2025 – PREMIUM Exclusive Small Group, Main Season Departures

8 days

2025 – PREMIUM Exclusive Small Group, Main Season Departures
  • About
  • Gallery
  • Itinerary
  • Location
  • Things to keep in mind

$AUD 973 per day

"Ethical", "sustainable", "professional", "best practice", "responsible" ... these are all words that our guests and conservation partners have used to describe the highly experienced professionals that will guide you on this life-changing experience. The Kingdom of Tonga is a beautiful destination in its own right but it's become famous in recent years as the global epicentre of swimming with Humpback Whales. With longer, more sustained encounters with whales, we are delighted to have the chance to introduce you safely and sustainably, to Tonga's largest and most charismatic inhabitants.

Your 8-day tour starts the moment you land in Tonga when we pick you up from Nuku’Alofa airport and we transport you to the comfort of the seafront Tanoa Dateline hotel.

You will be met by your tour leader who along with Tongan crew and hospitality staff will be looking after you during your stay. It’s possible to go the whole week barely opening your wallet, as almost everything is included.

We have two non-swim days, where you can explore and relax. This includes the Sunday, which is a cultural day off. On this day you can attend a local church service (an amazing cultural experience in itself), hang out at the accommodation or go snorkelling in front of the hotel.

We will take you to a Tongan feast and also give you the chance to taste kava. This will happen when the timing is right. We choose this based on the days it operates based on the rest of our weather-dependent schedule. This may or may not be on the same day as our cultural tour, where you will be driven around the island (it's only about 40km diameter) and learn all about its art, culture and history.

All meals are provided with vegetarian meals and other dietary requirements accommodated.

For five of the days we will be heading to the harbour and boarding our vessel.

This brand-new boat is one of the best-appointed in the Kingdom. It is comfortable with plenty of room, shelter and it has a built-in toilet (something few, if any, other whale swims boats provide).

Our trips are with a Licensed Whale Swim operator and guides. We can cater for most experience levels, even younger children, though they must be competent swimmers and confident to be in the free ocean.

We start the day for newcomers with a snorkel to test your skills. Under the careful guidance of our whale specialist, we will then spend time looking for and learning about whales. Finding the right whales means getting the best encounters possible - and while we have had up to 15 swims in a day, sometimes a single swim can last over an hour. It just depends on the whales’ mood and that’s where our experts make all the difference to your experience.

Highlights

  • Chance to swim up close, safely and ethically, with Humpback Whales.
  • Led by a marine mammal expert.
  • Small group (max 6 people).
  • 5 days of swimming.
  • Cultural tour and island experience.
  • Tongan feast. 
  • Kava night. 

About

Video

Itinerary
Location
Things to keep in mind