Niue Blue Island Experiences
Niue Blue Island Experiences
4.5
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Monday
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Tuesday
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Wednesday
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Thursday
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Friday
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Saturday
8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Full view
About
We are Niue's original diving and water sports specialist dedicated to making your holiday unforgettable. We offer a wide range of activities to suit all ages. Our tours include: Scuba Diving, Freediving, snorkelling trips, SSI dive courses, from beginner to Instructor, Stand Up Paddleboard hire and lessons, Inflatable kayaks for hire, Kids Club, Swimming with the Humpback Whales and Spinner Dolphin Interactions. Located next door to the only resort in Niue Scenic Matavai Resort in the village of Tamaukautoga, overlooking the ocean. As we are a small business our spaces fill up quickly and pre-booking is highly recommended to avoid the disappointment of missing out.
Alofi, Niue
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4.5
216 reviews
Excellent
169
Very good
26
Average
6
Poor
9
Terrible
6
Rae
4 contributions
Aug 2024 • Friends
My adult son and I did 2 trips. Both were arranged very professionally and had knowledgeable guides. In particular Ant, Roxy, Nic and Adam were outstanding and lovely. I was nervous and not used to snorkeling - and both times I was reassured and given a noodle when I needed one. My son on the other hand is confident snorkeling and diving down and around. They also allowed him to have some more freedom.
We had over an hour with a juvenile( 2-3 yr) male whale who surfaced and dove down again about 15!! Times during our 1 hr in the water with him.
On our snorkeling trip we snorkeled in two places beside and on the reef. Nicola (who is a specialist in whale and dolphin behaviour) gave us very interesting facts about these creatures (and the different fish we were seeing) and also of the geographical features we could see.
Adam was a joy. To see his face as we listened to a large “Singer” near us and see the whales slap their flukes and breech and blow, was a delight to behold. If this wasn’t enough, we all got a turn holding a rope and handle tied to the boat as we swam with a pod of @ 20 dolphins.
Both tours were fantastic and I thank everyone involved. A MUST when you come to Niue.
We had over an hour with a juvenile( 2-3 yr) male whale who surfaced and dove down again about 15!! Times during our 1 hr in the water with him.
On our snorkeling trip we snorkeled in two places beside and on the reef. Nicola (who is a specialist in whale and dolphin behaviour) gave us very interesting facts about these creatures (and the different fish we were seeing) and also of the geographical features we could see.
Adam was a joy. To see his face as we listened to a large “Singer” near us and see the whales slap their flukes and breech and blow, was a delight to behold. If this wasn’t enough, we all got a turn holding a rope and handle tied to the boat as we swam with a pod of @ 20 dolphins.
Both tours were fantastic and I thank everyone involved. A MUST when you come to Niue.
Written 3 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Relax38499222240
5 contributions
Jun 2024 • Couples
Right from. The start we were impressed with Nuie Blue they were very caring with us older snorklers.
The reef coral was fantastic.
The trip to look at the end of Nuie excellent a nd interesting.
The dolphin experience fantastic and getting into water at side of boat with dolphins breathtaking. Thank you for insisting I could do it.
Amazing trip
The reef coral was fantastic.
The trip to look at the end of Nuie excellent a nd interesting.
The dolphin experience fantastic and getting into water at side of boat with dolphins breathtaking. Thank you for insisting I could do it.
Amazing trip
Written 15 June 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Emma C
Wellington, New Zealand17 contributions
Aug 2024 • Friends
Had a great time scuba diving and doing whale tours. Peak season it was very easy to see whales and often saw multiple on our trips out. Felt very ethical and didn't disturb the whales when we went out. Scuba diving was very well run.
Written 16 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ndunn_nz
Auckland Central, New Zealand8 contributions
Nov 2014 • Friends
Dropped into their office to see what was available, and it seems my mere presence was annoying. Girl at the desk was more interested in doing her emails than being at all very helpful. When asked what was available for that day, she snapped and told me nothing was available as they only had one staff member. She may want to seek out a new career, especially when hospitality actually centers around serving customers.
Considering there's 7 adults that were keen to go out, that's a fair amount of revenue they missed out on. Seems like they're doing well enough to not need new customers.
