Whale season

Originally published on 28 September 2016

It is whale season! An extraordinary opportunity to encounter these wonderful mammals.

Humpback whales spend around five months in French Polynesia to breed and give birth. They spend the rest of the year feeding in Antarctic waters. Whale season has long marked the rhythm of the Polynesian year. It begins in late June or early July, when the atae, also known as the whale tree, flowers to announce the whales' arrival in Tahitian waters. The last whales leave French Polynesia towards the end of October, once the youngest calves are strong enough to begin their migration to Antarctica.

Would you like to see them for yourself? Our activity service can help arrange a whale-watching trip.