026; Polynésie : encore un feeding de requin dramatique, Opinion Internationale, May 2025.

🧭 Travel advice, checked 30 Sep 2026. Australia's Smartraveller advises exercising normal safety precautions in French Polynesia. It notes petty theft, unpatrolled beaches with strong currents, and cyclones, mainly from November to April. The US State Department rates it at Level 1, dated 2 December 2024. Sources: Smartraveller travel advice, French Polynesia · US State Department travel advisory, French Polynesia Advice differs by passport: check your own government before you plan.

WhalesTurtlesSharksDolphins

Why French Polynesia

Moʻorea and Rurutu offer regulated in-water humpback whale encounters with licensed guides during the whale season, which runs from late July to late November. Moʻorea's lagoon adds blacktip reef sharks, pink whiprays and turtles, while spinner dolphins and pilot whales may be seen from the boat. Rurutu is a quieter island alternative. August to October is usually driest, and whale sightings are never certain.

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

FijiMoʻorea, French PolynesiaRurutu, French Polynesia

When to go

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

You can travel here with Ocean Calling now.

Our ethics check

Can we travel here ethically?

Ethics pass, with care

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

French Polynesia is a marine mammal sanctuary, and in-water whale encounters are only with approved guides who follow clear distance and speed rules. Feeding sharks, rays and other fish is banned, but some lagoon tours in Moorea still do it, and the law is weakly enforced. So we never join feeding tours, we choose quiet lagoon spots, and we let the whales decide how close they come.

Checked 26 Sep 2026. Places change, so we look again every year.

Sources for this check
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Trips in French Polynesia

Moʻorea

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Set trip status to exploring (not live). Keep text as is.

🤿 In the water: Humpback whales (July to November, licensed boats), Blacktip reef sharks (common, lagoon), Grey reef sharks (common, outer reef dives), Pink whiprays (common, shallow lagoon sand), Great barracuda (common, reef dives), Remoras (common, riding on sharks), Whitetip reef sharks (regular, reef dives), Sicklefin lemon sharks (regular, northern dive sites), Tawny nurse sharks (regular, reef dives), Spotted eagle rays (regular, channels and walls), Green turtles (regular, lagoon and reef), Hawksbill turtles (regular, lagoon and reef), Tiger sharks (rare, outer reef), Silvertip sharks (rare, outer reef), Silky sharks (rare, offshore), Scalloped hammerheads (rare, outer reef), Reef manta rays (rare, passing through), Oceanic manta rays (rare, passing through), Humphead wrasse (rare, reports differ), Whale sharks (extremely rare, offshore)

⛵ From the boat or shore, never in the water: Spinner dolphins (common, resident, nearshore), Rough-toothed dolphins (regular, offshore), Short-finned pilot whales (occasional, offshore), Bottlenose dolphins (occasional, wild, offshore), Oceanic whitetip sharks (rare, offshore), Melon-headed whales (rare, offshore), Sperm whales (rare, offshore), Risso's dolphins (rare, offshore), Fraser's dolphins (rare, offshore), Pantropical spotted dolphins (rare, offshore), Orcas (rare, offshore), False killer whales (rare, offshore), Pygmy killer whales (rare, offshore), Cuvier's beaked whales (rare, deep offshore), Blainville's beaked whales (rare, deep offshore), Dwarf sperm whales (rare, offshore)

When: Jul-Nov. Whale season runs late July to late November. August to October is driest, with most whales.

Rules and fees: Whale encounters are allowed only from 20 July to 20 November, between 7:30 am and 5:30 pm, and boats keep a 100 metre safety zone around each whale. Whale watching is not allowed inside lagoons, bays and passes.

See the trip

More places

More of French Polynesia’s ocean

Short notes from our research. Wildlife is never guaranteed.

Rurutu

Exploring

A quieter island alternative for regulated humpback whale encounters with licensed guides, still being researched.

🤿 In the water: Humpback whales (seasonal, licensed guides)

When: Jul-Nov. Whale season runs from late July to late November. August and September are quieter and drier.

Rules and fees: Whale encounters here follow French Polynesia rules and run only with guides approved by the Environment Department. Approved boats slow to 3 knots within 300 metres of whales and keep at least 100 metres away.

