Seasonal· Maupiti· French Polynesia — Society Islands

Maupiti Humpback Whale Season & Approach Rules

16° 30.6′ S · 152° 15.0′ W · approximate

From July to the end of October, humpback whales (tohora) migrate from Antarctica to calve around the Society Islands, and mothers with calves keep close to the barrier reefs. Off Maupiti they are usually seen outside the reef, often on the passage to or from Bora Bora.

Society IslandsTahiti & Moorea

Practical

Coordinate is approximate: open water about 2.5 km south of Onoiau Pass, outside the reef. DIREN (Marine Mammal leaflet, 2025): humpbacks arrive from July to the end of October, and mothers stay close to the islands near the barrier reefs, in sheltered bays and sometimes inside lagoons. Tahiti Tourisme says they rarely enter Maupiti's lagoon but are sometimes seen offshore in season. Rules under the Polynesian environment code (art. LP 2213-1-1 and A 2213-1-4 to 11): whale watching is forbidden inside lagoons, bays and passes. No boat may enter 100 m of a whale and no person may enter 15 m; unauthorised boats must stay outside the 300 m observation zone, and any boat inside it must stay under 3 kn. Do not chase, circle, cut across the path of, or come between a mother and calf, and avoid sudden changes of course or engine speed. Authorised swim-with tours operate only around Bora Bora, Huahine, Moorea, Raiatea, Rurutu, Tahaa, Tahiti, Tetiaroa and Tubuai, July 20-November 20, 7:30am-5:30pm. Maupiti is not on that list, so plan to watch from the boat at a legal distance. Keep a sharp watch on the Bora Bora-Maupiti run: a whale on the surface is a collision hazard for a yacht at speed. Never time an Onoiau transit around a whale sighting.

Best for

Whale sightings on the Bora Bora-Maupiti passage

Season

Jul-Oct (DIREN); authorised tours elsewhere Jul 20-Nov 20

Nearby