The most complicated part of snorkeling with humpbacks in tonga might be just getting there. These months are the best time for whale watching as well as the unique opportunity to swim with a humpback mother and her calf. Liveaboard sailing yacht charter, swim with the whales, island explore. How to swim with whales in tonga be my travel muse. The tongan beach resort is in the enviable position of being able to offer unique whale watching experiences to our guests. 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. Tonga swimming with humpback whales in tonga 20 youtube. The whales arrive in tonga after a journey of over 6,000 kms. Oct 20, 20 swimming with whales in tonga in 20, crystal clear water, spectacular underwater caves, rich tropical reefs. 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. 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. Snorkeling with humpback whales in tonga scuba diver life.
You can take a tour from the island on our traditional 37ft outrigger tofuaa moana. Swim with whales in tonga plan your next bucket list. This oceanswimsafari takes place within the humpback whale breeding season in tonga, which is junejuly through november. Teams of researchers observed a male humpback whale singing an unknown type of song and approaching a fin whale at rarotonga in 2014. Tonga does have tropical cyclones occurring as late as may but more likely during november to march. The whales start to arrive in tonga in june after a journey of over 6,000 kms. Every year, as the cooler winter months come to the south pacific, the waters of the island nation of tonga play host to hundreds of humpback whales. 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. Interaction with gray, fin, 40 and right whales have been observed. 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 dive tonga is an experienced and professional team that offers guests the safest, most amazing and educational whale swim experience possible working with the whales best interests at heart.
Complete guide to the humpback whales of tonga don silcock. Diving tonga with humpback whales underwater photography. The waters of the island nation of tonga play host to hundreds of some of the largest creatures on the planet. 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. And when i say its lifealtering, i am not exaggerating. More than 10,000 north pacific humpback whales migrate from southeastern alaska to the warm waters of hawaii each year to mate, give birth and nurture their calves. The season coincides with the migration of the humpback whales july and september from the arctic to the warmer waters to breed and give birth.
The humpback whales of tonga every year, as the cooler winter months come to the south pacific. Staff committed to providing the best possible experience with whales. The humpback whales love the haapai islands, as there are numerous natural protection areas and reefs that provide an excellent nursery to raise the calves. 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. However, please understand that we cannot guarantee the cooperation of whales.
We are very conveniently located in nukualofa, tongatapu the capital of the kingdom of tonga. The best time to swim with humpback whales in tonga is any time during whale season otherwise, the whales are simply just not there. Humpback whales appear in mixed groups with other species, such as the blue, fin, minke, gray and sperm whales. By comparison, niue has a relatively small number of whale sightings each season. I am heading out the door again, making my way south for my 16th. 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.
My final summary post about encounters with humpback whales in vavau, tonga during the 20 season, with humpback whale calves, heat runs, injuries from orcas and other information. Swimming with whales vavau islands tonga best time to visit. 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. 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. Choose from our 4 exciting whaleswim adventures destinations. Humpback whales migrate up from antarctica through to tonga to mate and give birth. Mother and child, a tender moment license image energetic, playful humpback whale calf license. They also offer humpback swims in tonga at a reduced rate to the other most successful swim site.
With its long season and numerous whales of different types and very. We are very conveniently located in nukualofa, tonga tapu the capital of the more info. Taken from the polynesian design, this outrigger has been built on the eueiki island by the owner, mark belvedere, and fitted with an etech engine. A large population of humpback whales gathers around vavau islands in tonga between july and october. The most complicated part of snorkeling with humpbacks in. This population of humpbacks is guaranteed to come annually and stay for months on end. Treasure island eueiki ecoresort is located in the center of the island group where the humpback whales come each year during the months of july, august, september and october. Diving tonga with humpback whales underwater photography guide. Dive with humpback whales in tonga dive discovery tonga. The humpback whales of tonga each year, southern hemisphere humpback whales leave their feeding grounds in antarctica and swim to the tropical waters of tonga to mate and give birth.
This showcases the best things to do on this small island nation. Snorkeling with humpback whales in tonga is such a singular experience that i began running guided trips there every year, to show other ocean lovers just how amazing these animals are. Without any major predators around, the calfs have a chance to grow before making the long swim back to antarctica. Its also the dry season with less precipitation, less wind, and usually a calmer sea. Sep 25, 2018 swimming with humpback whales is the biggest tourist drive to tonga. Swimming with humpback whales in tonga tripadvisor. The islands form a natural nursery for migrating humpback whales between july and november, allowing them to raise their calves in peace. Oct 14, 2019 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. Water temperature is around 24c 75 f to 26c 79f later in the season. It was late october, approaching the very end of tongas whale watching season. We are very conveniently located in nukualofa, tonga tapu the capital of the more info taufatahi charters. Spend 5 days snorkeling alongside humpback whale mothercalf pairs in vavau, tonga.
