Swimming with Humpback Whales

We are a USA based snorkel/dive travel agency that works with local companies in Vava’u, Tonga to provide the best Humpback Whale snorkeling experiences.

Humpback Whales Experiences in Tonga

We have years of experience in dive & snorkel travel. We have travelled around the world — to Mexico, Dominican Republic, South Africa, Australia, Portugal, French Polynesia and the Cook Islands — to try and swim with humpback whales, but consider Vava’u to be the very best place for the best up-close encounters.

Tongan waters are birthing and mating grounds for a specific population of humpback whales, which means they are around for months each year. Even better, the islands that surround Vava’u provide protection from the winds, ensuring that we can go out on the water almost every day.

The crystal-clear blue waters are another draw for many, as it much easier to get fantastic footage and photos of these gentle giants.

Snorkeling with Humpbacks

These are snorkel trips, as it’s near-impossible to scuba dive with whales since they move quite quickly. Clients should have snorkelling experience and understand that there is a lot of swimming involved on these tours.

We generally get in the water with whales almost everyday, it really comes down to the quality of those swims. Typically you can expect 1-3 amazing days on a 5 swim day tour, and 3-6 amazing days on an 8 swim day tour. If this has been your dream, we highly encourage you to do an 8 swim day trip. You are coming all this way, and nature needs time to try and deliver. A high quality encounter to us is one that lasts over 10 minutes and is in close proximity to a set of whales.

Tonga law allows only 4 guests in the water at a time with certified guide. Allowing guests intimate encounters of a lifetime with humpback whales!

What Makes Us Excellent

Small groups

We take max 6 people. Other boats will put up to 12 people, this can become an issue, as you are only allowed 4 people in the water with the whales at a time. Can you imagine having the most amazing whale encounter of your life, and being tapped on the shoulder after 5 minutes to rotate with another guest? We keep our groups small, to optimize for water time. You gain an extra 33% more water time with 6 guests on the boat.

Best Boats & Crew

It’s an art to swim with the whales, and we have the best crew who have years of experience. Believe it or not, this can make or break your trip. Our boats are also the very best in Vava’u. They have been purpose-built in New Zealand for whale swimming in Tonga.

Top Accommodations

The island of Vava’u is small and quite undeveloped, there are not many places to stay. We book our accommodations years in advance, to ensure our guests have some of the best options available for their stay.