The sheltered waters of vavau offer a variety of snorkeling sites. Pat and keith mckee, expat new zealanders, with their vessel kiwi magic have been operating in the waters of vavau since 1991. Whale swim beluga have an experience you will never forget swimming with the worlds largest mammal. 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. Below is a list of whale watch tour operators, recommended by travellers. Fiftysix surveys took place during the 2016 and 2017 whale breeding seasons aboard dedicated research and tour vessels. Its the travel destination for those looking to get off the beaten trail. Humpback whales migrate past tonga during the season from the last week of july thru to the end of october. Sea kayaking activities and tours are also available.
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. 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 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. Home location diving trips whale swimming padi dive courses campingtrips gallery other links. Keith has twenty four years experience fishing the waters of vavau and can offer a professional and happy charter to both experienced. You can either watch from the boat, or jump in the water with a snorkel. The whale watching tours take place in the open water. Neiafu is the capital of the vavau island group and is nestled next to the the natural deep water harbour the port of refuge. We are glad we did, the day we went out it was a little rough and there werent many whales around, but allen found. Swim with the whales in tonga with dolphin pacific diving. 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. Swim with whales in tonga dolphin pacific diving and.
We found whaleswim adventures online, and werent sure what we were getting into. 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. Each home has its own dock for swimming and pick up for diving, fishing, whale swimming or just taking time out to relax in comfort and peace. Whale watch vavau neiafu 2020 all you need to know. The waters of the islands are known for their clarity, it being said that you can see. Although the whale watching industry grew at a rate of.
Whales, whales, whales whale swim vavaumv ashlee g and. Whale watch vavau neiafu all you need to know before you. We also offer amazing dive spots for those keen scuba divers when visiting vavau tonga. When keith, the ownerskipper, first noticed humpback whales breaching and lazing in vavau waters, he decided to add whale watching to his license.
The weather is warm, but youll want to bring a wind jacket to keep you comfortable on the boat. Weather during the whale season is generally sunny and dry, tempered by the tradewinds. 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. 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. 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. The group is comprised of coral atolls, small sandy islets and larger uplifted limestone formations. Whale watching there are seven operations in vavau licensed by the tongan government and the best is run by sailing safaris 00 676 70650. We also offer amazing dive spots for those keen scuba divers when visiting vava u tonga. They were the first to be issued a sport fishing and whale watching licence and as such have pioneered sport fishing in vava u. Pdf vavau, kingdom of tonga, is a wellestablished whalewatching destination in the south pacific.
After reading trip advisor we decided to go with whale watch vava u run by alan bowe, to swim with the whales. We had just five days on the water and four of them were just too windy and the whales were very shy. Vavau, in our opinion, is the best place in the world for inwater encounters with humpback whales. You will find yourself up close and personal with one of the most majestic creatures on the planet, the humpback whale.
Divingswimming with great white sharks filmed for the first time carcharias the great white 2000 duration. 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. Vava u is the third most northern group of islands. Vavau is one of the most idyllic destinations in the south pacific for adventurers. 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. The islands whale swim whale watch tonga with vaka vave. Vavau is the best location to go to see whales between july and october, as this is where they come in closest to shore. This photograph taken on august 4, 2008 shows a humpback whale diving near the island of vavau in tonga.
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. Humpback whales are the most acrobatic whale species, and will often perform spectacular displays of breaching, lobtailing, spyhopping, and finslapping. Swim with orcas and feeding humpbacks in the majestic fjords of norway. Water temperature is around 24c 75 f to 26c 79f later in the season. 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. 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. These gentle giants, grace the waters of vava u during the winter months of july to october. Vavau is a group of more than 50 islands in tonga, about 150 miles north of tongatapu.
Book here for your chance to swim with whales in the wild and maybe look a humpback in the eye. Tonga is one of the only places in the world where you can snorkel with whales up close. 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. If a vessel finds itself within a 300m radius of a whale, the vessel must slow to 4 knots until 300m away. This is the best company for whale watching in tonga. Sightings cant be guaranteed and the swell can be pretty high. Aug 11, 2016 swimming with hump back whales in vavau, tonga. Vavau is great for swimming with whales, but based on our research it also ended up being much more expensive. Vavau game fishing charters kiwi magic is a 34 foot sport fishing and whale watching vessel with all safety equipment, large cockpit with shade cover for protection from sun and rain, toilet. Things do start to slow down in the third week of october so september may still be considered the better month to. Our tours are carried out under strict guidelines with fully qualified and certified personnel to ensure minimal impact on these beautiful mammals. Swimming with whales vavau islands tonga best time to visit.
