Very recently I visited Tonga with Karen, Colin, Susie, Tom, Al, Kim and Kash . It was my second visit but the first time swimming with Humpback Whales off Nuku’alofa, the capital of Tonga.
This time the trip was booked through Tonga Whale Swim Adventures – a supporter of the Bold and Beautiful.
I had some fabulous memories of my previous trip of the island of Vava’u back in 2016 – a heat run swimming past me very close, watching exuberant baby whale displays of breaching and tail slapping, clear blue water, the island life. When I go somewhere I try not have any expections, because then you can’t be disappointed, right? But I did have hopes of whale interactions? Of course! Anything else would be a plus.
Our digs were the Waterfront Lodge, situated right across the road from where we would meet our boat, crew and lovely guide Jess evvery morning (except Sunday). We were out on the water for 7 hours each day so while we didn’t have much time to spend on land after, the Lodge was comfortable with lots of quiet spots to relax, including a shady deck off each room.
Catering wise the trip included breakfast and dinner at the Waterfront as well as lunch, snacks and plenty of water on the boat. Thankfully the dining room has an espresso machine and some fine baristas, essential for fuelling up before getting on the boat.
Dinners there are very good with fresh locat fish daily, including local dish Ota Ika, a delicious Tongan raw fish salad which is somewhat similar to ceviche (the major difference is the addition of coconut milk) If you fancy dessert, both Colin and I think the cassava cake is fantastic.
For lunch we usually anchored at an island in the middle of the ocean and were able to relax and snorkel in the shallows. Being provided with coconuts fresh off the tree was a special treat, thanks to the skills of the boat crew.
Were you wondering about the whales? For us and the group that came the week after, Tonga delivered in spades. Having an experienced boat captain makes all the difference in many ways. They and the crew were very experienced in spotting whatles and evaluating their behaviour. There were other whale boats but we never got close to each other.
Interactions with this curious baby whale was an absolute highlight of my life! It would dive down to Mum who was resting around 15 metres below us and then come back up to play some more.
This lovely shot from fellow traveler Al, all the way from the Coromandel Peninsula, NZ
And these next 2 by fellow Bold and Beautiful swimmer and freediver Philippa Gow aka @philippa.thalassofile on insta, who was inTonga the week after us.
They are next level fabulous, don’t you agree?
Was this whale waving goodbye on our last day and telling us it was time to go home?
What’s the best time to go? I think later in the season is better than earlier because the baby whales are bigger and the mothers are starting to give them a bit more freedom to play.
One thing though – it’s best to go with no expectations, and that’s because we can’t control the weather, and the interactions are entirely dependent on what the whales feel like doing on the day. I know many of us have also swum with whale sharks and while they are stunningly beautiful they are big fish and don’t interact with us at all. I think we have better interactions with the Gropers and Cuttlefish in Cabbage Tree Bay. But when a baby whale takes an interest in you, you really know it. The good thing about booking through an experienced operator like this one is that if the weather is bad they will organise other activities for you, with transport to and from provided as well as lunch and snacks.
We had amazing experiences but I think the group that came the week after us topped ours. For one, they had a heat run swimming around them. There was something else too but you’ll have to ask them.
It was so worth it. Like the title says, do yourself a favour
This time in Tonga I decided to add to the experience by going to a Wesleyan church service. It was in conducted in Tongan so please don’t ask me what it was about, but I was there for the singing.Charles Wesley was a principal leader of the Methodist movement and a prolific hymn writer and listening to his hymns sung in the gorgeous, lush islander harmonies was a real treat. Here’s an example: