I knew it would be interesting but i had no idea it would be so extraordinary and addicting. Tonga curtails licensing for whale watching tour operators rnz news. Spend seven full days snorkeling with humpback whale mothercalf pairs on their calving grounds in the polynesian country of tonga, and explore coral gardens off the coast of vavau. While various dolphin species can also be observed during whale watching tours, commercial whale watching in tonga focuses almost exclusively on one. When booking your whale watching and or swimming tours to use only licensed whale operators here enlisted. This area offers clear deep blue water, deserted tropical islands and amazing encounters with humpback whales. A study prepared for international fund for animal welfare in 2009 estimated that million people went whale watching globally in 2008. For photographers and videographers we recommend a minimum of 3 days, which is. Record humpback whale calf numbers in tonga tony wu. On the other hand, conditions were more challenging overall than in recent memory, and human behaviour was, lets just say, all too often less than intelligent.
Whale swims tonga with blue water explorer offer guided ethical whale swim expeditions from the port of nukualofa on the island of tongatapu. Swim with the whales in tonga with dolphin pacific diving. Annah has been valuable part of our whaleswim team for most seasons since 2002, and is one of the most experienced whale guides in the world. Let mv ashlee g and mv kalo take you on the experience of a lifetime, whale watchingswimming in the beautiful waters of the vavau islands, tonga. Im extremely excited to offer this unique and awesome adventure during peak humpback whale season in tonga. The whales come from antarctica toward the end of june. The weather is warm, but youll want to bring a wind jacket to keep you comfortable on the boat. Swimming with whales in tonga in 20, crystal clear water, spectacular underwater caves, rich tropical reefs. During these two months, you can expect around eight inches of r. Humpback whales migrate past tonga during the season from the last week of july thru to the end of october. I recommend at least 2 days and spread the days out, if you can, in case you get bad weather or bad swells. She will be your tour leader for the 2020 season in vavau tonga. Humpback whale splashing down while playing at the surface. Our whale boats are staffed by a certified captain and whale guide and meet all the requirements for survey being equipped with all relevant safety equipment.
The waters in front of our resort are on the seasonal migration path of the humpback whales and these magnificent mammals can. All vessels both private and commercial, underpower or undersail, operating within the vavau group during whalewatching season must take care to remain outside a 300m radius of a sighted whale. In this video you can see how mark and our whale swim guide, nolo saved the humpback whale. Whale watching is mostly a recreational activity cf. Due to the encounters being dependent on the whales behaviour, we recommend more than one day on the water. As a tropical country, it experiences just two distinct seasons. Swim with whales in tonga dolphin pacific diving and. Find out when is the whale season in tonga with this guide to the tonga whale season and when to see whales in tonga during which months. Home location diving trips whale swimming padi dive courses campingtrips gallery other links. Concerned for the life of the whale, mark devised a tool to cut the lines off the whales tail.
Fiftysix surveys took place during the 2016 and 2017 whale breeding seasons aboard dedicated research and tour vessels. Whale watching and swimming with humpback whales the tongan beach resort is in the enviable position of being able to offer unique whale watching experiences to our guests. A picnic lunch is offered daily either aboard or on a. Tonga is the only country in the southern hemisphere where you can actually swim with humpback whales. We got incredibly lucky and managed to swim with whales and dolphins on the first day, the first mother and calf of. Sightings cant be guaranteed and the swell can be pretty high. Whale watching in tonga is one of the countrys main attractions. From meeting us at the airport, to the tongan beach resort, to our whale and dolphin interactions. Live aboard charters on a beautiful yacht in tonga.
I could see them here from the islands most days during the season, but in. Effects of whalebased tourism in vavau, kingdom of tonga plos. During that time, i saw more activity than i can ever. South pacific island accommodation, activities and travel. Our tours are carried out under strict guidelines with fully qualified and certified personnel to ensure minimal impact on these beautiful mammals. A large population of humpback whales gathers around vavau islands in tonga between july and october. Tonga is one of the few places in the world where you can still swim with the whales. Welcome to the kingdom of tonga and the best place in the world to swim with humpback whales. Majestic whale encounters is one of the most unique whale swim tour operators in the world. Swim with whales in the wild and maybe look a humpback in the eye.
Explorer is the first ever luxury overnight sailing catamaran registered in the kingdom of tonga, able to explore the entire island group from eua to vavau. Blue water explorer ltd is a tongan based company that specialise in guided swims with humpback whales from july through to october each year. Named a national geographic traveler tour of a lifetime in 2009. We did 3 days of whale swims to ensure we got a good experience. Dr cara miller and her team are working on establishing a longterm dataset for monitoring trends in humpback whale migration through fijian waters. Tonga to limit number of tourists swimming with whales each year. Their soul purpose is to take our guests on a journey to swim with whales in tonga, tahiti or norway for the experience of a lifetime.
