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 usually speed up to the whales, drop 15 – 25 people all in the water at the same time, all scrabbling over each other to be in the front, which can very easily spook the whales. Therefore, they have limited time and are under pressure to deliver the swims so the swims can be fleeting.

How to arrive & get to Vava'u?

FLY FIRST TO NADI, FIJI 

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

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

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

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

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

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FLIGHTS FROM NADI, FIJI to 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.

Flights

We are currently recommending that guests get to Vava’u by flying to Nadi, Fiji and then getting a flight directly from Nadi (NAN) to Vava’u (VAV) with Fiji Airways: https://www.fijiairways.com/en-au/book/book-a-flight

If you are planning to fly with Fiji Airways from your country to Nadi, we suggest that you book the Nadi (NAN) – Vava’u (VAV) flight first and separately. If you are trying to book a multi-stop fare with Fiji Airways to VAV their booking system sometimes shows no flights available to VAV, but if booking only the flights from Nadi to Vava’u you will find flights available. 

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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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