Tonga: Swimming with Whales in Vava'u

Early one morning, in the torrential rain, we headed out whale watching. The whale watching boat was like a really big dinghy, completely open to the pouring rain.  We huddled in the corner with our friends Tim and Cathy from the boat Helena May, in our wetsuits and wet weather jackets.  

With 2 huge 130HP outboard motors, we sped around the Vava’u Islands looking for whales.   It was lovely to have a tour of some of the more remote islands, but it would have been even better if we weren’t shivering and turning blue.

The day flew by, speeding around the islands with heavy rain pelting our faces like lots of little bullets while we munched on bikkies provided by the skipper.  By 2pm, we still hadn’t found a whale.  Feeling a little disappointed, and a little hypothermic, we began heading back towards home. 

Just before we headed into the harbour, we finally spotted a humpback whale.  With arms and legs in all directions, we put on our masks and flippers and threw ourselves over the side, following the instructions of the whale swimming professionals.  The sea felt surprisingly warm and we kicked as fast as we could to keep up with the instructor.  Suddenly, I turned my head to the side and there was a huge humpback whale only a few metres from us. 

We had been told not to move and just float while looking at the whale.  Completely relaxed, he rolled over and played on the waters surface then came even closer, seemingly curious and wanting to investigate us.  After ten minutes or so, he swam underneath us and disappeared into the deep blue.

The whale surfaced another four or five times giving us more opportunities to swim, taking turns with the other people on the tour.   Each time we swum with the whale, he got more curious and confident.  Gary was in the water with him, when he decided to get a good look, heading directly for Gary, within an arms distance, and then missing hitting Tim in the face with his tail by what seemed like centimetres.

With everyone in the boat now completely blue and ready for a warm shower, we headed home.  

(Note:  Video to load above - may take some time, but worth it!)