After reading trip advisor we decided to go with whale watch vava u run by alan bowe, to swim with the whales. View mother whales basking with their newborn calves it is not guaranteed because we are subject to the pattern of migratory whales, additionally this is the beginning of the season in vavau. Humpback whales migrate past tonga during the season from the last week of july thru to the end of october. Pat and keith mckee, expat new zealanders, with their vessel kiwi magic have been operating in the waters of vavau since 1991. Join us for an amazing winter expedition high above the arctic circle where you will swim with pods of orca and feeding humpbacks that follow the massive herring schools into the norwegian fjords. They were the first to be issued a sport fishing and whale watching licence and as such have pioneered sport fishing in vavau. In a more outgoing moment, this whale swam by and read more. Let mv ashlee g and mv kalo take you on the experience of a lifetime, whale watchingswimming in the beautiful waters of the vava u islands, tonga. The season is obviously right for meeting the whales up close, but since i have a bit of a time constraint id like to ask you people if there are any other decent possibilities of whale swimming departing fro tongatapu itself or some other islet nearby. Swimming with whales vavau islands tonga best time to visit. Humpback whales are the most acrobatic whale species, and will often perform spectacular displays of breaching, lobtailing, spyhopping, and finslapping. Vavau is great for swimming with whales, but based on our research it also ended up being much more expensive. Vavau is a group of more than 50 islands in tonga, about 250 km 150 miles north of tongatapu. Whale watch vavau pioneered swimming with the humpback whales obtaining the first license from the tongan government in 1993.
The weather is warm, but youll want to bring a wind jacket to keep you comfortable on the boat. We had just five days on the water and four of them were just too windy and the whales were very shy. Although the whale watching industry grew at a rate of. Whale watch vavau neiafu all you need to know before you. Fiftysix surveys took place during the 2016 and 2017 whale breeding seasons aboard dedicated research and tour vessels. What its like to swim with whales in the south pacific. Our tours are carried out under strict guidelines with fully qualified and certified personnel to ensure minimal impact on these beautiful mammals. In these testing times, our thoughts are with everyone, wherever you might be across the planet. Swimming with humpback whales in tonga vavau archipelago. Over the past couple of seasons, weve used gps to mark our calf encounters, and have demonstrated that humpback whale mother calf pairs make use of all the waters around vavau, including the inner waterways. Vavau airport is international and therefore private aircraft and charter are welcome to avail themselves of the custom and immigration services. Vavau offers protected waters and the main breeding grounds for humpbacks in tonga. Record humpback whale calf numbers in tonga tony wu.
Divingswimming with great white sharks filmed for the first time carcharias the great white 2000 duration. We are glad we did, the day we went out it was a little rough and there werent many whales around, but allen found. Whale watching there are seven operations in vavau licensed by the tongan government and the best is run by sailing safaris 00 676 70650. Weather during the whale season is generally sunny and dry, tempered by the tradewinds. When keith, the ownerskipper, first noticed humpback whales breaching and lazing in vavau waters, he decided to add whale watching to his license. Which company do you recommend for snorkling and swim with whales.
Whales, whales, whales whale swim vavaumv ashlee g and. Water temperature is around 24c 75 f to 26c 79f later in the season. Whale season in vavau is midjuly through to midoctober. Oct 14, 20 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.
The beautiful harbour opposite the main town of neiafu known as the port of refuge harbour is a common destination for yachties sailing the south pacific. This is one of the few places in the world where you can actually get in the water and swim with whales in the wild. The whale watching tours take place in the open water. Pdf vavau, kingdom of tonga, is a wellestablished whalewatching destination in the south pacific. You will find yourself up close and personal with one of the most majestic creatures on the planet, the humpback whale. Swim with the whales in tonga with dolphin pacific diving. Offering pristine beaches, untouched islands and all year round activities like diving, sailing, fishing and whale swimming. They are either raised coral limestone or coral atolls. Here, is where you find vavau island which is a hot spot for humpback whale action. I have since learned that vavau also has the largest number of whale swim operators which isnt necessarily a. They were the first to be issued a sport fishing and whale watching licence and as such have pioneered sport fishing in vava u.
These gentle giants, grace the waters of vavau during the winter months of july to october. Swimming with wild humpback whales in tongas vavau archipelago. The group is comprised of coral atolls, small sandy islets and larger uplifted limestone formations. If a vessel finds itself within a 300m radius of a whale, the vessel must slow to 4 knots until 300m away. Keith has twenty four years experience fishing the waters of vavau and can offer a professional and happy charter to both experienced. Holds current government survey certificate and all necessary licences required to operate in tonga.
Book here for your chance to swim with whales in the wild and maybe look a humpback in the eye. Whale watch vavau neiafu 2020 all you need to know. Vava u is the third most northern group of islands. Sea kayaking activities and tours are also available. We got incredibly lucky and managed to swim with whales and dolphins on the first day, the first mother and calf of the season on the second. Tonga and the dominican republic, i was told, are two of the most well known. From meeting us at the airport, to the tongan beach resort, to our whale and dolphin interactions. The vavau group of islands lie some 160 miles north of the main island of tongatapu. Vavau is the best place in tonga to go whale swimming with the gental giants of the pacific ocean.