Considering there's 7 adults that were keen to go out, that's a fair amount of revenue they missed out on. Seems like they're doing well enough to not need new customers.
Written 24 November 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
776Traveller
Auckland Central, New Zealand4 contributions
Aug 2014 • Couples
I would urge anybody who loves nature and wants to keep this fantastic island’s environment intact to think twice whether they want to use this company. Please read below why.
One of the main reason I came to Niue was the opportunity to swim with whales. So we went on our swimming with whale tour with Buccaneer Adventures Niue Dive on a day in mid August 2014.
There were some things we did not understand from the start. Whales were sighted on that day near Coral Gardens, which is closer to Alofi wharf. However we launched the boat in Avatele, much further away and where the sea was much rougher. We had to go around Halagigie Point, which was a very rough ride in a very small raft boat which had the capacity of 7 people max. So we lost about an hour there just to reach Alofi and then Coral Gardens to look for the whales. When we asked why they did not launch the raft boat in Alofi Wharf, we were told by the skipper that it was not possible….I did not look forward for the return trip through that rough section…
About midway along the journey the skipper had to change the petrol tanks. We had 2x 20l tanks on board, as one was not enough for the entire journey. So the normal practice would be to just lose the pipe (or whatever you call it) from one tank and connect it the other tank. But that’s not their practice! The excuse was, that the pipe does not fit on both tanks!
What happened then left me speechless, very worried and later on very sick:
On open water, on the ocean, in a rocking boat the skipper screwed open both tanks and filled the full 20l tank in the other almost empty tank, but without any funnel or other support equipment. So you can imagine where the petrol ended up ….yes in the raft boat, covering the floor, our fins and shoes. We estimated approximately 3-5 liters ended up in the boat.
The worst and most disappointing thing was, while our skipper was busy doing this we saw two whales. However we could not go there in time as the motor was off –so that was even more disappointing. We than circled the area for the next 45 minutes where we have seen the whales. But did not see any whales again.
The petrol was smelling terrible and unbearable and I started to get sick. Some guys on the boat scooped water in the boat to ease the smell of the petrol. And of course the worst was, that the petrol was spilled out and ended up in the ocean! That is not attracting whales at all.
I am very concerned about this practice! This was not an “emergency”, it was a planned activity that the tank had to be refilled.
When questioning our skipper about it, she said that she raised this issue several times with the managers and they did not do anything about it!
Well, how much does a funnel cost ($20???) or a fitting tank ($200???)
We paid $150 each for this tour. They have approximately 2 boats going out per day (in whale season). That does not give them a spare $20 for a funnel or $200 for a fitting tank???? Sorry that is absolutely not acceptable.
Since the smell in the boat was unbearable our skipper arranged pick up at Alofi wharf. Wow, few hours earlier we were told we can’t launch that boat at Alofi -what a lie!
We made it back to the land. I washed my shoes afterwards several times with hot water and soap but I can still smell the petrol today!
If we would not have had that bad experience I probably would have tried to go out a second time, but this practice really put me off.
How can they still state on their website with clear conscience: “Diving in Niue offers everyone the opportunity to view the underwater world from a different perspective. A world that has not been destroyed by carelessness or neglect.” Isn’t that just what they are purposely doing by spilling petrol into that pristine water??
I hope someone checks this out as I find it very irresponsible of this company to be so careless in such a pristine environment with this practice, which can easily be avoided if they would spend a few $$$ on the right equipment.
I would urge anybody who loves nature and wants to keep this fantastic island’s environment intact to think twice whether they want to use this company. Unfortunately they are the only company currently –so you have to decide with your conscience whether you want to support this practice.
And last but not least, after you have paid they tell you in the introduction part that the chances of actually swimming with the whales are about 5%!!!
One of the main reason I came to Niue was the opportunity to swim with whales. So we went on our swimming with whale tour with Buccaneer Adventures Niue Dive on a day in mid August 2014.
