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. Effects of whalebased tourism in vavau, kingdom of tonga plos. The tongan beach resort is in the enviable position of being able to offer unique whale watching experiences to our guests. The whales visit tonga during a specific season between july and october and we run several group departures during this period. Tonga to limit number of tourists swimming with whales each year. 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. We did 3 days of whale swims to ensure we got a good experience. There are a small variety of vegetables grown on the island mostly root vegetables such as taro, tapioca, yams and sweet potatoes.
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. Fiftysix surveys took place during the 2016 and 2017 whale breeding seasons aboard dedicated research and tour vessels. By comparison, niue has a relatively small number of whale. Tonga is one of the few places in the world where you can still swim with the 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. Swimming with whales vavau islands tonga best time to visit. Our marine staff has been out on the water in recent days and were pleasantly surprised with the early bird 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. 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. 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. 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. The water can be cold and at times it rains, so a wetsuit is essential and a. Sea kayaking activities and tours are also available.
Dr cara miller and her team are working on establishing a longterm dataset for monitoring trends in humpback whale migration through fijian waters. Our tours are carried out under strict guidelines with fully qualified and certified personnel to ensure minimal impact on these beautiful mammals. The 2014 humpback whale season in tonga was for me, in a word, incredible. Swimming with humpback whales in tonga scenic route sam. One of the largest and longest animal movements in the world. We encourage you to book early for the 2019 whale watchswim season. Whale dive tonga is excited to offer a limited discount for the month of july, 2019. 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. Humpback whale calf fanima having fun swimming upsidedown. Our days on this palmfringed island follow the rhythm of the whales and the weather. Our calf id count is proceeding at a record pace this season.
South pacific island accommodation, activities and travel. 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. Record humpback whale calf numbers in tonga tony wu. Concerned for the life of the whale, mark devised a tool to cut the lines off the whales tail. Vavau islands, tonga, south pacific offer visitors activities such as sailing and sail charters, diving, deep sea fishing and whale watching. It is a very exclusive way to visit tonga and experience swimming with the whales. Humpback whale splashing down while playing at the surface. Named a national geographic traveler tour of a lifetime in 2009. 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. In our humpback encounter trip in the beautiful tonga, you will have the chance to swim with this beautiful underwater creature.
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. I could see them here from the islands most days during the season, but in. Live aboard charters on a beautiful yacht in tonga. Every year they migrate through the warm tongan waters to mate and give birth. Tonga whale season runs between the months of june and october with august and september being some of the best months. The waters of the island nation of tonga play host to hundreds of some of the largest creatures on the planet. 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. Majestic whale encounters swim with whales tour and more. Tonga remains one of the only places in the world you can swim with whales, and i had booked my ticket after waiting excitedly for a year. 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.
Oct 20, 20 swimming with whales in tonga in 20, crystal clear water, spectacular underwater caves, rich tropical reefs. 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. Swimming with humpback whales is the biggest tourist drive to tonga. With plenty of whales and few operators we are spoiled with the experience we can offer. Due to the encounters being dependent on the whales behaviour, we recommend more than one day on the water. Taufatahi charters is a local ecotourism business offering a chance to swim with humpback whales in the tongatapu waters. We will help you reserve your place with whale watching, lunch is also included. 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. Tonga has limited the number of whale watching and swimming licences it issues after a record number of applications. Whales in fiji, trends in humpback whale migration through.
Celebrations have soured in tonga after the national. Celebrations have soured in tonga after the national government cuts back the number of companies allowed to operate whale watching tours. Choose from our 4 exciting whaleswim adventures destinations. The best places to swim with whale sharks lonely planet. I recommend at least 2 days and spread the days out, if you can, in case you get bad weather or bad swells. 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.
This showcases the best things to do on this small island nation. Sightings cant be guaranteed and the swell can be pretty high. If youre searching for a pacific holiday with a difference, a whale watching adventure in tonga could be just the answer. In tonga you can expect seasonal fruits during the whale season such as watermelon, pineapple, bananas, papaya and sometimes apples. 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. 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. Incredible season 2011 was my tenth humpback whale season in tonga, my ninth consecutive one. 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. Swimming with whales vavau islands tonga best time to. The best time to swim with humpback whales in tonga is any time during whale season otherwise, the whales are simply just not there. 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. Whales, whales, whales whale swim vavaumv ashlee g and. 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. We are very conveniently located in nukualofa, tonga tapu the capital of the kingdom of tonga.
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 tourism in the kingdom of tonga economists. We are very conveniently located in nukualofa, tongatapu the capital of. Whale dive tonga, tonga whale swims, swim with whales whale. Whale in tongan, translation, englishtongan dictionary.
