A large population of humpback whales gathers around vavau islands in tonga between july and october. The tongan beach resort is in the enviable position of being able to offer unique whale watching experiences to our guests. The 2014 humpback whale season in tonga was for me, in a word, incredible. Most dive shops and whale tours will not provide personal equipment, which means youll need to bring your own wetsuit, flippers, mask and snorkel, and weight belt. Effects of whalebased tourism in vavau, kingdom of tonga plos. But make sure you book for your flight and accommodation as well as whale watchingswimwithwhales tour well in advance. Keywords tourism, whale watching, economic impacts, tonga, vavau. Swim and dive with the planets most mysterious and magical marine giants in crystal clear water.
Watching a 40ton humpback whale dancing and twirling in front of you, or simply floating next to one while it stares at you is incredible. Humpback whales migrate from their feeding grounds in antarctica to the kingdom of tonga, where they stay from july through september to court, mate and calve in tongas relatively warm, tropical waters. Whale watching is the practice of observing whales and dolphins in their natural habitat. Snorkeling with humpback whales in tonga scuba diver life. Oct 20, 20 swimming with whales in tonga in 20, crystal clear water, spectacular underwater caves, rich tropical reefs. Choose from our 4 exciting whaleswim adventures destinations. It is very likely to swim with the whales through these months. If whale watching is a bucketlist essential for you, there are whalewatch and whaleswim operators in all of tongas island groups. Incredible season 2011 was my tenth humpback whale season in tonga, my ninth consecutive one. Record humpback whale calf numbers in tonga tony wu. Journey out for the day into the pristine waters of tonga.
The waters in front of our resort are on the seasonal migration path of the humpback whales and these magnificent mammals can often be seen with their. Tonga to limit number of tourists swimming with whales each year. Celebrations have soured in tonga after the national government cuts back the number of companies allowed to operate whale watching tours. From meeting us at the airport, to the tongan beach resort, to our whale and dolphin interactions. 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. Whale watching tourism in the kingdom of tonga economists. Watching a 40ton humpback whale dancing and twirling in front of you, or simply. Tonga is one of the few places in the world where it is possible to have the unique experience of swimming with humpback whales. Tongas average annual daily temperature is a comfortable 24c. Every year they migrate through the warm tongan waters to mate and give birth.
Tonga has limited the number of whale watching and swimming licences it issues after a record number of applications. They also offer humpback swims in tonga at a reduced rate to the other most successful swim site. The vavau islands lay north of the main island of tonga a 55 minute flight away. 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. South pacific island accommodation, activities and travel. The waters in front of our resort are on the seasonal migration path of the humpback whales and these magnificent mammals can.
We did 3 days of whale swims to ensure we got a good experience. I could see them here from the islands most days during the season, but in. My wife and i will be going to samoa and tonga next summer and we want to maximize our chances of swimming with the whales on tonga. However, before you book your flights, its important to know that swimming with the whales is not a yearround experience. The water can be cold and at times it rains, so a wetsuit is essential and a. The whales leave the open ocean to give birth to their calves in the warm and protected tranquil waters of vavau. The tongan tribe the humpback whales of tonga and why they migrate each year from their summer feeding grounds in the antarctic to to their winter breeding grounds around this pacific island nation. The whales have started to arrive and the 2019 whale season looks very promising. Tonga swimming with humpback whales in tonga 20 youtube. There was an unseasonably cold wind blowing in from what felt like every direction. Tonga paradise in the pacific majestic whale encounters. Live aboard charters on a beautiful yacht in tonga.
For photographers and videographers we recommend a minimum of 3 days, which is why we offer package rates for multiple trips. By comparison, niue has a relatively small number of whale. Tonga whale season runs between the months of june and october with august and september being some of the best months. Tonga is one of the few places in the world where you can still swim with the whales. The whale watching tours take place in the open water.
Our marine staff has been out on the water in recent days and were pleasantly surprised with the early bird whales. The complete guide to the humpback whales of tonga will help you plan that once in a lifetime trip to see the southern hemisphere humpback whales in this idyllic location every year, as the cooler winter months come to the south pacific. 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. 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. Dr cara miller and her team are working on establishing a longterm dataset for monitoring trends in humpback whale migration through fijian waters. Water temperature is around 24c 75 f to 26c 79f later in the season. Whale dive tonga, tonga whale swims, swim with whales. Our days on this palmfringed island follow the rhythm of the whales and the weather. Being on the ocean 247 has definite advantages for the whale enthusiast some nights you can hear the whale song through your pillow. Im extremely excited to offer this unique and awesome adventure during peak humpback whale season in tonga. Majestic whale encounters swim with whales tour and more. Due to the encounters being dependent on the whales behaviour, we recommend more than one day on the water. Tonga holiday villa is able to organise your reservation with one of tongas certified diving company at no extra cost when you stay with us. Whale information matafonua resort haapai tonga swim with whales.
