"This was the best guided snorkeling tour I have ever been of because of our two guides. They were locals who were extremely knowledgeable, and took us to see the most amazing parts of Bora Bora. The stingrays we swam with had been named (shout and to Shakira), and even though no food was given to t"
HALF DAY · LAGOON
Half-Day Snorkeling Tours
Snorkel the lagoon in 2.5 to 4 hours
From
$135
per person
Free cancellation
- 5.0 / 5 202+ Reviews
- 4 hours Duration
- 4 hours On the lagoon
- Towels + soda Included on board
- Free Cancellation
Book Your Snorkel Trip
Check Availability & Prices
Select your preferred date and time. Instant confirmation — free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure.
Half-Day Small-Group Snorkel Cruise
- 5.0/5 (202 reviews)
- 4 hours
- Free cancellation
- Operated by Lagoon Service
Includes Pickup and drop-off from your accommodation · Use of snorkeling equipment · Towels
From $135 per person
Check Viator Availability
You'll choose your date and complete the booking on Viator. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure.
Same trip, also on GetYourGuide
From $133 per person · ★ 4.9 from 100 GetYourGuide reviews
Each platform sets its own price and collects its own reviews, so compare both before you book on Viator.
The Experience
What the Lagoon Service Half Day Includes
A 4-hour small-group cruise around the lagoon with snorkel gear, towels, soda and water, and pickup from your accommodation.
Highlights
- A half-day loop of the lagoon with views of Mount Otemanu from all sides
- Snorkeling over coral gardens with schools of reef fish
- A shallow stop where guests report blacktip reef sharks and stingrays
- Several snorkel sites in one trip, three in most guest reports
- Local guides who share island stories, often with a ukulele song on board
What's Included
- Pickup and drop-off from your accommodation
- Use of snorkeling equipment
- Towels
- Soda
- Bottled water
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure
How a Half-Day Snorkel Tour Works
Four steps from booking to drop-off, with most of the morning or afternoon left over.
Pick a length
Choose 2.5 hours for one shark and ray stop plus the Coral Garden, or 3 to 4 hours for more stops around the lagoon.
Get picked up
Lagoon Service collects you from your accommodation; your pickup time depends on where you stay and arrives with your ticket.
Snorkel two to four stops
Guides choose the sites on the day. Stay close to your guide in the water, as boats run throughout the lagoon.
Back for the rest of the day
You are dropped back where you were collected, with time left for the beach, the pool or a second outing.
Photo Gallery
Half-Day Snorkeling in Photos
Photos from the Lagoon Service half-day small-group cruise on the Bora Bora lagoon.
Lagoon Service Half Day vs Eco Snorkel Cruise vs Reef Discovery
Three half-day snorkel tours side by side; prices are from the booking platforms on 1 October 2026.
| Feature | 4 HOURS Half-Day Small-Group Snorkel Cruise (Lagoon Service) | Eco Snorkel Cruise (Moana) | Reef Discovery Half-Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | From $135/per person | from $113 per person (Viator) · $108 (GetYourGuide) | from $135 per person (Viator) · $143 (GetYourGuide) |
| Duration | 4 hours | 2.5 hours | 3.5 hours |
| Snorkel stops | Not itemized in the listing; guide picks the route | Two: sharks and rays (100 min), Coral Garden (30 min) | Not itemized; guided snorkeling at uncrowded spots |
| Sharks & rays | Not named in the listing; often described in guest reviews | Knee-deep stop with blacktip reef sharks and stingrays; no feeding | Not named in the listing; described in guest reviews |
| Mantas | Not named in the listing | Possible along the way, depending on weather and season | Named among wildlife encountered; not guaranteed |
| Coral Garden | Colorful corals promised; guests describe a coral garden | Named stop, 30 minutes | Not named in the listing; guests describe a coral garden |
| Included on board | Snorkel gear, towels, soda, bottled water | Mask and snorkel, bottled water | Snorkel gear with fins, beach towel, soda, bottled water |
| Pickup | Pickup for everyone; time depends on location | Pickup for everyone | Pickup and drop-off included |
| Best for | A longer half day with towels and drinks | The shortest, cheapest shark and reef trip | Most reviews and the fullest gear list |
| Book Now | See Details | See Details |
Compare the Tours
Other Half-Day Snorkel Tours
From the 2.5-hour eco cruise to 3.5-hour multi-stop trips, all with pickup.
2.5 HOURSEco Snorkel Cruise with Sharks and Stingrays
A 2.5-hour eco snorkel trip with Moana Adventure Tours: a knee-deep sandbank with blacktip reef sharks and stingrays, then the Coral Garden. Good for families and first-timers who want the shark encounter in a short morning.
