Rae Gill - Tour Director, WhaleSwim Adventures

"As I slowly swam along her brilliant white side I saw that her eye was open, I hung there and looked at her. She seemed so peaceful and knowing, with 100 million years of wisdom within her. Something very profound happens when you look into the eye of a whale - and your life is never the same again."

Rae's first encounter with whales was as a child with her family in New Zealand - attempting to save stranded Short-finned Pilot whales - this had a deep and lasting effect on her. Over the years, she lived in and traveled to many countries around the world and took every opportunity she could to go whalewatching. Then when she swam with humpback whales for the first time in 1997 she knew that this was her passion - to share this experience with as many people as possible!

Her passion and endless enthusiasm for the whales, the environment and the people of Tonga is what makes her expeditions so special and the the best available in the South Pacific.

Her commitment to making a difference - is also unrelenting.

While not in Tonga (October - June), Rae spends her time between her home on Waiheke Island (35 mins by JetCat from downtown Auckland) in NZ and Byron Bay in Australia - and as much time as possible with her son Geoff, his wife Xiao Ling and her precious grandchildren, Nicole (7) and Chung Yo (4) in Taipei, Taiwan where they live and run an inline & ice skating business and are very much involved in the Inline Hockey and Ice Hockey leagues. Both Nicole and Chung Yo are inline skaters - Nicole plays for the Taipei Tigers Inline Hockey League and Chung Yo was on skates at 20 months and is a budding top-class skater!

My Opinion on whaling!
I find it absolutely incredulous that some people and countries kill these gentle and magnificent creatures for food and money. It makes me feel sick and sends me into a rage. If only those people could float in a warm tropical sea and look at a mother and her baby as I did, then maybe the world would be a better place.

Darren Jew - Photography Advisor & Guide in Vava'u -
Winner of 2007 Canon/AIPP Australian Science, Environment and Nature Photographer of the Year. 

Having been inspired to explore a career in nature photography by my father's travels in Antarctica, Darren now pursues a passion for capturing and sharing the wonder of the natural world.

After graduating from the Queensland College of Art, he first worked in commercial photography, before taking up a position as photographer with the Queensland National Parks and Wildlife Service, where he worked for 8 years.

He moved on from that part of his career in 1994 and his work is now published widely in books, magazines and paper products. He has had the opportunity to photograph extensively across Australia and in Africa, Alaska, Patagonia, Tonga and Antarctica and have introduced many people to the world's great wildlife and landscape destinations first hand, through small group photography tours, predominantly to Africa and Antarctica.
Check out his website at www.darrenjew.com

Darren guided our photography groups in Tonga during 2001 and 2002 seasons. We are very happy to have him join our Whaleswim Team again to guide our photography tours in Tonga 2008.
For advice of camera equipment email Darren on darren.jew@bigpond.com

Lynda Johnson - Bookings and Customer Service

Lynda is our Customer Service Manager, she looks after tours enquiries and bookings. So just email her with questions and information about our tours.

Lynda grew up in Dallas, Texas and immigrated to NZ 20 years ago. She lives with her teenage daughter Jesse (our neoprene vest model!), on the beautiful island of Waiheke, among the vineyards, olive groves and surrounded by magnificent beaches.

Annah Evington - Guide Extraordinaire!

Annah came on one of our 2002 expedition in Tonga as a guest and loved it so much she joined the WhaleSwim Team and has guided our groups with the whales in Vava'u every year since! 

Her love for the humpback whales, Tonga and it's people, is very obvious and her contribution to the local communities is truly heart-warming.

She is a fantastic guide, her focus is always on our guests well being and safety and this shows! She has her Dive Rescue Certificate and has a great sense of humour!

Read what our guests say about Annah! Click Here

Tony Meagher - A great Guide!

Tony and his partner were in Tonga during the 2004 season and loved it so much - he joined the WhaleSwim Team in Tonga in 2006 and 2007 and will guide our groups with the whales again during our 2008 season.

Tony has traveled to exotic location such as Antarctica and Zaire to view the mountain gorillas, but says that swimming with whales is by far the most incredible wildlife experience he has ever had.

His 'real job' is event management and he and his partner, live in Newport Beach on the northern beaches of Sydney.

Kris Madden - Team Leader & Guide
Kris is our conservation and eco-tourism advisor and WhaleSwim Guide and is an avid conservationist.
When she is not in Tonga with us, Kris is a free-lance eco-travel journalist and advisor to Eco-Tourism Australia.

