Whale Watching

Every year during the same season, humpback whales swim to French Polynesia from Antarctica. The first ones are sighted in June and the last ones depart our islands in early December. The peak season is between mid-August and the end of October. Encounters during this period are very frequent.

Breeding females come to deliver their calves in the warm waters of Tahiti and the other adults come to find a mate while being sheltered from their natural off shore predators.

Whale watching should involve a professionally, trained operator who will have the skills to determine the whales’ activity phases (such as socializing, resting or moving). Boats or tenders should always slow down when they get close to the animals and never turn the engine off.

The operator must adopt a proper behavior so that the animals are respected and not bothered. Whale and dolphin watching is strictly regulated by law in Tahiti and her islands since the area has been designated as a sanctuary for marine mammals. Any operator must hold a special permit from the local government to carry out whale watching.

Tahiti Private Expeditions has worked over the past decade with a couple of marine biology scientists specialized in cetacean research in Tahiti.