Frequently Asked Questions

What experience do I need to join the tour?

This is an ocean adventure holiday and you will need to be reasonably fit, confident in the water and be able to snorkel well. We are often getting in and out of the boat into the ocean, sometimes snorkelling quickly for up to 50-80m and we may occasionally be in choppy seas.

Although humpback whales are 12 -15 metres long and weigh about 40 ton, they are gentle animals and are very aware of us in the water. They will even drop their 5m long pectoral fin or turn their tail fluke to avoid us as they swim by. The calves are sometimes very curious and they often seem to love to be around us.  The thought of being so close to them may be frightening ­but after your first encounter you will understand why they are known as the gentle giants of the sea.

It is very important for you to know that some of the in-the-water encounters with the whales may be in very deep water and well away from land. Your level of skill and confidence will determine whether our Guide will allow you in the water with the whales. If you feel that your swimming and snorkelling skills could be improved, or that you are a little unfit, we suggest that you enrol in snorkelling lessons and improve your swimming skills and fitness levels prior to joining your tour to insure the best encounters possible.

Why are you not operating day trips?

Our aim is to take you on the fullest and best whale-swimming experience possible – not fleeting glimpses. For this, you need to maximize your time on the water. We are not here to force any interaction but instead find you the right whales to have the best interaction with! Our years of experience allow us to know that immersing yourself in many different whale encounters over a week time is the best way to experience this very intimate & profound privilege.

AND  . .  know that once you have swum with them, once you have looked in the eye of a whale, you will want to do it again and again.

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We also make sure that we only use the best boats and have the best skippers. A good whale-watching skipper knows that the best way to get great encounters is to take the time to let the whales get used to the boat and for the swimmers to be an un-intrusive as possible.

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It is harder for the day trip boats because they sometimer speed up to the whales, drop (sometimes very inexperienced) snorkelers in the water and encounters can be compromised because the splashing can spook the whales. Therefore, the day trips have limited time and are under pressure to deliver the swims so the swims can be fleeting.

How to get to Vava'u?

ARRIVING IN VAVA'U

You will need to be in Vava’u by the afternoon of the starting date of your tour. We will gather in the dining room of the resort at 6pm that evening for our Welcome Dinner and tour briefing. Your tour finishes after breakfast and checkout of the last date of your tour.

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We will arrange your Vava’u airport transfers to and from the tour resort – you just need to enter your flight arrival and departure information into your WhaleSwim account so that we can schedule this.

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When booking airfares please note: There are no international or domestic flights in or out of Tonga on  Sundays.

We swim with the whales in The Vava’u Islands, the northern island group in The Kingdom of Tonga.

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OUR RECOMMENDATION: FLIGHTS FROM NADI, FIJI to VAVA'U 

To join your WhaleSwim Adventure, you can fly Internationally to Nadi, Fiji (airport code NAN) and then fly via Nadi Fiji directly to Vava’u (flights three times a week).

You can book flights with Fiji Airways, directly from Nadi, Fiji to  the international airport in Vava’u, where we swim with the whales.

FIJI AIRWAYS:  https://www.fijiairways.com/en-au/book/book-a-flight​​​

The flights from Nadi to Vava’u generally leave at 8am in the morning, so you may have to stay overnight in Nadi. We suggest, if in transit, that you stay at the Fiji Gateway Hotel: https://www.fijigateway.com/ or contact us for further suggestions.

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International airlines flying into Nadi, Fiji, include Fiji Airways, Virgin Australia, Qantas, Air New Zealand, American Airlines, Cathay Pacific.

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FLIGHTS TO VAVA'U VIA TONGATAPU - THE MAIN ISLAND OF TONGA

Tongatapu is the main island of Tonga. There are direct flights to Tongatapu (TBU) from Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji. Flights land at Fua’amota International Airport, which is about 15km (9m) south-east of the capital, Nuku’alofa. 

• Air New Zealand offers flights six days a week from Auckland, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney with connecting flights to Tonga. 

• Air New Zealand also has international flights from Europe and the United States which will connect to Tonga. 

To get to Vava'u you need to fly from Tongatapu (TBU) to Vava’u (VAV) with the Tongan national carrier, Lulutai Airlines: https://www.lulutai-airlines.to/ 

• Lulutai Airlines offers up to 3 flights a day to Vava’u - if you are arriving in Tongatapu in the morning or early evening you may be able to book a flight to Vava’u that afternoon. 

• NB: –Lulutai Airlines online bookings are in Tongan currency (TOP). 

• If you decide to fly to Tongatapu and take a domestic flight to Vava'u, the local airline website can be a bit unpredictable... we can help with that, just let me know and we can help from the Tonga end.

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