FAQ'S

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Location of the Tour?

All turtle tours are located on the beach at Avaavaroa Passage on the southern side of Rarotonga.  Moana Sea Scooters is located here on google maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/M7RyhqsoY3MzHEkx7.
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How long is the Tour?

Our sea scooters tours typically lasts 1 to 1.5 hours, depending on the water conditions.
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Operating Hours

We operate from Monday to Friday only from 8am to 4pm for the tours.
In terms of bookings and more information on the tours, you can find us at the Muri Night Market at our stall on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday from 5pm onwards.
However all bookings can be made online via our website, facebook page and Instagram page.  Any questions and queries can be handled there as well should you not make the markets.
 
Getting to the Tour

There is free parking available on our site for your vehicles however if you wish to use public transport, the yellow Cooks Buses operate clockwise and anticlockwise every half hour, they charge $5 per person, one way.  Just mention “Turtle Tour location” to the driver and they will drop you to the Avaavaroa area.
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What time do I need to arrive before the Tour?

We advise that you arrive at least 30mins before the tour so that you can familiarize yourself with the snorkel equipment as well as the sea scooters.
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What do I need to bring?

All you need to bring is a towel, sunscreen and your great attitude 😉
No but seriously, just a towel and sunscreen is all you need.  If you require storage for bags, loose items, we can store these for you.
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What if the weather is not suitable?

As highlighted throughout our website, your safely is of the utmost importance to us.  If the weather conditions are not favorable for the tour, we will simply cancel it either the night before or day of and will offer you two options:

1. Rebook on the next available tour

2. Fully refund your deposit

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At times, the weather, swells, tides, visibility of turtles may not be 100% known the night before the tour date so often, you may need to turn up to your tour on the day so that we can make a call once we have carried out our safety checks in the lagoon at turtle spot. 

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Do I need to be a good swimmer?
Your safety is of the utmost importance to us!  Booking with Moana Sea Scooters gives you a huge advantage if you are not a very good swimmer versus swimming free without sea scooters as it helps you tremendously when navigating in the Avaavaroa passage with the turtles. As long as you are confident in the water and are comfortable, we have very highly trained lifeguards as your tour guides to cater to your needs whether you are an experienced swimmer or beginner.  We are also one of the few operators that have our own safety boat that will be beside you out in the Avaavaroa passage where the turtles are.  Our tour guides are there to gauge your swimming ability and should they feel you are not fit for the tour, they will approach you privately to advise that the tour may not be the best fit for you. We kindly ask that you don’t take offence if any tour guides approach you as safely is paramount for us.
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Is it suitable for Children?
Most definitely, it makes it all the more fun especially for kids.  Often times our children can get carried away on devices at home so we strongly encourage you to bring your kids along to connect with nature and wild life, they will be fascinated with the marine life they will see on tour.
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Do we get pictures with the Turtles?
Yes indeed, included with your tour, our guides also take the time to snap away as you swim with the turtles and electronic copies are given to you immediately after the tour at no additional cost.

Do we have a safety Boat?

Absolutely! We are one of the few operators that have our very own safety boat.  The boat has a dedicated driver who is also a trained tour guide.  His role is to monitor your safety from the boat and the boat can be used as a place to rest if you need a break out on the lagoon.  The boat is also used to transport our guests on tour.
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Payments, Cancellations, Policies
Payment is handled by our booking system as soon as you place a booking online with us.  Please note that when you book with us, there are terms and conditions. 

One of the conditions when booking is that if cancellations are made, you can have free cancellation up to 60 days prior to your tour date.  Any cancellations within the 60 day period will incur 50%  cancellation fee.  For any cancellations  24hours prior to the tour date or a no-show on the tour date incurs a 100%  non-refundable fee.  This is due to the reason that 1. We only take small, intimate groups and every slot is of high demand 2. We bring in life guards according to the tour numbers for the day and must cover their costs regardless of if you cancel or not.

If you become ill/sick leading up to the tour or on the day of the tour, unfortunately we cannot compensate for your illness and would "strongly recommend" that before traveling to Rarotonga, you seek medical insurance that can cover for your costs especially if you cannot attend the tour on the day - this will also be helpful for any other activities or tours aside from ours that you will be charged for. 
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Marine Life Safety
We have a strict “no touch” policy with the sea creatures, especially the turtles.  Though they are the most friendly creatures you will encounter and will often swim towards you, we strongly encourage you to please refrain at all times from touching these precious treasures.