When booking your whale watching and or swimming tours to use only licensed whale operators here enlisted. The waters in front of our resort are on the seasonal migration path of the humpback whales and these magnificent mammals can. Welcome to the kingdom of tonga and the best place in the world to swim with humpback whales. Whale watching is mostly a recreational activity cf. Oct 01, 2014 the 2014 humpback whale season in tonga was for me, in a word, incredible. The whale watching tours take place in the open water. Whale discoveries swim with whales in the kingdom of tonga.
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. Water temperature is around 24c 75 f to 26c 79f later in the season. Snorkeling with humpback whales in tonga scuba diver life. Tonga is one of the few places in the world where it is possible to have the unique experience of swimming with humpback whales. From meeting us at the airport, to the tongan beach resort, to our whale and dolphin interactions.
While various dolphin species can also be observed during whale watching tours, commercial whale watching in tonga focuses almost exclusively on one. How to swim with whales in tonga be my travel muse. Keywords tourism, whale watching, economic impacts, tonga, vavau. However, before you book your flights, its important to know that swimming with the whales is not a yearround experience.
These months are the best time for whale watching as well as the unique opportunity to swim with a humpback mother and her calf. Whale dive tonga, tonga whale swims, swim with whales. It is very likely to swim with the whales through these months. Whale swimming is only available in the haapai island group. The whales have started to arrive and the 2019 whale season looks very promising.
There was an unseasonably cold wind blowing in from what felt like every direction. Tongas average annual daily temperature is a comfortable 24c. Vavau has most of the operators, but haapai is probably a safer bet. 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. 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. Come to tonga and swim with these beautiful majestic mammals. 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.
Im extremely excited to offer this unique and awesome adventure during peak humpback whale season in tonga. Tonga swimming with humpback whales in tonga 20 youtube. Watching a 40ton humpback whale dancing and twirling in front of you, or simply. 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. 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. 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. Whale watching is the practice of observing whales and dolphins in their natural habitat.
As undiscovered as tonga remains to most people, whale swimming is drawing a growing number of visitorsfrom a few hundred annually in the early. The whale season runs from mid june through to mid october, with the peak season being august and september. Swim with whales in tonga plan your next bucket list. Watching whales come up to breach in our warm waters is a special kind of sight of see. Every july to october, the whales arrive in our warm waters after completing their migration from antarctica to give birth to their calves. 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. Take the opportunity to swim with whales as well as many other marine species in and around coral reefs. Vavau, in our opinion, is the best place in the world for inwater encounters with humpback whales. Neiafu is the capital of the vavau island group and is nestled next to the the natural deep water harbour the port of refuge. But make sure you book for your flight and accommodation as well as whale watchingswimwithwhales tour well in advance.
These whales come to the vavau island group each year from july to october. Hes handpicked a fabulous team of skippers and guides to help bring you the best whale encounters possible. Between 6 august and 25 september, i spent a total of 33 days on the water. 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.
Special interest groups of any passion especially catered for. Nov, 2007 tonga is one of the few places in the world where you can swim with humpback whales. For photographers and videographers we recommend a minimum of 3 days, which is why we offer package rates for multiple trips. Swim with humpback whales or endless water sports through the islands of haapai.
Swim with whales in the wild and maybe look a humpback in the eye. We got incredibly lucky and managed to swim with whales and dolphins on the first day, the first mother and calf of the season. 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 curtails licensing for whale watching tour operators rnz news. Whale information matafonua resort haapai tonga swim with whales. We chose to visit in september because it was calf season. 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. A study prepared for international fund for animal welfare in 2009 estimated that million people went whale watching globally in 2008. Darren jew has been hosting whale swimming tours since 2001 and his experience as a photohost in tonga is unequaled. The whales leave the open ocean to give birth to their calves in the warm and protected tranquil waters of vavau. Some famous operators are already fully booked for the next year season. The whales are in tonga throughout july to the end of october. 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 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.
Swim and dive with the planets most mysterious and magical marine giants in crystal clear water. As most of the whales are mothers with calves, our operators take great care not to intrude too heavily on these wild animals. 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. 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. 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. The weather is warm, but youll want to bring a wind jacket to keep you comfortable on the boat. We found whaleswim adventures online, and werent sure what we were getting into. Oct 09, 2011 with that, we spent a wonderful hour or so cavorting with fanima, mother and escort. Does anyone know best time to swim with the whales. Majestic whale encounters is one of the most unique whale swim tour operators in the world.
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. Being on the ocean 247 has definite advantages for the whale enthusiast some nights you can hear the whale song through your pillow. A large population of humpback whales gathers around vavau islands in tonga between july and october. If whale watching is a bucketlist essential for you, there are whalewatch and whaleswim operators in all of tongas island groups. Journey out for the day into the pristine waters of tonga. Keywords tourism, whalewatching, economic impacts, tonga, vavau. During that time, i saw more activity than i can ever. During the whale season, the water temperature is around 25c and a short spring suit or thermal rash vest usually suffice.
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