To be able to be in the water and swimming with whales is an extraordinary experience and a rare privilege. The purpose of our whale watching tours is to provide the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of these amazing beings. Our aim is to enable our guests to have opportunities to be with the whales in their world - but only on the whale’s terms.  All our in the water and boat based whale watching activities are dependant on the their willingness to interact with us.

The Kingdom of Tonga is one of only three places in the world where you can legally swim with whales. (Others are from live-aboard expeditions to a whale sanctuary at Silverbanks Reef, 40 miles off the coast of the Dominican Republic or from the tiny South Pacific island of Niue).

South Pacific Humpbacks come to calve and to mate in the sheltered waters of the Vava’u Island Group in Tonga from June through to October each year and just a few operators are licensed to take people to swim with them. There are many ‘from a boat’ whale- watching ventures operating throughout the world but the opportunity to snorkel with these magnificent cetaceans has become a valuable visitor draw-card to a very beautiful but remote and economically precarious island nation.

The Blue Pacific Whale Watching team love the whales and have a deep and abiding respect and love for the pristine marine environment and for the people and culture of Tonga. We are passionate about preserving whale safe haven status of Vava’u islands. 

Tonga’s tourism industry is young and still quite third world in many respects. Fortunately the Vava’u whale-swimming industry is being carefully watched and managed, with operators and whale protection researchers working together with local Tongans to ensure that that expeditions are managed according to recently legislated rules. These rules provide strict guidelines to protect the whales from harassment and take care of safety for swimmers.

All our guides are trained to take people to being with the whales in the safest and most respectful and least intrusive way possible. The Tongan whale watching guidelines have been developed as a result of 15 years of experience of swimming with these ancient beings in their Pacific paradise and we support and adhere strictly to these rules.

Many swimming with whales tour guests have become powerful ambassadors for the whales. Meeting these gentle giants in their own environment is often a life changing experience and a precious chance to really understand the importance of their continued existence.

How can you help?
By being informed about the numerous threats to the future of our cetacean friends and our oceans and taking action to help, and by helping to inform others.

Blue Pacific Whale Watching invites you to help spread the word by staying up to date with news on whales and marine environmental issues, letting your friends and associates know what’s going on, and supporting the work of the passionate conservation organisations.