Shark and Stingray Tours

Which shark and stingray tour to book

Most visitors who want to snorkel with sharks in Bora Bora should book the Eco Snorkel Cruise run by Moana Adventure Tours. It costs $113 per person on Viator, is rated 4.8 from 598 reviews, and gives 100 of its 2.5 hours to the shark and ray stop. If you also want a motu lunch and a full day on the water, book the Full-Day Snorkel Cruise with Sharks, Rays and BBQ Lunch from Vavau 4x4 Adventures at $155 per person. Families or groups of four with a bigger budget should look at H2O’s Private Half-Day Snorkeling Tour by Boat, priced at $650 per boat for up to four people.

All three visit shallow sandy water where blacktip reef sharks and stingrays gather. None of them can promise what turns up on the day, and that holds for every wildlife tour on this site.

Best short tour: the Eco Snorkel Cruise

The Eco Snorkel Cruise is built around the sharks. The listing splits the trip into a 100-minute stop for sharks and rays, where the water reaches about knee height over white sand, and a 30-minute snorkel at the Coral Garden. Your guide also looks out for other rays in the lagoon, including eagle rays and mantas, but those sightings depend on conditions. Pickup is included for everyone, from resorts to pensions and rentals, and children are priced from age 4.

The same trip is listed on GetYourGuide from $108, rated 4.7 from 187 reviews. Moana states plainly that its guides do not feed the sharks or rays.

The trade-offs: bottled water is the only refreshment, mask and snorkel are included but the operator suggests bringing your own, and gratuities are extra. It is not recommended for pregnant travelers. One recent reviewer noted the boat carries no branding, only the guide’s Moana Adventures shirt, so look for that at the dock.

A close alternative is the Half-Day Eco Snorkeling Small-Group Tour by Bora Bora Activities Center: $133 per person, 3 hours, rated 5.0 from 99 reviews, with a maximum of 8 people. Its itinerary names stingrays, blacktip reef sharks and a coral garden, and it serves local juice, fruit and coconut cake. It has far fewer reviews than the Moana trip, and the listing does not state a feeding policy.

Best full day: sharks, rays and a motu lunch

Vavau’s full-day cruise runs 6 hours, costs $155 per person, and is rated 4.8 from 722 reviews. The listing names stingrays, blacktip reef sharks and coral gardens, followed by a BBQ and salad bar lunch on a small island with a beachside performance. Up to 9 travelers can book together, and pickup covers every hotel, although some need a ferry crossing first. On GetYourGuide the same trip shows $158 with 161 reviews and a 7-hour duration.

The trade-off is detail: the listing gives no minutes per stop and does not state a feeding policy, so ask when you book. One September reviewer saw only three stingrays, a reminder that numbers vary.

If you book on GetYourGuide, Rohivai Tours’ Full-Day Lagoon Safari with Snorkeling and Motu Lunch is the strongest alternative: $171 per person, 6 hours, rated 4.9 from 774 reviews. The first stop is stingrays and blacktip reef sharks, followed by a coral garden, a manta stop the listing says is not guaranteed, and a picnic lunch on a motu. Feeding animals is listed as not allowed. Our full-day snorkeling tours guide compares every option with lunch.

Best private option: H2O’s own boat

The private tour costs $650 per boat for up to four people, which works out at $162.50 each for four or $325 each for two. It runs 3.5 hours, is rated 5.0 from 126 reviews, and aims for four or five spots: manta rays, eagle rays, a natural coral garden and an outer reef stop for sharks. You set the pace and the guide does not feed any animals.

The trade-offs: stingrays are not named in the listing (several reviewers did swim with them), there is no restroom on board, and you climb back in by ladder. It also has fewer reviews than the group trips. See our private snorkeling tours page for the other private boats.

What the shark and ray stop is like

The sharks you meet in the lagoon are almost always blacktip reef sharks. Adults are usually under about 1.6 m (5.2 ft), they are timid and easily frightened off by swimmers, and bites are rare and usually minor. Sicklefin lemon sharks and whitetip reef sharks also live around Bora Bora, but lemon sharks are mostly seen by divers in deeper water near Teavanui Pass and on the outer reef, so do not book a snorkel tour expecting one.

The big rays at the stingray stops are pink whiprays, often well over a metre across, with a venomous spine on the tail. Guides ask guests not to touch, chase or corner them and to shuffle their feet on the sand. Injuries usually happen when a ray feels threatened.

Feeding: what each listing says

French Polynesia’s whole marine area has been a shark sanctuary since 2006: killing sharks is illegal and trade in shark products is banned. The territory’s Environmental Code also prohibits attracting wild animals, including with food, where it may cause a nuisance or attract predators. Operators still differ, so check each listing. Moana’s Eco Snorkel Cruise and H2O’s private boat both state no feeding, Rohivai lists feeding animals as not allowed, and the Vavau and Bora Bora Activities Center listings say nothing either way.

Practical tips before you book

Bring swimwear, a towel, a hat and sunscreen; reef-safe sunscreen is a good idea. One reviewer recommends water shoes for sandbar stops with coral and shells. The water stays roughly 25 to 30 C (77 to 86 F) all year, with a warm wet season from November to April and a cooler, drier one from May to October. Humpback whales visit French Polynesia roughly July to November, so you may spot one from the boat. Boats run throughout the lagoon, so stay near your guide, and if you are not a strong swimmer, ask whether a float or vest is provided.

If seeing rays is the main goal, read our manta ray snorkeling guide too. When you are ready, check availability for the Eco Snorkel Cruise.