In 2026, I’ll be heading back to FRENCH POLYNESIA. After 14 years of undertaking whale swims in Tonga, it’s time to mix it up and change locations. Pack your bags, we are off to Moorea via Tahiti!
I’m excited to share our upcoming adventure to French Polynesia with all of you! Imagine the thrill of swimming alongside humpback whales in Moorea, easily reachable from Tahiti. Every year, from August to October, thousands of these magnificent whales migrate from their feeding grounds in Antarctica to the pristine waters of the South Pacific to give birth, nurture their calves, and mate. This is an incredible opportunity not only to experience swimming with humpback whales but also to immerse ourselves in the vibrant culture of Polynesia’s stunning islands. Let’s make memories together in this breathtaking paradise!
Date
Trip 1: Mon 31 Aug – Sun 06 Sept 2026
Duration
8 Days/7 Nights
How to secure your booking
A $600 AUD deposit for accommodation and whale swims is required initially. We will be in touch via email for your payment and provide an invoice with the details. To check on available spaces to secure your spot, email us at amanda@amandadelaforce.com.
Package Cost
$4000.00 USD
Note: All costs are in American Dollars (USD) for this trip
Trip Overview
My groups are small, with a maximum of 6-8 people at a time, to maximise the quantity and quality of your time with the humpback whales. This is also great for photographers. We will be having close encounters with the humpback whales and enjoying all their different behaviours.
You will also have an opportunity to see rays, sharks, turtles, and dolphins! I look forward to sharing this memorable experience with you. Snorkelling experience is only required.
Price Includes
- Small group size (max. 8 people on a 10-person boat with 1 guide).
- 7 nights accommodation at Cook’s Bay Hotel & Suites, twin occupancy in a Standard Suite.
- 5 days of guided whale swims, including morning tea (weather permitting).
- 4 nights dinner included at Cook’s Bay Hotel & Suites: 2 courses—great for food lovers.
- Continental Breakfast
- Photography advice and presentation on the humpback whales by a marine biologist/ecologist
- Snorkelling gear: mask, fins, and wetsuits (or take your own).
Price Excludes
- For 3 of the nights, dinner is not included at Cook’s Bay Hotel & Suites, so we can enjoy the local restaurants. Most restaurants will pick you up free of charge from the hotel. There are several reasonably priced places to eat within walking distance of Cook’s Bay Hotel & Suites.
- Buying food at the grocery store can be inexpensive. Lunch is not included, and the suites all have self-contained kitchenettes.
- Upgrades to a single occupancy room.
- Ferry to and from Moorea: $30 USD round trip (if needed).
- Gratuities
- Travel Insurance: click here to learn more about our preferred plan.
- Beverages/Alcohol
- International flights
About The island of Moorea
French Polynesia is located to the south of Hawaii, between California and Australia. It is in the same time zone as Hawaii.
The island of Mo’orea, pronounced [moʔoreʔa], is part of the Windward Islands in the Society Archipelago. It is also known as “the sister island” and is the closest to Tahiti, just 10 miles away, among the 118 islands of French Polynesia. The island’s 2 large and deep bays of Cook and Opunohu give it a unique shape, often described as resembling a heart, an angel, or an eagle. Due to this distinctive topography, Mo’orea is frequently photographed from space, and these images are widely shared.
The island’s bright turquoise lagoon is surrounded by a barrier reef that opens to the Pacific Ocean in twelve passes. Each pass is accompanied by a valley, varying in size, carved by a river originally formed by fresh water that created the pass.
Inland, Mo’orea boasts 8 major peaks, with the 4 main ones being Mount Tohiea (1,207 m), Mount Rōtui located between Cook and Ōpūnohu bays (899 m), Mouʻa roa (880 m), and Mouʻa puta, also known as “the pierced mountain” (830 m). Each of these peaks is spectacular and highly photogenic.
The island has a circumference of 38 miles (62 km), with each kilometre marked by a “PK” (Point Kilométrique) marker. When given a meeting point in Mo’orea, it’s common to be directed to a specific “PK”, either on the seaside or mountainside. For example, the hotel is located at PK 7.2 on the seaside.
Currency
The local currency is the Pacific Franc (XPF—Franc Pacifique). You can change money at the Tahiti-Faa’a International Airport, which is only open for international arrivals and departures. ATMs are located throughout Tahiti and on the main islands.
Requirements for Participation
Strong swimming skills, you must be able to swim at least 200 metres unaided in open water. Guests are required to be physically able to get up a small boat ladder on their own. If assistance is required to climb up a boat ladder, a private guide will be placed on the boat to assist you, this would be an additional cost that can be discussed.
How To Get There
All international flights land at Tahiti-Faa’a International Airport (PPT).
Option 1: From Tahiti Faa’a International Airport, a 10-minute ‘domestic’ flight will take you to Moorea Temae (MOZ) Airport. The domestic airline is Air Tahiti.
Option 2: Come onboard the ferry! The fast and comfortable ferries operated by the local companies Aremiti, Terevau, and Vaeara’i offer several rides daily departing from the 2 islands. The average crossing time is 30-45 minutes. Boarding from Tahiti takes place at the ferry terminal located near downtown Papeete, next to the cruise terminal.
Please book your international flights well in advance!
Itinerary
Day 1: International flight arrival at Tahiti (airport code: PPT) and get the ferry to Moorea, hotel arrival. Days 2-3: whale swims days. Day 4: day of rest – explore the local island and/or relax and enjoy the resort facilities. Days 5-7: whale swim days. Day 8: Depart hotel, take the ferry back to Tahiti for flight/s.
For international flights from Australia, these are the following options:
- Air New Zealand tends to have better connexion compared to Air Tahiti Nui that code share with Jetstar. Please make sure your transit time is less than 24 hours in New Zealand, otherwise, you might need to apply for a short-term visa (this is a new requirement).
