From Tahiti to Bora-Bora, join our whale and dolphin research team over one of our naturalist expeditions. Your participation allows us to keep studying these fascinating animals.
Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) of the Society archipelago August to November 13 days / 12 nights 6 persons max. From August to November, the G.E.M.M. team travels through the Society archipelago aboard catamarans to study the Leeward islands' humpbacks that breed and raise their youngs in our tropical waters. Listen, record, photo-ID and film the behaviors of whales and dolphins that move around the islands of Tahiti / Moorea / Tetiaroa / Huahine / Raiatea / Tahaa / Bora-Bora. Big predators of the Tuamotu archipelago April to July 13 days / 12 nights 6 persons max. The 80 atolls of the Tuamotu archipelago are fascinating curiosities. These giant organisms have been fixed on their volcanic ground for million of years in the middle of the world's biggest ocean. Their colonies form systems that actively contribute to the general balance of our biosphere, catching carbon from the atmosphere. Far ahead of humans, the tiny polyp is the biggest builder on Earth. At the other end of the foodchain big predators like sharks, dolphins (Tursiops truncatus, Stenella longirostris) and more recently humans. Many marine species can be found around the atolls, tropical fishes and seabirds abound. Some islands remain shelters for endemic species that are in great danger of extinction, as the Polynesian ground-dove (Gallicolumba erythroptera). The islands of Rangiroa and Fakarava are part of the best diving spots worldwide.
Months
April • May • June • July • August • September • October • November
Duration
Multi-day
Vessel types
Under sail / Yacht
Times and prices
Prices depend on your catamaran selection. Please contact us : contact@gemmpacific.org
About our skippers and naturalist guides
Alain has been skipping sailboats on Polynesian waters for 13 years. He knows the place as well as whales and dolphins he often encounters at sea. Pamela experienced cetaceans observation and monitoring in Europe and Canada before reaching Polynesia four years ago. In 2009, she began to study a population of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) at Rangiroa. Their passion led them to create the Marine Mammal Study Group (G.E.M.M.), in collaboration with worldwide specialists, to get a better knowledge of the 20 species of marine mammals living in this 5 million square kilometres area.
Facilities
Carbon neutral • Deck with 360?vision • Hands-on materials (bones, shells etc) • Naturalist guide(s) as well as skipper • On board video • Onboard research • Posters / displays / maps • Public participation in research • Reading material available • Restrooms / toilets on board • Snacks / drinks • Support conservation • Swim / snorkel included • Use a code of conduct
We frequently
Listen to whale song • Listen to whales and dolphins • See a whale's tail • See leaping dolphins • See leaping whales • Showered by whale blows • Swim with them in the wild • Watch whales and dolphins
Baleen Whales
Humpback Whale
Toothed Whales
Dwarf Sperm Whale • Melon-headed Whale • Pygmy Sperm Whale • Short-finned Pilot Whale
Beaked Whales
Blainville's Beaked Whale • Cuvier's Beaked Whale
Ocean Dolphins
Bottlenose Dolphin • Fraser's Dolphin • Rough-toothed Dolphin • Spinner Dolphin
Other wildlife and points of interest
Green turtle / Hawksbill turtle
Blue lorikeet / Pacific reef-egret / White-terns / Noddies / Terns / Tropicbirds / Frigatebirds / Boobies / Petrels / Shearwaters
Manta ray / Pink whipray / Spotted eagle ray
Dolphinfish / Wahoo / Tunas / Marlins / Sailfish / Barracudas
Nurse shark / Silvertip shark / Grey reef shark / Oceanic whitetip shark / Blacktip shark / Lemon shark / Whitetip shark / Great hammerhead shark