Swim with humpback whales in tonga whale swim pros. June through october whales in the wild have been taking people out to find, watch and swim the. The waters in front of our resort are on the seasonal migration path of the humpback whales and these magnificent mammals can often be. Named a national geographic traveler tour of a lifetime in 2009. Sy wildlife is a fast sailing catamaran, perfectly sized and appointed for exploring the myriad reefs and uninhabited islands of tonga. Nukualofa whale swims whale dive tonga ltd spearfishing. The humpback whale one of the largest creatures on the planet. Blue water explorer ltd is a tongan based company that specialise in guided swims with humpback whales from july through to october each year. Welcome to the kingdom of tonga and the best place in the world to swim with humpback whales. September is said to be the best month, but from mid july to october is humpback whale season in 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 young from june to november. However, before you book your flights, its important to know that swimming with the whales is not a yearround experience. Swimming with whales vavau islands tonga best time to. This is a limited offer trip with only 8 spaces available in the best part of the whale season when the young calves are most playful. Photographing the humpback whales of tonga has been on my personal bucket list for a number of years and finally in 2015 i got to spend nearly three weeks in neiafu, the main town in the vavua island group in the north of the archipelago, where the majority of the whale watching takes place. Nov 05, 2016 snorkeling with humpback whales in tonga is such a singular experience that i began running guided trips there every year, to show other ocean lovers just how amazing these animals are. The whales leave the open ocean to give birth to their calves and breed in the warm and protected tranquil waters of vavau. The best time to swim with the humpback whales in tonga. Humpback whales experiences in tonga we have years of experience in dive travel. The tongan beach resort whale watching the tongan beach resort. Swim with whales in tonga plan your next bucket list adventure. Tonga is perhaps best known for the lifealtering opportunities it provides to swim with humpback whales within its archipelago. Journey out for the day into the pristine waters of tonga. 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.
The waters of the island nation of tonga play host to hundreds of megaptera novaeangliae. After a long journey north from the icy krillladen depths of antarctica, southern humpback whales take shelter in the tropical reefprotected waters of tonga to. Just another day on tour having amazing encounters in tonga with. Tongas average annual daily temperature is a comfortable 24c. Tonga whale season runs between the months of june and october with august and september being some of the best months. December to april is the rainy season, with the highest rainfall in february and march. I took my first trip to tonga in 2017 to connect with these magnificent giants of the ocean, and it was without question, the most magical water encounters. The arrival of the whales from july to october completes a remarkable cycle, as the new calves return to where they were conceived 11 months earlier. The arrival of the whales from july to october completes a remarkable cycle, as the new calves return over 8000 miles to where they were conceived 11 months. Whale dive tonga, tonga whale swims, swim with whales.
Swimming with whales in tonga is such a unique experience due to the fact that the humpback whales that come here are from a specific population. 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. Whale dive tonga is a boutique whale swim charter company that specialises in guided swim packages with humpback whales from july through to october each year. During the whale season, the water temperature is around 25c and a short spring suit or thermal rash vest usually suffice.
Larry is hosting 3 tour this september where you can swim with these gentle giants. Improve your fish id skills and participate in coral restoration efforts. Join us for the experience of a lifetime, swimming and snorkelling with humpback whales in the warm waters of the kingdom of tonga. The whales usually start to show up in late july to early august and stay until midoctober. Im extremely excited to offer this unique and awesome adventure during peak humpback whale season in tonga. Take the opportunity to swim with whales as well as many other marine species in and around coral reefs. The arrival of the whales from june to november completes a remarkable cycle, as the new calves return to where they were first conceived 11 months earlier. Join dive ninjas october 1424, 2020 for a very special expedition to swim with the humpback whales of vavau, tonga.
Spend 5 days exploring the 190km of shallow coral reefs in beqa lagoon, fiji, and support local conservation efforts. Expeditions include 3 professional crew, all meals and accommodation onboard. Swimming with humpback whales is the biggest tourist drive to tonga. Swim with whales and whale watching toureueiki island is ideally situated in the center of this whale nursery. Signup this week and you with get a free 30x40 larry beard art piece. Swimming with humpback whales in tonga was a truly humbling experience that very nearly didnt happen for us. The complete guide to the humpback whales of tonga has all the information you need to plan that once in a lifetime trip to this really special place. They like the shallow protected waters between the islands to nurse and the deeper water for mating.
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