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. Vavau airport is international and therefore private aircraft and charter are welcome to avail themselves of the custom and immigration services. The maze of islands create the perfect environment for your whale swim. Whale season in vavau is midjuly through to midoctober. When they come up to the warmer south pacific water to breed, it is an amazing experience. Tonga whale season runs between the months of june and october with. 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. 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. Vavau offers protected waters and the main breeding grounds for humpbacks in tonga. Apparently there are only a few places in the world where there are tourist services providing a swim with whales experience. Holds current government survey certificate and all necessary licences required to operate in tonga. Named a national geographic traveler tour of a lifetime in 2009.
Whale watch vavau pioneered swimming with the humpback whales obtaining the first license from the tongan government in 1993. 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. 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. Both in terms of getting to and for the whale swims themselves. Which company do you recommend for snorkling and swim with whales. Here, is where you find vavau island which is a hot spot for humpback whale action. 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. 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. During times when we are not whale watching, we will have plenty of opportunities to snorkel along the nearby reefs. Activities in vava u, vava u islands, tonga, south pacific offer visitors activities such as sailing and sail charters, diving, deep sea fishing and whale watching. Whales, whales, whales whale swim vavaumv ashlee g. 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 vavau. Vavau islands, tonga, south pacific offer visitors activities such as sailing and sail charters, diving, deep sea fishing and whale watching.
A large population of humpback whales gathers around vavau islands in tonga between july and october. 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. Vavau is the best place in tonga to go whale swimming with the gental giants of the pacific ocean. Swimming with humpback whales in tonga vavau archipelago.
Tourism disturbing whale behaviour in tongas vavau rnz news. Thought we should announce our project via this little article from abc australia. Whales in the wild swimming with humpback whales in vavau. The vavau islands lay north of the main island of tonga a 55 minute flight away. What its like to swim with whales in the south pacific. We had our first purpose designed boat, phoenix, built in new zealand and shipped to the kingdom early that year. Vavau is situated in the northern group of islands in the kingdom of tonga. Tonga curtails licensing for whale watching tour operators rnz news. These months are the best time for whale watching as well as the unique opportunity to swim with a humpback mother and her calf. October whale watching vavau islands forum tripadvisor. Swimming with whales vavau islands tonga best time to. Scheduled international services to vavau from fiji happen every wednesday and saturday during the whale season with fiji airways. Offering pristine beaches, untouched islands and all year round activities like diving, sailing, fishing and whale swimming.
I have since learned that vavau also has the largest number of whale swim. Humpback whale megaptera novaeangliae vavau, tonga tonga is one of the very few places you can actually snorkel within close proximity to whales. Swimming with whales in tonga was one of the best expeirences of my life, but it required some planning. Effects of whalebased tourism in vavau, kingdom of tonga ncbi. In a more outgoing moment, this whale swam by and read more. Pdf effects of whalebased tourism in vavau, kingdom of tonga. Record humpback whale calf numbers in tonga tony wu. The vavau group of islands lie some 160 miles north of the main island of tongatapu. 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. A humpback whale diving near the island of vavau in tonga. Vavau is where whale swimming all began and is still the destination of choice for the majority of travellers to tonga. Watch for humpback whale spouts, spyhopping and breaching while enjoying an educational briefing from an informed local guide. From meeting us at the airport, to the tongan beach resort, to our whale and dolphin interactions. This is not your ordinary whale watching tour off your local coast, this is much more.
The early days were a real learning curve as there was nowhere else in the world we could seek advice. They are either raised coral limestone or coral atolls. In these testing times, our thoughts are with everyone, wherever you might be across the planet. Vavau is a group of more than 50 islands in tonga, about 250 km 150 miles north of tongatapu. 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 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. 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.
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