French Polynesia Whale Trips August/September/October 2022

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Why Join This Trip? - Itinerary - Inclusions & Exclusions

Boat Details - Accommodations - How to Get There

Payment Schedule - Booking - Underwater Photos

Important Notice:

Updated as of April 22, 2021: Starting May 1, 2021, tourists who are fully vaccinated and tourists who have proven immunity are allowed to travel to French Polynesia for the purposes of tourism. Travelers will have to been residing in the United States for at least 30 days prior to departure. Click here for detailed entry requirements.

For the most updated information, kindly contact us at info@bluewaterdivetravel.com.

French Polynesia Whale Snorkel Trips

August/September/October 2022

Why Join This Trip:

Imagine being picked up by a boat directly from your hotel restaurant. A trip where you can have a close encounter with a whale 10 minutes after leaving the dock. A location that puts you in warm, clear water, takes 1/3 the time to get to than other humpback whale destinations, and costs half the price. A trip where the operator never cuts a whale encounter short. A trip where you are on a boat with a small group of people, 6 at most, compared to 20 people on the "day boats". This is the amazing trip that Scott Gietler experienced, and has put together for you to enjoy - a trip of a lifetime. Scott had whale encounters every day he was on the water. Snorkel only, no dive certification required!

Check out this awesome video!

To get a little insight as to what the trip is like, read the reports from our 2018 and 2019 trips, here! 

Humpback whale season is from August 1st to November 1st. All trips are at the peak of the season.

See more amazing photos from our previous Moorea trips here  and here.

Why Join This Trip? 

 ✓ Our whale boat stays out all day, taking advantage of time in the early morning, mid-day, and late afternoon when the other operators (i.e. half-day boats) are not out.

  ✓ We have selected a top-notch operator with a high level of expertise in finding whales and providing you the best chance of having a quality encounter in the water. Having an operator who knows how to get you a better whale experience is critical in Moorea.

 ✓ Our operator’s boat has a hydrophone which not only helps us to locate the whales, but also provides you the opportunity to hear these whales singing in great detail!

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Inclusions

 ✓ Small group size (max 6 guests, incl trip leader)

 ✓ 7 nights accommodation at Hotel Kaveka, twin occupancy

 ✓ Lunch provided on the boat

  ✓ 5 days on the water looking for whales, weather permitting, on a private boat with captain and guide and 1 day of rest to explore or relax.

Exclusions

 ✗ Breakfast & dinner not included. Buying food at the grocery store can be inexpensive. Most restaurants will pick you up free of charge at the hotel, but the restaurants can be pricey. There is a reasonably priced pizza place within walking distance of Hotel Kaveka. Lunch is not included on non-boat days.

 ✗ Taxi to/from Airport/Ferry and Ferry/Hotel (~$25 USD, can be split among passengers), 4 taxi rides total

 ✗ Upgrading to a single occupancy room

 ✗ Ferry Ride to and from Moorea ~$30 USD round trip.  There are two ferry companies: Aremiti http://www.aremiti.net/schedule (has 2 ferry boats) and Terevau https://www.terevau.pf/en/schedules/ (Has 1 ferry boat)

 ✗ Transfer from the pier: There is a public bus service which leaves from the pier upon the arrival of the fast ferries, and the price is 350 CFP per person one way (roughly USD 3.5). There is also the ALBERT TRANSPORT mini-bus shuttle which is also on the pier upon arrival of the fast ferries and the price person one way for this is 700 CFP (roughly USD 6.7) and you may book online at  ftino@albert-transport.net or info@albert-transport.net . Finally, there is also a taxi company located right on the pier also, and they charge 2.500 CFP for the cab that can seat up to eight passengers (roughly USD 25).

 ✗ Tips

 ✗ Travel Insurance: click here to learn more about our preferred plan

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Additional Information

• Please bring your own wetsuit and fins. There is no rental options on the island. A full 3mm wetsuit is highly recommended; many guests have skipped the wetsuit and gotten very cold when the weather got windy and cloudy.
• We are not in the water all day non-stop. There may be long periods of time when you’re on the boat, just looking for the whales. 
• Guests must be good swimmers for this trip. We are dropped 100m away from the whales and must swim up to them from that distance (local regulation for whale swimming). It is possible to hire a private guide to help you swim if necessary. Please inquire.
• Many guests have gotten sunburn even though there is shade on the boat, so all skin must be covered. We suggest hat, scarf for face/lips, full skin or wetsuit and plenty of sunscreen. 
• Guests are required to be be physically able to get up a small boat ladder on their own.
• Airbnb is getting more popular and can be recommended for a night in Tahiti prior to the trip.

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Flight Information

Guests will fly into and out of the international airport on Tahiti in Pape'ete (code PPT). From there, it is a 15 minute taxi ride to the ferry port, where you can purchase a ticket on-site to cross the channel to Moorea Island (typically about a 45-minute ferry.) The new ferry, Terevau Piti, has also recently become available, decreasing the travel time from Tahiti to Moorea to 30 minutes. You can take a taxi or bus from Moorea ferry port to Hotel Kaveka, which is about 15 minutes away.

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Smaller Boat Details

 ✓ Semi-inflatable 24ft / 7.5m boat.

 ✓ Smaller than most boats allowing more intimate whale encounters

 ✓ Only 6 guests - exclusive experience

 ✓ The central area is open for gear storage and allows ease of movement around the boat

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Larger Boat Details

 ✓ 31ft. / 9.5m boat

  ✓ Maximum 10 guests still allow for intimate whale experiences

  ✓ 2 guides to support different swimming abilities

  ✓ Fixed central seats for added comfort

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Sample Itinerary

• Day 1: International flight arrival at Tahiti (airport code: PPT), take ferry to Moorea, hotel arrival
• Day 2 - 6: Look for whales 9AM-4PM (times are samples based on previous years and not guaranteed to be the same each year).
• Day 7: Day of rest. Can be used to dive, explore the island, or potentially add another day of whale swimming (dependent on boat availability and agreement between all guests during the trip).
• Day 8: Depart hotel, take ferry back to Tahiti for flight.

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About Hotel Kaveka

Family owned and operated, The Hotel Kaveka offers incredible value for discerning travelers from around the world. Nobody knows Moorea better than the team of professionals at The Hotel Kaveka. Portable televisions with local reception are in the bungalows along with a mini refrigerator and air conditioning. The rooms included on this trip are the better rooms with air-conditioning.

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Payment Schedule

Deposit: $800

Payment 2: $1000, Due 2/1/22

Payment 3: Balance, Due 6/1/22

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Photo Gallery  

Moorea Humpback Whale Photos Taken by Mark Strickland

Moorea Humpback Whale Photos Taken by Scott Gietler

Moorea Humpback Whale Photos Taken by Eric Lukas

Moorea Humpback Whale Photos Taken by Bryan Chu

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