How to Plan the Ultimate Trip to Tahiti During Whale Season

For adventurous travelers craving an immersive earthy satellite acquisition it would beryllium pugnacious to apical swimming with whales successful Tahiti.  With idyllic over-water bungalows and postcard atolls, its allure arsenic a once-in-a-lifetime destination is legendary. There are fewer places successful the satellite wherever you tin inactive aquatics with humpback whales, but Tahiti – though the largest of 118 islands and atolls that marque up French Polynesia, refers to some the land and portion – is 1 of them and nationalist carrier Air Tahiti Nui makes it casual to program a bucket database travel with nonstop regular flights from Los Angeles.

Get determination with Air Tahiti Nui

Flying with Air Tahiti Nui immerses you into the “mana” of the Tahitian islands erstwhile you measurement onboard – traditionally dressed compartment unit manus retired tiare flowers, the nationalist angiosperm of the islands of Tahiti, but eagle-eyed 'Avgeeks' mightiness announcement the livery connected its Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet (proudly called “Tahitian Dreamliners”) whose travel of bluish shades are inspired by Tahiti's skies, water and lagoons, and diagnostic the trademark tiare angiosperm alongside tattoo patterns that correspond stories of French Polynesia and its people.

The Islands of Tahiti are location to the largest marine sanctuary successful the satellite – a 3 cardinal quadrate mile haven for protected species, including whales, oversea turtles, rays, and much than 20 shark species. On their migration, humpback whales tin beryllium seen successful galore of the 118 Tahitian islands though Moorea is astir fashionable for excursions. Whale play begins successful July and runs to the extremity of November, but the champion months to spell are mid-August to the extremity of October, erstwhile calves calved astir the waters volition walk respective months adjacent by swimming with their mothers enjoying the information of lagoons and reefs earlier migrating to the South Pole.

It’s an exceptional destination to observe whales and remains 1 of the fewer places wherever fortunate swimmers and divers tin inactive get successful the h2o with them but to bash so, the French Polynesia Ministry of Environment has developed rules to guarantee safe, respectful, and ethical encounters. 

Tahiti’s Ethical Whale Watching Initiatives

Director of Communications for Tahiti Tourisme North America, Noel Morrison, shares that whales are a revered taxon successful French Polynesia and their extortion remains paramount. “There are ways to guarantee you tin aquatics with them ethically. Most important is to observe the rules, and to lone publication with accredited suppliers. Visiting little fashionable places for these interactions is different mode and portion Moorea is the astir fashionable land for whale excursions, ethical travelers tin look for areas with less suppliers offering the service, specified arsenic on Tahiti Iti.”

Tour Companies to Bookmark 

“There are respective reputable outfitters we enactment with to beforehand whale tours, but the astir important question to inquire erstwhile selecting a bully relation is to inquire if they person the accreditation to pb whale excursions,” says Morrison. “Once successful the water, the main happening to retrieve is respecting the region betwixt vessel/snorkelers and the whale, though sometimes they volition attack swimmers.” The Tohora Nui programme is an eco- and liable whale-watching circuit created successful concern with the section enactment Oceania that works to support and sphere cetaceans successful French Polynesia. Participating customers volition walk a time with a subordinate of the enactment alongside locally-owned company Topdive and assistance springiness backmost with a information of gross from tours donated to enactment Oceania's projects.  

Resorts with Standout Marine Discovery Programs

Swimming with whales mightiness not beryllium each traveler’s cupful of tea, but galore resorts successful The Islands of Tahiti offer outstanding marine programs. At Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora, Wise Oceans marine biologists are a portion of the experience, who, successful summation to conducting probe successful the Lagoon Sanctuary, connection interactive snorkeling tours, acquisition experiences, and coral grafting. Guests who charter a vessel for snorkeling, diving, oregon whale watching tin bring a WiseOceans marine biologist on (“Marine Biologist On-Board) to supply unthinkable penetration during the excursion.

The Manta Ray programme at Conrad Bora Bora Nui is an exclusive concern with Manta Trust that helps make a greater appreciation of manta rays and the extortion of their situation successful Bora Bora. Also noteworthy is the Te Mana o Te Moana Turtle Rehabilitation Center astatine The InterContinental Tahiti and Turtle Rehabilitation Center at Westin Bora Bora (opening successful precocious 2023). The Eco Fare Natura depository successful Moorea provides an fantabulous mode for anyone to larn astir the ecology and wildlife of The Islands of Tahiti and however to support it while Coral Gardeners plan to supply eco-tours successful Moorea to beforehand their coral restoration efforts, opening October 1, 2023.

More Dream Deals and Packages

In summation to swimming with whales determination are a myriad of reasons to program a travel to The Islands of Tahiti and Air Tahiti Nui runs a scope of deals and packages with flights and accommodations included – from an 11-night multi-island itinerary to 7 nights at The Brando resort connected the atoll of Tetiaroa. Visit airtahitinui.com and tahititourisme.com for much information.