Before an outing
Prepare your outing
I've never gone snorkeling
When and which cetaceans?
The equipment
The children
Stay on the boat
Will I see any cetaceans?
Time spent with animals
The legislation
Medical contraindications
Seasickness
Sunscreen
Sharks
The video of my outing
Photo/video equipment
Payment methods
Cancellation / Modification
Preparing for your trip
Before booking a whale and dolphin watching trip:
This trip is for you if you meet all of these conditions: You know how to swim. You are truly comfortable in the water with fins, mask, and snorkel. You are in good physical health and able to swim at least 100 meters in the open ocean with waves and currents without being able to touch the bottom or see the bottom with your mask. You are able to independently climb back onto the boat, either along the inflatable tubes of a Zodiac or via a ladder on the catamaran. You understand that searching for wild animals to observe them depends on their willingness, their behavior, and the environmental conditions, which can sometimes be challenging in the Indian Ocean. You are proactive and able to follow precise instructions. You are over 12 years old (contact us if you are between 8 and 12 years old).
This trip is not for you if even one of these statements applies to you: You don't know how to swim. You are not entirely comfortable with fins, mask, and snorkel, or you only use a full-face mask. You lack the physical ability to swim 100 meters underwater and frequently climb back onto a boat using a rope or stainless steel ladder. You have known health problems or are pregnant (see Terms and Conditions). You are under 8 years old. You have a physical, psychological, or mental disability; please contact us before making any reservation.
The instructors reserve the right to refuse boarding or entry to the water to any person who does not comply with these conditions and instructions. No refund will be given in such cases.
Booking a Duocean excursion: Contact us a few days in advance and suggest a date to your friends and family. If you are in a group, we recommend paying per person. During peak season, which coincides with whale watching, we recommend booking at least three to four weeks in advance.
Places can only be booked online with payment by credit card. For the Zodiac, payment is entirely online. For the catamaran, payment is partial, and the remaining balance per person is due on the day of the trip, payable directly to the partner by credit card or cash.
Please note: If no drop-down menu appears on the page where you enter your name/email to select the number of participants, it means there is only one place left. Your booking will be confirmed by an automated email once payment is validated. You will receive a reminder email the day before your trip. If you do not hear from us before the trip, it is confirmed.
We do not maintain a waiting list. Any cancellations will be announced on the Duocean Facebook page.
Please be careful when making your selection; there will be no changes or refunds in case of an error on your part. If you have any questions, please contact us BEFORE you book. Please provide your phone number and email address where you can be reached when making your reservation before the trip.
On the day of the trip:
Please arrive at the time indicated on your reservation and at the meeting point of your chosen boat. To ensure the trip runs smoothly and to accommodate other participants, we will not wait for latecomers. No rescheduling or refunds will be given for late arrivals. Furthermore, the partner fee on the catamaran, payable directly to the boat, remains due from all participants.
To avoid seasickness, please do not arrive on an empty stomach or very tired. A swimsuit is essential.
On the Zodiac, please avoid bringing dry items (bags, towels, cell phones, clothes, shoes, cameras, etc.) as they can hinder our movement on board. Leave these items in your car or in the Duocean vehicle. Sunglasses are recommended for your visual comfort during active search phases. In the southern winter, you can bring a windbreaker. The rest of the year, a rash guard or long-sleeved T-shirt and a hat are recommended.
The estimated trip time indicated on the website is not guaranteed; it may be longer or shorter depending on factors such as environmental conditions, marine weather, and animal availability.
I've never been snorkeling before
The whale watching excursions WITH water access are therefore not suitable for you. For all these excursions, you must be comfortable using a mask and snorkel and be able to control your finning technique without hitting the surface of the water with your fins. You also need to be fit enough to swim back to the boat independently. Full-face masks are not suitable for the Indian Ocean.
A preliminary water entry or the first few minutes of snorkeling around the boat will allow you to assess your abilities. If it proves too difficult for you, you will be encouraged to return to the boat and enjoy the excursion from the water (no refund will be given).
If you have never been snorkeling before, we recommend booking a spot on a catamaran WITHOUT water access, where you can remain on board and enjoy the excursion from the boat. Note that you will always have the choice of going in the water or staying on the boat, depending on your abilities and preferences.
When and which cetaceans ?
Whales are generally present from June to October, but this depends on their numbers and migration patterns, which can vary significantly from year to year. In 2018, the first whales arrived in June and left at the end of October! In 2019 and 2020, they were present from July to the end of August. In 2022 and 2023, some stayed from June until the beginning of November. In 2024, whales were in Réunion's waters from June to September.
All 3 species of dolphins are present ALL YEAR ROUND, without any particular season.
The equipment
We provide fins, masks, snorkels, and wetsuits (sizes XS to XXL). Our equipment is disinfected after each use according to current recommendations. You are welcome to bring your own equipment if you wish.
