FAQ's

What Gear to bring:

Q: What do you need to bring with you?

A: We suggest you bring your own mask, snorkel and fins as it is always more comfortable and less problematic having gear you know. Below is a list of basic items to bring:

What to expect out on the water:

Q: What will the interactions be like with the whales?

A: The interactions can last 1 minute or 1 hour depending on how comfortable the whales are, but expect to get up close and personal with them at some stage on your trip.

Q: How long do we spend out on the water each day?

A: The time we spend in the water depends on the whales, weather and location. There are endless snorkeling spots that we will try and stop at each day during lunch.

Q: Will there be opportunities to swim with other marine mammals?

A: We often see dolphins, pilot whales and on a few occasions whale sharks, sperm whales and manta rays, you never know what you might come across.

Q: Do we get to snorkel around the Islands?

A: We try to snorkel every day in the pristine coral reefs, amazing caves and blue sapphire water that surrounds the Islands.

Eating out in Vava’u

Q: Are there many options for breakfast and dinner?

A: There are a number of nice cafes and restaurants that have a good range of food to choose from, you won’t go hungry. We will point you in the right direction

Q: Do we need to bring food on the boat

A: Lunches and water are provided every day

Q: Can you meet certain dietary requirements?

A: Tonga doesn’t have a lot of variety when it comes to catering for vegetarian or other dietary requirements, and although you will find cafes and restaurants that can make a special meal, it is often good to have a bit of a backup.

Snorkeling and Diving around the Islands

Q: Do we need our dive certificate to swim with the whales?

A: No, we basically only ever snorkel with the whales and there are specific rules that prohibit us from diving with the whales. The whales often stay close to the shallows or on the surface of the water, so there is no need to dive.

Q: What type of accomodation is available?

A: The accommodation ranges from backpackers to luxury resorts and all depends on how much you would like to spend. We can make recommendations based on your budget.

Q: Do we stay on a liveaboard while we are in Tonga

A: No, the Islands are very close together and the whales are never too far from where we set off.

Q: What are the Age and Fitness Requirements?

A: There are no age requirements but participants should be able to swim a hundred metres or so comfortably, and be confident snorkeling in open ocean that may sometime get choppy. However we endeavour to stay around the Islands in calm waters, and will often avoid any rough seas.

Customs aand Tradition

Q: Do the Tongan people have a holy day that they observe?

A: Sunday is a day of rest in Tonga and most places are closed and very few activity happens on a Sunday


Other Activities around Vava’u:

Tongan feast

You can participate in some of the local traditions including an authentic Tongan feast.

Island tours

There are also opportunities to see the islands with one of the local tour guides

Snorkelling

There are a number of companies that run snorkeling tours