BMTM WHALE SWIM TRIP 2024
a magical, one-of-a-kind experience for adventurous women
WE TAKE YOU TO PLACES YOU’VE NEVER BEEN
This adventure tour involves long days on the water and lots of swimming with huge animals. It’s imperative that you are a strong swimmer, are comfortable with getting in the deep blue where you cannot see the shore or bottom, are OK with strong currents and big waves, and are fit and injury-free.
Snorkelers and freedivers are both welcome on this trip. It's ok if you're not familiar with freediving - you can get just as much joy out of it from the surface!
Here's what we have in store for you:
Sept 1, DAY 1: Fly in during the afternoon
We'll spend the evening introducing you to our host family and catching the sunset nearby, followed by a feast of fresh-caught seafood and farm-to-table fruits, veggies, and taro root prepared by our host family.
Depending on flight schedules, we may swim with whales on the afternoon of day one!
Sept 2-7, DAYS 2 - 7: Swim with humpback whales!
We'll spend 4-5 hours on the water each day searching for humpback whales to swim with. We have the possibility of visiting with mothers and babies, swimming with several curious adults at once, dropping in on a 'heat run' where several males pursue a female in heat, and even singing whales!
Each day will present a new opportunity as we look for these gentle giants. If we get lucky, they may even choose to swim with us for several hours! Ever-curious, we rely on nothing but the whales' natural playfulness to entice them to swim with us, keeping it ethical and respectful. We do not feed, touch, nor chase the whales.
This trip requires patience and the understanding that these are truly wild animals. That means that we may not be able to swim with them every day, or may only get a few chances all week. It all comes down to weather and luck. That said, every chance we get is magical and it's always worth the effort!
The Internet barely works, the food is all local, and there are absolutely no big resorts. I can’t think of a more perfect place. It’s like the outside world hasn’t found out yet, and that’s what makes it so special. That said, we do without some comforts (like A/C, perfect water pressure, etc.) to be able to have this experience.
More Activities: We'll spend one to two days exploring the island with the matriarch of the family, who will tell us all about the local history, ancient beliefs, and living traditions. This will give us a chance to see other parts of the island as well as some of the most famous beaches, caves, and biggest taro growing areas. Sometimes at night, she'll play the ukulele for us, too!
There's an option to hike to the highest point on the island for epic photos and views.
Food: Each morning we'll dine on fresh tropical fruit with coffee locally roasted on the island with baguettes and eggs. At lunch and dinner we'll eat fresh seafood, sustainably line or speargun caught and immediately served - this seafood is as good and fresh as it gets! We also dine on farm-to-table veggies and taro. (Yes, we can accommodate vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and lactose intolerant adventurers!)
Sept 8, DAY 8: Depart back to Tahiti and onward to home
This trip is priced at $4250 ($4000 for early birds!) for the 8-day trip, please see below for inclusions and exclusions.
Other Travel Dates Available:
- August 25 - September 1
- September 1 - September 8 (Women's Week)
- September 8 - September 15
- September 15 - September 22
- September 22 - September 29
- September 29 - October 6
- October 6 - October 13
I was 100% in it for the whales, but when I realized what this trip was – an all-women’s cultural immersion journey to a remote island – my heart skipped a beat. I needed to be on this trip, I knew in the depths of my soul it would be spectacular. What I did not anticipate was a remarkable group of women coming together during a rare moment in history with a need to disengage from current affairs and connect on a higher level. We spent 8 days together in ideally hued blue seas swimming with majestic whales and forging connections with these special higher-level beings each in our own way. We shared ourselves and realized why we were all there – there were so many parallels. I thought locking eyes with a mother whale was going to be the pinnacle of my trip, but the heartfelt connection I forged with the matriarch of the family brought me a level of emotional healing I could have never anticipated. Kristin is a special, humble person that understands the pulse of humanity and curated the most incredible trip. I imagine all her experiences offer something for the soul like this, and if it's your soul that is in need, a Be My Travel Muse trip is the remedy.
nicole
WHALE SWIM TOUR ATTENDEE
Meet your adventure guides:
Jamie
Architect of Adventure
Jamie is a nature and adrenaline lover from England. His passion for animals came from a young age, when he would have pocket guides of different animals and love learning about their habitat and behaviours. Jamie has been guiding tours since 2017, is self reliant and Nitrox certified in Scuba as well as Level 1 Freediver. He has guided tours around Baja California in Mexico, and more recently the Islands of Revillagigedo, with many species such as Whales, Sharks, Dolphins, Manta Rays, Sea Lions and more. His best attributes are his passion for wildlife, sense of humour and how easy he makes people around him feel comfortable.