Warning: the full face mask is not suitable for activities in the open sea.
Children
Snorkeling is a sporting activity generally suited to active adults. However, current regulations allow children aged 8 and up to snorkeling*. Please contact us before booking if your children are between 8 and 12 years old.
Beyond 12 years old, even if your child can swim, it is essential to assess their actual snorkeling abilities to ensure everyone has a great time:
- Is my child able to swim 100 meters underwater without being able to touch the bottom?
- Can they look underwater even if there are waves offshore?
- Can they use their mask and snorkel properly in open water without swallowing water? (No full-face mask)
- Is he/she able to act quickly like an adult to get equipped, enter the water in sync with all the other participants, and swim without slowing the group down?
- Is he/she able to remain calm in the water and not fidget?
Please present the ID of each minor registered for the outing. The instructor and the captain may refuse boarding to a child whose age cannot be verified. In this case, no discount will be given and the full price of the outing will be charged.
Children over 8 years old will always have the choice of going in the water or staying on the boat, depending on their abilities and preferences. To be able to stay on board alone, your child must be independent. The captain, busy navigating and guiding people in the water, cannot supervise them under any circumstances. If your child becomes ill or unable to swim independently during the outing, an adult must remain on board with them. No discount will be given.
Zodiac excursions are not suitable for children under 8 years old, and they occupy a full seat on the boat, as required by law. Only the catamaran can accommodate them, but they will be charged an adult fare from the age of 2. We do not offer a child rate because there are no "half-seats" on a boat. Furthermore, one parent must remain on board with the child at all times. Therefore, if you will be traveling with a child between 2 and 8 years old, please book two seats on the "catamaran trip" schedule (without launching). Children under 2 years old travel free on the catamaran, but we strongly advise against their presence on board.
Stay on the boat
Registration is done on the catamaran schedule WITHOUT launching, for a boat suitable for surface observations. Please ensure you book on the same day as the people you are accompanying on the catamaran outing with launching ;-)
You can also reserve a spot on a Zodiac boat with a water entry and choose not to go in the water. A water entry will always be offered. In all cases, please come wearing a swimsuit.
Will I see any cetaceans?
That's the "game" of whale watching trips... sightings are never guaranteed in the wild, just like on a land safari.
We know the areas frequented and the times the animals pass through, but it's not an exact science. The ocean isn't a zoo; these are wild animals that choose whether or not to show themselves. Despite our experience, water access can fail: the animals may not be ready to receive us and may avoid us in the water. In that case, we don't insist. The animals' comfort is our priority and always our top priority.
No discount will be given if the animals are not present.
During the outing, the Duocean guide will provide you with information about the marine environment, cetaceans, the marine reserve, birds...
Time spent with animals
The time spent in the water with the animals varies considerably from one outing to another: from a few seconds to several minutes sometimes. This depends both on the animals' availability at that moment and on the participants' proper application of the cetacean approach guidelines. It's about implementing the instructions given by the instructor during the briefing to maximize the chances that the animals will choose to swim the last few meters.
Furthermore, Réunion legislation sets a maximum time limit in the water depending on the presence of humans. This is to minimize disturbance to whales and dolphins. (See question on legislation)
Nature is unpredictable, and it sometimes happens that no cetaceans are observed during the excursion. They may also only be visible from the boat if they are not available for an aquatic encounter.
The legislation
In order to preserve the tranquility of cetaceans, Reunion Island has implemented a prefectural decree that regulates their approaches: when, how, duration, with whom, what diploma is required to supervise cetacean excursions (appendix 1)...
Duocean is committed to working with authorities for its implementation, with the public to raise awareness, and with Nature to respect animals. Passive observation allows animals to choose whether or not to approach humans. No interaction is initiated by humans; the animals use their time for their own needs.
Medical contraindications
The outings include periods of physical activity: snorkeling, getting back on the boat,...
You must therefore be in good shape, and in particular not have cardiovascular problems, back pain, severe asthma or be pregnant (see our Terms and Conditions for more information).
If you have a physical, psychological, or mental disability, you must contact us before making any reservation. A medical certificate may be required depending on the situation.
There is no "upper" age limit. It all depends on the participant's physical condition.
If a participant has a health problem, it is imperative to report it before booking and to the instructors before the outing.
The instructors reserve the right to refuse boarding or launching to any person who does not comply with these conditions and instructions. No refunds will be given.
Seasickness
The Indian Ocean is rarely perfectly calm. At times, the boat has to stop during approaches, which increases the risk of seasickness. The activity itself causes seasickness in about 2 out of 10 people.
