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Frequently
Asked Questions. . . . |
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The
WhaleQuest Foundation
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Q: Can my children join a Whaleswim
tour?
A: We welcome children on our
tours however there is certain criteria that is in
place.
The child/children must be 13 years and over,
quiet in nature, be a confident swimmer and snorkeler,
happy to converse with adults and be able to be in
a confined space for 6 – 7 hours and not need
constant stimulation or attention.
As there are mainly adults on our expeditions, their
personal space must be respected and they are not
on their special holiday to be ‘baby-sitters’
nor are our WhaleSwim staff. Therefore the parent/parents
must be responsible for their teenagers at all times.
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Q: Can WhaleSwim Adventures book
my International or Domestic airfares?
A: We are a tour company only
and do not have a license to book airfares, you can
book with your travel agent or online at each international
airlines website. We recommend that you book your Air Fiji/Airlines Tonga - Fiji to Vava'u and
domestic airfares with Vosa at Jetsave Taufonua Travel
in Tonga - she is very efficient and will email you
with any schedule changes prior to your flight.
As a service to our guests,
we have travel information from most counties, including
recommended flights and airlines, on our How to Get
to Tonga page. Click
Here to go to How to Get to Tonga
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Q: When is
the best time during the season to see whales?
A: The humpback whales start arriving around
the Vava'u islands late June- early July - there are
plenty among the islands by mid-July. There are lots of whales here from mid-July to early August and in October - there are not so many whalewatching boats out on the whter either!
There have been mothers and their calves around Vava'u at the beginning of December some years.
As they are in the wild, we cannot predict which days
they will be in and around the islands - some days
there are more than others - it is certainly not predictable.
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Q: What is
the average snorkeling time that I could expect to
have every day with the whales??
A: We cannot predict this at all. The whales
are in the wild and it all depends on them. During
the 2006 season we had only 4 days on the water over
11 weeks that we didn’t swim with whales.
The time in the water can vary from 30 seconds to
10 minutes for each group of 4 swimmers. Some whales
stay around for 1 - 1.5 hours, others from 2 or 3
minutes to 1.5 hours. The time restriction with one
or a group of whales is 1.5 hours per vessel.
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Q: What month
during the whale season is the best weather?
A: Over the past 8 seasons the weather has
changed considerably.
July - October is winter/spring in the southern hemisphere,
this is the 'dry' season - however during the past
3 years, we have experienced rain and wind during
the 3 months.
Some days the sea can be calm and others rough and
sometimes big swells. Because Vava'u has many islands
spread around and, there are sheltered areas for us
to look for whales, however the whales don't always
co-operate! So be prepared to be on the water on windy/rainy
days.
Its the luck of the draw.
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Q: I would
like to apply for a job as guide, researcher or volunteer
with your tours to swim with the whales.
A: We are a small business with very few employees.We
have employees and volunteers only in Tonga.
Our employment and volunteer policy is firstly, based
on you having been a 'former paying guest' on our
WhaleSwim Adventures in Tonga. This allows us to get
to know you and most importantly, experience your
interaction with others in the group and the whales!
Secondly whether you have excellent water skills,
an adventurous nature, genuinely care for people and
the whales and whether you 'fit' in the Team.
A decision is made at the end of each season by the
WhaleSwim Team, the special guests we 'invite' to
join the team the following year.
If you are interested in working with us - then book
your place on one of our tours and see if you love
swimming with the whales in Tonga as much as we do!
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Q: Sharks scare me a little so I was wondering if
I need to be worried about them?
A: This one of the biggest concerns for many
of our guests. (Thanks to the movie 'Jaws'!)
We see both White & Black-Tip Reef sharks (small
and harmless) around the reefs from time to time,
but in 9 years of swimming with humpback whales I
have never seen a large shark while swimming with
the whales.
Of course, the ocean is the home of all sharks and
we are in their territory AND do know that the water
in Tonga is too warm for Great White sharks.
