Effects of whalebased tourism in vavau, kingdom of tonga plos. Home location diving trips whale swimming padi dive courses campingtrips gallery other links. 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. 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. Whale swimming at vavau tonga, all the whale swim companies pick you up by boat from your resort.
The waters of the islands are known for their clarity, it being said that you can see. Swimming with wild humpback whales in tongas vavau. 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. Humpback whales migrate past tonga during the season from the last week of july thru to the end of october. Each year our islands are visited by magnificent humpback whales that arrive in july to give birth and wean their young. The whale watching tours take place in the open water. Vavau offers a range of accommodation, but if you want to do it style and get the full experience. Whale swimming at vava u tonga, all the whale swim companies pick you up by boat from your resort. When keith, the ownerskipper, first noticed humpback whales breaching and lazing in vavau waters, he decided to add whale watching to his license. This is not your ordinary whale watching tour off your local coast, this is much more. The weather is warm, but youll want to bring a wind jacket to keep you comfortable on the boat. We have found it to be a very safe place to live having been in tonga for more than 20 years. An azure tropical labyrinth of 61 different islands dotted with coral gardens, deserted beaches and shimmering clear lagoons, the northern vavau group presents a bucket list of must do tongan activities. With only 6 guests per a group, we provide small, intimate close up encounters with humpback whales.
My annual count of humpback whale mother calf pairs in the vavau area reached 12 this week, with three new babies added to the list. About dolphin pacific diving and whale watching we are experts in whale watching and getting our guests swimming with whales, for a once in a lifetime experience. Swim with whales in tonga dolphin pacific diving and. If a vessel finds itself within a 300m radius of a whale, the vessel must slow to 4 knots until 300m away. Welcome to the adventure hub of the kingdom of tonga. In a more outgoing moment, this whale swam by and read more. We had just five days on the water and four of them were just too windy and the whales were very shy. Tonga was a last minute addition to my pacific trip. Named a national geographic traveler tour of a lifetime in 2009. Whales, whales, whales whale swim vavaumv ashlee g and. Geologically they are similar to niue, with very little reef and very deep. Swimming with wild humpback whales in tongas vavau archipelago. 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. They will always go the extra nautical mile for you to gain the greatest views from the boats and in the water.
Whale season in vavau is midjuly through to midoctober. Tonga, the beautiful and undiscovered country in the south pacific. 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. Due to the encounters being dependent on the whales behaviour, we recommend more than one day on the water. While theres plenty of sun, sand and surf to tempt the. Last week we introduced you to the island of vavau in tongas north.
Effects of whalebased tourism in vavau, kingdom of tonga ncbi. Holds current government survey certificate and all necessary licences required to operate in tonga. Hundreds of whales stop at haapai each year between july and october and as haapai is further south geographically many whales wishing to travel to vavau have to pass through haapai first anyway. Here, is where you find vavau island which is a hot spot for humpback whale action. Join them on their whale swim tour for a day swimming with whales with lunch, refreshments and a certified whale guide and skipper on their sturdy boat, gladiator. We are a usa based travel agency that works with local companies in vavau,tonga to provide the best experiences for our clients. We had our first purpose designed boat, phoenix, built in new zealand and shipped to the kingdom early that year. Water temperature is around 24c 75 f to 26c 79f later in the season. Swimming with humpback whales in vavau, tonga kiwi magic chart. Tonga and the dominican republic, i was told, are two of the most well known. Our tours are carried out under strict guidelines with fully qualified and certified personnel to ensure minimal impact on these beautiful mammals. Your support will go a long way in helping tour operators worldwide get back on their feet down the road.
Humpback whale megaptera novaeangliae vavau, tonga tonga is one of the very few places you can actually snorkel within close proximity to whales. How to play blue whale suicide game download link youtube. Whale swim beluga have an experience you will never forget swimming with the worlds largest mammal. Lastly, if you went to vava u, did you use a direct flight from tongatapu or did you access vava u from fiji. Swim with whales in the wild and maybe look a humpback in the eye. Please note that swimming with whales is illegal in the united states as stated in federal law, including hawaii. Pat and keith mckee, expat new zealanders, with their vessel kiwi magic have been operating in the waters of vavau since 1991. 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. Taking visitors on a wealth of adventures in vavau, part of the beluga diving offering is swimming with humpback whales. 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. Divingswimming with great white sharks filmed for the first time carcharias the great white 2000 duration. Vavau is a group of more than 50 islands in tonga, about 250 km 150 miles north of tongatapu. The heavily forested main island, actually a coral atoll, rises in to more than 150 metres.
Swimming with humpback whales in tonga, one of the least visited countries in the world, was one of the most impressive experiences, mostly because you can get up and close with these majestic animals in the complete wildness of the ocean. Fiftysix surveys took place during the 2016 and 2017 whale breeding seasons aboard dedicated research and tour vessels. Times are tough for the travel community right now. For photographers and videographers we recommend a minimum of 3 days, which is why we offer package rates for multiple trips.