3.5 HOURS · FINS INCLUDEDReef Discovery Half-Day Snorkel Tour
Reef Discovery's 3.5-hour guided snorkel visits uncrowded spots for manta rays, eagle rays and coral, with fins, towels and pickup included. A strong pick for beginners and families who want mantas on the list.
3.5 HOURS · SHARED BOATHalf-Day Shared Boat Snorkel Tour
H2O Bora Bora's 3.5-hour shared-boat snorkel visits several sites chosen on the day for manta rays, eagle rays and coral, with no feeding. Suits confident adults who like small groups; less so for young children.
3 HOURS · MAX 8Half-Day Eco Snorkeling Small-Group Tour
A three-hour small-group snorkel around the Bora Bora lagoon with stops for stingrays, blacktip reef sharks and the Coral Garden, capped at eight guests. Suits first-timers and families who want a short morning on the water.
HALF-DAY GUIDE
Which Half-Day Snorkel Tour Fits Your Bora Bora Stay
Short trips compared by hours, stops, wildlife, group size and price.
Which half-day tour to book
Most half-day snorkel tours in Bora Bora fall into two lengths: a 2.5-hour trip with two stops, or a 3 to 4 hour loop with three or more. Pick the short one if you want sharks, stingrays and a reef before lunch and nothing else. Pick a longer one if you want more time in the water, more sites and a reasonable chance of manta rays.
Our featured pick is the Half-Day Small-Group Snorkel Cruise from Lagoon Service: 4 hours, $135 per person, rated 5.0 from 202 reviews on Viator (also on GetYourGuide from $133, rated 4.9 from 100 reviews). At 4 hours it is the longest of the five shared half days compared here, and it includes snorkel gear, towels, soda and bottled water, with pickup from your accommodation. The trade-off is that the listing does not spell out its stops. Guest reviews consistently describe sharks, stingrays and a coral garden (one reviewer placed it near the airport), but the guide sets the route on the day.
If you like the operator but want lunch on a motu, Lagoon Service also runs a 6-hour Full-Day Lagoon Tour with Snorkeling and Motu Lunch at $174 per person. With 1,701 reviews and a 5.0 rating, it is the most-reviewed tour on this site.
The 2.5-hour option: Eco Snorkel Cruise
The Eco Snorkel Cruise with Sharks and Stingrays from Moana is the shortest trip on this site and the cheapest: $113 per person, rated 4.8 from 598 reviews (also on GetYourGuide from $108, rated 4.7 from 187 reviews). The itinerary is unusually precise. About 100 minutes go to a shallow stop where the water is at knee height and blacktip reef sharks and stingrays move around you, then 30 minutes at the Coral Garden. Moana states it does not feed the sharks or rays.
The catch is what it leaves out. Only a mask and snorkel are supplied (the operator suggests bringing your own), there are no towels or snacks, and two stops is the plan. One guest summed it up as short and sweet, which is fair. Pickup is included for everyone, by road or by boat from a resort dock depending on where you stay, and guests are dropped back the same way. Children from 4 have a child rate.
The 3 to 4 hour multi-stop trips
Three more half days compete closely on price, and all of them pick you up.
The Reef Discovery Half-Day Snorkel Tour runs 3.5 hours for $135 per person and is rated 5.0 from 1,042 reviews, the most-reviewed half day on this site (also on GetYourGuide from $143). It is the only one here that lists fins, a beach towel and soda together, and its description names manta rays and eagle rays among the wildlife encountered. It asks for moderate fitness, and bookings are capped at 8.
The Half-Day Shared Boat Snorkel Tour from H2O costs $130 per person for 3.5 hours, rated 5.0 from 769 reviews (also on GetYourGuide from $129). H2O keeps numbers on board very limited, picks sites daily by conditions and says it regularly encounters manta rays, eagle rays, turtles and dolphins without feeding or staging encounters. Guests must manage the boat ladder on their own, people over 70 need a medical certificate, and it is not suitable over 80.
The Half-Day Eco Snorkeling Small-Group Tour is 3 hours for $133 per person, rated 5.0 from 99 reviews. It caps the group at 8 people, lists stingrays, blacktip reef sharks and a coral garden, and serves juice, fruit and coconut cake. It has fewer reviews than the others, but it is the one listing here that states a group maximum.
Mantas, sharks and feeding
No half-day tour can promise manta rays. Reef mantas visit cleaning stations in the lagoon all year, and sightings at known stations are likely but never guaranteed. If mantas are your priority, read our manta ray snorkeling page before choosing. The sharks you meet in the lagoon are blacktip reef sharks, adults usually under about 1.6 m (5.2 ft); they are timid and bites are rare. The big stingrays are pink whiprays with a venomous tail spine, so do not touch, chase or corner them. Operators differ on feeding, so check the listing.
