FAQs

Yes! We have very good whale numbers here in Tongatapu, a longer season due to our more Southern location and we frequently get to experience incredible interactions.

Not only is Tongatapu excellent for consistency when watching and swimming with the whales, it is also a stress-free destination with international flights arriving frequently from New Zealand, Fiji and Australia, all of which have great international links.

And to top it off Tongatapu has plenty of other things for you to experience, just check out our Destination Tongatapu page to find out more about what you can do while you’re here.

• Being based in Tongatapu means no domestic travel. Just jump on an international flight from Nadi, Auckland or Sydney and you’re here!

• We consistently see whales in our operating area. In fact, we think we have some of the best consistency and a longer season due to our more southern location and having a quieter operating area. Although we can never guarantee that you will see or swim with whales, we can reassure you that we historically have a very good success rate.

• We believe that part of our success and our high rate of achieving longer humpback whale interactions is due to our calm, ethical and selective approaches. 

• We take a maximum of 2 swim groups on our trips. Our whale swim excursions strictly follow licensing conditions, allowing a maximum of 4 swimmers in the water with the whales at any one time, alongside 1 qualified guide.  By limiting our swim groups to a maximum of 2 (8 swimmers total) you are getting more opportunity and time to swim with the humpback whales, with the swim groups being rotated. It’s worth it!
• Our NZ built hardtop boats give you that added protection from the elements and their speed and agility allow us to cover a larger area if needed to find whales and also to find that perfect lunch stop.

• Lunch most days is on a pristine island – one of the highlights! Walk its tropical beach with a coconut in one hand and a delicious slice of watermelon in the other – picture perfect!

• We are an owner-operated business, your experience means a lot to us. 

• You are only allowed to swim with the whales in Tonga with a fully licenced operator. Tahi Tonga is fully qualified and licenced.

• We have many years of experience swimming with the whales. We love it so much that we made it our business.

• We are committed to looking after your journey right from the moment you enquire with us until we say “toki sio” at the end of your trip, and even after that we can send you photos of your adventure.

• Our Guide takes a go pro on swims and can send you footage of your experience. We don’t charge for this; we just love reliving those special moments.

• We care. For you, the humpback whales, for the environment and for Tonga. We hope that when you leave you feel the same.

The whale swim excursion is an open ocean experience. For maximum enjoyment, swimmers should be confident in the ocean and have a reasonable level of snorkelling experience and fitness.

If you’re not experienced, then that is also okay, and our crew will work with you to accommodate your ability. Please just understand that requiring assistance may limit your experience and time in the water. You are required to accept these limitations if assistance is required, and that these limitations are not grounds for a refund.

Guests will need to be able to climb a ladder under their own power to get out of the water and back onto the boat.

Our whale swim trips are a maximum of 7 hours and include a stop for lunch. We normally meet at Faua wharf at 8am to get ready for an 8.30 am departure and arrive back at around 3.30pm.

We often have space for one or two whale watchers to join our trips. The price for this is $550. Please enquire to find out more.

It is advisable to arrive wearing what you will have on under your wetsuit. Before departure, all swimmers will be supplied with a wetsuit to put on. Swimmers will wear the wetsuit from the departure point, until the swim part of the tour has been completed or until we arrive back to the harbour at which point you can change into dry clothes or have something to put over your togs for the ride back to your accommodation.

Wetsuits. All swimmers are fitted with a 2.5mm spring suit. We also have a small selection of long wetsuits available. Or you can bring your own.

Snorkel & Mask. If this will be your first time using a snorkel and mask, then we recommend having a practice first if you can. You could even check out some you tube videos on how to use

If you have a set of your own that you are used to wearing, then bring that for best fit. Please note that full face masks are not allowed.

Fins / Flippers. Wearing fins is required, please advise your crew if there is any reason you can’t. If this will be your first time wearing fins then we recommend practicing first if you can, or check you tube for some tips.

You are also welcome to bring your own fins – we do however prefer guests not to bring freediving fins or carbon fibre fins. Free diving with the humpback whales in Tonga is strictly not allowed and as we are swimming in close proximity carbon fibre fins can cause injury to other guests.

Everyone can bring phones and cameras to capture pictures.
Our guide, where possible, will also take basic GoPro footage to share with you.
Swimmers should also bring:
– Swimsuit (have on already to put your wetsuit over),
– Towel and clothing to put on at the end of the day and a small bag which is able to accommodate your dry clothing on board the boat.
– Sunblock, sunhat and sunglasses.
– Sea sickness medication if it may be needed. Some recommend taking the night before.

