Adventure of a lifetime
I recently came back from my second trip to Tonga to swim with the magnificent Humpback whales. I went last year, but due to issues with using my new GoPro, I got very few decent videos. So this time, I had everything thoroughly sorted out. And what a trip it was. So, grab your snorkel and let’s dive in!
Background
In most parts of the world you can watch whales from a boat, at a distance of 50 metres, and that’s all. But in teh Kingdom of Tonga, tourists are allowed to jump into the water and swim with them – if the whales come to the swimmers – you are not allowed to chase them, touch them, or annoy them in any way.
The point is, if they are coming over to us because they are curious and want to find out what we are and what we are doing, then we are not disturbing them. If they feel annoyed, disturbed or threatened, then they will simply swim away and we will leave them alone and go look for more friendly ones.
Link to some of my personal videos I took swimming with whales in Tonga: https://youtu.be/LVskSCK_fP0
Control
Whale swimming and whale watching are very tightly controlled in Tonga – as it is everywhere else. The difference being that in Tonga, the government and the people understand that in limited numbers, and with care and consideration for the animals, swimming with whales can be both profitable for the Tongan tourism industry, and safe and happy for the whales.
There are only a very small number of boats allowed to operate whale watching and whale swimming tours.In the capital city of Nuku’Alofa there are only 3 small whale swim boats – 2 of them have a capacity of 5 tourists and the 3rd being significantly larger.
Boats are not permitted to pursue or harass whales.
If a mother whale has a new calf, then they are to be left completely alone.
In addition to government regulations, the crew of the boats are well aware of their responsibilities, and the need to keep the whales happy, so they will stay there and keep coming back.
At any one time, a maximum of 5 swimmers from a boat may be in the water – including the swim guide, who is a member of the crew.
When one or more whales are seen to be moving slowly, perhaps being curious about the boat, the procedure is to stop the boat and wait. If the whales are curious, they will approach the boat slowly and circle it. The swimmers immediately slide into the water as quietly as possible, so as not to frighten them. It’s surprising that, despite their enormous size, they are quite timid and easily frightened.
Swimmers are not permitted to touch the whales, but on occasion one may decide it wants to play tag with the humans.This can be disturbing and best avoided if at all possible (large fins for better speed is useful there).
Time of Year
The whales arrive in Tonga during July, and by August the new batch of babies is starting to be born. By the end of August the babies are already quite large. By mid September, the whales are no longer interested in humans, and there are large numbers of calves in the area, and so swimming with them is difficult. By the end of September the males are already heading back to Antarctica, with the mothers and babies close behind.
So the optimal time to go is mid to late August.
Booking the Tour
Last year I went with Tonga Whale Watch Adventures.We had issues with the boat captain, so this year I went through Tanoa International Dateline Hotel, with the tour company being “Deluxe Life” – an Australian-based tour organiser. Email: tanoaexpeditions@deluxelife.com.au
You can also just contact the Tanoa Dateline hotel directly via their website and they will organise the contact via the tour operator.
Latest year I stayed in a small B&B in the suburbs, surrounded by pigs, chickens and dogs – no shops, no restaurants, no pubs – and no breakfast (making it a “B” rather than a “B&B”).
This year I stayed in the Tanoa Dateline Hotel..It is the only really decent hotel in all of Tonga and it is where any visiting dignitaries stay. During my stay there the hotel accommodated the 53rd Pacific Island Leaders Forum, which included the leaders of all the Pacific Island nations, with the prime minister of Australia also being in attendance for some reason. This was then followed by a convention of police chiefs of the Pacific islands, and then a traditional basket weaving convention and contest.
About Tonga
Tonga has no industry other than a small amount of tourism, focussed primarily around whale watching and swimming with whales. All infrastructure is provided as a gift by the Australian and New Zealand governments. The majority of westerners you see there are government contractors, such as engineers, medical staff, teachers. The governments of China and Japan are also notable for their contributions and interest in the strategic position of the island chain.
Health
Unlike Bali, Thailand, Nepal, etc. the tap water is 100% safe to drink because the water supply infrastructure has been supplied, installed and maintained by the Australian and NZ governments to meet their exacting world-class standards
All the food is also perfectly safe to eat.
Getting there and back
Travelling to Tonga is a bit of a problem, due to the very limited numbers of flights. Basically you have to go from Sydney, Auckland, or Fiji. Each airline – Qantas, Air NZ and Air Fiji only have a maximum of 1 flight per day each. And the flights change every year according to demand.So, it’s best to wait until about March to book your flights, so that you know for sure what the flight options will be.