The protected waters close to the sea cliffs and islands provide an ideal environment for the birth of each years. Great crew, amazing swims, and awesome memories to take home it is a one in a million experience and tongan expeditions has proven once again to make sure that it is an incredible experience for everyone on board. Whats the difference between whale watching in haapai and vavau. The humpbacks of vavau offer many and varied opportunities to swim with whales.
Sightings cant be guaranteed and the swell can be pretty high. Keith, skipper, of kiwi magic first became aware of the amazing humpback whales when taking his first sport fishing charters back in the early 90s. Can anyone recommend a reliable outfit there that provides this service. Whales, whales, whales whale swim vavaumv ashlee g. Is this too late to expect to seeswim with the humpbacks. Whaleswim adventures have been operating ecotours to swim with the humpback whales in vavau since 1999 and we offer a variety of 3. This photograph taken on august 4, 2008 shows a humpback whale diving near the island of vavau in tonga. They are either raised coral limestone or coral atolls. 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. Check out our price list and then secure your spot on one of our boats for a truly unforgettable experience in vavau tonga with dolphin pacific diving. Swimming with humpback whales in vavau, tonga kiwi. I might still go to vavau but would really prefer a daytrip for the whale encounters. We have gone with a total of 4 different whale swim companies in roughly 4 weeks total time in tonga, and dolphin pacific has always been the best. 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.
Vava u is the third most northern group of islands in the kingdom of tonga, and hosts 42 limestone islands filled with marine life, snorkel sites, white sandy beaches and is home to the south. We carry out whale swim ecotours in the pristine waters around vavau where the majestic humpback whales come every year to mate and calf. The whales whale swim whale watch tonga with vaka vave. The early days were a real learning curve as there was nowhere else in the world we could seek advice. Widely regarded as the kingdoms number one tourist hotspot. They are believed to have come from as far west as new guinea and indonesia. When i was in fiji i was having an incredibly amazing time and decided that i would rather stay for an extra 3 weeks in the area before heading back. I might still go to vava u but would really prefer a daytrip for the whale encounters. Tonga is the only country in the southern hemisphere where you can actually swim with humpback whales. Vavau is the third most northern group of islands in the kingdom of tonga, and hosts 42 limestone islands filled with marine life, snorkel sites, white sandy beaches and is home to the south. Kiwi magic is a licensed whale swim operator in vavau, kingdom of tonga, one of the only places in the world where you can swim with humpback whales.
Whale watch vavau pioneered swimming with the humpback whales obtaining the first license from the tongan government in 1993. Whale watch vavau pioneered swimming with the humpback whales obtaining the first licence from the tongan government in 1993. The warm waters surrounding vavau make ideal calving and mating grounds for the magnificent humpback whale. Vavau is a group of more than 50 islands in tonga, about 150 miles north of tongatapu.
Sea kayaking activities and tours are also available. Can anyone tell us anything about ferry services eg. Swimming with whales vavau islands tonga best time to visit. Whales in the wild swimming with humpback whales in vava. Whales in the wild swimming with humpback whales in vavau. The whales the islands whale swimming contact general whales can be encountered in many ways. Lastly, if you went to vavau, did you use a direct flight from tongatapu or did you access vavau from fiji. Vavau, in our opinion, is the best place in the world for inwater encounters with humpback whales. The island resorts are situated in the outer islands away from the main islands of vavau. If you just wanted to take a day off from fishing, kiwi magic has been associated with the whale watch industry in vavau, kingdom of tonga since 1991. Below is a list of whale watch tour operators, recommended by travellers.
With 22 years of working in these waters, understanding whales and finding great dive sites, we know what it takes to offer you a truly unforgettable day. The guide and skipper were very experienced, knowledgable and friendly and we had 3 amazing swims with a humpback mum, calf and escort. The first humans in vavau islandhopped from nearby islands around 2,000 years ago. Vavau is where whale swimming all began and is still the destination of choice for the majority of travellers to tonga. For photographers and videographers we recommend a minimum of 3 days, which is. 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. As noted earlier, we are in the northern end of tonga, specifically the vavau group of islands. Encounters with humpback whales in tonga 2012 part 2. We are planning a trip to tonga in july and would like to go to vavau. Pacific ocean, vavau, tonga, tonga whale swimming at. Vavau is the best place in tonga to go whale swimming with the gental giants of the pacific ocean.
Join us on our once in a life time whale watch tours, experience firsthand why dolphin pacific is the operator of choice for bbcs life and. Activities in vavau, vavau islands, tonga, south pacific offer visitors activities such as sailing and sail charters, diving, deep sea fishing and whale watching. Welcome to the spectacular islands of vavau in the kingdom of tonga. Pacific ocean, vavau, tonga, tonga whale swimming at vavau. Aug 11, 2016 swimming with hump back whales in vava u, tonga. Tonga is one of the only places in the world where you can snorkel with whales up close. We encourage you to book early for the 2019 whale watchswim season. Apparently there are only a few places in the world where there are tourist services providing a swim with whales experience. The joys of solo traveling is that you can decide anytime to change plans. I am not able to travel to tonga until midoctober at the earliest. I know that the prime viewing is august and september. The protected waters close to the sea cliffs and islands provide an ideal environment for the birth of each years babies and an opportunity for prospective males to mate and create n.
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