Hard to sum it up in words but my experience with Dancing with Whales in French Polynesia was really remarkable and is at the top of the list of many dive and adventure trips I've ever done. From the get-go, Karim, made everyone feel comfortable, welcome, and excited in our group. The experience was wholly authentic and just what I was looking for from start to end. His knowledge of the whales, great travel stories, calm presence, and clear passion for what he does added to the experience. Of course, his photography is top-notch and he gave the group some amazing shots from our week!
The local team on the boat and in the water were absolutely amazing and deserve a shoutout as well. Manutea and Igor were so friendly, quite hilarious, and made sure the entire group was safe in the water while consistently putting us in the best position to find and swim with the whales. They were so much fun to be around, made each day that much more enjoyable, and I'm thankful for what they shared about Rurutu with us!
The whales themselves.....wow. It was pretty awe-inspiring and humbling to be in the water with something so substantial yet so gentle and graceful. We had a curious, chunky Mammone and his Mom who we swam with all week, saw a whale baby romp around us, saw multiple whales at once, and generally had amazing experiences in the water. It’s hard to describe being in the natural environment of such incredible animals and one of the most incredible things was that we were often the only boat in the water which lent it itself to being one of the most unique, authentic, and amazing wildlife encounters I've ever had. I can’t recommend Dancing with Whales and Karim enough. Book it with confidence and get ready for an amazing trip.