Whale watching

PDF  Whale watching tours in Vava`u Tonga to the humpbacked whales. From July to November you can listen to the songs of the humpbacked whales and watch their mating rituals in their natural habitat. Vava'u Tonga is reputed to be one of the best places to observe humpbacked whales. The whales are most often approached by boat, but you can also swim, snorkel or dive with them. Snorkelling with humpbacked whales must be one of the most breath-taking experiences that a human being can ever have. In Vava'u Tonga and on Ovaka island you have the ideal opportunity, since our island lies right in the middle of their mating haunts. Humpbacked whales can be seen swimming past our local reef or resting close to the reef after their strenuous journey from the Antarctic.

Throughout the world there are a large number of observation points on land, from which whales can be seen. The biggest advantage of observation from land is that the animals are not in the least disturbed. Whale watching is offerred in about 87 countries at the present time. But there are hardly any places in the world which offer all forms of whale watching. In Vava'u Tonga and on Ovaka island you can experience all forms of whale watching in one place.

Until our own ecological resort on Ovaka island is opened, our team will endeavour to arrange this unbelievable experience with another reputable operator, since incompetent or negligent observation can have serious negative effects on the whales. Consequences that occur immediately and so can be attributed to incorrect observation are:

- change in the behaviour of the animals, e.g. change in the swimming velocity or direction, lengthening of the duration of the dives.
- the animals of a group can be separated from one another by the boats
- danger of collisions between ships or boats and the whales.

For the protection of the humpbacked whales there are some important rules which should be carefully observed, for instance ..

- abide by the distance of closest approach (100m)
- limit the maximum number of boats (3 boats at the most within 300m of the animals)
- limit the maximum duration of the observation ( e.g. a maximum of 30 minutes)
- maintain slow speeds and avoid abrupt changes of velocity or direction of the boats