Swim with Dolphins in Reunion Island: 3 trips from Saint-Gilles and Le Port, 2026 prices

This is the most-reviewed offer on this page: 4.8 out of 5 from 38 verified Manawa reviews, and an entry price of €40 that makes it the best starting point for swimming with cetaceans in Reunion Island. Departure from the port of Saint-Gilles, pontoon D, around 7am or 9am depending on the slot. The trip lasts 2 hours at sea, with several guided swims as soon as a pod of dolphins or a whale is spotted.

In practice, the skipper spots pods using a network of coastal lookouts, approaches gradually (respecting the Reuni'Mer charter: a distance of at least 100m, never in front of the animal), and cuts the engine to let you slip into the water with your fins, mask and snorkel. You swim freely a few metres from spinner dolphins passing in a group beneath your fins, sometimes just 2-3 metres away. It's brief (a few minutes per swim) but rarely this intense.

From July to October, the boat may also offer a swim to observe humpback whales at the surface, provided conditions are safe (a mother without an agitated calf nearby, clear water, no restless males close by). The skipper decides case by case. Outside that season, the swim is only with dolphins (spinner and bottlenose), present year-round.

Manawa price: €40, from age 12, and you must be able to swim. Moderate cancellation policy. Reef-safe sunscreen is mandatory (chemical filters are banned within the reserve). Bring a rash vest or UV t-shirt to avoid burning your back at the surface.

This €85 package from Le Port (not Saint-Gilles) is the option to choose if you want more time at sea or if you're bringing kids from age 8 (rather than age 12 for the €40 Saint-Gilles package). Departure is from pontoon D at the port of Le Port, more convenient if you're staying in northern Saint-Paul or La Possession.

The format is longer: 3 to 4 hours at sea instead of 2, which allows for actively searching for pods over a wider area. The skipper uses the same methods (coastal lookouts, a gradual approach), but with more time to fit in extra swims if several pods are active during the morning.

The minimum age of 8 stands out: it's the most accessible package for families with children who can swim. Kids need to be comfortable in deep water and able to use fins, mask and snorkel without panicking. The company provides a buoyancy vest on request for less confident swimmers.

Manawa price: €85, €45 more than the short Saint-Gilles package, justified by the half-day format and the lower minimum age. Flexible cancellation up to 24 hours before. Reef-safe sunscreen is mandatory, a rash vest or UV t-shirt is recommended.

This €135 package is run by Reunion Diving, a long-standing diving centre at the port of Saint-Gilles, and it's the only one on this page that genuinely combines guided swimming AND boat-based observation over a full day. The slot starts early in the morning (around 6.30am) to make the most of the calm sea, and finishes in the early afternoon with a light meal on board during the offshore break.

The angle is different from the short swim trips (€40 Saint-Gilles or €85 Le Port): here the skippers are divers, they know how to read cetacean behaviour, and the range of swims is richer. Over 6 hours, you get multiple passes with several pods of spinner dolphins, you can snorkel over coral-reef spots between observations, and from July to October you wait for humpback whales at the surface with an approach calibrated to the Reuni'Mer charter.

Worth choosing if you're comfortable in deep water, a nature photographer, or a passionate traveller who wants to understand what you're watching rather than just rushing through quick swims. The full day lets you wait for pods that aren't at the surface right away, giving a quality of observation the shorter packages can't offer.

Manawa price: €135 per person, from age 10, and you must be able to swim. Flexible cancellation up to 24 hours before. A light meal on board is included. Worth noting: Reunion Diving also runs this excursion as a pure boat-based observation trip, covered on the dedicated whale and dolphin watching page.