September 27, 2012
One of the best things we did in Tonga was the Whale Excursion. During the winter season, the humpback whales come to the south pacific from Antarctica to breed and to give birth. They then remain here to raise their calves until they’re big enough to make the trip back to Antarctica for the summer (December – March). Tonga is one of their favorite spots, and at the height of the season there are a lot of whales here.
Vava’u has at least 3 outfits that take people out to swim with the whales, almost always a mother and calf. When you sign up for a trip they cannot guarantee a whale encounter; so it’s a bit of a risk. Some mother whales are nervous and don’t want their calf swimming with us human folk, while other whale moms don’t mind at all. They let you know if they’re receptive by “settling,” which means staying put close to the tour boat. We were lucky in that we found a mom and calf who were willing to settle long enough to let both sets of swimmers be with the calf. (There are about 8 tourists on these boats and you go in with the whales only 4 at a time). The calves are curious and love being around the goofy-looking human species: it’s always mom who decides if they stay and for how long.
Rich and I were in the first group, and it was a fantastic experience as the whale calf swam right up to us and stayed with us. After we got back on the boat and the second group went in, and it was a thrill to watch as the calf swam right up to them and rolled over on his back! After all of us got to be with the whales, mom decided that would be enough and swam off with her calf. We followed a little way in case she settled again, but she kept going. I think I can speak for everyone on the boat when I say we were more than satisfied with the time we had!
One nice thing about these whale excursions is that they include at least one snorkeling excursion, and Tonga has some of the best snorkeling in the world. After our swim with the whales, it was time for lunch, which was included in the trip. We had calm seas; so the boat motored over to the back side of an island and anchored, and we all ate our lunch (sandwich fixings and cookies). After lunch we were told we could snorkel right there. I went in not excepting anything special at this spot with no name, but I was wrong: this was the best snorkeling we had seen in the entire South Pacific! The fish and coral were incredible! (Unfortunately our waterproof camera was acting up so we didn’t get pictures.)
After snorkeling and lunch, we headed over to Kapa island to a spot called Swallow’s Cave. That, too, was beautiful but in a different way. There were no fish or coral, just deep, crystal clear water in the cave, but when you look up to the ceiling there is a large hole where you can see sky, green vegetation, and swallows darting back and forth. A bit further up the island is another cave and if you’re brave, you can swim down and through an entry into yet another cave behind it. Since we had a guide with us, we were brave and did it. It was fun to ride the surge up and down in that final cave, which gives it the nickname “The Elevator Cave.”
Around 3pm, it was time to head back to town. It had been an incredible day of snorkeling with whales, tropical fish, amazing coral, and fascinating caves. There was one more benefit I appreciated: getting a look at some of the islands and anchorages we might be visiting in the near future. Already I had an idea of where I most wanted to go and what we could skip. -Cyndi
Note: You can see some photos of the whales in Rich’s post coming up next.