There were some things we did not understand from the start. Whales were sighted on that day near Coral Gardens, which is closer to Alofi wharf. However we launched the boat in Avatele, much further away and where the sea was much rougher. We had to go around Halagigie Point, which was a very rough ride in a very small raft boat which had the capacity of 7 people max. So we lost about an hour there just to reach Alofi and then Coral Gardens to look for the whales. When we asked why they did not launch the raft boat in Alofi Wharf, we were told by the skipper that it was not possible….I did not look forward for the return trip through that rough section…
About midway along the journey the skipper had to change the petrol tanks. We had 2x 20l tanks on board, as one was not enough for the entire journey. So the normal practice would be to just lose the pipe (or whatever you call it) from one tank and connect it the other tank. But that’s not their practice! The excuse was, that the pipe does not fit on both tanks!
What happened then left me speechless, very worried and later on very sick:
On open water, on the ocean, in a rocking boat the skipper screwed open both tanks and filled the full 20l tank in the other almost empty tank, but without any funnel or other support equipment. So you can imagine where the petrol ended up ….yes in the raft boat, covering the floor, our fins and shoes. We estimated approximately 3-5 liters ended up in the boat.
The worst and most disappointing thing was, while our skipper was busy doing this we saw two whales. However we could not go there in time as the motor was off –so that was even more disappointing. We than circled the area for the next 45 minutes where we have seen the whales. But did not see any whales again.
The petrol was smelling terrible and unbearable and I started to get sick. Some guys on the boat scooped water in the boat to ease the smell of the petrol. And of course the worst was, that the petrol was spilled out and ended up in the ocean! That is not attracting whales at all.
I am very concerned about this practice! This was not an “emergency”, it was a planned activity that the tank had to be refilled.
When questioning our skipper about it, she said that she raised this issue several times with the managers and they did not do anything about it!
Well, how much does a funnel cost ($20???) or a fitting tank ($200???)
We paid $150 each for this tour. They have approximately 2 boats going out per day (in whale season). That does not give them a spare $20 for a funnel or $200 for a fitting tank???? Sorry that is absolutely not acceptable.
Since the smell in the boat was unbearable our skipper arranged pick up at Alofi wharf. Wow, few hours earlier we were told we can’t launch that boat at Alofi -what a lie!
We made it back to the land. I washed my shoes afterwards several times with hot water and soap but I can still smell the petrol today!
If we would not have had that bad experience I probably would have tried to go out a second time, but this practice really put me off.
How can they still state on their website with clear conscience: “Diving in Niue offers everyone the opportunity to view the underwater world from a different perspective. A world that has not been destroyed by carelessness or neglect.” Isn’t that just what they are purposely doing by spilling petrol into that pristine water??
I hope someone checks this out as I find it very irresponsible of this company to be so careless in such a pristine environment with this practice, which can easily be avoided if they would spend a few $$$ on the right equipment.
I would urge anybody who loves nature and wants to keep this fantastic island’s environment intact to think twice whether they want to use this company. Unfortunately they are the only company currently –so you have to decide with your conscience whether you want to support this practice.
And last but not least, after you have paid they tell you in the introduction part that the chances of actually swimming with the whales are about 5%!!!
Written 9 September 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
NZP0PPY
New Zealand28,202 contributions
Aug 2013 • Couples
We did go expecting to see whales. We went in two whale watching trips with niue dive and saw absolutely none. We were with a group that went on four trips and had no luck.
we understand the owners have only purchased the business for a year but they seem to have a monopoly and things could be done much much better.
Some examples are:
absolutely no communication with other boat users about where whale sightings are.
A couple at our motel being bumped from a trip.
The van broke down and we had to wait while another van was sought. our trip wasnt extended any. I didnt like how they said at the start, you have 2.5 hours and your trip starts now. It was like a stop watch. the hand brake on the van didnt work. try loading a zodiac on boat ramp with someone holding onto foot brake!
the only whale encounter the week we were there was 4 kms out from shore and seemed to be planned. If thats the case why on earth did we putter about a bay in a zodiac when only encounter was 4km out.
one of our friends was on a dive trip and instructor gear was faulty. they had to abort or someone give up gear for instructor. our friend didnt dive so others could!
We nearly ran out of fuel.
Everyone who was staying at our motel had better whale experiences on the fishing trips. So if you are thinking of fishing. Do that, you will have a better chance of seeing whales up close.
and while Niue dive quoted 90% whale sightings etc etc.
they do consider a whale spout in the far far distance a sighting. You can definitely see that from land.
