Snorkeling in Bora Bora: Stingrays, Sharks & Coral Gardens

What makes Bora Bora's lagoon different from everywhere else you've snorkeled

Snorkel Bora Bora's lagoon on a full-day activity with a professional guide, hotel pickup, and lunch. Swim with stingrays and sharks in the coral gardens, then eat a traditional Tahitian oven meal on a private island. The guide speaks English or French and provides all snorkeling gear.

The experience

The lagoon here is built around three things most snorkeling spots don't combine: stingrays that are tactile and playful, sharks that are calm enough to swim alongside, and coral gardens dense enough that you'll see fish species you won't find elsewhere. Your guide handles the route and the timing, so you move between each zone without guessing where to go next. Hotel pickup means you leave from where you're staying and board a luxury outrigger that carries the whole group.

The stingrays come first. They're accustomed to swimmers and will approach you: the sensation of contact with them is the part most people remember. After that, you move into the coral gardens themselves, where the water is clear enough to see the seafloor and the fish are numerous enough that you're never looking at empty blue. The sharks arrive last in the sequence, and by then your guide has already walked you through what to expect, so the fear most people carry dissolves once you're actually in the water with them.

Lunch happens on a private island and is cooked in a real Tahitian oven: a pit dug into the ground where food is wrapped and buried to cook slowly. It's not just the meal itself. It's the ritual around it that makes the experience feel like you've stepped into another time. You'll have soda, water, and alcoholic beverages available, and the whole day runs about six hours from pickup to return.

What’s included

• Snorkeling equipment.
• hotel pickup.
• professional guide in English or French.
• lunch cooked in a traditional Tahitian oven.
• soda, bottled water, and alcoholic beverages.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

Book up to2d before

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and French

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 15 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 4 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Lagoon Service

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to swim with marine life rather than just watch it from a boat. The guide-led format and fixed sequence through stingrays, coral, and sharks means you're not deciding where to go or what to do. You're following a route designed around what makes each zone special, and the Tahitian oven lunch on the island is the part that separates this from a standard snorkeling trip.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and French.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What's it actually like to swim with stingrays in Bora Bora?

Stingrays in the lagoon here are used to swimmers and actively approach people. They're tactile and playful, so you'll feel them brush against you rather than watching from a distance. Your guide will show you how to interact safely before you enter the water.

Are the sharks dangerous, or are they the calm kind?

The sharks in Bora Bora's lagoon are peaceful and accustomed to snorkelers. Your guide will take you through what to expect before you swim among them, and by the time you're in the water, the experience feels natural rather than frightening.

What are the coral gardens like compared to other snorkeling spots?

Bora Bora's coral gardens are dense and varied, with rich flora and fauna that support many species of tropical fish. The water clarity lets you see the seafloor and the reef structure, so you're not just swimming over color. You're seeing how the whole ecosystem is organized.

How does the Tahitian oven lunch work?

Food is wrapped and buried in a pit dug into the ground on the private island, where it cooks slowly using heat from the earth. It's a traditional Polynesian cooking method, and the ritual of preparing and eating it is part of the experience, not just the meal itself.

Do I need to bring my own snorkeling gear, or is it provided?

All snorkeling equipment is included: mask, fins, and snorkel are provided by the operator. You just need to bring a swimsuit and sunscreen.