Between 6 august and 25 september, i spent a total of 33 days on the water. This showcases the best things to do on this small island nation. Sightings cant be guaranteed and the swell can be pretty high. While various dolphin species can also be observed during whale watching tours, commercial whale watching in tonga focuses almost exclusively on one. As someone who spends roughly 300 days a year in or on the water, snorkeling with humpback whales in tonga is and always will be the best ocean experience of my life. During that time, i saw more activity than i can ever. Hes handpicked a fabulous team of skippers and guides to help bring you the best whale encounters possible.
Whale dive tonga is excited to offer a limited discount for the month of july, 2019. Whales, whales, whales whale swim vavaumv ashlee g and. I recommend at least 2 days and spread the days out, if you can, in case you get bad weather or bad swells. With plenty of whales and few operators we are spoiled with the experience we can offer.
Swim with whales in tonga plan your next bucket list. Our tours are carried out under strict guidelines with fully qualified and certified personnel to ensure minimal impact on these beautiful mammals. Dec 14, 2016 as undiscovered as tonga remains to most people, whale swimming is drawing a growing number of visitorsfrom a few hundred annually in the early 1990s to more than 3,000 a year in the past decade. Our calf id count is proceeding at a record pace this season. This doesnt mean we can guarantee swimming, the decision to swim is always left up to the whale, but we believe with our patient approach we are often rewarded with amazing encounters like the one in the video above. We are very conveniently located in nukualofa, tonga tapu the capital of the kingdom of tonga. The whale season runs from mid june through to mid october, with the peak season being august and september. 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. Widely recognised as the the best place in the world to swim with humpback whales, tonga has a consistently high number of sightings and a long season. In tonga you can expect seasonal fruits during the whale season such as watermelon, pineapple, bananas, papaya and sometimes apples. Named a national geographic traveler tour of a lifetime in 2009. If youre searching for a pacific holiday with a difference, a whale watching adventure in tonga could be just the answer.
Vavau has most of the operators, but haapai is probably a safer bet. When booking your whale watching and or swimming tours to use only licensed whale operators here enlisted. Majestic whale encounters is one of the most unique whale swim tour operators in the world. Tonga curtails licensing for whale watching tour operators rnz news. But i was in tonga, one of the few places in the world where your whale watching experience includes swimming right up alongside the whales. Whale swimming is only available in the haapai island group. We got incredibly lucky and managed to swim with whales and dolphins on the first day, the first mother and calf of the season.
Swimming with whales vavau islands tonga best time to. June through october whales in the wild have been taking people out to find, watch and swim the the humpback whales for 10 years now. We are very conveniently located in nukualofa, tongatapu the capital of. As undiscovered as tonga remains to most people, whale swimming is drawing a growing number of visitorsfrom a few hundred annually in the early. Vavau is the best place in tonga for the most inwater encounters with humpback whales as the majority off the tongan humpback population, mate and give birth on this latitude.
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. Concerned for the life of the whale, mark devised a tool to cut the lines off the whales tail. Oct 01, 2014 the 2014 humpback whale season in tonga was for me, in a word, incredible. Tongan tour operators lose whale swimming licences after. The waters of the island nation of tonga play host to hundreds of some of the largest creatures on the planet. Swimming with humpback whales in tonga scenic route sam. Neiafu is the capital of the vavau island group and is nestled next to the the natural deep water harbour the port of refuge. Every july to october, the whales arrive in our warm waters after completing their migration from antarctica to give birth to their calves. In this video you can see how mark and our whale swim guide, nolo saved the humpback whale. Humpback whale splashing down while playing at the surface. Download scientific diagram humpback whale breeding grounds new. Swim with humpback whales or endless water sports through the islands of haapai. Sea kayaking activities and tours are also available. 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.