I do think they need to make lots of improvements and have better service. it was a disappointment and the 40% less for next trip was no use to us because we were on the next plane out.
we understand the owners have only purchased the business for a year but they seem to have a monopoly and things could be done much much better.
Some examples are:
absolutely no communication with other boat users about where whale sightings are.
A couple at our motel being bumped from a trip.
The van broke down and we had to wait while another van was sought. our trip wasnt extended any. I didnt like how they said at the start, you have 2.5 hours and your trip starts now. It was like a stop watch. the hand brake on the van didnt work. try loading a zodiac on boat ramp with someone holding onto foot brake!
the only whale encounter the week we were there was 4 kms out from shore and seemed to be planned. If thats the case why on earth did we putter about a bay in a zodiac when only encounter was 4km out.
one of our friends was on a dive trip and instructor gear was faulty. they had to abort or someone give up gear for instructor. our friend didnt dive so others could!
We nearly ran out of fuel.
Everyone who was staying at our motel had better whale experiences on the fishing trips. So if you are thinking of fishing. Do that, you will have a better chance of seeing whales up close.
and while Niue dive quoted 90% whale sightings etc etc.
they do consider a whale spout in the far far distance a sighting. You can definitely see that from land.
I do think they need to make lots of improvements and have better service. it was a disappointment and the 40% less for next trip was no use to us because we were on the next plane out.
Written 23 August 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Poppy NZ. I would like to start by saying that unfortunately we can only do as much as the whales allow us. The trip you mention that saw the whales 4km offshore - we actually found them 100m off the island and followed them, this was not planned. We are in constant radio contact with fishermen, as well as utilize shore siting from various vantage points, but again, we can only do what the whales allow us and cant make them appear on demand. If this is what you want perhaps a trip to Seaworld on the Gold Coast would be better. We have never, and will never market in any correspondence or media that we have 90% view rate, and in fact are very honest to people who book and say that last season we were on about 60% view rate. As Niue is technically a third world country, and extremely isolated, if parts break down on boats or cars it takes a long time to fix (ie. handbrakes), it is use the faulty equipment, or cancel the trips all together unfortunately. As for you friends being "bumped", they were rescheduled due to a pontoon on our inflatable needing repair, again, it is this or cancel all together.
The Instructors equipment was not faulty, there was a problem with a tank which was unavoidable, and since been rectified.
As for the fuel, the trips where we see no whales we do burn through more fuel searching, but this is expected and preparations are always made. This is one of the reasons for the trip duration being 2.5hours (again, we tell people this is with at least 1.5hrs on water time). We are transparent with our regulations and statistics and honest with all people booking in. We advertise for EVERYONE to pre-book so that we do have time for 2nd trips (at the discounted rate) to avoid disappointment. Unfortunately the fact that you flew out cannot be helped, and we have had our bookings open for over a year.
Written 28 August 2013
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Sunnybro
Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand15 contributions
Aug 2013 • Couples
We booked two separate trips - whale watching and dolphin....after the first whale trip we were left thinking it was so oversold that we and most of the others cancelled our second outings...strangely the proprietors never even asked why which is where the problem is...we understood that its not guaranteed that you'll have a whale encounter or even a sighting BUT since that's the case the boat operators should have some educational or even entertaining spiel to deliver, but nothing...we saw a whale in the first 1/2 hour and then it disappeared within seconds only to have us drifting for another hour almost in silence...I had to ask several leading questions about the whales to even get the simplest information.
We've been on many such trips in other countries and they always have lots of interesting knowledge to share with the customers but it felt like we had a kid on spring break taking very little interest in his job other than maneuvering the boat in circles...we heard from people on the shore that the whale went in the opposite direction as to where our zodiac headed but there is no communication with anyone on land or any other boats so its just 6 untrained snorkelers looking at the horizon hoping to see something move - there needs to be a plan 'B' so that people don't leave disappointed....after all satisfied customers is what brings the new punters in...methinks this business is planning to close as the joy was just lacking on all levels.
We've been on many such trips in other countries and they always have lots of interesting knowledge to share with the customers but it felt like we had a kid on spring break taking very little interest in his job other than maneuvering the boat in circles...we heard from people on the shore that the whale went in the opposite direction as to where our zodiac headed but there is no communication with anyone on land or any other boats so its just 6 untrained snorkelers looking at the horizon hoping to see something move - there needs to be a plan 'B' so that people don't leave disappointed....after all satisfied customers is what brings the new punters in...methinks this business is planning to close as the joy was just lacking on all levels.
