2002

Snorkelling with Humpback Whales of Vava’u - Tonga

By: Ron Hunter of Dive Forster @ Fisherman’s Wharf

The main town of the island of Vava’u, Neiafu is a delightful mix of old world charm with a waterfront lined with old Victorian style wooden buildings, palm trees, churches and quaint waterfront cafes.

This is a paradise for yachtsmen from all over the planet; in excess of one hundred yachts were swinging at their moorings in Port of Refuge, the harbour that Neiafu abuts when we were there.

The nightlife in Vava’u is centred around these waterfront cafés. The visiting yachties moor their rubber tenders to the cafés’ docks and dine, wine and party the night away. There are many talented musicians in the yachting fraternity, and impromptu “jam” sessions with the local bands occur at the drop of a hat. These visitors produced guitars, mouth organs, violins and even a trombone. What a great atmosphere this produced, dozens of friendly, interesting people from all over the world, mingling and enjoying life in Vava’u.

The air temperature in the evenings is reasonably cool at around 24 degrees C allowing for restful nights, the days were not oppressively hot either at around 28 degrees C.

Tonga is known as the “Friendly Isles”, and this description is so apt. The native Tongans were the friendliest, most obliging people you would ever wish to meet. They have great pride in their land and its’ environment. Tonga is probably the cleanest of the many Pacific islands that I have visited and so far removed from the filth and squalor that is a blight throughout most of Asia.

The SCUBA diving:

Highlights of the trip were the diving around the undercut, mushroom like islands and their limestone caves, and facing the open Pacific Ocean, the unspoiled coral reefs. Water temperature was a steady 25 – 26 degrees C and visibility was generally 25 to 40 metres near the myriad of islands, and at the outside dive sites facing the Pacific Ocean the water was clearest, deepest blue that I have experienced anywhere in the world.

The weather and seas were perfect for our six day of diving. On day three we ventured out to the edge of the Pacific. Our first dive was along the wall of “Totokafonua”. Ultimate blue water washed the wall, drawing our gaze out into “the big blue”, for from here emanated “whale-song”, that haunting refrain sung by the male Humpback Whales. This repeating song appeared to be coming from so close that we all expected to see the Humpbacks swimming along the wall. The “whale-song” was to be our constant companion on the wall dives facing the open Pacific.

“Totokafonua” was a very good dive, white-tipped reef sharks circled defensively in several small caves and pits, with small tuna and mackeral patrolling the drop-off. It was photographers’ delight with the clearest water I have ever experienced.

We also dived several sites at the island of Tu’ungasika. One section of Tu’ungasika has a great dive site “China Town”. It is aptly named for the acres of pagoda-like Porite coral formations. There were several bright red anemones providing homes for families of clown fish. Dozens of large white cowries were scattered about, each with its jet-black mantle protruding and partly enveloping the shell. Several sea kraits, black and white banded sea snakes, hunted amongst the corals. Emperor Angel Fish, schools of Surgeonfish, Harlequin or Clown Trigger Fish and clouds of fusiliers inhabited the reef. Multi-hued tubeworms poked their collecting polyps out of seemingly every stand of coral.

With over 50 islands in the Vava’u group there is so much to dive and explore, including areas that have never been dived before.

Snorkelling with the Whales:

Our trip to Vava’u was organised at this time of the year, for July through October the Humpback Whales give birth, mate and socialise here in the sheltered waters that surround the small islands that extend out from the main island of Vava’u.

A full day trip to swim and snorkel with the Humpbacks is a must on a visit to Vava’u.

Vava’u in Tonga is one of only two places in the world where you are virtually guaranteed the opportunity to snorkel with Humpback Whales.

It is so hard to put into words what an amazing experience this is, but here goes:

We sighted our first Humpbacks, a mother and her calf, within ten minutes of arriving at their favourite area. The pair put on a display of breaching and pectoral fin slapping as we quietly approached. We let them get used to the presence of our boat for a period, and then they curiously approached us.

Once they were comfortable being in close proximity to our boat we quietly, four persons at a time slipped into the water and snorkelled over to them.

The calf swam up to us less than 2 metres away and inquisitively circled us, establishing eye contact, puzzling what these puny critters were doing in his realm. Mum would surface oh so carefully, rolling gently sideways to avoid brushing us with her bulk, re-establish contact with her calf, then with her calf tucked under her massive head she would slowly circle the group of snorkellers.

This whale / human interaction was entirely at the discretion of the whales. They definitely were very curious about us and displayed great care and skill in such a close quarter’s encounter. Fifty tonne of whale blundering about can be detrimental to your health after all. I managed to free-dive down to 20 metres beside the pair and swim alongside them for a time with both mum and her calf establishing eye contact. What a buzz!!!

Snorkelling with the whales is one of life’s great experiences and was so unbelievably exhilarating, that we booked another day to do it all again.

Our second day out with the whales was entirely different to our first encounters. This time we were out in the deep of the Pacific Ocean in the most amazing cobalt blue water and we came upon a group of three-quarter grown adolescents.

There were ten Humpbacks in this pod, and after a typically adolescent display of breaching, fin and tail slapping these 35 tonne youngsters settled down and curiously approached our stationary vessel. It was then that we quietly slipped into the water, four persons plus a guide at a time. The whales swam around and under us to within three metres away. About one hundred Spinner Dolphins accompanied them, a very rare occurrence according to our guides. The Spinner Dolphins were riding the pectoral fins of the whales and to our delight and amazement, one of the Humpbacks casually pushed aside one of the Spinner Dolphins with its pectoral fin. This action was not aggressive at all; just a gentle reminder perhaps that life is not always a “free ride”.

I free-dived down to around 15 metres and had two Humpbacks swimming ever so slowly beside me on a parallel course less than 5 metres away. One of these whales was so differently marked being almost entirely black, with just small patches of white, he was strikingly different to all the other whales in the pod, which all displayed large patches of white on their bodies and pectoral fins.

I was intent on getting good photographs of these two whales, when I sensed something on my other side, turning that way I discovered another of the whales also swimming slowly on a parallel course to me only 4 metres away. I was so in awe of the experience that when time came for me to surface, I realised that I had descended to around 20 metres or so, gee it’s a long way back up after such a period of excitement and some exertion.

The best place in the Pacific:

All things considered, Vava’u is in my opinion the best diving and adventure location in the Pacific. It has it all, superb diving in the clearest blue water, very good dive operators with an excellent dive boat. No malaria, no insurrections, no rascals, no crowds, cool nights, the friendliest people, good food, good beer both at very reasonable prices and best of all the Humpback Whales.

I must make special mention of Whale Watch Vava’u, the operators that took us out to enjoy the Humpback Whales. They are so very professional and knowledgeable about the Whales and their environment. They are extremely careful so as not to stress or harass the Whales and they made each day such a special and memorable experience.

Needless to say we are returning to Vava’u in Tonga next year, 2003.

There is a fully escorted tour leaving Sydney on Friday 12th September, returning Saturday 20th September 2003.

This tour has been especially designed to cater for people who do not SCUBA dive, with a vastly experienced Divemaster and Tour Guide accompanying the trip. We will be enjoying at least three full days swimming and snorkelling with the Humpback Whales and exploring and enjoying all that Vava’u has to offer.