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On a whim, I ended up booking a last minute spot to join a small group in a journey half way around the world. Why? The prospect of getting to swim with my favorite animal - the humpbback whale! If you’ve ever thought about doing this, here are the 3 things you should know.
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THIS ISN’T A BUDGET TRIP
This probably goes without saying, but this isn’t your usual (or my usual) get the most bang for your buck trip. The flights to get to Tonga are very expensive, mainly because you will have to fly (from the US) either through New Zealand or Fiji. Then from there you’ll have another connection to Tonga, and these flights are limited and cost almost as much as my flight from LAX to Fiji! All in all I had to buy 4 flights to get out here, travel 36 hours, and spent over $2,000 on flights alone. Obviously this will vary on where and when you’re flying from.
Once on the islands, you can then choose to book the snorkel/swim trips with operators on a day basis. It is recommended that you book at least 3 days to give yourself the best chance of seeing whales (there are also usually discounts for booking multiple days. Or, you can go the route I took, which is to book an all inclusive week long trip. This broke down to roughly $800 per day for me. (Remember, I sold my house and everything I own to travel, so that fund supported this adventure)
NOTHING IS GUARANTEED
As I mentioned you are recommended to spend at least 3 days on the water to give yourself the best chance of seeing whales. The island around where we were based, Vava’u, has one of the highest possibilities of seeing them, and even we went 3 days in a row without seeing a single whale! No blow, no fluke, nothing!! Also, be aware that there are no tours operated on Sundays, so do not count this as one of the days you want to go out.
IT WILL BE THE BEST THING YOU EVER DO
So yes, it’s expensive. It’s a pain to get there. But oh man, it is so worth it! Not only are the islands something out of a tropical fairytale, the moment you get into the water with a 30 tonne gentle giant is one you’ll never forget. If you get lucky enough to come cross one or two that are genuinely curious about you, you’ll see them looking up at you as they twirl below you, or perhaps spy hop right behind the boat as you slip into the water. And on occasion you might be one of the lucky ones that gets to encounter a curious baby and an experienced mother that will let you entertain her calf’s curiosity. (I didn’t get to experience this, but that’s why I plan on returning for another chance).
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