So to put our guests mind at ease and they can relax
and fully enjoy their time in the water with the whales,
we have invested in a 'Shark Shield™' (see photo
in right hand column) which our guides wear in the
water with the whales.
NOT BECAUSE THERE ARE LOTS OF SHARKS AROUND - BUT
SIMPLY FOR OUR GUESTS PEACE OF MIND!
Here is some information about the Shark Shield™http://www.sharkshield.com/
(WhaleSwim Adventures is the ONLY business in Tonga
with this equipment)
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Q: I am a
travel agent, and would like to book my clients on
one of your tours. Do you pay commission?.
A: Unfortunately we have a new policy since
June 2005, we now only deal directly with our guests
- please see our Terms & Conditions in the right
column.
We found that the communication via the travel agent
to the guest was not only too time consuming but inadequate
for such personal tours. Our guests arrived in Vava'u
totally unprepared for the intimacy of the in-the-water
encounters with the whales.
We find that all our guests need to be able to communicate
with one of our WhaleSwim Team who has experienced
our amazing and very personal encounters with humpback
whales.
Please feel free to refer your clients to our website
at www.whaleswim.com or they are welcome to email
me directly rae@whaleswim.com
++64 9 372 7073 after 24 October 2006.
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Terms & Conditions of
Booking a Tour with Whaleswim Adventures
- Verbal, faxed or written reservations
will be held for 14 days. The non-refundable deposit
is required within 14 days to confirm a reservation.
- Payment in full is required
70 days prior to your WhaleSwim adventure and
is non-refundable.
- Re-scheduling and substitution
of guests is permitted with approval of WhaleSwim
Adventures.
- A Liability Waiver must be
signed by each guest & returned to our office,
prior to final payment for their WhaleSwim Adventure.
- Travel Insurance - which includes
Trip, Airfare Cancellation and Accident - is mandatory.
Otherwise a 'No Liability Insurance Waiver' must
be signed.
- All rates and conditions are
subject to change. If payments are not received
at the designated times, WhaleSwim Adventures,
reserves the right to sell those spaces in question
with forfeiture of all monies to date.
- The booking is binding and
all payments are non-refundable.
- All tours are paid for in
Australian dollars ONLY.
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These are ecological holidays,
Whaleswim Adventures reserves the right to ask
any participants to leave the group should he/she
behaves in a way that is insensitive to the
whales, the environment, local people, our staff
or other group members. No refund will be given.
- Should bad weather prevent our whalewatching vessel NOT to go out on a 'whale watching' day, no refunds or extra day whalewatching will be offered by Whaleswim Adventures.
- Children under 13 years old
are not accepted on our tours.
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Prices may change due to currency fluctuations, (even after payment is made in full), schedule, content changes or circumstances
beyond the control of WhaleSwim Adventures.
- If the minimum bookings of
6 people is not reached 10 weeks prior to departure
of each expedition, then WhaleSwim has the right
to cancel the expedition and refund any monies
paid to them or transfer guests to another expedition.
Any airfares booked and paid for by the guest
should be covered by their travel insurance.
- WhaleSwim tours can only be 'referred' through travel agents, they can only be booked directly with WhaleSwim Adventure.
Shark Shield™
Our guides wear one in the
water with the whales. NOT BECAUSE THERE ARE LOTS
OF SHARKS AROUND - BUT SIMPLY FOR OUR GUESTS PEACE
OF MIND!
How it works:
The field generated by the Shark Shield™ is
detected by the shark through its sensory receptors
known as the Ampullae of Lorenzini, situated on
the snout of all predator sharks.
The unique and unfamiliar
pulsing sensation emitted by the Shark Shield does
not replicate that given off by a fish or seal and
hence it is not recognized by a shark, as a desirable
or attractive stimulus. The initial discomfort increases
if the sharks approach the transmitter until it
becomes intolerable. The sharks then veer away and
leave the immediate area.
For more info click
here
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