Location: East Timor
Blue Whale Snorkeling in East Timor
Swim with the largest animal in the world!
A Rare Encounter with Blue Whales
Each October and November, a silent migration of giants passes through the crystal-clear waters of East Timor. During this brief window, we offer the extraordinary opportunity to witness the Blue Whale – the largest animal to have ever lived – in its own environment.
Imagine the moment: You slip into the deep blue directly in the path of a behemoth. As it glides past, you feel like an insect next to its unimaginable bulk. You might see a glimmer of recognition—a subtle flick of an eye in your direction—before the whale dissolves into the sapphire void. It is a few seconds of pure connection with a creature of impossible scale, followed by a quiet wait as it surfaces minutes later to breathe once more.
Beyond Blue Whales
While the Blue Whale is our primary focus, the waters surrounding Timor-L’este are home to a variety of marine mammals. Other cetaceans, you may encounter including:
Oceanic Dolphins: Spinner, Dwarf Spinner, Bottlenose, Fraser’s, and Risso’s Dolphins.
Great Whales: Sperm Whales, Orcas, Pilot Whales, Melon-headed Whales, and the elusive Cuvier’s Beaked Whale.
Sirenians: Dugongs inhabit the coastal waters around Timor L’este.
Blue Whales are always on the move, so our snorkeling encounters are high-energy “fly-bys”—watching them glide past in the deep before we regroup to go again.
THE ENCOUNTER
Swimming with enormous blue whales in the clear waters of East Timor
2026
DATE
November 1-7 FULL
November 8-14 2 SPOTS AVAILABLE
November 15-21 1 SPOT AVAILABLE
PRICE (USD)
$4,295 per person double occupancy
$5,095 per person single occupancy
LEADER
TBA
2027
DATE
November 1-7 4 SPOTS AVAILABLE
November 8-14 6 SPOTS AVAILABLE
November 15-21 4 SPOTS AVAILABLE
PRICE (USD)
$4,595 per person double occupancy
$5,395 per person single occupancy
LEADER
TBA
2028
DATE
November 1-7 6 SPOTS AVAILABLE
November 8-14 6 SPOTS AVAILABLE
November 15-21 6 SPOTS AVAILABLE
PRICE (USD)
$TBA per person double occupancy
$TBA per person single occupancy
LEADER
TBA
DETAILS
ACCOMMODATION
Double occ. ensuite rooms at a comfortable hotel on Timor L’este
EXPERIENCE LEVEL
Snorkeling experience only. Guests must be comfortable swimming in the open ocean over deep water.
Free diving down to the whales is permitted.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
- Ground transfers to/from Dili Airport
- 6 nights in a comfortable hotel in Dili
- All meals
- 5 days at sea with whales
- Experienced captain and in-water safety guide
- Fins and mask if needed
- Weight belts
NOT INCLUDED
- Flights to Dili
- Alcohol
- Crew tips
Ready to sign up or have a question about this trip?
Contact us about our Swimming with Blue Whales Expedition
The Power of Silence
Despite their enormous size, Blue Whales and other cetaceans are incredibly shy and sensitive to sound. The bubbles and noise of scuba equipment can easily startle them, causing them to dive deep and end the encounter.
To ensure the most intimate experience, we take a minimalist, low-impact approach. This encounter requires nothing more than a mask, snorkel, and fins. By slipping quietly into the water and floating at the surface in their projected path, we become a non-threatening part of their world, allowing them to glide past us undisturbed.
Wild Animal Expeditions: Delivering life changing wildlife adventures since 2010
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I have been on 3 Big Fish Expeditions trips by now and have more trips to look forward to in the near future. First of all I share a big passion for sharks, whale and other big marine life and Big Fish Expedition is all about that. As an amateur photographer is great to be among equals and even better to get new tips and ideas from professionals.
Andy is very helpful showing new tricks and talk about UW photography in between dives. Sure the destinations offers world class diving but it’s also about the people and the relation to people and Andy surely gives everyone the feeling of being very welcome and try to give everyone a lifetime experience.
Another good thing is that Andy is maybe the only pro shooters who offers trips to very reasonable prices. I won’t go into details about all the good dives I’ve done with Big Fish but instead say GO, you will never regret it!
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Denmark
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Vancouver, BC
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Andy is one of the best in the business. I would highly, highly recommend anyone interested in an animal focused trip to go with big fish expeditions.
The quality of experience and knowledge of the trip leader really sets them apart. Expect to get your fill of animals no matter what the trip is. Andy is also great at finding other animals to incorporate within the trips.
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Enjoy!
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Ontario, Canada
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Detroit, Michigan
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