Humpback whale breeding grounds new caledonia, tonga, samoa. The 2014 humpback whale season in tonga was for me, in a word, incredible. Tonga whale season runs between the months of june and october with august and september being some of the best months. The vavau islands lay north of the main island of tonga a 55 minute flight away. Tonga is one of the few places in the world where you can swim with humpback whales. Swimming with whales vavau islands tonga best time to visit. Whales, whales, whales whale swim vavaumv ashlee g. Humpback whale season 2017 wrap up tony wu underwater. As undiscovered as tonga remains to most people, whale swimming is drawing a growing number of visitorsfrom a few hundred annually in the early. We also offer amazing dive spots for those keen scuba divers when visiting vavau tonga. I knew i had to do it again and this time you can come with me. We found whaleswim adventures online, and werent sure what we were getting into. Vavau islands, tonga, south pacific offer visitors activities such as sailing and sail charters, diving, deep sea fishing and whale watching. These months are the best time for whale watching as well as the unique opportunity to swim with a humpback mother and her calf.
Sea kayaking activities and tours are also available. However, before you book your flights, its important to know that swimming with the whales is not a yearround experience. If a vessel finds itself within a 300m radius of a whale, the vessel must slow to 4 knots until 300m away. Although they are oceans apart, both the kingdom of tonga in the south pacific and the silver bank off the dominican republic offer intimate encounters with majestic humpback whales. But make sure you book for your flight and accommodation as well as whale watchingswimwithwhales tour well in advance. Whale swim beluga have an experience you will never forget swimming with the worlds largest mammal. Swim with humpback whales or endless water sports through the islands of haapai. We have travelled around the world to mexico, dominican republic, south africa, australia, portugal, french polynesia and the cook islands to try and swim with humpback whales, but consider vavau to be the very best place for the best upclose encounters. We encourage you to book early for the 2019 whale watchswim season. Download scientific diagram humpback whale breeding grounds new. Swimming with whales vavau islands tonga best time to. Majestic whale encounters swim with whales tour and more. Whale watch operators in tonga are aware of the delicate balance which must be maintained between viewing and harrassing the whales so they have developed a code of conduct to help insure this population of humpback whales continues to find a safe and peaceful haven in the kingdom of tonga. Between 6 august and 25 september, i spent a total of 33 days on the water.
Orams centre for tourism research, massey university, albany, private bag 102 904, north shore msc, auckland, new zealand the vava u island group in the northern part of the kingdom of tonga in the south pacific has a growing reputation as a whalewatching destination. Documenting the migration patterns of endangered oceania humpback whales is an important component to understanding the recovery, trend and status of this species within our waters. Swimming with gentle giants tour 2 whales in paradise. Her passion and love for the ocean and all marine life and whales in particular shines. Tourism disturbing whale behaviour in tongas vavau rnz news. Vavau offers protected waters and the main breeding grounds for humpbacks in tonga.
Whale watching in tonga whales are among the largest mammals on earth, and the warm pacific waters of tonga are one of only three places in the world where you can actually swim with these majestic creatures. Swimming with humpback whales is the biggest tourist drive to tonga. Whale information matafonua resort haapai tonga swim with. As most of the whales are mothers with calves, our operators take great care not to intrude too heavily on these wild animals. Whale in tongan, translation, englishtongan dictionary. The main wet season falls between november and may, with the most rain falling in february and march. Tonga has limited the number of whale watching and swimming licences it issues after a record number of applications. With kiwi magic tours, you can get right up close with humpback whales on our small, private guided tours. Some famous operators are already fully booked for the next year season.
Join us for an unrivaled experience in vavau, tonga, one of the worlds most pristine and unspoiled spots for whale swimming. The whale season runs from mid june through to mid october, with the peak season being august and september. Vavau is the best place in tonga to go whale swimming with the gental giants of the pacific ocean. The humpback whales megaptere novaengaliae belong to the baleen whale family, though while at first their size may appear intimidating, their diet consists of the small side of marine life, their teeth are actually plates of keratin, forming filters that. If youre searching for a pacific holiday with a difference, a whale watching adventure in tonga could be just the answer. Whales in fiji, trends in humpback whale migration through. The exotic location of the kingdom of tonga will offer snorkelers and divers the most exhilarating encounters of a life time with these most curious and captivating humpback whales. Tonga is one of only three few places in the world where you can join humpback whales in their waters just be respectful and keep your distance and enjoy the unique pleasure of swimming with a pod of these gentle giants. Vavau, in our opinion, is the best place in the world for inwater encounters with humpback whales. The best time to swim with humpback whales in tonga is any time during whale season otherwise, the whales are simply just not there.
Believe season is from july to october best spot on rarotonga around black rocks so i read on one site they certainly are wonderful to see. Neiafu is the capital of the vavau island group and is nestled next to the the natural deep water harbour the port of refuge. Whale watching is the practice of observing whales and dolphins in their natural habitat. Book here for your chance to swim with whales in the wild and maybe look a humpback in the eye. Swim and dive with the planets most mysterious and magical marine giants in crystal clear water.
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