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

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.
A few whales begin to leave late September, BUT there are still plenty to swim with until late October.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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)

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.