Bora Bora Private Snorkel Tours

For two to four people who want the boat, the guide and the pace to themselves, book H2O’s Private Half-Day Snorkeling Tour by Boat. It costs $650 per boat for up to 4, runs 3.5 hours with pickup from your accommodation, and is rated 5.0 from 126 reviews. If the budget is tighter, La Plage’s private boat is $609 per boat for up to 4. For a quiet, fuel-free boat with a sandbank stop, Parataito’s solar catamaran is $523 per boat for up to 5. A couple who mainly wants fewer people on board can book a small-group half day at $133 per person and keep most of the same stops.

What going private gets you

On a shared boat the guide sets the stops for everyone on board. On a private boat you set them: longer at a manta cleaning station, a second look at the coral garden, or an early finish if a child gets cold. Every private option on this page includes pickup, snorkel gear and a guide, and every price is quoted per boat, not per person. The trade-off is review volume. The private listings carry 47 to 171 reviews each, against 1,042 for the most-reviewed half day and 1,701 for the most-reviewed full day on this site. Their ratings are still 4.9 to 5.0, but each one rests on fewer trips.

The per-person arithmetic

Private boats are priced per boat, so the cost per head falls as you fill the seats:

• H2O private: $650 per boat for up to 4. That works out at $325 each for two, about $217 each for three and $162.50 each for four.
• La Plage private: $609 per boat for up to 4. That works out at $304.50 each for two and $152.25 each for four.
• H2O luxury private: $780 per boat for up to 4. That works out at $390 each for two and $195 each for four.
• Parataito solar boat: $523 per boat for up to 5. That works out at $261.50 each for two and $104.60 each for five.

Compare that with the shared Half-Day Eco Snorkeling Small-Group Tour at $133 per person: $266 for two, $532 for four. For a family of four, a private boat at $609 to $650 per boat costs $77 to $118 more than four seats on that tour, and Parataito’s $523 per boat costs $9 less. For a couple, a private boat roughly doubles the outlay.

The featured pick: H2O’s private half day

H2O Bora Bora collects you, usually by boat, from your accommodation; vacation rentals meet the boat at the most convenient dock. The listing describes 3 to 5 stops chosen around what you want to see and the conditions on the day, aiming for manta rays, eagle rays, a natural coral garden and an outer reef stop for sharks. H2O states that it does no feeding of any kind. Light refreshments, water and snorkel gear are included, plus a 10% discount at Deep Sea Pearls, and the boat has a small cabin for dry storage and shelter from bad weather. The trade-offs: there is no restroom on board, and you should be able to climb a ladder in and out of the water. H2O also runs the Half-Day Shared Boat Snorkel Tour at $130 per person if your party is small.

Three other private boats

Private Lagoon Snorkeling Experience (La Plage): $609 per boat for up to 4, 3.5 hours, rated 4.9 from 171 reviews. The captain offers to circle the island and stop wherever and for as long as you like, and the Tahitian guide swims with you. Pickup is free at your resort or the Vaitape pier. Sodas, water and gear are included; snacks are not. The trip needs good weather, and if it is cancelled for weather you are offered another date or a full refund, which matters if you are in port for one day only.

Luxury Private Half-Day Snorkeling Tour (H2O): $780 per boat for up to 4, 3.5 hours, rated 4.9 from 59 reviews. You get a Four Winns 220 boat, 3 or 4 sites and a guide who joins you in the water at each one. Water, soft drinks, a light snack and towels are included. It costs $130 more per boat than H2O’s standard private trip for the boat and the extras, not for more stops, and you must manage a long ladder.

Private Solar Boat Snorkel Experience (Parataito): $523 per boat for up to 5, 4 hours, rated 5.0 from 47 reviews. This solar-powered catamaran comes with an on-board assistant, and the itinerary lists 30 minutes each at a manta area, a sandbank and a coral garden. Pickup (or a meeting at the base), sodas, water, local fruit, snorkel gear, a speaker and overwater photos and videos are included; fins are not. It has the fewest reviews of the four. Couples planning a splurge day should also read honeymoon snorkeling tours.

Wildlife on a private boat

Going private does not change what lives in the lagoon. Reef mantas visit cleaning stations year-round and three of these boats aim for them, but sightings are never guaranteed; keep at least 3 m away and do not touch, chase or dive down onto them. Spotted eagle rays gather at several sandy sites and are shy. At shark stops, expect blacktip reef sharks, timid and usually under about 1.6 m (5.2 ft); bites are rare and usually minor. Pink whiprays at the stingray stops carry a venomous spine, so do not touch or corner them. Operators differ on feeding, so check the listing. For more on mantas, see manta ray snorkeling.

Practical tips for booking a private boat

• Send your wish list with the booking. H2O and La Plage both build the route around what you ask for.
• Give the exact name of your resort or rental, since pickup is by boat to resort docks or to the nearest workable dock.
• Cruise passengers tender in to the Vaitape pier, which La Plage lists as a pickup point.
• Non-swimmers: many lagoon tours provide a float or vest, so ask when booking.
• Pack a hat and sunscreen (reef-safe sunscreen is a good idea), and bring your own fins for Parataito.

When you know your group size, check availability for the H2O private boat.