Whales of Tonga 🇹🇴

This is the ultimate expedition for anyone who has been dreaming of swimming with humpback whales. Not watching them from a crowded boat, but being in the water with them, eye to eye with a mother and her calf. Tonga is one of the very few places on Earth where that is allowed, and every year from July to October it is where the humpbacks come to have their young.

We keep it personal. Eight guests, our own private boat and five full days at sea on Tongatapu, where only a handful of boats go out, far from the crowds of Vava'u. Our expedition leaders are with you all week and help you film your own encounters. No diving licence needed, just confident swimming. You come home with footage you will watch for years, and with a small group of people who were right there with you.

✕ International flights, travel insurance, a night in Nuku'alofa if you arrive a day early, the optional photo package, alcoholic drinks and personal expenses (souvenirs and tips).

We recommend arriving in Nuku'alofa a day early, or very early on the day. We pick you up at the airport or wherever you're staying on the island, get you settled in and bring the group together. Evening briefing on whale behaviour, safety, and how the swims actually work.

Out from the wharf in the morning to find the whales: mothers with calves, curious juveniles, singing males. Four swimmers in the water at a time, so you rotate in small groups and nobody waits long. Lunch on the boat or on a tropical island, depending on where the whales take us.

Tonga rests on Sunday by law, so no boats go out. Church singing if you want it, then the island: caves, a village visit and a cultural evening. A calm break in the middle of the whale days rather than a day lost.

Back out every day. Every encounter is different. Thursday evening we close the expedition properly with a farewell BBQ.

Breakfast, pack, and an airport transfer timed to your flight. Continuing to Fiji with us? Today you fly across to Nadi for Yasawa paradise.

Vava'u is famous, and busy, with 35+ licensed whale boats. Tongatapu has only a handful, so there are more whales per boat, the whales are calmer and you never queue behind other boats. It's also where you land, so no domestic flight. Tongan law allows only 4 swimmers with a whale at a time, so we cap the group at 8: two groups of four, short rotations, and the boat is ours for all five days: no strangers, no other group's schedule. It's snorkelling only (Tongan rules don't allow scuba or freediving with the whales), so no certification is needed, just confident swimming.

You stay in a premium place close to the harbour where our boat leaves every morning. All meals are included: breakfast at the lodge, lunch on the boat or on a tropical island depending on where the whales take us, and dinner together in the evening. Rooms are shared as standard, which is how most groups become friends so fast. Prefer your own space? A private room for the full week is €750 extra. Airport transfers and your wetsuit, mask and fins are included too.

Fly into Nuku'alofa (TBU) on Tongatapu. The whales are right here, so no domestic flights needed. Tonga is easier to reach than most people think: there are direct flights from Nadi (Fiji), Auckland (New Zealand) and Sydney (Australia), so you can connect from almost anywhere. We recommend arriving a day early. Landing on day 1? We pick you up at the airport. Already on the island? We pick you up wherever you're staying. FYI: this expedition can be combined with our Fiji expedition, which starts the day after Tonga ends.

Yes. Professional pictures and videos of the group are included. On request: a full week private photo package, just for you.

If you want to spend as much time as possible in the water with the wildlife, we're your best option. We work with the best local guides, and if you love taking pictures or being in them, for Instagram or just for yourself, you're in exactly the right place.