2014
2014
Vava’u Tonga, the Islands of Whale Song
I have returned from Tonga after escorting Quest Tour groups on whale swimming/diving adventures.
The adventures consisted of ten action packed days. There were four full days on the whale watch boat, swimming and experiencing the amazing phenomena of mother Humpback whales with their calves, and all of the action of the mating season in full swing off the islands of Vava’u, Tonga. For the divers we also had three amazing double dives among coral reef gardens, darting through numerous caves and swim throughs and drifting reef walls in the amazing crystal clear waters.
After each exciting day on the water with the Tongan operators, the late afternoons and Sunday were free to explore the town and get a taste of Island life, wonderful food and cultural experiences.
Our Villa accommodation is a wonderful place for a group with plenty of places to enjoy group chats or sit quietly looking over the harbour at ever changing sunsets, or optional Resort style accommodation which suits honeymooners and those who want to get away from it all.
The numerous restaurants and cafés offer an endless variety of local foods including seafood pastas, octopus marinated in coconut, fish cooked Island style, vegetarian dishes plus endless amounts of bananas, papayas and mango. All the fresh and wonderful tastes of a tropical paradise.
Sunday is a special day in Tonga – the local church services are not to be missed, with the singing vibrant, harmonious and simply wonderful. This is followed by an umu (feast) which we were privileged to be part of. Suckling pigs, carefully prepared dishes of meats and vegetables followed by fresh desserts of fruit and coconut.
All of it in an amazing island setting with azure blue waters and islands full of palms as a backdrop while listening to guitars, ukeleles, banjos and the lilt of Tongan voices singing under a large mango tree. Truly relaxing and combined with a few coconut rum punches in coconut shells it was almost too good to leave. Unfortunately it came time to go and we were loaded onto the back of a ute and bounced back to our accommodation, savouring wonderful memories.
The whale days were full of unique intimate natural experiences, the wild free spirits who for some reason allow us to be part of their lives for a short while. We observed the bonding and feeding of a new-born calf, the escort’s role while the calf is young, right through to the full on, adrenaline charged excitement of sixteen whales in a heat run.
No day is the same with young first time mums who are smaller and creating special moments with their newborns while being attended by an escort, to a more experienced mum hanging upside down without a care in the world sailing along with its tail in the air while the calf fed and came to the surface to cavort and play with us.
Just observing these wonderful scenes from the boat is rewarding as they spy hop, tail slap and fully breach – they are happy in their environment and love to show off their skills to appreciative audiences.
These are truly uplifting experiences giving the sense of freedom in the water while interacting with the most awesome and loveable creatures imaginable. Being in the water and looking into the eye of one of these graceful giants, we were overwhelmed by the sheer joy of interacting and being as one with these supremely intelligent, cognisant beings. The Humpbacks are so powerful, three strokes of their tail will launch a 40 tonne body completely clear of the water; and yet their care and gentleness when swimming near us is testament to their knowledge of our fragility. They will stop their tail in mid stroke, or pull a massive pectoral fin in, carefully to prevent bumping us!
Lunch breaks were spent exploring the secluded coves and beaches, colourful reefs, here inquisitive fish in the aqua blue water meandered through the corals, all with the background of postcard picture perfect islands, covered in palms and tropical vegetation. Underwater caves and caverns beckoned the inquisitive snorkelers, large underwater and exposed stalagmites and stalactites were here to observe. The caves provided an excellent amphitheatre for singing practice, whilst below the surface the whales sang a long distance chorus of clicks, groans and whistles.
Then back to shore to rest and wander before enjoying Island life with talks on marine life, tapas at the tavern with Eduardo on Spanish guitar, and a few songs by an ex muso tour guide (yes that would be me), the Fakalati’s plus the special invite to a kava night at Sione’s village to sing songs and be entertained once again by wonderful island serenades. (Interrupted by crazy Aussie ladies doing the hokey pokey with big Tongan men).
A final magical buffet night at the Bella Vista restaurant with some new-found friends, finally signals the end to an amazing ten days of action packed fun. I have to go back and do it all again next year.
Geoff Martin
Tour Leader – Quest Tours.
