There is an enormous amount of information about whale swims online and we realise it can be daunting to decide which operator to go with. We've written these FAQs to help you make a decision. Our focus is always on making sure we manage inherent travel risks, so we can get you to Tonga safely and ensure you get the experience you expected. All aspects of your trip will be handled with great care by our hospitality and travel specialists.
Despite what you may read online, the weather and whale activity does not vary significantly between islands. Websites that tell you the weather is better up north are wrong. Others say water quality is worse down south. That depends entirely on where the rain falls and we've had years when the northern islands have been worse and visa versa. As for the whales, there are plenty (especially as there are only about 4 licence holders for swims on Tongatapu).
With all that being equal, your decision will most likely come down to:
a) Whether you can afford it;
b) The risk of getting to your whale swim (flights, delays, rescheduling etc).
c) How your booking and money is handled, and the advice you get to cover any unforseen natural events or other inherent problems of travelling in the remote South Pacific.
We already consider our trips to be the best value in the Kingdom. But costs have increased. Fuel price has tripled, the USD has strengthened, and global inflation is running at over 7% a year. We realise that not everyone can afford an 8-day trip.
So we decided to offer half of the season as 5-night trips, which gives you the chance to swim with whales and visit these beautiful islands for less than half price. These trips retail at around AUD3,000 and include all your meals, a cultural tour and accommodation.
We are based on the main island, so no internal flights are needed. In recent years these have been unreliable, leaving many guests stranded. Three extra days is the minimum number needed to reach other islands including Vav'au and Ha'Apai.
The businesses that operate your swim are hospitality trained and all travel reservations and bookings are done by an accredited agent. Deposit money is held in trust for you. Final payments are fully refundable, in the event of any catastrophic problem e.g. natural disaster.
You are still responsible for your own insurance in the event of your own cancellation. But we ensure that your financial risk for every other aspect is handled for you.
For instance, your money is not spent in company cash flow before your tour has ended. No-one gets paid until your trip has finished. Until then, your money is deposited safely.
Barracuda is brand new, outstandingly stable in rough seas (which often happens), fast, dry and even has an inside toilet.
If you're swimming every day and multiple times a day, you need somewhere comfortable to travel. There isn't a better equipped vessel on the island.
We've assembled this article to tell you.
Swimming with whales has its inherent dangers. Sadly, people are regularly injured, either swimming ahead of 'heat runs' (males chasing females), being side-swiped by mothers with calves, or staying in the water after whales show signs of intimidating behaviour.
We monitor this continuously to ensure that your safety is maintained. There is no need to push the limits. The best experiences happen with a little patience. Our guides are competent and very good at reading whale behaviour.
Whale swims have become very popular on these islands. Humpback Whales visit all of the islands and the experiences are exceptional everywhere.
There are about 40 licenced vessels swimming with whales in Vav'au, compared to 3-4 in Tongatapu. There are plenty of whales and lots of ocean. With so few operators, there are days we can go out and not see another boat.
Direct to Tongatapu (the capital island of Tonga).
To get to us is a direct flight from Fiji, Australia or New Zealand to Nuku'alofa on the island of Tongatapu.
By far the easiest way to get there is via Nadi (Fiji) with Fiji Airways. There are daily flights except for Sunday. They arrive mid-afternoon on Thursday and Saturday, or about 1AM on the other days. Our travel agent will be able to assist you with flights.
This tour was developed by the people who have trained the Tongan guides and work closely with the Kingdom to help set standards for the industry.
Our peak-season trip team is respected locally and all our work is reported to authorities and scientific organisations locally, nationally and internationally and has formed part of recent publications on the status of Humpback Whales in the South Pacific.
We run week-long trips in the peak season because we know how long it can take to get a great swim. This is the kind that you will see on social media, where whales are climbing over each other to interact with guests. It usually takes 2-3 days of effort to get this kind of encounter, on average. Sometimes it's quicker, sometimes longer.
'Fringe' season trips still have a good chance to get great whale swim but the duration is only about 2.5 days of whale swims (compared to 5, on our other trips) and the group sizes are slightly larger. This is still within the season that whales are present and active though.
Juvenile whale numbers peak from around late July to mid-September.
We operate peak season trips in the best weeks for young bachelor male whales (about last week July to the first week of September). Outside these seasons, young whales tend to drift away but there is still plenty of whale activity up to mid-October.
No, SCUBA isn't permitted with whales in Tonga.
You must be able to swim and you need a moderate level of fitness. If you are in any doubt, you must see your doctor for approval.
This is open-ocean swimming. While you will be accompanied by a guide at all times, you must realise, that there will be swell and waves. It is tiring at times.
Do you normally get seasick? If so, then yes, you will probably get seasick. You are on a small boat in the open ocean. In the middle of the Pacific it is often windy and this means waves and swell. We strongly recommend that you seek advice on seasickness medication before coming, if you are in any doubt, as to whether you will get seasick.
We have had young kids and elderly on board. It depends more on your fitness and ability to swim.
We provide wetsuits and snorkelling gear but you are welcome to bring your own. We do recommend you invest is some thermal layers. A 5mm dive hood is also useful. The water is about 24 degrees Celsius (75 deg F). As you are in and out of the water all day, it's good to have some extra warmth. A windproof jacket is also useful.
The entire trip is run locally. Tanoa Expeditions are Tongan-owned. Most of your guides are trained Tongan whale swim guides.
DeluxeLife and Wildiaries are based in Australia but we promote for our Tongan friends and ensure you can travel safely and are well informed. The majority of your ticket price is paid to our operators who employ teams of locals to do your transfers, whale swim guiding, meal preparation, cultural tours, provision of accommodation etc. We're proud to be working with them and helping them reach people like you, by providing a sustainable alternative way to swim with whales.
All displayed prices are in 🇦🇺 Australian Dollars (AUD). Click here for a free currency converter.
Your initial booking is $0 deposit, so feel free to make a reservation. You have plenty of time to ask further questions.
If you really need to pay in USD, this is possible. Please ask on enquiry.