Please read our booking conditions carefully. By booking a tour with Blue Pacific Whale Watching, you accept and are bound by these conditions.

Bookings:
Blue Pacific Whale Watching offers small, personalised whale watching tours and places are limited. If you wish to reserve your tour place/s send the completed booking request form back to us as soon as possible.

• If your nominated tour place/s is available you will be notified and your reservation will be held for seven days from receipt of your completed booking request form.
• An invoice will be sent to you and a non-refundable deposit of 30% of total tour cost must be paid in Australian dollars and received within seven (7) working days of receipt of your completed booking form.
• Failure to forward your deposit within the specified may result in automatic cancellation of your booking.
• Balance of payment is required 60 days prior to your tour start date. Your travel preparation documents will be sent to you upon receipt of deposit payment and all participant details.
• If the balance is not received by the specified date, Blue Pacific Whale Watching reserves the right to cancel your booking and your deposit will be forfeited. For bookings made within 60 days of departure, full payment will be required prior to accepting the booking.
• Re-scheduling of tour may only occur with the approval of Blue Pacific Whale Watching.
• Substitution of guests may only be made with approval of Blue Pacific Whale Watching.
• A fee of up to AUD$50 may apply to any changes made to booking.

If you cancel:

• Cancellation must be received in writing and will be effective from the date Blue Pacific Whale Watching receives the notification. In the event that you cancel your Blue Pacific Whale Watching tour, the following charges will apply per person:
  
  - 60 days or more before departure = Loss of deposit
  - Between 60 and 40 days before departure = 70% of total cost of tour
  - 40 days or less before departure = 100% of total cost of tour
  
  Note: We suggest that you check whether your travel insurance covers cancellation penalties.

If we cancel:

• If we do not reach the minimum number of bookings for a tour (minimum of 5 people) by 10 weeks prior to departure of each expedition Blue Pacific Whale Watching reserves the right to cancel the expedition and refund any monies paid to them or, by agreement, transfer guests to another expedition. No compensation (eg visas, flights) will be payable by Blue Pacific Whale Watching, however, you will be offered:
  
  
  • An alternative tour possibly at a later date. Any difference in the price will be payable either by you, if the alternate tour is at a higher price; or by Blue Pacific Whale Watching, as a refund, if at a lower price.
  • A full refund of any monies paid to Blue Pacific Whale Watching.

Changes to tour rates:
All tour rates and conditions are subject to change. Prices quoted are based upon costs and exchange rates applicable at the time of preparing these tour prices. We will do all that we can to avoid price adjustments and will generally only amend prices in the event of marked fluctuations in exchange rates, fuel costs and other operating costs on which prices are based.

Method of payment:
NB: All payments must be made in Australian dollars (AUD$).

• Bank transfer or direct deposit - payment can be made by bank transfer or direct deposit to our Australian Blue Pacific Whale Watching account. Bank details will be sent to you with your invoice.
• Cheque – Cheque payments can only can be made from within Australia:
  
  Blue Pacific Whale Watching
  PO Box 31, Suffolk Park, NSW 2481

Liability Waiver and Travel Insurance:

• A Liability Waiver will be sent to you when booking request is confirmed. A copy of this document must be signed by each tour participant and posted or pdf copy of completed document emailed to our office within 14 days of booking.
• Travel Insurance is strongly recommended by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for all overseas travel. Tonga is a third world country with limited medical facilities and an island time approach to schedules occasionally. Blue Pacific Whale Watching strongly advises that you have current comprehensive travel insurance cover when embarking on your tour. If you decline travel insurance you will be required to sign a disclaimer.
• A Guest Details form requiring your contact details, insurance policy confirmation, emergency contacts, pre-existing medical conditions, swimming abilities other essential information will be sent to you when booking is made. A copy of this document must also be signed by each tour participant and posted or pdf copy of completed document emailed to our office within 14 days of booking.
• If payments and/or required documents are not received by the specified times Blue Pacific Whale Watching reserves the right to cancel your booking and your deposit will be forfeited.

Visitors Visa
All visitors to Tonga must have a valid travel passport with at least 6 months validity from the date of entry. A 30 day visitors visa is granted as per standard conditions on entry to Tonga. Application must be made to the Tongan Immigration Dept for any extension on this period.

Whale watching and boat guidelines:
In joining our tours you agree to accept the authority of the guide and whale watching operator at all times while on the boat.

The Tongan whale watching guidelines have been developed as a result of 18 years of experience of swimming with the humpback whales and we support and adhere strictly to these rules. Our tours are undertaken in order to increase awareness and respect for our cetacean friends and all our guides are trained and experienced in being with the whales in the most respectful and least intrusive way possible. All tour participants must follow guide and/or tour director instructions at all times while in the water with the whales. Failure to follow these instructions, or participation in any actions that contravene the whale watching guidelines may result in cessation of whale watching activities for the person/s involved and/or a requirement to leave the tour.

If you fail to comply with whale watching requirement, or interfere with the well being or safety of the group, the Blue Pacific Whale Watching representative or whale watching operator reserves the right to instruct you to leave the tour immediately with no right of refund.

Weather:
Whale watching and boat based activities will be undertaken subject to suitable weather conditions. In the event of cancellation of whale watching days due to unsuitable weather conditions no refund will be given.

Children:
Long days on the boat and the nature of our activities mean that our tours are not suitable for children under the age of 13. Proof of age may be required for youth bookings.

Fitness and Swimming Ability
Swimming with whales and snorkelling on reefs requires a moderate to strong level of fitness and confidence in the water. We may be with the whales in deep water and/or in moderate currents. You must be able to swim and snorkel confidently prior to joining the tour if you wish to swim with the whales. If do not have the required level of fitness or swimming capability during the tour we reserve the right to instruct you to stay on the boat and enjoy the whale watching from there.

Adventuring
Tonga is an undeveloped third world country and Blue Pacific Whale Watching tours are adventure trips. Things can suddenly be running on island time and schedules can change. Communication can sometimes be challenging and infrastructure may not be what you are used to. When booking one of our tours you accept that adaptability, a good sense of humour and a willingness to step out of your comfort zone are key to you enjoying your journey.

Food will be fresh, tasty and plentiful and mostly local – plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, fish and chicken. Imported food items are expensive and often not the best after a long journey to Tonga, and special dietary requirements can be difficult to cater for. If you need specialist foods you may need to consider bringing them with you.

Tonga time means changes can happen and we ask that you be flexible. We will always do everything that we can to maintain the program but changes can occur. No refund will be given for missed itinerary activities.