Tour· Rurutu· French Polynesia: Tuamotus, Marquesas, Gambier & Australs
Rurutu Humpback Whale Watching
22° 26.7′ S · 151° 19.8′ W · approximate
Rurutu is French Polynesia's whale island: humpbacks come close inshore to calve and mate from about July to October, and you can watch them from the boat, the cliffs and licensed boats that put swimmers in the water with them.
Practical
Position is representative: about 1 km off Moerai's NE coast, where cruisers watched whales daily; whales are seen all around the island. Pitufa (Oct 2018) saw many whales around the island every day; Moana (Aug 2023) saw them daily, even from land, and joined a licensed snorkel-with-whales boat with only 5 visitors; Elma (Jan 2024) had whales around the boat in both bays and heard them singing through the hull at night. Local guesthouses arrange trips; Tahiti Tourisme names the promontories near Moerai and the platform below Matotea above Avera as land viewpoints. Book through your pension or ask at the harbour; operators are licensed by the Direction de l'environnement. See 'Rurutu Whale-Approach Rules' before swimming from your own boat.
Best for
Swimming with humpback mothers and calves
Season
Jul-Oct (Tahiti Tourisme says to November); peak Aug-Oct
Nearby
- Ana Taneuapoto Cave (Rurutu)0.6 NM away
- Gendarmerie Moerai (Port of Entry, Rurutu)0.6 NM away
- Rurutu Whale-Approach Rules0.6 NM away
- Moerai Harbor (Rurutu)0.7 NM away
- Moerai Harbour Snacks0.7 NM away
- Moerai Municipal Market0.7 NM away
- Rurutu Hospital (Moerai)0.7 NM away
- Sinn Supermarket (Moerai)0.7 NM away