Kris has a passion for travel, marine life, the ocean, wildlife, places off the main tourism routes and different cultures around the world. Her travels include: Antarctica, the gorillas in Rwanda, Cambodia, Galapagos Islands - to name a few... Kris spent 6 weeks in the Antarctic early in 2006 as staff on Aurora Expeditions, based in Sydney. At present, Kris is researching eco-tourism companies in the whale watching industry in Australia and the South Pacific for a popular travel guide.

Kris was voted the Eco-Tourism Journalist of the year 2007 in Australia with her story about our tours with the humpbacks in Vava'u!.

She joins us for the 5th season as a Whaleswim Guide in Vava'u in 2008.

Sherri Jo Wilkins - Guide in Vava'u

Sherri Jo lives was born in USA and immigrated to Australia several years ago. She lives and works in Adelaide Australia. She is in the natural health industry and is passionate about what she does and has just completed setting up the largest organic food supermarket in Australia.

Sherri Jo joined us as a guest in 2006 and from day one, after her first encounter with the whales, we knew she had all the qualifications to be part of the WhaleSwim Team.

She joined our Team in Tonga in 2008 and was very popular Team member with our guests, unfortunately due to work commitments, she will not be on our 2008 Team in Tonga.

Mark Fitzpatrick - Marine Sciences Student and Guide.

Mark lives in Tauranga New Zealand - is currently in his final year of study as a Marine Biologist PLUS works as a guide on the 'swim with the dolphins' boat in Tauranga to finance his degree. He loves the ocean and everything in it, is a Dive Master has his Dive Rescue Certificate and as he fell in love with the whales in 2006, he joins the WhaleSwim Team in Vava'u from mid-September to mid October.

Mark was one of the Marine Sciences students we sponsored in Tonga in 2006 and that's him on the right "resting' after a hard day swimming with whales!

Mark Jones ('The Fish') Guide Extraordinaire

Mark joined the team on our 'Student Program' in 2004 his enthusiasm, dry sense of humour and quick wit won every over and so we invited him back as one of our guides in 2006. He is as comfortable in the water as he is out, hence the nick-name - 'The Fish'! His knowledge of marine creatures and animals is enlightening and he loves to take whoever is willing, on snorkeling educational over the reefs whenever possible.

Mark graduated as a Marine Biologist in in NZ in 2005 and when he is not in Tonga with us and the whales - he works on a fish farm in the Marlborough Sounds( northern end of the South Island of New Zealand.

We have invited Mark back to work on the team for our 2007 season but he's off to Europe for the Rugby World Cup series. We hope he can join our Team again in 2008.

Tabatha Schneider-Glawe

Tab reigns from Canada, and after 2 years guiding groups swimming with dolphins in the Bay of Plenty NZ, she returned to Canada guiding adventurers down rivers and up mountains near Calgary.

Tab joined our team as a Guide in Tonga in 2004 and again in 2006.

Her adventurous spirit and love over nature and the whales, endeared her to all our guests during both seasons and even though she is not on our Team for 2007 we hope she can find the time to join the team again in 2008.

Nicola Butchart - Guide, Snorkeler, Diver and all-round water person!

Nicola joins us for the whole 2007 whale season in Tonga to guide our guests in the water with the whales and to assist us with the organisation of our tours in Vava'u.

Nicola has spent several season taking people to swim with dolphins in Whakatane and is a Dive Master. She is an avid outdoors woman who spends her time snorkelling, surfing and kayaking.  Just as comfortable on the land she seeks adventure both in the bush and on the netball court!" 

At present, Nicola is based in Whangarei New Zealand working with the Dept Of Conservation on many different wild-life projects.

Scott Portelli - Photography Advisor & Guide in Vava'u

Scott lives and works in Sydney Australia - when he isn't traveling to exotic destinations around the world taking wonderful photos.
Scott was in Tonga as a guest snorkeling with the humpback whales during 2002 - since then he has been to the Antarctic and is a budding wildlife photographer! He has just returned from Africa in July 2006 filming the gorillas in Rwanda and the wildlife in Tanzania & Kenya.

He has guided our photography groups in Tonga every season since 2003. Scott will not be joining us in 2008, but we look forward to him joining the Team again in the future.