This year, my co-swimmers flew from Sydney on the overnight flight, arriving at 2:00am. Not wanting to do that, I got the Qantas flight from Sydney the day before, which left Sydney at 9:00Am and arrived in Tonga at 4:00pm local time (which is 3 hours ahead of Sydney). A driver from the hotel was there to pick me up. I found that a much more civilised flight to catch.
Coming back to Australia was more difficult, as there was no Qantas flight on that day, so we all caught the Air Fiji plane, which stopped at Nadi for an hour and a half, then on to Sydney. That’s a much longer trip than going there.
Equipment and Clothes
You don’t have to take any equipment, as wetsuits, fins and snorkels are all available at no cost. I chose to take my own full-length 4mm wetsuit, big fins, face mask and snorkel.My full-length wetsuit was just right. Even though it is a tropical location, when you are sitting on the boat, soaking wet, travelling at 20 knots, the chill factor is significant and those with short legged wetsuits were chilled, and wrapped towels around themselves to keep warm.
Bring a hat with a chin strap/tie. Without a chin strap you will lose it (as I did and ended up with a severely sunburnt head.
Bring sunscreen spf50+.! Very important!
For clothes, mostly you will need shorts and t-shirts. But jeans and a light jacket may be needed for the evenings.
Procedures
A substantial buffet breakfast at the hotel starts at 6:30. You will need to be there then because you will need to get to the tour office in the hotel by 7:45 to get kitted up and sign the waiver (in case a whale eats you).
The tour bus then takes the group to the boat just up the road and then you head out for the day.
The boat returns at 3:00pm. This is a constraint placed by the government.
Lunch is provided. Generally the boat will stop at one of the beautiful little islands for lunch.
With the tour I went on this year, dinner was also paid for at the hotel.
Shopping
2 streets down the road from the hotel (west) and then turn left, you will find the big market hall. The ground floor is mostly fruits and vegetables, but if you can find the ramp going upstairs you will find a huge array of local crafts, shell carvings and pearls. Lots of pearls! I got a set of white pearls and a set of black pearls for my lady.
Bars
Tonga is totally unlike Bali or Thailand. It is a very quiet place that is not oriented towards tourists. However, 15 minutes walk up the road (East) you will come across ac couple of interesting bars. The first one you pass, on the left, is “Nauti …” (I forget the second word – (I think it was something like Nauti Ruby’s). That is a bit lower class, but perfectly save and convivial.
The next one, 2 minutes further along, on the right, is the Billfish. Everyone on the island knows it. They have live music, DJ and karaoke. It is very popular with the locals, ex-pats and tourists.
Other things to do
If you get the opportunity to have a day trip around the island, take it. It is nice to have a break from swimming every day, and it is interesting.
Some of the interesting things are:
- Swimming in the limestone caves. You will need to bring some money for the entry fee, but it is well worth it. It is stunningly beautiful and mysterious.
- The Ha’amonga ‘a maui (see photo). No one really knows its purpose, but it has been suggested it was designed as a marker for the Summer and WInter solstice.
- The blow holes. More of a blow “coast”, as it blows all the way along the coast.
- Captain Cook’s landing place (1770 AD)
- Captain Abel Tasman’s landing place (1645 AD)
- Wednesday night traditional feast and music.
Money
It is best to bring cash with you and change it at the airport. The money changer is right in front of you as you exit the airport (on the left). I took AUD$500 and used most of that, and also paid for a couple of things by debit card. There are also a lot of ATM’s around town, including ANZ bank. Australian, New Zealand and US currency is NOT accepted anywhere.
Remember to inform your bank you are going there, otherwise you may find your credit or debit card doesn’t work.
Safety
The Kingdom of Tonga is exceptionally safe. You can quite happily walk back to the hotel late at night without any fear of being mugged.
Visa
This is a bit of a mystery. Last year I just went there and entered with my Australian passport without any issues. This year, I was told at Sydney Airport that I would need to get a visa, and that I could pay for it when I got there. But, when I arrived, passing through immigration, the lady simply stamped my passport and said “welcome”. So I can’t say if you will need a visa or not. But if you do, you can pay for it when you get there – so it just isn’t something you will need to worry about, if you are Australian or New Zealander. For any other countries, you will need to check.
A video
Here is a link to one of my videos I took on this year’s swim. You will find a couple of others on that channel:
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