Swim With The Turtles Rarotonga
Description
We believe the ocean should be experienced safely, respectfully, and in its most natural state. Our tours are designed with a minimal-impact, eco-friendly approach, allowing you to enjoy Rarotonga’s marine life without disturbing the reef or its wildlife. Unlike some operations that rely on motorized equipment, our experience focuses on guided, human-powered snorkeling, creating a quieter, more natural encounter with turtles and other marine life. Safety is at the core of everything we do. Since 2018, we have maintained a 100% safety record, with experienced guides who carefully assess daily ocean conditions to select the best and safest locations for each tour. We intentionally operate in a way that prioritizes: Guest safety and comfort Protection of marine ecosystems A more authentic and immersive snorkeling experience By choosing this tour, you’re not only creating an unforgettable memory—you’re also supporting a more responsible way of exploring Rarotonga’s ocean environment.
Tour Options
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(579)
What a fabulous group. We were a little disappointed when we got a message asking us to move our tour, however what customer service, they made sure the day we went out on a day that was safe and best conditions in the days we had available. Big T took Eugene in hand as he was a little less confident in the water and everyone was assessed for levels prior to leaving the shallows and paddled out accordingly. At all times everyone was supported and staff close by. We saw turtles, rays and a giant big eel as well as plenty of fish and coral. There looked like another tour went for the easy option of boats to the reef, however try the whole experience of snorkelling out and walking back. You will be proud of yourself. We will miss the Rarotonga. Hopefully not for too long before we make another trip.
What a great experience with an extremely safety orientated professional crew, catering to all skill levels, great value for money. A trip that my family and I will treasure for many years to come. Thank you Snorkel Cook Islands 😃
An exerience you will not regret! Starts off with check in and getting your gear then I'll sitting together on the benches at the beach. Then comes the debrief and safety. All done with a sense of humour and anticipation of what is to come. The training on how to use the gear was brilliant, once in the water I was confident on what to do and helped for the rest of our trip as when snorkled. Saw many turtles and rays. Not a lot of fish but that's not what we were there for. Felt safe with all the systems in place. Experience to never forget.
4 of us booked and set off but only 2 of us completed the tour. Extremely large group numbers compared to staff. The 2 that completed enjoyed it and were told great photos of them specifically were taken and would be uploaded, however when the group photos were uploaded there were none of them. We are aware photos were an added bonus per the terms and conditions but being told that and then it not happening was just a let down. Such a shame.. 2nd time to raro so not newbies as such. Lots of loud comments by other staff during the tour about new staff members didn't make us feel confident. Would book a different tour next time.
Kia Orana, Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We're sorry to hear that your experience didn't fully meet your expectations. Guest safety is always our highest priority. Before entering deeper water, every guest completes a short swim assessment to ensure they're comfortable with the conditions. If someone decides not to continue, we fully support that decision, as we never want anyone to feel unsafe or pressured. We're also sorry about the complimentary photos. While our guides do their best to capture special moments throughout the tour, their primary responsibility is always the safety and wellbeing of our guests in the water. This means that on busier days or when conditions require more attention, photography may become secondary. We understand it was disappointing to hear photos had been taken but then not find them online. Regarding our team, we regularly try to train new guides alongside experienced staff to maintain the highest safety standards. We appreciate your feedback and will take it on board to ensure our professionalism is reflected throughout the guest experience. If you're able to let us know the date of your tour, we'd be happy to check with our team once more to see if there are any additional photos that may have been missed. Thank you again for your feedback. It helps us continue improving while staying true to what matters most—providing a safe, enjoyable, and respectful experience for both our guests and the marine environment. 🙏🏻
This tour is amazing. BIG T is a great guide and the other guides made you feel safe when it was quite rough out in the passage. The amount of turtles is mind blowing and a truly magical experience. Worth every dollar. Also so glad they don't use boats or any other motorized things as that can't be good for the turtles and other sealife. The only downside is the number of people on the tour. Flippers everywhere. When I come back I will definitely do this tour again. Thanks for the experience
Sounds like the turtles put on a pretty good show for you! When the passage gets a little lively, the team's always there to help everyone feel comfortable. We really appreciate your support for the way we protect the turtles, and thanks for sharing your thoughts on the group size too, We're working on improving this. See you next time!
My partner and I visited Rarotonga last week and had a few different activities planned, swimming with the turtles was our final activity booked. We originally booked through trip advisor which caused to an issue with our activity start time. Trip advisor did not update the start time which Snorkel Cook Islands had changed due to the tides, which caused us to be 2hrs early! The operators were very helpful with this and suggested we go for a walk along the beach with a coffee while we wait. This activity was well worth the wait!! Snorkel Cook Islands was very entertaining, the staff were very friendly, helpful and fun. They accommodated the activity very well for guests with varied swimming confidence. The confident swimmers were at the front of the group, and the less confident were at the back with the lifeguards and had pool noodles available for assistance. After riding through the current, we were free to explore the area however we liked! Turtles were swimming all around the surface and shallow areas, but for more confident swimmers you could dive down and see the turtles sleeping and swimming in the deep areas. Even from the surface, you could see the large group of rays at the sea floor, it was so stunning!!! My partner and I loved this activity so much, that as soon as we got back to our accomodation, we booked it again for the next day. I would 10000% recommend this activity with Snorkel Cook Islands, I would do it again in a heartbeat!!!!!! My one advice would be to book directly through the provider's website, as they will keep you updated with any time changes that are made due to the tides, and provide a more thorough run through of what to expect and how to prepare before your activity. We booked our first visit through tripadvisor, and our second one through the Snorkel Cook Islands website - I'd definitely recommend the latter. If you or anyone you know is visiting Rarotonga, this is a must do activity!
Very kind and hospitable staff. They were so helpful with my children (11 & 8) making the experience fun and safe for everyone. Beautiful coral and amazing to see the turtles!
It's always so much fun seeing families experience the turtles together! We're so glad the kids enjoyed themselves and that our team could help everyone feel comfortable in the water. Thanks for choosing to spend part of your holiday with us!
The highlight of our trip to Rarotonga. Would definitely go again. Friendly staff, family oriented. Highly recommend.
Being the highlight of your Rarotonga trip is about the best compliment we could ask for! Thanks so much for your kind words. We'd love to welcome you back for another swim whenever you're on the island again!
Ensure you are a strong swimmer, the currents are quite strong and I found it a little challenging at times
Thank you for sharing your experience and advice. Avaavaroa Passage is an open ocean environment, and conditions can vary from day to day. We usually recommend the tour for confident swimmers and carry out a short swim assessment before heading out. Our experienced guides are always in the water to assist guests and ensure everyone has a safe and enjoyable experience. The good news is that there are still many days when the passage is absolutely immaculate, and conditions are great that makes for an incredible snorkeling experience. We always encourage guests to choose the best weather window whenever possible to make the most of their time with the turtles. We're glad you joined us, and we hope seeing the turtles made the challenge worthwhile!
Very cool experience and great to see so many turtles and fish
We're so glad you enjoyed it! 🩵 There's nothing quite like seeing the turtles and all the colourful fish out there. Thanks for joining us!