Private and premium half days
For a boat to yourselves, the Private Half-Day Snorkeling Tour by Boat from H2O runs 3.5 hours at $650 per boat for up to 4 people, rated 5.0 from 126 reviews. Our private snorkeling tours page compares the private boats in detail. The Sailing Bora Bora catamaran is a 4-hour half day at $312 per person, with a snorkel stop at its own coral garden and a floating bar.
Half day or full day
A half day leaves time for the resort, a spa booking or a second outing. A full day adds a motu lunch and usually more stops, from $145 per person; see the full-day snorkeling tours if you would rather do one long trip than two short ones.
How to choose and what to bring
Short on time or traveling with young children: the Eco Snorkel Cruise. The most-reviewed half day, with fins and towels included: Reef Discovery. Smallest stated group: the eco small-group tour. A longer half day with towels and drinks at a mid-range price: Lagoon Service. Bring sunscreen (reef-safe is a good idea), a hat, swimwear and your own mask if you have one. The water stays roughly 25 to 30 C all year. When you have picked a date, check availability.
Guest Reviews
What Guests Say About the Lagoon Service Half Day
5.0/5
from 202 verified guests
Ratings and review counts are each platform's live figures (Viator or GetYourGuide) as checked on 1 October 2026 and may shift slightly day to day.
"Absolutely incredible day. Phenomenal tour guide and great weather. Swimming with the Black Tip Reef Sharks was unlike anything I have ever done! 10/10"
"1/2 day snorkeling cruise swimming with sharks & stingrays as well as discovering an amazing coral garden. Our captain & guide was Manu who took as safely around the island and also sang and played his ukulele for us. We only had 8 persons on board so well worth booking this tour"
"My kids, 10 and 12, husband and I experienced this tour on our dream vacation to Bora Bora. Timu and Tamu (sorry if we spelled this wrong!) were the best guides from the start! They told funny stories, sang and played the ukulele and drums"
"First, our capitan and guide Aro was fantastic. Aro made the experience. Without him it would not had been as wonderful as it was. My wife’s number 1 fear, sharks. Aro made us both feel at ease reminding us that the only scary thin"
"This was the most amazing tour I think we have ever done. Tao our guide was absolutely phenomenal. Our favorite part of the tour was the coral garden near the airport. We have snorkeled many place including the Great Barrier Reef last yea"
"This was the best guided snorkeling tour I have ever been of because of our two guides. They were locals who were extremely knowledgeable, and took us to see the most amazing parts of Bora Bora. The stingrays we swam with had be"
"Best excursion on our trip. Our guide Rony was awesome. Provided towels, drinks, and snacks. Lead our group thru the coral gardens and really looked out for us. As a native was eager to share his knowledge of his island."
"Some of the best magical moments captured in the tour. The experience was unreal. Enjoyed every bit of it. Huge applause and appreciation for our captain guide Vatia. Loved his hospitality and singing skills."
"Terrific snorkel tour. Rony was amazing. He was the captain, the snorkel guide and the entertainer. The fish, sharks and corral were outstanding"
"Toto was amazing, super friendly and helpful. He serenades you with his ukulele. He took us to 3 sites to snorkel, all different and beautiful. His girl friend, Juliet, a manta ray was incredible and a sight that you just had to be there. There were so many sharks and we saw many brightly colored fish. This was the best tour we took."
"Our guide Aro was fantastic! He made sure everyone was comfortable and put the guests needs first and made sure everyone on our tour had a great time. He was a wonderful guide around the island."
Read all 202 verified reviews
See All ReviewsKeep Half Your Day Free
The Lagoon Service half day gives you 4 hours on the lagoon with gear, towels and drinks included. Choose a date to see the price for your group. Starting from $135 per person.
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Other snorkel trips, each with its own page, price and booking link.
Bora Bora Half-Day Snorkeling FAQ
Prices, lengths, stops and wildlife on Bora Bora's 2.5 to 4 hour snorkel tours.
Between 2.5 and 4 hours on the tours we compare. The Moana Eco Snorkel Cruise runs 2.5 hours, the small-group eco tour 3 hours, Reef Discovery and the H2O shared boat 3.5 hours each, and the Lagoon Service small-group cruise 4 hours. Pickup and drop-off are included on all five, so plan on a little extra time either side of the listed duration.
On 1 October 2026, shared half days ran from $113 per person (Eco Snorkel Cruise on Viator, or $108 on GetYourGuide) to $135 per person (Reef Discovery and Lagoon Service). The H2O shared boat is $130 and the eco small-group tour $133 per person. A private H2O boat is $650 per boat for up to 4, and the Sailing Bora Bora catamaran $312 per person.