The sheltered waters of vavau offer a variety of snorkeling sites. The islands attract not just sailors and kayakers to its shores in the winter sailing season between june and october, but also humpback whales come to the protected waters to give birth to their calves. These gentle giants, grace the waters of vava u during the winter months of july to october. Neiafu is the capital of the vavau island group and is nestled next to the the natural deep water harbour the port of refuge. Vavau is one of the most idyllic destinations in the south pacific for adventurers. When they come up to the warmer south pacific water to breed, it is an amazing experience. Whales, whales, whales whale swim vavaumv ashlee g. 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. The vavau islands lay north of the main island of tonga a 55 minute flight away. Scheduled international services to vavau from fiji happen every wednesday and saturday during the whale season with fiji airways. A vavau holiday home is your home away from home our holiday homes are all situated on the picturesque port of refuge harbour in beautiful vavau.
We found whaleswim adventures online, and werent sure what we were getting into. Whale swim beluga have an experience you will never forget swimming with the worlds largest mammal. The islands whale swim whale watch tonga with vaka vave. Tonga is one of the only places in the world where you can snorkel with whales up close. Vavau, in our opinion, is the best place in the world for inwater encounters with humpback whales. This is the best company for whale watching in tonga. I have since learned that vavau also has the largest number of whale swim. Tonga curtails licensing for whale watching tour operators rnz news. After an awesome week of diving at a multitude of differnet spots around vavau i didnt think much could top it, however on our last day i headed out for a days whale watchingswimming and it surpassed all my expectations, the weather was perfect no wind, crew were very friendly and helpful, they gave ups plenty of snacks and water. Watch for humpback whale spouts, spyhopping and breaching while enjoying an educational briefing from an informed local guide.
Unlike toothed whales, such as dolphins and sperm whales, the baleen whales do not echolocate, instead they make vocal calls between each other including the mighty song of the humpback whale. Thought we should announce our project via this little article from abc australia. We also offer amazing dive spots for those keen scuba divers when visiting vava u tonga. Things do start to slow down in the third week of october so september may still be considered the better month to. We also offer amazing dive spots for those keen scuba divers when visiting vavau tonga. All vessels both private and commercial, underpower or undersail, operating within the vavau group during whale watching season must take care to remain outside a 300m radius of a sighted whale. Swimming with whales vavau islands tonga best time to. Swimming with whales in tonga was one of the best expeirences of my life, but it required some planning.
The early days were a real learning curve as there was nowhere else in the world we could seek advice. Its the travel destination for those looking to get off the beaten trail. Aug 11, 2016 swimming with hump back whales in vavau, tonga. 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 whale watching destination. Swim with orcas and feeding humpbacks in the majestic fjords of norway. Swim with whales in tonga dolphin pacific diving and. Covid19 and how it currently effects whales underwater guests while we face difficult times around the world, our beautiful humpback friends will be travelling north from antarctica to tonga over the coming months. Humpback whale megaptera novaeangliae vavau, tonga tonga is one of the very few places you can actually snorkel within close proximity to whales.
This is not your ordinary whale watching tour off your local coast, this is much more. 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. Apparently there are only a few places in the world where there are tourist services providing a swim with whales experience. Effects of whalebased tourism in vavau, kingdom of tonga ncbi. Keith has twenty four years experience fishing the waters of vava u and can offer a professional and happy charter to both experienced and inexperienced anglers, whether they are ladies, men or juniors. Tourism disturbing whale behaviour in tongas vavau rnz news. Vavau is where whale swimming all began and is still the destination of choice for the majority of travellers to tonga.
The maze of islands create the perfect environment for your whale swim. Below is a list of whale watch tour operators, recommended by travellers. Named a national geographic traveler tour of a lifetime in 2009. Vavau is situated in the northern group of islands in the kingdom of tonga. Both in terms of getting to and for the whale swims themselves. The majority of operators are on the island of vavau which has an international airport and is the centre of whale watch tourism, but a smaller number of operators offer tours from tongatapu, eua and haapai. Vavau islands, tonga, south pacific offer visitors activities such as sailing and sail charters, diving, deep sea fishing and whale watching.
While mandala resort feels far away from the bustle of life and while you may see more stars than you can imagine since theres virtually no light polution, the island is actually only 2530 minutes from the vavau domestic airport, making even early morning transfers quick and easy. A large population of humpback whales gathers around vavau islands in tonga between july and october. The turquoise waters of the south pacific are a breeding ground for humpbacks and one of the few places in the world where you can swim with these magnificent mammals. We had our first purpose designed boat, phoenix, built in new zealand and shipped to the kingdom early that year. Tonga whale season runs between the months of june and october with. 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.
Vavau is the best location to go to see whales between july and october, as this is where they come in closest to shore. 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. 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. Whales in the wild swimming with humpback whales in vavau. There were some real highlights in the trip such as hearing the whales sing, following a pod and snorkelling in the swallows cave but be prepared for rude comments over the two way with a female from base camp such as when we asked for wet suits our size this is all i could. Whales in the wild swimming with humpback whales in vava.
You can either watch from the boat, or jump in the water with a snorkel. These months are the best time for whale watching as well as the unique opportunity to swim with a humpback mother and her calf. Vavau is a group of more than 50 islands in tonga, about 150 miles north of tongatapu. Pdf effects of whalebased tourism in vavau, kingdom of tonga. This photograph taken on august 4, 2008 shows a humpback whale diving near the island of vavau in tonga. The waters of the islands are known for their clarity, it being said that you can see. During times when we are not whale watching, we will have plenty of opportunities to snorkel along the nearby reefs. Every year from july to november the whales complete their migration from the cold feeding waters south of new zealand and australia, to the warmer tropical waters of tonga where they give birth to calves and perform courtship readying themselves for the next season.
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