It is a very exclusive way to visit tonga and experience swimming with the whales. Celebrations have soured in tonga after the national. Welcome to the kingdom of tonga and the best place in the world to swim with humpback whales. Blue water explorer ltd is a tongan based company that specialise in guided swims with humpback whales from july through to october each year. Vavau islands, tonga, south pacific offer visitors activities such as sailing and sail charters, diving, deep sea fishing and whale watching. The waters in front of our resort are on the seasonal migration path of the humpback whales and these magnificent mammals can often be seen with their young from june to november.
How to swim with whales in tonga be my travel muse. Swimming with humpback whales is the biggest tourist drive to tonga. 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. 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. Swimming with whales vavau islands tonga best time to visit. In our humpback encounter trip in the beautiful tonga, you will have the chance to swim with this beautiful underwater creature. Does anyone know best time to swim with the whales. Whale dive tonga blue water explorer posts facebook. Keywords tourism, whalewatching, economic impacts, tonga, vavau. Whale watching is mostly a recreational activity cf.
We will help you reserve your place with whale watching, lunch is also included. One of the largest and longest animal movements in the world. Watching whales come up to breach in our warm waters is a special kind of sight of see. Swim with whales in the wild and maybe look a humpback in the eye. Prices include all food and nonalcoholic drinks, all activities on board and ashore, use of our kayaksup and up to four scuba dives 7day voyage during whale season if conditions allow. There are a small variety of vegetables grown on the island mostly root vegetables such as taro, tapioca, yams and sweet potatoes. During the whale season, the water temperature is around 25c and a short spring suit or thermal rash vest usually suffice. Whales in fiji, trends in humpback whale migration through. 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 separate water from food when feeding. Using data gathered from interviews with operators, along with the data provided by the tongan visitors bureau, there were an estimated 9,804 participants on whale watch tours in the 2006 season across the country, approximately 740 or 8% of which were tours undertaken outside of the main whale watching region of vavau. 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. These months are the best time for whale watching as well as the unique opportunity to swim with a humpback mother and her calf.
Nov, 2007 tonga is one of the few places in the world where you can swim with humpback whales. Fiftysix surveys took place during the 2016 and 2017 whale breeding seasons aboard dedicated research and tour vessels. The best places to swim with whale sharks lonely planet. Humpback whale breeding grounds new caledonia, tonga, samoa.
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. 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. Nov 05, 2016 as someone who spends roughly 300 days a year in or on the water, snorkeling with humpback whales in tonga is and always will be the best ocean experience of my life. We encourage you to book early for the 2019 whale watchswim season.
Darren jew has been hosting whale swimming tours since 2001 and his experience as a photohost in tonga is unequaled. The whales visit tonga during a specific season between july and october and we run several group departures during this period. Whale dive tonga, tonga whale swims, swim with whales whale. The tour includes 3 whale swimming safaris, a local island tour, and time to relax and snorkel on some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Taufatahi charters is a local ecotourism business offering a chance to swim with humpback whales in the tongatapu waters. What its like to swim with humpback whales in vavau, tonga i was sitting on the back of the boat in all black wearing a full steamer wetsuit, fins, snorkel and mask. We chose to visit in september because it was calf season. 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. Vavau, in our opinion, is the best place in the world for inwater encounters with humpback whales. Kiwi magic is a licensed whale swim operator in vavau, kingdom of tonga, one of the only places in the world where you can swim with humpback whales.
Whale discoveries swim with whales in the kingdom of tonga. Tonga should allow to harvest ten whale per year at the same time will not affect whale watch industries which benefit 99% of foreigner only. Special interest groups of any passion especially catered for. Because tonga is one of the main breeding grounds of the south pacific humpback whales, we see an extensive range of behaviors that are focused around accomplishing one of two goals. Take the opportunity to swim with whales as well as many other marine species in and around coral reefs. As you can see from the graph below which i excerpted from my 2010 humpback whale calf count summary file, were on track to surpass the 2009 count of 31 mother calf pairs. Whale watching snorkeling kayaking a flight from tongatapu, tongas capital, brings us to an island set in the outer archipelago of tonga that sees few visitors. Humpback whale calf fanima having fun swimming upsidedown. A study prepared for international fund for animal welfare in 2009 estimated that million people went whale watching globally in 2008.
The weather is warm, but youll want to bring a wind jacket to keep you comfortable on the boat. These whales come to the vavau island group each year from july to october. 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. The whales are in tonga throughout july to the end of october.
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