A resident population of sperm whales lives off Le Morne, year-round. From July to October, humpback whales additionally pass through the same waters. The April and May dates are therefore sperm-whale-only trips; in August and September you can encounter both species. You'll find which trip runs when under Trips and Dates.

No, and we'd be wary of anyone who offers one. These are wild animals in the open ocean. What we can do is keep the odds high: four expeditions instead of one, a resident population instead of a migration route to guess at, short boat rides, and a marine biologist who knows where and what to look for.

That's the foundation of our work. We follow all legal requirements for whale watching in Mauritius and the conditions of our research permit. The default is observation from the boat at a respectful distance; the in-water programme only happens situationally, when the animals' behaviour and safety allow it — never at the animals' expense. More on this under The In-Water Programme.

No. The core programme is observation from the boat, and many guests deliberately stay on deck — from there, you often see more of the animals' behaviour than you would from the water. Snorkelling is an option, not a requirement.

Not fundamentally. You spend most of the time aboard a boat, and a doctor joins every expedition. Anyone taking part in the in-water programme follows Richard and Tom's instructions — that's a requirement, not a suggestion. As with any boat trip on open water: weather and sea conditions determine the day's schedule, not us.

You should be able to swim around 100 metres with fins, mask and snorkel, and pull yourself out of the water up a boat ladder unassisted. Please discuss any health conditions with us in advance — Tom is a doctor and can assess that beforehand. Full details are under Requirements & Equipment.

Tell us early, not late. A doctor is on board every expedition, and we travel with four to six guests — no one's a burden if they're feeling unwell. If you're prone to seasickness, take precautions and let us know in advance so we can plan for it.

Four to six guests per date, plus Richard and Tom on board. We don't enlarge the group even when a departure is fully booked — that's what our waitlist is for. A date doesn't go ahead with fewer than four participants.

Yes, explicitly. Le Morne offers short boat rides and calm sighting conditions, and with no more than six guests on board, no one's standing in your shot. You'll find lens recommendations for shots at and below the surface under Requirements & Equipment.

Of course. Most of our guests come without their own camera gear and enjoy the encounters without looking through a viewfinder.

Six nights at the Riu Turquoise with all-inclusive dining, all transfers between airport, hotel and harbour, the four boat expeditions with a marine biologist and doctor on board, snorkelling gear, and the ocean briefing on day 2. The full list is under Trips and Dates.

You book the flight yourself — that way you're free to choose your departure airport, airline and travel class, and use any miles you have. From the airport onward, we take over: we meet you personally and take you to the hotel, and bring you back again on your day of departure.

We reschedule it within the week, as far as possible. April falls at the tail end of cyclone season, where this happens more often than in August and September. That's why we plan four expeditions across seven days rather than four across four: the buffer is built in.

Yes. On your departure day, our shuttle takes you to the airport — if you'd rather stay, arrange the extra nights yourself and we'll work around it. Let us know when you inquire, and we'll take it into account.

You submit a no-obligation inquiry with your preferred date via the contact form. We'll get back to you with all the details. A date only becomes binding once you've received our written confirmation — until then, you incur no costs.

Contact us as early as possible — we'll find a solution together. Since every trip is booked individually, how we proceed depends on the specific case. As a general rule, we recommend taking out travel insurance before your trip begins.