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Things to do in Moorea: Snorkeling with Sharks and Stingrays

Swimming and snorkeling with sharks and stingrays was never on my bucket list experiences. But, this excursion was so popular in the French Polynesia’s clear blue waters, we decided to do it twice since we were visiting two different islands. We had an epic adventure snorkeling with the sharks and stingrays in Bora Bora. See one of the most amazing snorkeling things to do in Moorea vs our Bora Bora adventure.

Moorea lagoon

Snorkeling Tour Orientation

There are several tour operators on the island that offer this snorkeling with sharks and stingrays tour. We went with Albert’s Moana Lagoon Tours based on reviews and the price.

They picked us up at our hotel in a mini bus with about 30 other people in it already. This was already a major difference compared to our group of 10 in Bora Bora.

To no surprise, more than three quarters of the people were honeymooners. There were actually three other kids on the tour.

We boarded our boat behind the dock of the Club Bali Hai Resort. It provided a scenic background of Moorea’s peaks.

Our tour guide, Siki, met us and gave us a little orientation in several languages which was quite impressive. He was funny, entertaining and informative and the dreadlocks and jelly shoes definitely added to his unique character.

Sailing in Moorea

Valleys, canyons and peaks make up most of Moorea island. As our boat stopped in the middle of Cook’s Bay,

Siki gave us a different perspective on these peaks including one that looked like a woman and someone playing the piano. We drove around the island the previous day so it was great to see Moorea from the water.

Moorea Cook's Bay

He pointed out more scenic mountain peaks. We passed by some of the resorts with the overwater bungalows including the Hilton Moorea where we stayed.

I love how verdant Moorea looks but also enjoyed the many shades of blue in the water. This was a relaxing cruise and a great prelude to the adventure ahead.

Moorea Mt Mt. Mouaroa

Snorkeling with Stingrays and Sharks

We stopped few miles off the coast of the Intercontinental Resort for our snorkeling spot. I was a bit surprised at how shallow it was. The water was about 5 feet (1.5 m) deep. It was crystal clear, warm and with barely any currents – my ideal snorkeling conditions.

Many black tip reef sharks and stingrays started circling our boat even before we stopped. It was amazing but also a bit unnerving.

There were a whole lot more here than Bora Bora. Having experienced something similar a few days before, I felt better not being the one freaking out like some of the newlywed brides around me.

Moorea snorkeling with stingrays

Many of us scrambled into bathing suits and swim trunks to make the most of our time in the water. The stingrays instantly came up to Siki and his assistants like old friends.

I suppose if they’re here everyday they’ve formed some sort of familiarity and bond between them. It helped that they were carrying food too.

Petting the Stingrays

We had plenty of opportunities to touch and pet the stingrays. They also had some fish and fish parts you could feed the stingrays. 

My husband did it but the kids and I decided to opt out. It was a bit alarming to see so many of them swimming underneath and all around us.

Moorea Stingray feeding

I’ve always been paranoid with those barbs stinging us and this group still had them. The stingrays are supposed to be docile creatures as long as you don’t step on their tails or swim directly over them.

This was pretty hard to do since they were everywhere. Luckily, everyone on our boat came out unscathed. I’d be curious to know their accident rate here. It was something I probably should have asked before getting into the water.

The sharks for the most part left us, alone which was a relief. They instructed us not to get too close or touch them. Though, I would have gladly snorkeled with the sharks all that time than have to worry with stepping on the rays and getting stung.

It got a little crowded since there was another tour company there. But, it was easy to wander off to other areas with less stingrays but more sharks.

Moorea swimming with sharks

We stayed in this area for almost an hour which was plenty of time to get up close and personal with the stingrays. They brushed up against us quite often since they were so used to peole.

No matter how many times it happened, I still jumped every time I felt something slimy on my legs. Here’s my husband getting really close to one of them.

Moorea Snorkeling with stingray

The Shark Feeding Frenzy

The guides threw out leftover fish parts just before we left. It was incredible to see how quickly the sharks came.

Moorea Swimming with Sharks

We put together our snorkeling adventure in this short video.

Island Feast

Our next stop was at an uninhabited Motu or island for lunch. We found kite surfers and jet skiers along the way. This looked so much fun.

The boat docked on the island with a covered pavilion and several picnic tables and a nice stretch of beach. My kids were so excited to see so many chickens roaming around here.

Contrary to what my son thought, they weren’t part of our lunch. Our lunch was already marinated and was being grilled which actually did include chicken, rice, fruits and fish.

Chickens in Moorea motu

Making Poisson Cru

While the assistants grilled, Siki showed us how to make a French Polynesia staple called E’ia Ota or Poisson Cru with the help of one of the visitors.

They used ahi tuna mixed with lime juice, vegetables and coconut milk. My kids were right there front and center and hopefully learned something. It was a hearty lunch and rum and beer were widely available.

Moorea cooking demo

We were free to swim or snorkel after lunch. Siki also showed us the biggest eel we’ve ever seen. I’m not sure how he spotted this one but he managed to take it out of his hiding place and showed it to all of us.

Moorea eel

Opening Coconuts

I think opening coconuts is part of many French Polynesia tour demonstrations. We were once again treated to how to open a coconut with a stick, shred its meat and drink its milk.

It was amusing to watch a few of the men accept the challenge attempt to open the coconut with a stick. There was also a brief demonstration on how to tie a pareo or sarong.

I love how they incorporated cultural lessons into this tour. The boat dropped off passengers to their respective hotels which gave us an opportunity to check out the properties.

Moorea water and mountain

We highly recommend doing a lagoon tour and snorkeling with sharks and stingrays while visiting Moorea.They ran a very smooth operation. Even though, we did a similar excursion in Bora Bora, this was a much different experience.