It depends on what you want most. Reef Discovery has the most reviews of any half day on this site, rated 5.0 from 1,042, and includes fins and towels. The Eco Snorkel Cruise is shortest and cheapest. Lagoon Service gives you 4 hours with towels and drinks. See our best Bora Bora snorkeling tours page for the full ranking.
That is the H2O Bora Bora shared boat tour: 3.5 hours for $130 per person on Viator, rated 5.0 from 769 reviews, and also on GetYourGuide from $129. H2O keeps numbers on board very limited, chooses sites each day by conditions and does not feed or stage wildlife encounters. You must be able to climb the boat ladder unaided, and over-70s need a medical certificate.
Yes, on most of them. The Eco Snorkel Cruise spends about 100 minutes in knee-deep water where blacktip reef sharks and stingrays swim around guests, and the eco small-group tour lists both. Guests on Lagoon Service and Reef Discovery describe a shark and ray stop too. Wildlife is never guaranteed. Our shark and stingray tours page goes deeper.
Possibly, but no tour can promise it. Reef mantas visit cleaning stations in the lagoon all year and sightings at known stations are likely, never certain. Reef Discovery names manta rays among the wildlife it encounters, and H2O says its shared boat regularly encounters them. The Eco Snorkel Cruise mentions mantas as possible along the way. Lagoon Service does not name them.
For a short, focused trip it is good value. It costs $113 per person for 2.5 hours, rated 4.8 from 598 reviews, with 100 minutes at the shark and ray stop and 30 minutes at the Coral Garden. Moana states it does not feed the sharks or rays. The trade-offs are only two stops, no towels or snacks, and a mask and snorkel you may prefer to replace with your own.
H2O offers its private boat as a morning or afternoon trip, and one guest on its shared boat took the afternoon tour. Lagoon Service says pickup time depends on where you stay and appears on your ticket. Reef Discovery sends a confirmation with your pickup time and place. If a time matters to you, check the options shown on the booking calendar for your date before you pay.
Most are. The Eco Snorkel Cruise and Lagoon Service listings say they suit all fitness levels and have child rates from age 4. Reef Discovery says no prior experience is required but asks for moderate fitness. H2O requires guests to use the ladder on their own. Many lagoon tours provide a float or vest, so ask when booking if anyone in your group is a weak swimmer.
It varies. Lagoon Service includes snorkel gear, towels, soda and bottled water. Reef Discovery adds fins and a beach towel to soda and water. The eco small-group tour serves juice, fruit and coconut cake. H2O includes bottled water and pickup. The Eco Snorkel Cruise supplies a mask, snorkel and bottled water only. All five include pickup from your accommodation.
The eco small-group tour is the only one here that states a group maximum, 8 people. Reef Discovery caps each booking at 8, H2O at 7, and Lagoon Service and Moana at 12, but those are booking limits, not boat sizes. H2O describes very limited numbers on board. For a boat to yourselves, see our private snorkeling tours page.
Book a half day if you want to keep the rest of the day for the resort or a second outing, or if anyone tires easily. A full day adds a motu lunch and usually more stops, from $145 per person on the Manu day. Some visitors do two different half days instead. Compare the longer trips on our full-day snorkeling tours page.
Swimwear, a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen; reef-safe sunscreen is a good idea. Bring your own mask if you have one that fits well, since Moana recommends it. A towel helps on the Eco Snorkel Cruise and the H2O shared boat, which do not list towels. The water stays roughly 25 to 30 C (77 to 86 F) all year.
Still have questions? Email us at info@boraborasnorkelingtours.com
Keep Exploring
Explore More
Every Bora Bora snorkeling comparison and tour page on this site.
Compare & Choose
Individual Tours
- Adults-Only Bora Bora Snorkel Cruise & Motu BBQ, $282
- Bora Bora Eco Snorkel Cruise: Sharks & Rays, From $113
- Bora Bora Full Day Snorkeling with Lunch, From $145
- Bora Bora Full-Day Lagoon Safari & Motu Lunch, From $171
- Bora Bora Full-Day Lagoon Tour & Motu Lunch, From $174
- Bora Bora Full-Day Snorkel Cruise & BBQ Lunch, From $155
- Bora Bora Half-Day Eco Snorkel: Sharks & Rays, From $133
- Bora Bora Half-Day Small-Group Snorkel Cruise, From $135
- Bora Bora Luxury Catamaran: Snorkel & Floating Bar, $312
- Half-Day Shared Boat Snorkel Tour Bora Bora, From $130
- Luxury Private Snorkel Tour Bora Bora, $780 Per Boat
- Private Bora Bora Lagoon Snorkel: $609 Per Boat, Up to 4
- Private Bora Bora Snorkeling Tour: $650 Per Boat, Up to 4
- Private Solar Boat Snorkel Bora Bora, $523 Per Boat
- Reef Discovery Bora Bora Snorkel: Mantas & Rays, From $135