Whales in Vava'u, TONGA
Airing Date: Oct 4th, 2004
The Vava'u group is a collection of 70 islands scattered in the Pacific, about six hours' flight from Sydney. It's the only place on earth where people can swim with humpback whales.
Regular tours involving research into the humpbacks allow visitors not only to swim with the gentle giants but also to learn about them as well. In order to study the whales you must first locate one, so be on the look out for sudden sprays of water or any glimpse of a fin or tail.
The tours aim to gain an insight into whales' communication and mating patterns. As whales often travel together it's common to see not one but a group of whales.
The young males come in to mate and in order to gain attention they bellow out mating tunes which are recorded by the researchers. These melodies can be heard underwater for hundreds of kilometres, which is why the male humpbacks are known as Tonga's singing whales. The males belt out tunes for hours, and amazingly, all the males sing exactly the same song which changes every year.
After observing and recording the whales, it's time to take the plunge and swim with them. The best way to enter the water is to quietly slip in, to avoid drawing attention to yourself. While initially a little scary, swimming with the whales is an amazing experience. Five minutes swimming alongside a humpback feels like a lifetime and getting within a couple of metres of a whale will take your breath away.
The facts
Travelworld
Tel: 13 14 35
Air New Zealand
Tel: 13 24 76
WhaleSwim Adventures
Tel: 0404 001 640
Tongan Visitors Bureau
Kingdom of Tonga
Tel: 02 9929 8794
Suggested reading material: Lonely Planet