Teiti
Ambassador of Exploration
Teiti is our amazing host in French Polynesia. Trained in the culinary arts as well as running our whale swim adventure, he is native to the island and has spent his life welcoming the whales each season. Teiti is not only an amazing host, but a favorite part of the experience for those who come on our trips. He's always happy to share his love of local culinary delights, his culture, and of course, leading us on our amazing whale swims. He and his family are the original providers of whale swim tours on our island and run the only completely locally owned and operated whale swim experience.
What previous attendees are saying:
"These tours have been everything I was hoping for and so much more! We’ve traveled to amazing places, and each day is always packed with fun, active adventures. I love that the emphasis is on doing awesome things, rather than ticking off a checklist of sights that I’ll forget before I’ve finished editing the photos (because I’m not on top of that shit at all). I have so much confidence now in these tours that I barely need to read the itinerary – I know when we go someplace new that each day will be fun and different, and I just have to be open to it! Pete is an amazing guide, a rare combination of totally competent and organized and completely laid back and funny. Together, Kristin and Pete set a fun and friendly atmosphere." - Jenn
“I was so happy to be a part of the first BMTM group trip. It exceeded my expectations in so many ways….going on group trips, you never quite know how they’ll turn out. But this trip to Peru was amazing!! Kristin planned the perfect itinerary… it was packed full of amazing sights, photography tips, and adventure. But without the annoying group time constraints that large company tours usually have. Kristin and Pete were fun and down to earth and made the trip so memorable along with all of the other individual travelers I met. Couldn’t have asked for a better group. Overall it was an amazing trip that I’ll never forget and I can not wait to join another BMTM adventure!! Thanks so much!!” – Kassandra
“I really wasn’t sure what to expect when I signed up for my first BMTM adventure trip, but from the moment Kristin and Pete greeted me at the airport, I was taken care of! After traveling solo for a year it was so nice to just show up and simply enjoy the adventure knowing that every detail had already been planned for me. We hit the ground running and spent every second exploring Peru. This is not the trip to take if you’re trying to catch up on sleep, but you can sleep later! This experience was the perfect “happy medium” between solo traveling and tour-group traveling. I never felt like a “tourist” being hurdled in a large group, but I did have a guaranteed small group of friends to explore with each day! It was so nice to get to know other solo travelers, and by the end of our two weeks together it’s only fitting to call them family!” – Shelby
Not Your Year? That's okay! Sign Up to Get Updated for Future Trips:
What to expect from our trips:
This is a WOMXN'S trip and is open to 8 female-identifying participants.
Thanks to Matthew's extensive knowledge of off the beaten path locales, and my commitment to finding unique adventures, we’ve put together a trip that we’re both excited about and dying to go on ourselves, and we know that you’ll love it, too. We are confident that this adventure is one of the best out there, and we're offering it for much less than our competitors. We work tirelessly to find companies that are ecologically sound, that put money back into the hands of locals, and that will give us the most authentic and amazing experience possible.
Here’s what you get:
• All boat trips, guides, and island transportation for the entire trip.
• All breakfasts, lunches, and dinners.
• Accommodation in comfort – double occupancy everywhere.
• Ground transport, including to and from the airport.
• All listed activities and associated entry fees.
What’s not included:
• Dive/snorkel gear, including a 3mm wetsuit, fins, mask, and weights (weights optional).
• Travel insurance (required).
• Tips and gratuities, at your discretion.
• Travel to and from Tahiti and onward to our island (budget about $500-$600 for the inter-island flight).
• Any alcohol or snacks.
• Visa and COVID testing fees, if applicable.
8 spots are available each week on a first-come, first serve basis.
Have questions? Contact me!