Written 20 August 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Sunnybro
Thanks for the review. I understand completely your disappointment in the lack of information given. It is in our operations manual that information is to be given on the trips, and we know that all our guides know the content, as we made them attend a whale seminar run by the "Whales Alive" organisation. It is disappointing that a member of our team has let us down, and we will be addressing this at our next weekly meeting. I am glad however that you did see a whale, unfortunately they can at times be elusive, but this is the opportunity where guides should be filling the voids with information.
Written 28 August 2013
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
TurquoiseCoconut
Kauai, HI61 contributions
Jul 2015 • Solo
I have been all over the world for diving. This guys like really. They are NOT professional at all.
I only reason why I went to Niue for the whale (we Emailed few times before i go to Niue, please see below). but according to them the Ocean is too rough. I understand, we cannot control the nature but they can go to snorkeling trip. ??? N$90, bit expensive but ok, lets try.
Launch the boat, took long time (like most unprofessional way I ever seen in 25 years diving experience. ) 2.5H tour we were in water for 50 min.
The girl who drove the boat by her self, she start working few weeks ago with this company there were no other crews. when we arrive snorkeling spot, i could easily swim from the shore.
During a snorkeling. She anchored the boat and after we went to water she was start chatting with person on the boat next to her boat. She was NOT watching snorkeler AT ALL. no attention no nothing. No snorkeling instruction, no explanation of the area either before the enter the water.
Like i said. This guys MOST UNPROFESSIONAL dive shop I ever seen.
I was so disappointed $90 snorkeling tour.
Whale swimming. they explain to me when i get a shop. there is not much chance to see the whale in the water even weather is getting better. which I understand its wild life BUT if you said "there is not much chance to see the whale in the water." don't even advertised whale swimming!!!!! You should say, snorkeling tour maybe you will see whale if you are lucky!
On the email they never said that point. it is force advertise too.
I only reason why I went to Niue for the whale (we Emailed few times before i go to Niue, please see below). but according to them the Ocean is too rough. I understand, we cannot control the nature but they can go to snorkeling trip. ??? N$90, bit expensive but ok, lets try.
Launch the boat, took long time (like most unprofessional way I ever seen in 25 years diving experience. ) 2.5H tour we were in water for 50 min.
The girl who drove the boat by her self, she start working few weeks ago with this company there were no other crews. when we arrive snorkeling spot, i could easily swim from the shore.
During a snorkeling. She anchored the boat and after we went to water she was start chatting with person on the boat next to her boat. She was NOT watching snorkeler AT ALL. no attention no nothing. No snorkeling instruction, no explanation of the area either before the enter the water.
Like i said. This guys MOST UNPROFESSIONAL dive shop I ever seen.
I was so disappointed $90 snorkeling tour.
Whale swimming. they explain to me when i get a shop. there is not much chance to see the whale in the water even weather is getting better. which I understand its wild life BUT if you said "there is not much chance to see the whale in the water." don't even advertised whale swimming!!!!! You should say, snorkeling tour maybe you will see whale if you are lucky!
On the email they never said that point. it is force advertise too.
Written 10 June 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
windthiefnz
Auckland2 contributions
Aug 2014 • Friends
I travelled to Niue 7 years ago when the dive operation was very different. Then it was a family outfit when on four of my dive's it was just myself and one of the owners.
As is a universal constant everything must change.
I applaud Krystal and Shannon for creating a business opportunity in Niue, I applaud them also for employing a staff that genuinely want to create a positive experience for their customers.
At the end of the day we all have very different expectations.
Mitch and Richard my dive guides were awesome, I am an experienced diver with a marine science background, part of my joy in returning to Niue was to experience the recovery of the reefs after the devastation of Cyclone Hetta in 2004, I was last there in 2007.
