11 Best Snorkelling Tours in the Cook Islands

Ariki Turtle Tours & Sea Scooters offers thrilling snorkelling experiences in Rarotonga using their signature "Le Feet" lightweight sea scooters. In fact, they are one of the longest-established snorkelling tour operators in Raro.

Based at the stunning Avaavaroa Passage, their flagship "Premium Sea Scooter Turtle Adventure" is a two-hour tour with a guaranteed turtle interaction, using lightweight 'Le Feet' sea scooters that make gliding through the passage feel almost effortless (and fun).

In our experience, they were great for easier access to the eagle rays but turtles don't like to hang around the "buzz" for long.

Confident swimmers can opt for the "Onu Free Swim Adventure", while the "Premium Sea Scooter Ocean Adventures" tour takes you over the RMS Maitai shipwreck, now absorbed into the reef just below the surf zone.

Large groups are split into smaller groups, typically with one to three guides per four guests, and all tours include premium snorkel gear, a safety boat/guides, and tour photography. There's even an on-site café with WiFi if you want to arrive early and settle in.

Kia Orana Cruise offers an intimate and adventurous exploration of the stunning Aitutaki Lagoon. Operating since 2004, this family-run cruise takes groups of four to ten people on a spacious boat to snorkel spots larger vessels can't reach.

Led by Andrew, A.K.A "Captain Fantastic," or his son "Captain Useless", the tour adapts to guests' comfort levels, offering shallower areas for those less confident in deep waters. You'll visit shipwrecks, coral bommies with giant clams and trevally, and iconic spots like One Foot Island and Honeymoon Island.

The adventure includes planting coconuts on Maina sandbank. Operating even on Sundays, it's a must-do for snorkelling enthusiasts (though it may be cancelled if winds exceed 40 knots). Compare with other options in the 10 Best Snorkelling Tours in Aitutaki.

Location: Tours depart from Arutanga Harbour, Aitutaki. Find out how to get to Aitutaki (and around) in our Aitutaki Transport Guide.

See the Aitutaki Lagoon in a whole different light on a private snorkelling tour with Kutekute Tours & Transfers. Departing in the late afternoon, their “Sunset Lagoon Cruise” takes you to a mix of exciting snorkelling spots with giant trevally, giant clams and/or the Purple Wall.

They are also the only snorkelling tour on Aitutaki that offers a twilight snorkel. The tour also includes a stunningly presented beach picnic platter on the uninhabited Moturakau as you watch the sunset before returning to the mainland after dark.

Location: Tours depart from Ootu Beach, Aitutaki with transfers included. Find out how to get to Aitutaki (and around) in our Aitutaki Transport Guide.

Silent One Lagoon Charters is a family-run operation offering private snorkelling charters across the lagoon, available seven days a week in two formats: a three-hour "Half Day Snorkelling Charter" or a five-hour "Full Day Snorkelling Charter."

Both charters are fully customisable, letting you choose whether to focus on snorkelling, island visits or exploring one or both sides of the lagoon, with all snorkelling gear, towels and refreshments included.

What makes this particularly reassuring is that the guide enters the water first to confirm conditions are safe before guests follow, a small touch that goes a long way.

The full day option covers the entire lagoon (the half day can feel a little rushed) and includes a freshly cooked barbecue lunch featuring parrot fish caught on the day, right in front of you, alongside ikamata (raw fish marinated in coconut cream), potato salad, coleslaw and sandwiches.

KiteSUP offers shore-based snorkelling tours (no boats) for all abilities, running Sunday through Friday. Tours run approximately two hours in total, with 30–45 mins of actual swim time, and small groups of around four people mean you get plenty of attention from the two guides per group.

Beginners, families and kids will enjoy the "Intro Snorkel" at Sash Lagoon, where you can spot giant trevally, moray eels and giant clams. Confident swimmers can explore the 100-year-old wreck of the SS Matai on the "Shipwreck Snorkel", now teeming with coral and fish.

For advanced swimmers, the "Adventure Turtle Snorkel" takes you to Papua Passage to swim with turtles in their natural habitat, one of the least crowded snorkelling spots on the island. Transport is provided by van, or you can make your own way there.

Push the boat a little further, so to speak, with a freediving or night snorkelling tour with Go Local Cook Islands!

Forget the clunky scuba gear. Their three-hour "Over the Reef Freediving Tour" takes you out by boat, over the reef and into the open ocean with just a snorkel, mask and fins, plus experienced guides and paddleboards on hand for extra safety.