We advise participants prone to seasickness to bring seasickness medication for a pleasant outing (Mercalme, Cocculine, etc.) and to follow our advice to avoid it, such as not overindulging the day before (alcohol and food), not coming on an empty stomach, and actively participating in the search for animals...
Sunscreen
Cetaceans taste the water to learn about their environment, assess their health, and determine their readiness to mate with other members of their species. (...) It's similar to the sense of smell in humans. Therefore, we will do our best to avoid disturbing them with sunscreen particles all around them. The marine environment will also be better off without it ;-)
Sunscreen on your face causes fogging in your mask, which can interfere with observation.
Also note that the duration of effectiveness of these products in Réunion is very short, less than an hour.
To protect you from the sun, Duocean has installed a roof on the Zodiac, and the partner catamaran also has areas shaded from direct sunlight. The wetsuit worn during the outing provides a much more effective barrier against UV rays. Don't hesitate to also bring a hat, a rash guard/long-sleeved T-shirt, and sunglasses.
Sharks
We'll discuss this at the briefing, but only three sharks have been observed on our whale watching trips since we started. They showed absolutely no interest in us... probably because a shark won't approach a group of swimmers as large as itself! These animals are wary and observe for a long time before approaching humans. Accidents usually involve people who go off on their own in poor visibility.
Our procedures put in place to address this risk:
- Moving in a tight group, the main factor in your safety
- The instructor always goes into the water first and then authorizes the group to enter the water
- He watches over the group throughout their time in the water
- he is the last one to get back on the boat
- The captain, also very experienced, keeps watch over the body of water from the boat.
- short entries into the water, which do not give sharks time to take an interest in the group
- calm participants who do not attract sharks from afar by slapping the surface of the water
With each outing, our participants tell us that they feel safe in this new environment.
The video of my outing
If you encounter cetaceans in the water, the guide will film your outing and post it within 48 hours on one of Duocean's social media platforms: Facebook or Instagram . You can save the video to your profile to revisit it whenever you like.
We don't keep the films; it would represent far too much data to store. Therefore, we cannot send you the film or the raw footage personally after your release.
Photo/video equipment
By default, you cannot bring your own photo/video equipment into the water. This is because filming makes participants less focused on the approach instructions and sometimes even turns them into "image hunters" rather than passive and benevolent observers.
We invite you to seize the moment and fully experience these unique encounters with cetaceans. Furthermore, the guide will film any animals you see in the water and post the footage for free on Duocean's social media channels after the excursion (see previous question).
However, the divemaster remains free to accept or refuse to allow you to bring your camera on board.
Those wishing to take photos from the boat will only choose the "catamaran trip" outing without launching, where dry clothes can be taken on board.
Payment methods
The red zodiac belongs to DUOCEAN, tickets must be paid for in full online by credit card.
The catamaran is a partner vessel; payment for the service is made partly online to DUOCEAN and the remainder directly on the day of the trip, either by credit card or cash. Invoices for both services are available from both entities.
DUOCEAN reserves the right to modify prices at any time and without notice in order to adapt them to changes in its operations.
We do not accept holiday vouchers.
Cancellation/Modification
Cancellation/Modification of a Trip by a Client:
To cancel or modify your booking, please contact us as soon as possible during our business hours by email at duocean.reunion@gmail.com or by phone/text at +262 692 44 30 11, specifying the boat, the date and time of the scheduled trip, your first and last name, and your booking number.
A change of date for your booking is possible more than 7 days before the scheduled trip, subject to availability. Cancellation of your booking is possible more than 7 days before the scheduled trip, and the requested refund will be credited to your bank account within a few business days. A cancellation fee of 30% of the amount paid online for the booking applies to each cancellation made more than 7 days before the scheduled trip, starting from the date of your booking confirmation.
No refunds or changes are possible less than 7 days before the scheduled appointment, regardless of the reason for cancellation. Furthermore, the partner fee payable directly to the catamaran remains due from all participants.
DUOCEAN is not responsible for delays, booking or meeting point errors, family issues, or last-minute medical problems, even with a medical certificate. The same applies to delayed flights, car breakdowns, etc. For these matters, please contact your travel insurance provider or your bank card provider. A non-refund statement can be sent to you upon request at duocean.reunion@gmail.com.
By booking, you agree to attend with the number of people corresponding to the number of places you have reserved. For group bookings, we encourage you to make one reservation per person to facilitate any changes or cancellations by a participant.
Cancellation of a trip by DUOCEAN:
We may cancel a trip if there are not enough participants, in the event of adverse sea conditions (wind, swell), boat breakdown, or instructor absence. Payments will then be fully refunded if rescheduling is not possible.
In the event of a direct cancellation by us, participants wishing to rebook can do so on the website www.duocean.com. No priority is given, and we do not maintain a waiting list.
Please provide your phone number and email address when booking, where you can be reached before the trip.
