Swimming With Humpbacks in French Polynesia: Fall 2024
Come with us and swim and freedive with humpback whales on their annual migration to the South Pacific, live with a Polynesian family and participate in cultural activities from farming and fishing to cooking and beach parties with locals in the Austral Islands.
Every year from August to November, thousands of humpback whales migrate from their feeding grounds in Antarctica to the warm shallows of the South Pacific to give birth, raise their calves, and mate. Located in the Austral Archipelago in remote French Polynesia, the island of Rurutu is blessed with crystal clear waters and fringing reefs that transforms into a winter haven for several dozen humpback whales.
This program combines swimming with whales and immersion within Polynesian culture— our goal is to help you become one with the people, whales and ocean. The island of Rurutu is your home for the week, and the Tavita family becomes your family. You will live with them and learn about what makes this island special through the smiles, music, food and stories of her people.
Note: We spend long days on the water. You must be a strong swimmer comfortable in open water to successfully participate in this program. This is a nature program- whale sightings are not guaranteed; however, they are very likely. Interactions do happen, but it is not an everyday occurrence. We focus more on observation and are at the will of nature.
Dates:
Sept 29th - Oct 6th - Registration Open
Price: 4000 USD* With Registration complete before March 1 ($4240 USD after March 1)
Includes: all boats, food and drink (alcohol not included) , tours, cultural experiences and 2 person accommodations for the week.
Numbers: 8 clients + Boat Captain + In-water guides
***Flights are not included***
Itinerary:
Sunday: Arrival Day
We will pick you up from Rurutu Airport in the afternoon (there’s just one flight today in the late afternoon from Tahiti) and welcome you to this beautiful little island of 2,400 people. We’ll host a Polynesian welcome dinner at the house and have a safety briefing and group introductions this evening.
Monday through Saturday: On the Water (typical day)
07:00
Home-cooked breakfast at the house, prepare gear for the morning.
08:00~08:30
Drive to the pier, change into wetsuits, gear up, and load everything onto our private boat— the Apo Apo 2.
08:30~12:30
For the next four hours, we look for whales, and when we find a group, we approach them carefully and responsibly by sending two scouts into the water first. The boat stops approximately 100-150 metres away from the whales and we must swim the rest of the way. This is to help protect them from any potential contact with the boat, as well as not scare them with the boat’s engine. Our whale guide will explain what’s going on with each interaction and set the limitations in the water, as to not adversely affect the whales’ behaviour, and also enable the best interaction possible.
While we try to swim with whales every day, some days are luckier than others— weather and conditions are definitely at play. There are some days where we may not get a good swim in at all, and there are other days where we may enjoy a two-hour interaction.
While it’s impossible to predict which time is the “best” to experience interactions, we know that whales generally arrive in Rurutu in late July, mate and have babies, and then stick around until early November. For reference, we spent a month in Rurutu in 2020, going out every day on the water. During this time, we had 12 epic interaction days, 13 decent whale swimming days, and 3 days were total busts. Interactions steadily increased with the peak in late September and early October.
Over the past two years, we’ve found that the best experiences have been in September and early October. 2021 was considered a weaker year in general in the Australs, with whale interactions peaking only during the last two weeks of September, while in 2019 we saw the best interactions between the last week of August and the first two weeks in September. Nature is difficult to predict, especially humpback whale migrations. Every year is different.
12:30~14:30
We return to shore, change and wash our gear. We enjoy a fresh lunch in Moerai town. While the menu is not extensive, it’s all fresh and delicious, and very seafood-heavy. The fish are all line caught or speared locally, and many dishes are prepared cru (raw) with vinegar, coconut milk and fresh vegetables. The food in Rurutu is a combination of Polynesian, French and Chinese cooking styles.
15:00~18:00
Depending on the day, our afternoons are generally reserved for local cultural activities or relaxation. Some things to expect may include a tour around the whole island with mama Gisèle, visits to local artisan workshops, cooking lessons, a hike to the highest point on the island, cave exploration, taro farming, spearfishing, and Polynesian music and dance. Other days, we just relax at the beach or nap at the house, depending on how successful our morning swims are and how exhausted the group is.
19:00~21:00
Home-cooked dinner is prepared at the house by Teiti, who is an incredible chef. He uses local ingredients in his dishes so you can expect a lot of fish, fresh vegetables, taro leaves, taro root, potatoes, salad, pomelo, guava, papaya, coconut and banana. He makes a new dessert and herbal tea from the garden each night. Evening discussions and games to follow.
Sunday: Departure Day
On the morning of our departure day, we go on a hike (either the Dragon’s Head Hike or the Manureva Mountain Hike, depending on the interest and fitness level of the group— the Dragon’s Head Hike is significantly harder). After our hike, we return directly back to the house for a farewell lunch with our host family. We pack up and head over to the airport around 3 pm, where you bid farewell to our host family and the island of Rurutu, carrying back amazing memories of the seas, whales and smiles of this incredible little island.
If you’d like to Sign-up or learn more please reach out to us with any questions you may have below…