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If you’re contemplating booking a trip to the South Pacific, Tonga needs to be on your list! It’s one of the coolest travel experience I’ve ever had! This year, I swam with humpback whales. I’m still pinching myself!
I had a ton of questions before I went to see the humpback whales in Tonga. That’s why I’ve compiled a list of 10 things to know before swimming with whales in Tonga. All based on my own experiences!
I went on two different whale swims with two different outfitters on two different islands during my 16 days in Tonga. I’ve put together this guide to answer everything you want to know about seeing whales in Tonga.
I’m covering everything you need to know! Including when whale season is, what company to go with, if you can scuba dive with whales, how long the trip is and more. My degree is in marine science and I’ve worked in ocean tourism for years, and I can honestly say this is one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had and made Tonga worth the visit!
Lets dive in!
The first thing to know before swimming with whales is when to go.
Southern hemisphere humpback whales spend their summers (Nov – Mar) feeding in Antarctica and their winters mating and calving in the tropical south pacific (June – Oct).
The official whale season in Tonga is late June – early October. But for the best chances of getting in the water with them, aim to plan your trip for the end of July – end of September. Some years the whales may stick around through October, so you never really know!
‘Eua has the longest (and arguably the best) whale season as the island is situated just a few miles off the main island of Tongatapu, creating what’s known as the “humpback highway.” Pretty much every whale swims through this channel on their way up to Ha’apai and Vava’u and many hang around ‘Eua all summer.
Because ‘Eua is a steep volcanic island rather than a sandy atoll, most people skip over going there. So there’s less whale tourism and a higher chance you get the whales all to yourself.
What Company is the Best for Humpback Whale Swimming?
There are a growing number of whale tour operators in Tonga. You’ll want to find a licensed company to take you, and there are many spread across the 3 island chains.
‘Eua: On ‘Eua there are just two main operators, Kikos Whale Swim (who we went with) and Blue Water Retreat. We had such an amazing stay at Kikos as well as an amazing whale swim, I can’t recommend them enough for an authentic Tongan stay. For more insight into staying at Kikos, check out the accommodation section of my budget breakdown. Kiko is also one of the only Tongan operators in the country.
Ha’apai: There are multiple islands in the Ha’apai chain and many of those islands are home to a single resort and their whale swim operation. There are over 10 operators in Ha’apai! For a full list of licensed tour operators check out the Tonga Pocket Guide. We went with Matafonua Lodge and had a great experience. Some friends of ours went with a Tongan owned resort called Dianas and had a great time out on the water with them.
Vava’u: From what I heard while traveling in Tonga, the Vava’u chain is getting quite popular, especially for whale swimming. They boast to have the best water visibility and have over 20 tour operators. You can read the full list on Tonga Pocket Guide. We didn’t make it up to the Vava’u chain so I can’t speak to any personal experience there.
Check out this amazing footage from Matafanua:
Is it Ethical to Swim with Humpback Whales in Tonga?
This is something I thought about for a long time before committing to go. Truth be told, the only way I could truly answer this question is by going myself, because people will always present their product in the best light. My degree is in marine science and I also have worked in whale watching tourism in Washington and Alaska, so I knew I would have a critical eye for this.
And I was really impressed!
A quick background about whales in Tonga. Hunting whales only stopped in Tonga in the late 1970s, and since then their population has greatly increased!
Humpbacks can live to be 80-90 years old. Which means many of the humpbacks you’ll see were alive during the 70’s and very much remember being hunted. They are allowing boats near them on their terms. Yes, on the boat your captain may follow the same individuals hoping to let you swim with them, but it never felt like harassment to me. Also, you typically won’t stay with the same group for more than an hour, unless they are hanging around with you in the water of course.
There are also a lot of safety rules for you and the whales in place, which I’ll get into in the “safety” section.
Honestly swimming may even be the best way to view whales because it’s mammal to mammal. You don’t have the screech of the engine or speed of a boat – you’re just floating.
Can You Scuba Dive with Whales?
A combined safety and ethics point here – you cannot scuba or even freedive with humpback whales in Tonga. You are to stay at the surface as quite and unintrusive as possible.
How Much Does Swimming with Whales Cost?
How much will a whale swim cost you and what’s included? Both Kikos and Matafonua came with full gear rental including mask, snorkel, fins and wetsuit, as well as light refreshments mid adventure. Kikos swim was $300 usd per person, but they offer a sliding scale of refunds if you don’t get to swim with the whales. Matafonua was $310 nzd / $184 usd.
Is it Safe to Swim With Whales?
