TONGA 2027

wanna look at a Humpback whale?

overview

1 night in Tongatapu at the beginning of your trip
6 nights in water front accommodation
5 full days of exclusive boat charter
Daily whale swims
Breakfast, lunch & dinner each day
Interacting with marine megafauna workshop with Catherine Cushenan
Photography & videography package of our trip highlights (valued at approx. $1,000,000 dollars)
Private charter plane to & from Tongatapu
Airport transfers
Snorkelling on tropical coral reefs
Swimming and exploring hidden ocean caves
Half day island tour
Limited group sizes for intimate encounters

2027 expeditions

26 aug - 02 sept

02 - 09 september
09 - 16 september (SOLD OUT)
16 - 23 september

LOCATION

The Kingdom of Tonga is one of the more remote places in the entire world.

Of 176 islands that make up this friendly country, only 40 are inhabitated- and only one offers the most exclusive whale swim encounters in the world: ours.

Eua is situated right along the Humpback Highway, so named because of the plethora of whales that consistently travel the same routes every year to reach their breeding ground at the end of a long migration from the much colder waters around Antarctica. This island has only two companies operating whale swims, which means you can go a whole day without seeing another boat. The visibility here is among the best in the world, which often leads to greater interactions with our gentle giants.

While you can never guarantee anything with wildlife, the dates I select are right in the middle of the season, so offer a very high chance of seeing both tiny newborn calves, and calves reaching the age where they’re ready to migrate- meaning they’re endlessly inquisitive, and we get to be on the receiving end of their curiosity!

cosy water front accommodation

your schedule

thursday

friday

sunday

monday-
wednesday

Land into Tongatapu and meet your family for the next week. Spend the night in the capital ready for early flight in the AM.

Early morning flight (7-10 minutes long!), short orientation and pop your bags into your waterfront accommodation, then straight to the boat for an orientation swim and whale time!

saturday

thursday

08:30 - 16:30ish searching for & swimming with humpback whales! Our permit allows for 7 hours on the water each day, so if we depart later, we return later. Sunshine, yoga and educational presentations await us at home!

This is a day of rest for the Tongans, so we don’t run whale swims this day. We can snorkel right off the beach, explore the island, or take a rest day- as you please.

Three more days of seven more hours of whale swimming. You would think you would be tired of it by now- I promise you won’t.

Breakfast & goodbyes! (Get out while you still can!) Return transfer to Tongatapu capital. Recommended to book an extra night in the town incase of charter flight delays.

it’s me

Well hello there you cheeky little possum. My name is Cat, and I’m going to be your guide throughout this little adventure. I’m a British record holder in freediving (-80m on one breath, yikes), a marine biologist & shark ecologist (MSc which means I’m a real scientist), underwater photographer/ videographer and general agent of chaos and fun.

While I originally trained as a shark ecologist, primarily working with tiger sharks, whale sharks and blue sharks, I took a turn into the underwater cameralady life, which resulted in this eventual pivot into the world of whales.

Eua in Tonga is my absolute favourite place in the world to spend time

with our favourite chubby dolphins, and I cannot wait to show you the clear blue waters, the beautiful corals and even explore the land with you.

When I'm not admiring the ventral pleats of these magnificent creatures, I’m guiding expeditions with blue whales and sperm whales in Indonesia, orcas in Norway or training depth in freediving.

frequently asked questions

WHY SWIM WITH HUMPBACK WHALES IN TONGA?

Now, if you have to ask that question, then I’m not sure you’re in the right place. But incase you do need persuading, imagine the best visibility in the world with only five other hand selected humans around you (three at a time in the water!), surrounded by whales as far as you can see, with interactions so good you can convince yourself the whales love you as much as you love them... that’s why.

DO I NEED TO HAVE EXPERIENCE SCUBA DIVING?

Now, if you have to ask that question, then I’m not sure you’re in the right place. But incase you do need persuading, imagine the best visibility in the world with only five other hand selected humans around you (three at a time in the water!), surrounded by whales as far as you can see, with interactions so good you can convince yourself the whales love you as much as you love them... that’s why.

DO YOU HAVE SNORKELING EQUIPMENT AND SAFETY VEST?

While we can help with some gear, we strongly encourage you to bring your own snorkel, mask, fins and wetsuit that you have tested and are comfortable with- please feel welcome to reach out on advice for this at any point. We do provide weights and weight belts if they help you feel relaxed in the water. While life jackets are available, swim jackets are NOT so if you want a swimming aid you should bring your own.

WHAT LEVEL OF FITNESS AND EXPERIENCE IN THE WATER IS REQUIRED?

Sometimes the ocean in Tonga can be rough, and boat pickups can take a few minutes if our skipper has a giant whale or three to navigate around! If you feel like you would be comfortable floating or treading water for 10+ minutes and could swim 200m without any trouble, you’ll be fine with us!

HOW DO I GET TO TONGA?

The only direct flights to TBU are from Auckland, New Zealand and Nadi, Fiji. It is best to buy these well in advance as prices do shoot up exponentially! You will need to fly into the capital, Tongatapu, and from there, we will take care of everything. We provide inter island flights for you on the morning of your first day in the water. You should try to arrive into TBU the day before the first day of your trip, and consider flying out the day after your last day incase inclement weather affects your departure from Eua.