Our crew take a go pro on board and in the water with them and share the footage with you. It can take a few days for the footage to be sent through.

Unfortunately, you will not be able to use a drone on the vessel. You may however use one on your lunch stop.

We often get asked if there is a discount for children swimming with the whales. unfortunately, there is not. We strictly only take 8 swimmers on our vessel at a time and a child is considered as one of those swimmers.

All children aged under 14 years must be accompanied by an adult, who must take full responsibility for that child, in the water, on land and on board the boat at all times.

For whale swim tours we recommend a minimum age of 8 years old, due to the length of time spent on the boat, and the nature of the activity.

Children will need to be confident in the water and comfortable spending the day onboard. Crew reserve the right to not allow a child to enter the water if they deem conditions to be high risk. This is not grounds for seeking a refund for the tour.

Please enquire if this tour is right for your child.

We do have child size equipment however do advise bringing the goggles or mask your child is most used to swimming in for their comfort and confidence.

We try our best to accommodate all potential customers wishing to participate however there are restrictions due to the nature of what we do and the limited space on the vessels that we use.

Swimming with the whales is a physically demanding activity which requires a reasonable degree of personal fitness. Participants must also be able to move off the vessel and back up the ladders at the stern of the boat.

Contact us about what we can do to help facilitate the best possible tour experience for you and we will always try our best to assist.

Each day out on the water is unique. You could find yourself in the water for a short time or it could be 20 minutes before we make a group swap and depending on the day we might get the chance to have another swap or interact with different sets of whales.

As this is a wildlife encounter, we have no control over what you may see either above or in the water. Once on the water we do have a very high success rate of locating humpback whales and a high success rate of swimming with them. However, nothing can be guaranteed in the wild, and on some days swims can be fleeting, and on rare occasions, not possible at all.

If you have a chance to do more days, then that is always recommended, especially in July and October. If you can then we would recommend 3 days.

All our tours are subject to operational costs, as such we do not offer any refunds.

We position ourselves at a comfortable distance (for us and the whale) from the whale.

Local regulations prohibit you from getting within 5 meters of a whale, and trying to touch a whale is strictly not allowed.

We ask that our guests follow the guide instructions on how to approach and observe the whales to minimize disturbances.

Remaining calm and maintaining a respectful distance from the whale allows the whale to feel more comfortable and often leads to swimmers being able to enjoy much longer, relaxed interactions.

Swimming with the humpback whales is a wildlife encounter in their natural environment and all interactions are very unique and are on the whales terms.

No. Tonga regulations prohibit the use of scuba, and freediving with the whales. These regulations are required to ensure that we minimise interference with the whales as we observe them in their natural habitat.

By snorkeling only, we allow for a more safe and natural experience, where the whale is less likely to demonstrate avoidance behavior.

Staying on the surface also allows for the guide to better communicate with you as each whale exhibits unique behaviors.

For Swim with the whale adventures, guests will be required to swim with flippers and a mask and snorkel, in the open and at times choppy ocean.

If a whale swim looks possible the swim group will enter the water along with their guide, form a group and calmly approach the whale’s last seen position. This approach can at times be a long swim.

If the whale is located the guide will follow the whales cues to try and establish a mutual interaction. Guests will remain with the guide and follow the guides instruction.

When it is time to get back on the boat, you’ll form a group and tread water while the skipper positions the boat close by. Once it’s safe to proceed, you’ll be signaled to swim to the vessel, and climb aboard.

Swimmers will need to be able to climb a ladder under their own power to get out of the water and onto the boat.

Luckily for us the Humpback whale is a surface breather. As they surface to breathe they make a “water spout” in the air. Our crew, along with your help if you’re keen, will be on the lookout for this.

Once we know the general location of a whale, we make a slow approach to get closer and observe its behaviour, there can be a fair bit of manoeuvring involved as we establish the whale’s location, movements and if it is a whale we will swim with or not. Not every whale is interested in having us around and if this is the case, we leave that whale and continue our search.

Tongan Regulations only allow for one vessel and one guided group to be interacting with the same whales at a time. You will see other whale swim boats on the water but they will not be approaching the same whale as us. Boat captains maintain contact to ensure this. Tongatapu has around 7 whale swim boats operating in a large operating area.

Our season starts on July 1 and goes through till end of October. It is hard to say when the best time is to come as every year is different. Whale numbers tend to be much lower in early July and in October, but these months have been when we’ve had our more unique and memorable experiences.

The peak of the season, when whale numbers are the highest, is August and September.