Animals

Animals recorded in French Polynesia

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

Land animals
Humpback whale swimming close with long pectoral finHumpback whaleMegaptera novaeangliaeSeen in 87 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernTwo spinner dolphins swimming over sand in clear waterSpinner dolphinStenella longirostrisSeen in 66 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernScalloped hammerhead shark cruising in deep blue Red Sea waterScalloped hammerheadSphyrna lewiniSeen in 57 countries in the AtlasCritically EndangeredGreat hammerhead seen from above over rippled white sandGreat hammerheadSphyrna mokarranSeen in 20 countries in the AtlasCritically EndangeredOceanic whitetip shark with pilot fish in sunlit Red Sea waterOceanic whitetip sharkCarcharhinus longimanusSeen in 43 countries in the AtlasCritically EndangeredShort-finned pilot whale surfacing off Tenerife with the island behindShort-finned pilot whaleGlobicephala macrorhynchusSeen in 43 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernTiger shark with clear stripes swimming over a reefTiger sharkGaleocerdo cuvierSeen in 47 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedSperm whale mother raising her fluke beside her calf off DominicaSperm whalePhyseter macrocephalusSeen in 114 countries in the AtlasVulnerableFraser's dolphin porpoising out of the waterFraser's dolphinLagenodelphis hoseiSeen in 18 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 ConcernTwo rough-toothed dolphins leaping together, blotchy grey skin visibleRough-toothed dolphinSteno bredanensisSeen in 36 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernFalse killer whale surging through blue water off Rota, Mariana IslandsFalse killer whalePseudorca crassidensSeen in 41 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedPygmy killer whale surfacing in turquoise waterPygmy killer whaleFeresa attenuataSeen in 11 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernScarred Risso's dolphin spyhopping out of the waterRisso's dolphinGrampus griseusSeen in 56 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernTwo blacktip reef sharks swimming over sunlit sand in turquoise waterBlacktip reef sharkCarcharhinus melanopterusSeen in 38 countries in the AtlasVulnerableTawny nurse sharks swimming in sunlit Maldives waterTawny nurse sharkNebrius ferrugineusSeen in 15 countries in the AtlasVulnerableWall of grey reef sharks cruising in blue waterGrey reef sharkCarcharhinus amblyrhynchosSeen in 33 countries in the AtlasEndangeredWhitetip reef sharks resting stacked in a reef creviceWhitetip reef sharkTriaenodon obesusSeen in 43 countries in the AtlasVulnerableSilvertip shark swimming in open blue waterSilvertip sharkCarcharhinus albimarginatusSeen in 28 countries in the AtlasVulnerableSilky shark swimming near the surface in blue waterSilky sharkCarcharhinus falciformisSeen in 48 countries in the AtlasVulnerableHumphead wrasse swimming over a coral reef in Raja AmpatHumphead wrasse (Napoleon wrasse)Cheilinus undulatusSeen in 34 countries in the AtlasEndangeredGreat barracuda cruising in open blue water, showing jagged teethGreat barracudaSphyraena barracudaSeen in 84 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernFree-swimming sharksucker remora heading toward the camera, Virgin IslandsRemoras (suckerfish)EcheneidaeSeen in 1 country in the AtlasVaries by speciesHawksbill turtle swimming, pointed beak in profileHawksbill turtleEretmochelys imbricataSeen in 88 countries in the AtlasCritically EndangeredGiant oceanic manta with T-shaped white shoulder patches and remorasOceanic manta ray (giant manta)Mobula birostrisSeen in 31 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 AtlasEndangeredGreen turtle resting on the reef, shell and head pattern in sharp detailGreen turtleChelonia mydasSeen in 103 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernOrcas surfacing close together in calm Arctic Norwegian watersOrca (killer whale)Orcinus orcaSeen in 55 countries in the AtlasData DeficientCommon bottlenose dolphin swimming over a seagrass bedCommon bottlenose dolphinTursiops truncatusSeen in 89 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernPantropical spotted dolphin gliding at the calm ocean surfacePantropical spotted dolphinStenella attenuataSeen in 56 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernMelon-headed whales leaping together through a splash of white waterMelon-headed whalePeponocephala electraSeen in 22 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernReef manta ray gliding over a sandy lagoonReef manta rayMobula alfrediSeen in 20 countries in the AtlasVulnerableHuge spotted whale shark gliding through open blue waterWhale sharkRhincodon typusSeen in 54 countries in the AtlasEndangeredSicklefin lemon shark swimming over coral among butterflyfish in French PolynesiaSicklefin lemon sharkNegaprion acutidensSeen in 11 countries in the AtlasEndangeredPink whipray and a