"There is no greater feeling that can rival that of coming eye to eye with a humpback whale. It is even more true when that whale is sitting mere feet away. There are so many emotions that run through your body as you feel a connection with this majestic mammal. You can experience happiness, gratitude and joy all at once and a feeling of pure calm. Any nerves all disappear as a sense of safety and protection overwhelm you. Mesmerising... "

"I was blown away by the fact that she trusted us with her baby, she came to us and brought her baby along side her. Then she went back to the depths of the ocean as her baby remained on the surface with us. The gift I have now been given , the mystical, magical connection with nature has been the most spectacular moment of my life." 

"The humpback calf is super curious and comes very close to interact with us, building confidence and practising her new found skills. The longer we are in the water with her the more curious and cheeky she becomes, swimming circles around and under us and spinning her body in her baby humpback ballet."

"I will forever be in awe as I look into her ancient all knowing eye, all thoughts cleared from my mind as she swam up to us gliding elegantly and silently. A moment passing between us, a feeling that I can only describe as magical." 

"Everything around me just faded away and I was completely in awe. In that moment, I had never in my life seen anything as beautiful or breath-taking. Every movement the whale made was made with precision and control".

Swimming with whales is a ‘snorkelling only’ experience. In all three places mentioned you are not allowed to Scuba Dive with the whales as the noise of the regulator and the bubbles they make can affect your interaction with them, Quietly gliding up to a whale or whales with a mask, snorkel , fins and a go pro in hand is by far a better way to experience these majestic mammals! 

French Polynesia is a very popular choice for swimming with Humpback Whale. August through to November each year these whales migrate to the warm tropical waters of Tahiti. Mo’orea and the tiny island of Rurutu (in the Austral Islands of French Polynesia) the Southern Humpback whales will stop by to rest, mate, give birth and raise their newborn babies before heading back on their long journey to Antarctica. 

Is a very small limestone island with a tiny population of only around 2000 residents.  An untouched paradise with very little tourists makes this the most wonderful place for out whale swimming tours to take place. 

Because Rurutu is endowed with a fringing reef, it has in recent years become known for whale watching and swimming.  Humpback whales come and give birth here between within easy sighting distance from the beach.  Because it does not have a lagoon, Rurutu can be approached easily from seaward.  It is therefore a popular destination for humpback whales to come by each year to stop, rest and teach their calves before the big trip back to the Antarctic.

The island has also managed to avoid all manner of pollution, including ocean noise.  Tourism is very minimal, making conditions perfect for these mammals.  The water is the clearest you will find anywhere in the world and you can see 60m clear visibility on most days!   The water is also at a colder temperature in the Austral islands which the whales seem to prefer as a place to give birth.

As the water is colder here and you’re in and out of the water with the whales while on the boat it can get rather chilly so we always bring some very warm jackets to wear particularly for the trip back to shore. 

There are only 4 boats in Rurutu that are certified to carry tourists and so you definitely don’t get crowds out on the water.  The boat operators work together so that everyone has equal chance to be in the water and encounter the whales.  At this stage there are no set regulations introduced as to how many people are allowed in the water at the same time.  With only four boats available on Rurutu, this means that you will never have too many people in the water at a time, however there is a future risk as more people discover the little known secret of the limestone island paradise Rurutu.

Just a hop and a skip over on a ferry from Tahiti is the palm fringed island of Mo’orea.  With the beautiful volcanic and lush green valley's its backdrop is postcard perfect for a holiday that includes swimming with humpback whales.  Ever since 2002, French Polynesia was declared a Marine Mammal Sanctuary.  As such, it protects 16 species of whales and dolphins in the water surrounding the islands.  So if it has been your dream to swim with marine wildlife, all the while respecting them and their surroundings, you can do it at Mo’orea.

With the warm and clear waters of the island’s lagoon and ocean, it’s one of the best places to legally swim with and witness Humpback whales.  The water here is crystal clear and also host to many other marine life for you to encounter. If you want an all round adventure then Mo’orea may be for you.  As well as the spending time on the ocean, Mo’orea also offers plenty to do on land including day hikes, quad and scooter adventures, vanilla and pineapple plantations, local markets and many wonderful cafes and restaurants that serve a fusion cuisine of Tahitian and French influences.

Swimming with whales has been allowed in Mo’orea for over 20 years now.  There are no set regulations as to how many guests are in the water with the whale sat any one time however the operators have a system that is worked amongst them and we have an amazing skipper who is very respectful of the whales.  We always start our whale swimming days nice and early which tends to be before most other boats are out on the water this gives us more time to find our first whale and we are able to have a more respectful approach with less guest in the water and more time to spend with the whales. 

There is some great regulation’s set-in place in Tonga as the world’s longest running Whale Swimming operations.  The rules state that only 4 guests plus one certified guide be in the water with the whales at any one time with a maximum in water time of 1 hour before letting that whale rest.  Ha’apai is also very fortunate in the fact that there are very little whale swimming licenses and therefore very few boats allowed.