Noordam in Tahiti
Our trans-Pacific cruise on Holland America Noordam made an overnight stop in Tahiti. We had no set plans on the day we arrived, so we took a last-minute island tour that was available through locals at the port. For the second day there I had a dive booked through an outside source (not a cruise ship excursion.) John didn’t want to dive and hadn’t made any other plans for that stop pre-cruise. Some of the people working on the ship that we met onboard had plans to go snorkeling with whales, also booked through an outside source. Their excursion had room for a couple more and they invited us to come along. I already had the dive booked, but John decided to go. He found the website that they had booked through. It was all in French since that is the language of Tahiti, an island in French Polynesia. This is his story of his amazing opportunity to interact with humpbacks.
snorkelers with a whale
Swimming With Humpback Whales in Tahiti
By John B
Humpback whales migrate from Antarctica and arrive in French Polynesian waters in July to breed or give birth to their babies. The warm waters provide a perfect place for them to nurture their young and teach them how to be a whale. They stay in these warm waters until sometime in November until the natural urge to migrate back to Antarctica overwhelms them.
people snorkeling with whales
Tahiti, the largest island in French Polynesian offers adventurous tourists a rare opportunity to swim with these whales. This type of tour is not offered through the cruise ship but can be booked via Internet for $80 in advance of arriving in Tahiti. Reservations are very limited as there’s only room for eight guests aboard the small inflatable outboard-powered boat. (Price given was at the time of our cruise and may not reflect the current price.)
on the inflatable boat
Upon arriving in port at Papeete, a group of three ship’s officers and myself gathered outside the ship and shared a twenty-dollar taxi ride to nearby Tahiti Yacht Club Marina. At the dive shop the crew gives everyone a ¾ wetsuit, fins and snorkel. I brought my own snorkel, fins and colorful air vest. After everyone seated themselves on the inflatable the tour guide gave a talk about whales while the boat captain motored out of the marina.
snorkeling with whales
He explained that mothers with calves were the most likely to allow us to swim among them, but we had to be patient. First off though, we all had to watch for “spouts” from whales. The ship’s Naturalist, Christie, was the first to spot a spout. Once spotted the captain of the inflatable stops and waits at a distance. The first mother whale and her baby did not come close and headed out to deeper water.
humpback whale
Optimum depths to swim with the whales are 30 to 60 feet so the captain continued slowly motoring along the shoreline on the border of the shallow reef where the whales frequent. Once again Christie spotted another spout and once again the captain stopped the boat. This time however, the baby swam closer to us. The guide explained that the baby whales are very curious, but the mothers can be reluctant to allow their babies to get too close unless they deem us safe. It’s a waiting game they explained. After turning off the outboard motor we drifted for about an hour while the baby and mother whale came closer and closer. Finally, the guide gave the word to slowly slip over the side without splashing. He said to swim slowly and don’t make any splashes or fast movements.
it’s a fluke
With crystal clear blue tinted water visibility allowed us to spot the baby quickly. It kept coming closer and closer exploring us as much as we were exploring it. My first sight of the baby’s fluke (tail) as it dove down sent adrenalin through my veins, a sight I never expected to see while snorkeling. My brightly colored air vest seemed to attract the massive sized baby whale and it swam right to me and looked me in the eye. Its eye connected with mine and clearly showed curiosity. I’m sure my eyes showed awe and admiration as this could only be described as an amazing once in a lifetime experience.
snorkeling with whales
After looking at me eye to eye the baby turned and gently swished its tail to turn away, nearly touching me with its fluke. For the next half hour everyone watched the whales swim in and among us, gliding gently through the warm waters. As explained, not every tour experiences swimming with the whales so we all felt extremely lucky, especially at the end of the season, within days or weeks of their annual migration back to Antarctica.
curious whale
To book a swim with whales adventure in Tahiti visit https://www.scubatektahiti.com/fr
whale up close
The website is in French so be sure to hit the translate button on your browser or use a browser that will translate the page.
humpback whale
Cost: Roughly $80 U.S. depending on exchange rate. Please note, you will need to book in advance and pay with a credit card that will calculate the exchange rate from French Polynesian Franc to your own currency.
whale
Also note, on the other side of the island from Papeete another dive company offers tours. Since cruise ships port at Papeete the most convenient tour is the company listed above. For best chances of swimming with the whales plan your trip to coincide with the whales from July to November. You can also book trips originating from Moorea if your ship stops there. The problem with booking from Moorea however is timing. Since Moorea is a tender port, you may not get off your ship in time to make your tour time, especially since guests who book ship’s tours often get priority on tenders ahead of do-it-yourself tours not booked through the ship.
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