- The flight from Sydney (SYD) to Auckland (AKL) is around 3 hours.
- The flight time from Auckland to Papeete is around 5 hours.
- Flight prices are approx. $762 one way/pp (Qantas/Jetstar) or Air New Zealand $767 one way/pp on Wednesday and Saturday. NZ fly on Monday and Friday direct from Sydney.
From the United States
- Several airlines offer direct flights to Papeete from the US, including Air Tahiti Nui, Hawaiian Airlines, and Fiji Airways. Flights can cost between $800 and $1500, depending on your departure city.
- Alternatively, you can also consider flights with layovers in cities like Los Angeles or Honolulu.
Average flight times to The Islands of Tahiti
- Los Angeles-Papeete: 8 hours
- Seattle-Papeete: 10 hours
- San Francisco-Papeete: 8 hours
- Honolulu-Papeete: 5 hours
- Nouméa-Papeete: 6h20
- Tokyo-Papeete: 11 hours
- Auckland-Papeete: 5 hours
- Rarotonga-Papeete: 2 1/2 hours
Bookings, Payment, Cancellation Policy and Force Majeure in relation to the Tour
TERMS & CONDITIONS
1. Insurance
- Amanda Delaforce Photography and Travel Pty Ltd highly recommends you purchase personal travel and dive insurance as soon as possible after confirming your travel plans. We recommend Dive Assure or DAN for diving insurance. Dive Assure offers a Dive and Travel Insurance annual and short-term (per trip). You can purchase it here.
- Evidence of adequate travel and dive insurance must be provided prior to departure.
- The affiliated and established companies such as Cook’s Bay Hotel & Suites hold the relevant insurances and maintain responsibility for the dive and snorkel insurance policies and procedures. As such when in the water diving, snorkeling, or swimming you are doing so under the affiliated company’s policies and procedures and must adhere to either the Captain, Dive Instructor or Divemaster’s instructions.
2. Bookings and payments
- Bookings made more than 100 days out from the start of a trip require a deposit of $500.00 AUD per passenger
- All deposits are non-refundable.
- Bookings made less than 100 days out from tour commencement require payment in full to secure your booking.
- Payment in full is required 100 days out from the start of the trip. We will email you a final payment reminder prior to this date.
- Each guest will be required to complete a Dive Trip Questionnaire (which may require a Dive Medical) prior to receiving a final tour confirmation. This must be completed and returned to Amanda Delaforce Travel and Photography Pty Ltd prior to final payment being made. Disclosure of your medical history and known conditions is vital, as well as a review of any other conditions that could impact your trip. Amanda Delaforce Travel and Photography Pty Ltd reserves the right to refuse trip participation on medical grounds based on any falsification or exclusion of pertinent information which impacts the trip program.
3. Amendment and cancellation policy
- The trip cost is 100% non-refundable within 100 days of the departure date. This applies to deposits and/or further payments. No exceptions can be made.
- If you cancel your trip 100 days or more before the trip commencement date, and we/you are able to resell/fill your place, a trip credit for your remaining balance (minus a $300 AUD service fee) will be issued for use on another Amanda Delaforce Photography and Travel Pty Ltd trip which departs within 2 years of the cancellation date.
- If you cancel your spot less than 99 days prior to the start of a trip, no refund or credit will be issued for deposits that have been paid.
4. Force Majeure
- If our In-Country Providers cancel or if a Force Majeure Event occurs, meaning any act of God, war, terrorism, fire, flood or any other extreme weather conditions, loss of power, epidemics or pandemics, industrial disputes, slow-downs or other strike activities, riots or civil disturbances, acts of government, semi government or other authorities, inability to obtain any necessary license or consent and delays caused by sub-contractors, suppliers or other third parties (including telecommunications carriers), material shortages or other disruption to the trip beyond our control, Amanda Delaforce Photography and Travel Pty Ltd shall not be held responsible for matters outside of our control or any failure to deliver the trip.
5. Liability and obligation
- Amanda Delaforce Photography and Travel Pty Ltd takes no responsibility for loss, damage or injury arising from any shortfall, error or omission in the information passed to the customer during the course of the booking process or subsequent delivery of the product. The company takes no responsibility nor can it be held liable for loss, damage, or injury that occurs on a supplier’s or service provider’s premises or transport, or between two such premises.
Participation in any of the Activities involves certain risks which may result in injury or death. This warning does not purport to describe or disclose all risks associated with participation of the Activities. There are a wide range of inherent risks when engaging in sports and particularly underwater sports; for example, with diving there is the risk of decompression sickness, embolism or other hyperbaric injury can occur that requires treatment in a recompression chamber. Open water scuba diving trips may be conducted at sites that are remote, either by time or distance, from emergency services or recompression facilities. Scuba diving and snorkeling tours will involve uncontrolled encounters with wild animals which bear the risk of stings, bites, and at the extreme end, more serious injury and death. - Participants should be responsible and aware of animal behaviors and their own interactions, and choose to engage in these activities entirely at their own risk.
- We will not be liable to you in respect of any personal injury (including without limitation serious injury or death) that you may suffer or sustain directly or indirectly as a result of participating in the trip or the Activities. Nor shall we be liable to you in respect of any other losses arising as a result of any such personal injury (including without limitation loss of profit or earnings or other consequential losses). We will not be liable to you in respect of any of your personal property that is lost, stolen or damaged before, during or after a trip.
- Please ensure you understand our cancellation policy and agree to the booking and trip conditions prior to providing any deposits. By placing a booking with Amanda Delaforce Photography and Travel Pty Ltd, this implies that you accept these booking terms and conditions and our cancellation policy.
Trading as “Amanda Delaforce Travel and Photography Pty Ltd”