I would say about 80% of people who I told “I’m going to swim with whales!” asked me if it was safe. Of course whales are wild animals (you can’t even guarantee getting in the water with them), but I would say they are gentle by nature. Yes, even the moms with young calves. The biggest “risk” would be a breaching whale or a mating “heat run.”
Keep in mind that you will be in the water with a guide. Both the guide and captain should be doing their job, which is to make safe decisions about getting in the water for you and the whales. You will also get a safety briefing before with all the rules and regulations.
Some of the safety protocols include having only 4 guests in the water at a time (and 1 guide), no swimming within 5 m (15 ft) of the whales, no touching the whales, no diving down and stay with the group. Both our whale swims felt safe for both us and the whales!
Requirements to Swim With Whales
This is an important thing to know before swimming with whales… if you physically can!
If you can swim you can whale swim! Seriously, we saw every age from 4 years old to 80 years old participating! But I will say, most whale swimming advertisements you see are just the part where the people are floating and watching, in actuality you may have a far way to swim from where the boat drops you off.
What if You Don't Know How to Swim?
I would not recommend this to someone who does not feel comfortable in open water and who is not a fair swimmer. Both days we had choppy seas which made the swim a bit tougher. You just can’t predict if you’ll be out on a flat calm day and get dropped right on top of the whales, or if you’ll be like us in 3 foot swell and have 50 yards to swim.
Most companies will advertise that you don’t have to know how to swim, because you will be in a wetsuit and therefore floaty. But if you are out there on a rough day you’ll need to be able to comfortable maneuver yourself in the water.
Some people we went with were not strong swimmers and while they were okay and still got to see a whale, it made the lifeguard part of my brain very on edge. The guide may not be able to fully have their attention on you, so you should be able to feel self sufficient in the water.
What to Expect When Swimming with Whales
As I mentioned above, don’t expect smooth sailing! Yes, you may be out there with no wind and calm seas, but you may not be. I know I was totally influenced by all the videos I saw of people floating and watching a whale swim circles around them. This may be you! Or, you may have to swim for 3 minutes to find a whale only to have it pump its tail twice and be off.
Whale swimming is work! Glorious glorious work which I loved every second of, but it was still work.
Day in the Life Whale Swimming
What does a day whale swimming look like? On the big day you’ll meet your guide and get your gear. Once you’ve got your wetsuit on and mask and fins in hand, you’ll load onto the boat. Make sure to pack water, snacks, sunscreen and a jacket!
Then the lookout begins. It may take 5 minutes to see whales in Tonga or 30. But just because you’ve spotted whales doesn’t mean they’re going to stick around! It may take 2 hours chasing whales until you finally find one willing to let you swim near.
Once you’re in the water you may have to swim for a bit and only get 2 minutes with the whale, or you could plop into the water right on top of them and stay in for 20 minutes. Be mindful of entering the water quietly and swimming quietly with the group. Once the whale has bid you adieu, you’ll get back on the boat and likely repeat the process!
I wasn’t expecting this, but you’ll likely get to swim multiple times, especially if the whales only give you a show for a minute or two.
You may be on a trip that gets to hang out with the same whales for an hour, or you may be on a trip that doesn’t get to swim at all, or you may be on a trip that gets 10 minutes with them. Every whale swim is different!
How Long is the Trip?
This is technically the 11th thing on this list but super important!
I had no idea how long the whale watching/swimming trip would be. As it turns out, a long time! Both our whale swims were 5-6 hours from start to finish. We probably had 30 minutes in the water with 20 minutes of viewing the first trip. And the second time was 25 minutes in the water with 10 minutes of viewing.
So there you go! Everything you need to know before swimming with whales. This experience truly meant the world to me, I still cannot believe I got to see whales up close underwater. Something about truly seeing them in their aquatic environment put everything in perspective for me.
There a ton of cool things to do in the South Pacific like scuba diving with bull sharks in Fiji, learning to crack open coconut in the Cook Islands or chilling on a beach in Tahiti. But I seriously think swimming with humpbacks should be at the top of your bucket list!
Keep reading by jumping over to my full article detailing my experience swimming with whales in Tonga!
Bree is a travel writer who specializes in backpacking guides and ocean based travel. She has worked in marine based tourism in Alaska and in ocean outdoor education on Catalina Island. She is currently living with her partner in New Zealand where she is working and backpacking.
Ahoy! I’m Bree and I’ve started this blog to help you plan your next great outdoor adventure. With a background in marine science, I’ve got an aptitude for all things ocean, but you’ll find land based adventures here too! Everything you see here is based on my own travel experience and paid for myself. I hope you stick around!
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