By Betty Q.
What is the best camera for snorkeling with whales? I am getting ready to swim with the whales in Mo’orea, and have begun researching the best way to take photos. We are snorkeling, so won’t be far from the surface of the water. (I am neither an overly-experienced snorkeler nor photographer, LOL!) This will be out in the open ocean, and we will be at a required distance from the whales. Does anyone have any suggestions to get me started? Thank you.
Hmm. We did this a bit over a year ago.
We take our cameras everywhere. For this trip, leave them in the boat. This isn’t an easy trip. When you get a chance at it, you hit the water quickly, with little notice. In the open ocean.
Just enjoy the moments that make memories.
If you need a camera, take an Olympus TG.
PS: This trip is much more like “harassing the whales”. If you really want to experience this in a more natural environment, go to Tonga.
I was lucky enough to do a Silver Banks whale trip in the Dominican Republic last February. Not to discourage you… but these will be challenging conditions. I would recommend a camera with as wide an angle lens as possible. Whales are big! I know you know that but it’s amazing when you are in the water with them.
Light and scatter will not be your friend – whales are often in water that is less than clear and it can get pretty dark. You might consider not even trying to capture a photo unless the whale or calf is at the surface which will give you more light. And try to position yourself with the sun behind you. That will help with scatter.
I have a pro set-up and got some keepers, but also a lot that weren’t. If you use one of the Olympus cameras or an iPhone and case you might do better, but I can’t really speak to those.
I agree. Unless you are extremely proficient at both snorkeling and in-water photography or video capture, any camera is going to distract from the experiences you may have with these magnificent creatures. Be in the moment and enjoy. I would be leaving the image capture all to the professionals in these situations. Good luck.
It’s a fantastic trip. We did two humpback whale snorkels in Moorea in August 2024. I agree with other writer it is strenuous, but depends upon conditions. We had wind and swells that made the open ocean swimming challenging. I carried my Olympus TG-6 which did a good job. I would say shoot video and extract still shots from that later. The whales sleep below you. Hard to see except for white edges of fins. When they start to surface, then crest in front of you — amazing!
I take my GoPro when jumping in to swim with whales. Most of the time the situation is too magical and/or fast paced to want to turn it on (strapped to my wrist), but sometimes things are calm enough to find the time. I leave my bigger camera behind. I couldn’t agree more with Bill about Tonga being much better for swimming with whales. I did Mo’orea first, then two years later went to Tonga, which has much tighter controls and regulations that don’t make you feel guilty about being with the whales. Hopefully Mo’orea will change their rules soon, but until then, it is harassment IMO, so not something I could ever do again.