To those not in the know, the reef on most of the dive sites was completely scoured but the cyclone and from a marine biological perspective if you ever wanted to see a current window on 'recovery' after a natural disaster then Niue is the place to be. When all we often hear is 'degradation' in regards to coral reefs around the world all I saw here was 'rebound' I cant wait to go back again and see these reefs continue to thrive. Honesty Niue's reef are pristine.. they have not only survived, bounced back but are thriving... If you have been there you may disagree, but from a biological perspective watch this space! There are few places you can travel these days and see this level of recovery of healthy coral come back, and fish life. Also bear in mind what you see is what you get, no lagoonal cover and no outer islands, you are on a rock in the middle of the Pacific...but isn't that why you want to travel to Niue in the first place?
Diving here may not be the most challenging, but you will have probably the best visibility on the planet and some pretty cool cave diving if that's your thing.
My return visit was driven by the potential opportunity to have an in water encounter with the Humpbacks..
So lets move onto whales...
Firstly if you are thinking of travelling to Niue purely to swim with whales..
I have read heaps of partially and fully negative reviews as well as some awesome ones here...
Remember;
1) You are not travelling to some 'park' where there is a 2pm show...
2) These are massive animals doing their own thing
3) The conditions have to be perfect.
4) If you are fortunate to have an in-water encounter it is (and sorry to capitalise) A PRIVILEGE
By going on a whale trip you are 'creating an opportunity' at the end of the day, there are only 3 places in the world currently you can do this. You really do have to be in it to win it.
This was my bucket list NO.1, I booked months out and booked 3 trips. Last year 2013 the whales were pretty much a no show it transpires.. that's whales for you...there are no walls here.
2014 has been awesome, but when you're in that boat full of hope and expectation remember that it's the journey.
We saw whales the first trip travelling at speed.. got in no cigar..
Second trip, it happened.. beyond expectation, tears, joy and every emotion in between. I had been dreaming of this for a very long time. One word 'Privilege' we spent 20 minutes in the water with 2 whales...happy days
Third trip encountered 4 in 2m swells, I probably would have jumped in.. we didn't but lets face it the next stop is Tonga :)
The whale guide Kate this year is an amazing woman, her enthusiasm and passion is contagious, she is a gem. Jess the boat captain equally made every minute on the water a pleasurable one.
If you are considering a whale interaction and have read the comments, remember this really is a lifetime opportunity, you create this, be in it to win it. Remember whenever we are in the water we are nothing more than passive contaminates to these amazing massive animals, and if it happens you will have a life changing experience. If not, you have been on an incredible journey.
Niue is awesome,
Niue Dive is providing opportunities,
The reefs are rebounding
The whales are just doing what they have done for millions of years, and you may be blessed to witness a glimpse of these magnificent animals in the blue. or as Kate said 'Be part of the Niuen Whale soap opera'
As is a universal constant everything must change.
I applaud Krystal and Shannon for creating a business opportunity in Niue, I applaud them also for employing a staff that genuinely want to create a positive experience for their customers.
At the end of the day we all have very different expectations.
Mitch and Richard my dive guides were awesome, I am an experienced diver with a marine science background, part of my joy in returning to Niue was to experience the recovery of the reefs after the devastation of Cyclone Hetta in 2004, I was last there in 2007.
To those not in the know, the reef on most of the dive sites was completely scoured but the cyclone and from a marine biological perspective if you ever wanted to see a current window on 'recovery' after a natural disaster then Niue is the place to be. When all we often hear is 'degradation' in regards to coral reefs around the world all I saw here was 'rebound' I cant wait to go back again and see these reefs continue to thrive. Honesty Niue's reef are pristine.. they have not only survived, bounced back but are thriving... If you have been there you may disagree, but from a biological perspective watch this space! There are few places you can travel these days and see this level of recovery of healthy coral come back, and fish life. Also bear in mind what you see is what you get, no lagoonal cover and no outer islands, you are on a rock in the middle of the Pacific...but isn't that why you want to travel to Niue in the first place?
Diving here may not be the most challenging, but you will have probably the best visibility on the planet and some pretty cool cave diving if that's your thing.
My return visit was driven by the potential opportunity to have an in water encounter with the Humpbacks..
So lets move onto whales...
Firstly if you are thinking of travelling to Niue purely to swim with whales..
I have read heaps of partially and fully negative reviews as well as some awesome ones here...
Remember;
1) You are not travelling to some 'park' where there is a 2pm show...
