FAQ

The best time to swim with humpback whales in French Polynesia is generally from August to November, with all of September and the first two weeks in October being considered the “peak” of the season.

During these months, the whales have migrated north from Antarctica in order to mate, give birth, raise calves, and escape the Arctic winter freeze in the warm waters of the South Pacific.

Yes, with proper guidance from experienced whale guides and adherence to safety guidelines, swimming with humpback whales is a safe activity. Our job is to ensure that interactions are respectful to the whales and safe for participants. We have two guides in the water at all times, one focused on safety and the other focused on interactions and documentation.

When we find playful whales, our captain and trip leaders will discuss our approach based on the behaviour they can see at the surface. Each situation is different; we may encounter extremely playful adults, moms and calves, juveniles, singing whales, and even an occasional heat run where males are jostling for position in pursuit of a female in heat.

It’s imperative to listen to the whale guide and captain before getting into the water. Our goal is to keep both whales and humans safe and feeling unthreatened. Part of this means that our boat will never come closer than 100 meters from the whales and that we swim gently and carefully in the water.

No specific certification is required for snorkelling with humpback whales, as you will be primarily snorkelling with them at the surface. Strong swimming skills in open water are necessary to participate in this activity. You should be able to easily swim 300 meters unaided in deep, often choppy, open water. Anyone who wishes to use weights for anything below surface level neutral buoyancy must be free dive certified (AIIDA or PADI).

While no wildlife encounter can be guaranteed, French Polynesia is one of the best places in the world to see humpback whales up close, as the migration to these islands is an annual occurrence. However, how many whales choose to settle around the island for the season varies from year to year.

On average, we believe the chances of seeing whales from the boat are about 85% every day, while the chances of successfully getting into the water with them are about 70% every day.

We often have high success rates, but it's important to remember that sightings can vary. We have had lucky weeks that swam with whales every day for hours on end, and unlucky weeks that have struggled to get solid interactions at all. Weather, moon phase, hormones, and season play a big role in this.

By regulation (2025) you may not continue to approach a whale once you are about 15 metres (50 feet) from the whale. Then it is up to the whale if it wants to approach any closer or not. This entirely depends on the interaction and conditions of the day. Normally with pass-bys and approaches, you can get about 2 meters from a whale.

Besides humpback whales, you may see some small fish, sea turtles, reef sharks, and on very rare occasions pilot whales and oceanic white-tip sharks.

Rurutu is in the Austral Archipelago, a remote group of volcanic islands in the southern part of French Polynesia. Polynesian traditions remain strong in Rurutu, where the local language flourishes, culture and practices are maintained, and many things on the island originate from the island, including food and produce.

Rurutu (airport code RUR) is reachable from Tahiti (airport code PPT) on Air Tahiti three to four days a week. The flight takes about an hour and a half to reach Rurutu’s little airport and tickets can be reserved online directly from Air Tahiti’s website. We’ll pick you up from the airport when you arrive.

Yes, but it’s rare. We’ve been running seasonal whale swimming programs since 2017 in not only Rurutu, but also in Vava’u, Tonga, Moorea, French Polynesia, and Aitutaki, Cook Islands, and have had amazing weeks and terrible weeks on the water. Long story short, it’s nature and we never know how the calving season will go until we’re in the middle of it.

While it’s very rare to get zero days in the water with whales over the course of a week, we have had some very challenging weeks, due to a combination of weather, early whale departures, and weaker seasons.

A weak season is typically defined as having fewer seasonally resident whales around the island, which is normally the case when fewer whales are born around the island. We have had years with 6-8 babies born around the island, which results in dozens of whales, and we have had years with only 2-3 babies born around the island, which results in a weaker season with only 10-14 whales.

Sometimes whales arrive in July only to leave in August for other islands, and other times whales depart in mid-October instead of Mid-November. We’ve had strong storms push the whales far off shore for 4-5 days in a row before as well.

This being said, a really bad week is very rare— in the last 8 years of running these trips it’s only happened once. That’s not to say it’s impossible, but it is very rare.

To stack the best odds in your favour, we suggest signing up for weeks we consider to be the normal “peak” of the season, meaning all of September and the first half of October.

Yes, it's crucial to choose operators and boat captains committed to sustainable and respectful wildlife tourism practices. This includes limiting disturbances to the animals, not positioning motorized boats too close to the whales (100-meter minimum distance), adhering to strict guidelines on interactions, and supporting conservation efforts.

Likewise, human behaviour needs to be respectful toward the whales— this means not touching them, not swimming directly at them, not swimming in front of their heads, and not chasing them. Humans should swim parallel to the whales at a distance of 15 meters or more from the whale unless the whale approaches you.

Because swimming with humpback whales in French Polynesia is an expensive investment, we ask all participants to bring their own gear that they are sure will fit them perfectly. Limited rentals are available on an emergency basis, but we really don’t suggest using any rental equipment.

The way we see it, you’re already paying enough to come on the trip and fly all the way to the South Pacific, to use rental gear that does not fit your face or give you the proper propulsion in the water is a shame.

All participants should bring at minimum a mask, snorkel, and long fins that they are comfortable using, fit their faces and bodies, and give them enough power to swim quickly and silently in the water.

A full packing list is provided to all participants before their trip.

We try to make our program as all inclusive as possible so you don’t have to deal with cash. Therefore, we really don’t suggest bringing too much spending money.

You may use some of your own money to buy small snacks (chocolates, cookies, chips, and wine) from the local shop, or purchase some of the Rurutuan locally made handicrafts from straw, pandanus leaves and seeds. That being said, on the trip there is never a need to pay for things, since all your activities and meals are included. If you think you’ll want to get a few gifts and snacks, $50-$200 would be sufficient.

Keep in mind the island entirely uses Pacific Francs (Dollars and Euros are not accepted on the island, you can get local cash from an ATM or exchange currency at the bank).

You can book a trip with us by checking the available dates above and choosing the date that works best for your schedule.

A non-refundable, non-transferable deposit is needed to secure your spot. You may check our standard Terms and Conditions here regarding cancellations and deposits.