All freediving gear is included, along with raw and edited underwater photography so you won't miss a moment, and local refreshments to round things out nicely.

Go Local also runs a "Night Snorkelling" tour, where everyone is equipped with a torch and given a safety brief before heading out. Common spots include the A and local passages, with ability and confidence assessed beforehand. They also offer turtle tours and whale swimming experiences.

Teking Lagoon Cruises is a boutique, small-group option in Aitutaki where snorkelling is at the heart of their "Small Group Snorkelling Tour".

With a maximum of 24 passengers on their largest boat, the experience is intentionally more intimate and lagoon-focused than a typical cruise-style tour, reaching spots that larger boats simply can't get to.

Their snorkelling sites are uniquely theirs, with a strong focus on ecology and conservation so you genuinely get more out of the experience.

The day covers a huge portion of the lagoon, including a visit to four motu (islands), a famous fish feeding spot and a fresh barbecue lunch on a private island.

You'll also stop at Maina Island, Honeymoon Island and the iconic One Foot Island and its sandbank. Families are welcome, with child and infant rates available. Private charters are also on offer.

See more cruises with snorkelling listed in the 10 Best Lagoon Cruises on Aitutaki.

Location: Tours depart from Ootu Beach, Aitutaki with transfers included. Find out how to get to Aitutaki (and around) in our Aitutaki Transport Guide.

Adventure Cook Islands offers an exhilarating "Reef to See Snorkel Tour" that takes you beyond Rarotonga's fringing reef.

This 2 hrs 30 mins adventure allows six to seven snorkellers to explore two sites on the outer reef, where you'll encounter larger marine life like eagle rays, turtles and friendly reef sharks. With minimal boat time, you'll have plenty of opportunity to explore underwater.

But that's not all! Adventure Cook Islands also provides a full range of rental gear. From snorkel sets and wetsuits to weights, kayaks and bodyboards, they've got you covered. Rental prices vary based on duration, with discounts for longer hires. If you're staying a while, multi-day hires often include free delivery to your accommodation (subject to a pricing threshold).

Location: Main Road (Ara Tapu), Aroa Beach, Arorangi, south-west side of Rarotonga.

Perhaps more renowned on Aitutaki for their fishing charters, Black Pearl Charters also offer fantastic private charters for snorkelling in the Aitutaki Lagoon. Their half-day snorkelling tour hits three exciting snorkelling locations, as well as stops by the islands of One Foot Island and Honeymoon Island.

Enjoy morning tea as part of the experience, along with guided snorkelling, where you'll be shown the various fish and corals that can be seen. All in all, Black Pearl Charters offers one of the best personal snorkelling experiences on the lagoon.

Location: Tours depart from Ootu Beach, Aitutaki, with transfers included. Find out how to get to Aitutaki (and around) in our Aitutaki Transport Guide.

Join the cheeky crew from Captain Tama’s Lagoon Cruizes for a fun day out on the Muri Lagoon and Motu Koromiri. The half-day cruise includes around 45 minutes of snorkelling at the Tikioki Marine Reserve where you’ll be free to swim among the giant clams, angelfish, butterflyfish, surgeonfish and much more.

After snorkelling, the cruise on the glass-bottom boat crosses the Muri Lagoon to the uninhabited Motu Koromiri for a barbecue lunch combined with a hilarious coconut and sarong-tying show. Learn more about the 10 Best Day Cruises in Rarotonga & the Cook Islands.

Location: Tours depart daily from Muri Beach, Main Road (Ara Tapu), Muri, Rarotonga. Just look for the yellow boats! Find out how to get to Rarotonga (and around) in our Rarotonga Transport Guide.

The rest of the Cook Islands' lagoons, where the snorkelling is incredible, are located in the Northern Group, all of which are more than 1,000 km (600 mi) away from Rarotonga. While these Northern Group islands don't have any "formal" snorkelling tours like the ones mentioned above, any accommodation host on the islands will be able to organise a boat trip to the unspoiled snorkelling spots, particularly in Pukapuka, Manihiki, Rakahanga and Penrhyn.

Check out the 10 Best Things to Do in the Northern Cook Islands for more things to do and, you never know, you could be convinced to hit the best snorkelling spots in the Cook Islands that, incidentally, hardly anyone goes to. Note that snorkelling tours in the Northern Group don't provide gear, so you'll need to bring your own mask and fins.

Location: The Northern Group. Check out our Northern Cook Islands Transport Guide for ways to get there.