There were some things we liked on one-tour vs. the other tour in Bora Bora. We liked the small group and lunch in Bora Bora but the close encounter with so many more sharks and stingrays in Moorea. It was money well spent on a remarkable and memorable experience. We’ll be talking about this for years!

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Tips for Snorkeling in Moorea

  • Book your tour early. The operators usually give a small discount if combined with other tours or booked online. You also don’t want to be shut out from dates and times you want. We emailed [email protected] for inquiries and reservations.
  • Albert’s coach buses for the Moorea Lagoon tour do pick-ups at hotels. Then, they took us to their ticketing office across from Bali Hai to pay. They accept cash and credit cards. Be sure to use credit cards with no transaction fees.
  • This tour is great for those coming for a day during a cruise or a day trip from Tahiti. They do pick-ups at the port.
  • Bring your own snorkeling gear and mask especially for the kids. The boat had some snorkeling equipment. But , they’ve likely been used and abused with the daily tours and will be hard to find kids’ sizes. We’ve always brought ours for sanitation purposes. We didn’t use the fins at all.
  • Bring water shoes (reef walkers) for the entire family. The snorkeling area by the island had a lot of coral. Bring flip-flops or slippers (Reef, Sanuk and Havaianas are are go to brands) to use when walking around the island.
  • Bring sunglasses, plenty of sunscreen (ones safe to use around coral reefs) and your own beach towels as well as a cover-up. I suggest bringing a towel for each family member. Borrow them from your hotel.
  • Don’t forget your underwater camera or GoPro. Most of the pictures here and all videos were taken on our GoPro. You can also bring waterproof cell phone pouches.

*Have you snorkeled with sharks and stingrays?


Where to Stay in Moorea

Click the hotel links for the latest prices

  • Hilton Moorea Lagoon Resort and Spa – We stayed in this beautiful hotel for a few nights at an overwater bungalow. It was spacious enough to accommodate all four of us. It has its own beach and the grounds are amazing. There are restaurants and a Polynesian show on site.

*Check out these other Moorea tours!

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Snorkeling in Moorea with sharks and stingrays

25 thoughts on “Things to do in Moorea: Snorkeling with Sharks and Stingrays”

  1. What a great spot! I cannot swim so I am not into aquatic adventures. But, because this is a shallow area I think this is something I can do. It looks like a lot of fun!

  2. Lo @ Travel the Unbeaten Path

    You guys are one brave bunch!!!! I feel like I’d be panicking a bit inside, yet excited to be doing something so different and cool. Glad to hear everyone left unscathed hahaha! And yes, gorgeous colors and pictures!

  3. I like snorkeling, but I think I may freak out if I was surrounded by sting rays and sharks. Kudos to you and your family for taking on the challenge. I think some of my kids might be up to this adventure. Thanks for linking up with #WkendTravelInspiration.

  4. One of my greatest travel disappointments was learning that I have a great fear of sea life. Of course, I did not learn this until we were snorkeling off the Andaman Coast in Thailand. Everyone had such a great time, but I was so overwhelmed with how up close and personal the fish and other sea life would get to me that I spent three hours sitting on the catamaran watching other people have a great time. I think sharks probably would have given me a heart attack!

  5. We haven’t yet had the chance to swim with stingrays or reef sharks. I’ll be honest, I think my heart would be pounding the entire time. Just seeing the sharks in these photos gets me anxious! I’d probably still do it as I don’t like to pass up opportunities like this, but it would definitely be enough excitement for me for a while after!

  6. I think with the amount of people that visit everyday and as they recognize everyone as those who feed them, you wouldn’t have any issues with getting stung unless you really startled them! It looks like a lot of fun!

  7. Mary, You always have such wonderful experiences. I’m not sure I would be as calm around the sharks, and I would also be leary of those barbs on the sting rays. However, the whole day sounds like it was a real fun time. I would love to go.

  8. I’m not sure I could swim with the stingrays ever since the renowned Aussie adventurer Steve Irwin was killed by one, but I guess his accident must have been a freak if this sort of thing happens regularly for visitors. That eel is horrendous, I hate them!!! But I’m loving your posts from Polynesia and can’t wait to hear more.

  9. That looks like so much fun – we would do that in a heartbeat!

    Like Phoebe I can’t see stingrays without thinking of Steve Irwin and like you, I wonder if there are many mishaps. I was a bit surprised to see the Black Tip sharks just hanging around like that. Guess they are opportunists and never pass up a free meal. :)

    Pinned this for later. Do you have a link to the company? I didn’t see their name.

  10. I love diving and seeing sharks and rays underwater. However, I think that these tours offset the balance of the marine ecosystem there eventually. Fish should not be fed by humans and definitely not be touched and thus get used to us. I prefer to watch from a distance and was taught while diving to never touch anything that is alive in the water, too much harm can be done. Having that said, the area looks amazing!

  11. My husband and I just did this in early February 2017. Unfortunately we were unable to stand up in the water and also take pictures. Are your photos copyrighted or may I use them for my own purpose to share on Facebook as an example of what we experienced? Who should be credited? We stayed at the Intercontinental Hotel and part of our package was swimming with sharks and rays. Thinking about it ahead of time I was very unsure. But being there and knowing I would never be there again was a big game changer. They were so used to the guide being there with food the rays clustered around him like puppy dogs.

  12. I have done this tour twice. Once was not enough! Stingrays are huggable and are like large portabella mushrooms. I have visited them all over the world, with screaming 15 year old girls jumping around, and never has anyone been hurt. People are not on the menu for black tip reef sharks and they are not a threat in any way. They are beautiful to watch up close.
    If I were young, I would be a guide taking people to see the rays everyday of my life. Yes, they are that marvelous. Not captive, like the exploited dolphins, they come because they want to (and they like the treats).

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