blacktip reef shark in Moʻorea's lagoon, mountains behindPink whiprayPateobatis faiSeen in 11 countries in the AtlasVulnerableAdult male Blainville's beaked whale surfacing in the BahamasBlainville's beaked whaleMesoplodon densirostrisSeen in 14 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernDwarf sperm whale leaping clear of the open seaDwarf sperm whaleKogia simaSeen in 22 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernPale reef stonefish resting between anemones in KwajaleinReef stonefishSynanceia verrucosaSeen in 25 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernWell camouflaged scorpionfish on dark sand in Lembeh StraitScorpionfishScorpaenopsis speciesSeen in 22 countries in the AtlasVaries by speciesTitan triggerfish swimming over a reef slope in blue waterTitan triggerfishBalistoides viridescensSeen in 40 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 ConcernDay octopus beside a coral head on a sandy Red Sea reefDay octopusOctopus cyaneaSeen in 35 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernLarge school of chevron barracuda in deep blue waterChevron barracudaSphyraena qenieSeen in 19 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernSchool of bigeye trevally swirling near the seabed at AmedBigeye trevallyCaranx sexfasciatusSeen in 48 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernPod of common dolphins surfacing in calm blue seaCommon dolphinDelphinus delphisSeen in 53 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernMinke whale surfacing and exhaling, seen from aboveCommon minke whale (North Atlantic)Balaenoptera acutorostrataSeen in 30 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernDwarf minke whaleBalaenoptera acutorostrata (dwarf form)Seen in 30 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernBluestreak cleaner wrasse with black stripe and blue tailBluestreak cleaner wrasseLabroides dimidiatusSeen in 51 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernLeatherback hatchling crossing the sand toward the seaLeatherback turtleDermochelys coriaceaSeen in 76 countries in the AtlasVulnerableBlacktip shark swimming in green water in the GalápagosBlacktip sharkCarcharhinus limbatusSeen in 49 countries in the AtlasVulnerableWhitespotted eagle ray gliding over reef and sand in BelizeWhitespotted eagle rayAetobatus narinariSeen in 58 countries in the AtlasEndangeredLemon shark seen from above, gliding over a pale sandy seabedLemon sharkNegaprion brevirostrisSeen in 16 countries in the AtlasVulnerableRed lionfish with spread fins over sand in Dauin, PhilippinesLionfish (red and common lionfish)Pterois volitans and Pterois milesSeen in 80 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernTwo pygmy sperm whales at the sea surface off the Azores, low backs and small hooked dorsal fins showingPygmy sperm whaleKogia brevicepsSeen in 23 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 ConcernAtlantic bluefin tuna leaping out of choppy water, recorded in Hovedstaden, DenmarkAtlantic bluefin tunaThunnus thynnusSeen in 39 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 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 ConcernRobber crab on rough coral rock with bent legs and large claws, in daylightRobber crab (coconut crab)Birgus latroSeen in 17 countries in the AtlasLives on landVulnerableHuge 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 ConcernBulwer's petrel flying low over blue water, its long pointed tail visibleBulwer's petrelBulweria bulweriiSeen in 17 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernTropical shearwater flying low over blue waves, with dark wings and white underpartsTropical shearwaterPuffinus bailloniSeen in 15 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernTahiti petrel in flight over the sea, dark above with a white bellyTahiti petrelPseudobulweria rostrataSeen in 15 countries in the AtlasNear Threatened

Read before you go

Responsible travel and conservationMoʻorea’s Lagoon: Rays, Blacktips and Turtles Without TouchingRead ↗Responsible travel and conservationCoral Reefs and the Rules: Moʻorea and Sri LankaRead ↗Whales and wildlife ethicsRurutu: A Different Humpback Island in French PolynesiaRead ↗Responsible travel and conservationMoʻorea Lagoon: Rays, Blacktips and Turtles Without TouchingRead ↗Planning and destinationsJul-Oct Whale Season: How to Choose One Place, Not FiveRead ↗Responsible travel and conservationFrench Polynesia’s Giant MPA: What It Means in MoʻoreaRead ↗Whales and wildlife ethicsDo Sharks Have Friends? Moʻorea's Reef Shark Social NetworkRead ↗Whales and wildlife ethicsBlacktip Reef Sharks in Moʻorea: Mothers Who Cross 50 kmRead ↗Responsible travel and conservationCan a Coral Reef Be Damaged and Resilient at the Same Time? What Moʻorea Is Teaching ScientistsRead ↗Whales and wildlife ethicsDoes Feeding Sharks Change Their Behaviour? French Polynesia Shows Why the Answer Is ComplicatedRead ↗
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