2) These are massive animals doing their own thing
3) The conditions have to be perfect.
4) If you are fortunate to have an in-water encounter it is (and sorry to capitalise) A PRIVILEGE
By going on a whale trip you are 'creating an opportunity' at the end of the day, there are only 3 places in the world currently you can do this. You really do have to be in it to win it.
This was my bucket list NO.1, I booked months out and booked 3 trips. Last year 2013 the whales were pretty much a no show it transpires.. that's whales for you...there are no walls here.
2014 has been awesome, but when you're in that boat full of hope and expectation remember that it's the journey.
We saw whales the first trip travelling at speed.. got in no cigar..
Second trip, it happened.. beyond expectation, tears, joy and every emotion in between. I had been dreaming of this for a very long time. One word 'Privilege' we spent 20 minutes in the water with 2 whales...happy days
Third trip encountered 4 in 2m swells, I probably would have jumped in.. we didn't but lets face it the next stop is Tonga :)
The whale guide Kate this year is an amazing woman, her enthusiasm and passion is contagious, she is a gem. Jess the boat captain equally made every minute on the water a pleasurable one.
If you are considering a whale interaction and have read the comments, remember this really is a lifetime opportunity, you create this, be in it to win it. Remember whenever we are in the water we are nothing more than passive contaminates to these amazing massive animals, and if it happens you will have a life changing experience. If not, you have been on an incredible journey.
Niue is awesome,
Niue Dive is providing opportunities,
The reefs are rebounding
The whales are just doing what they have done for millions of years, and you may be blessed to witness a glimpse of these magnificent animals in the blue. or as Kate said 'Be part of the Niuen Whale soap opera'
Written 5 September 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
betharmando
Christchurch, New Zealand31 contributions
Aug 2014 • Family
The non-niuean staff that run this operation are damaging the reputation of this otherwise beautiful place. We had the misfortune of having to deal with them after we had to cancel our whale trip when our baby was admitted to hospital. The owner was aggressive, rude and frankly a bit scary. He insisted that I was informed of their 24 hour cancellation policy when i booked, which i wasn't and then argued that it was "my word against his" ?! They then charged the full cost of the trip to our room without telling us, much the embarrassment of the resort staff.
Apparently this business is very unpopular on the island and I can understand why. Someone heard us complaining and told us that the knew of a case where someone had paid for dolphin trip and happened to a whale and were charged an extra $60 when they arrived onshore. We went on a dolphin trip last time when we were in Niue which was okay. I really hope another operator opens up on the island as even with this operators terrible service most people seem to have a good experience simply because of the amazing natural beauty of the island. The snorkelling and whale watching is just as good and FREE from shore so I would encourage anyone going to Niue to find the best spots for themselves until another dive operator opens.
Apparently this business is very unpopular on the island and I can understand why. Someone heard us complaining and told us that the knew of a case where someone had paid for dolphin trip and happened to a whale and were charged an extra $60 when they arrived onshore. We went on a dolphin trip last time when we were in Niue which was okay. I really hope another operator opens up on the island as even with this operators terrible service most people seem to have a good experience simply because of the amazing natural beauty of the island. The snorkelling and whale watching is just as good and FREE from shore so I would encourage anyone going to Niue to find the best spots for themselves until another dive operator opens.
Written 28 August 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hi Beth, Thankyou for your reply.
I am sorry to hear about your child. Unfortunately when Armando cancelled, there was no mention of this. There was also no mention when you re-booked for another day, and then cancelled that trip. Unfortunately as a business, we do have costs. If customers do not turn up for a trip, that runs with small numbers, it does affect the business, and unfortunately everyone need money to survive. If you book a flight, and cancel with no notice, there is fees involved. We only charged 50% of what we lost as a result of your cancellations, and informed Armando that this would be charged to your room.
Our cancellation policy is in plain view, sent on every email, on the website, and informed when making phone bookings. The business is transparent when it comes to this.
Written 30 August 2014
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
The boat ride for whale watch is safe only when accompany by parent and that everyone wears a life jacket. My family, wife, two high school student boys and ten year old girl went on a boat ride out to where whales swim. When the boat take people out for diving it is not recommended to have young kids on board.
Written 7 February 2020
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.