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

Ocean Atlas · Pacific

Pacific

Wallis and Futuna

Two small French Pacific islands where green and hawksbill turtles nest and local customs come first.

Green turtle
Green turtle, found in the waters of the wider region · Photo: James Thornton on Unsplash
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: Wallis and Futuna: destination research 30 Sep 2026 (Ocean Calling Notion); UK FCDO travel advice, Wallis and Futuna; IEOM annual report Wallis et Futuna 2025.

Turtles

Why Wallis and Futuna

Wallis and Futuna are two customary kingdoms in the Pacific, and almost nobody visits them for tourism. Green and hawksbill turtles nest here, and 2025 reports show the first sanctions for turtle poaching, while customary take is still treated differently from illegal sale. We have found no licensed swim with whales, so we offer none. We are still learning, and there is no trip until the turtle question is clear.

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

FijiWallis Island lagoon, Wallis and FutunaFutuna, Wallis and Futuna

When to go

Timing changes a lot from place to place. See 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.

Turtle nesting is real here, but customary take is still treated differently from poaching, so we would not sell a nest visit beside a lawful harvest. We would avoid any swim with whales and any turtle touching. We would choose only a calm watch from land or boat, after the local rules are written clearly. We are still learning.

Evidence is still thin here. We are checking again with official sources.

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

Sources for this check
Places we are exploring

Where in Wallis and Futuna

Short notes from our research. Wildlife is never guaranteed.

Wallis Island lagoon

Exploring

A lagoon island where green and hawksbill turtles nest, in a place where customary authorities decide.

Futuna

Exploring

A steep, quiet island with its own kingdom and customs. Ask first, then plan.

Animals

Animals recorded in Wallis and Futuna

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

Green turtle resting on the reef, shell and head pattern in sharp detailGreen turtleChelonia mydasSeen in 103 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 AtlasVulnerableMelon-headed whales leaping together through a splash of white waterMelon-headed whalePeponocephala electraSeen in 22 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernTwo spinner dolphins swimming over sand in clear waterSpinner dolphinStenella longirostrisSeen in 66 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernScarred Risso's dolphin spyhopping out of the waterRisso's dolphinGrampus griseusSeen in 56 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernHuge spotted whale shark gliding through open blue waterWhale sharkRhincodon typusSeen in 54 countries in the AtlasEndangeredCommon bottlenose dolphin swimming over a seagrass bedCommon bottlenose dolphinTursiops truncatusSeen in 89 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernShort-finned pilot whale surfacing off Tenerife with the island behindShort-finned pilot whaleGlobicephala macrorhynchusSeen in 43 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernFalse killer whale surging through blue water off Rota, Mariana IslandsFalse killer whalePseudorca crassidensSeen in 41 countries in the AtlasNear ThreatenedBluestreak cleaner wrasse with black stripe and blue tailBluestreak cleaner wrasseLabroides dimidiatusSeen in 51 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernPantropical spotted dolphin gliding at the calm ocean surfacePantropical spotted dolphinStenella attenuataSeen in 56 countries in the AtlasLeast ConcernWhitespotted eagle ray gliding over reef and sand in BelizeWhitespotted eagle rayAetobatus narinariSeen in 58 countries in the AtlasEndangeredTitan 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 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 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 Concern
Dreaming of Wallis and Futuna?

Tell Rocío what you would love to see

There is no trip here yet. If enough people ask, it helps us decide where to go next.

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