Dances with Whales

In the deep blue oceans of the South Pacific, in the Kingdom of Tonga, the gentle giants of the ocean frequent the sheltered waters surrounding the islands of Vava’u. Humpback whales, magnificent in stature, awe inspiring, captivate onlookers with their breathtaking behaviour and dominate the seas with their commanding presence. Communicating with other humpbacks, travelling in groups and performing courting rituals, these whales epitomise all creatures’ desire for social interaction – and not necessarily with members of the same species.

Vava’u is a tropical paradise, strewn with coral reefs, luscious vegetation, limestone sea caves and crystal clear waters. Usually the physical beauty of the island satisfies most people looking for a tropical vacation, but I was in Tonga for something more, something unforgettable.

September 2003, my second visit to Tonga. I was eager to relive my experience of twelve months ago, swimming with my ‘old friends’ - the gentle giants of the sea. That would have been enough. I could never have imagined, the second time around, there would be bigger and better things in store.

Migrating north from Antarctica, these majestic marine mammals come to Vava’u from August to October, to give birth and mate. Over the past ten years humpback numbers have increased consistently and cetacean research has provided some encouraging findings that have generated further interest in learning more about these magnificent creatures.

One of the first encounters I had for the season was quite unique and a little unexpected. It was a visual feast of activity both above and below the water. On the surface, three whales were involved in a display of breaching, pectoral slapping and other attention grabbing behaviour, performing for eyes transfixed by this spectacular show.

The show continued beneath the surface with choreography of epic proportions. The intimate courtship of a female humpback and a male suitor was in session. I watched with zealous interest as these two giants pirouetted gracefully around each other, oblivious to their audience, including a group of spinner and rough toothed dolphins. It was a cavalcade of marine mammals and I was captivated.

As this was my second year visiting Vava’u I had a good idea of what to expect and was very comfortable in the water with the whales. But one experience with a sub adult humpback whale would out shine anything I had seen or experienced before.

As soon as I entered the water with this amazing creature, it was clear that I was there purely for its entertainment. As I approached it was apparent that this humpback was quite comfortable with humans swimming around him. He enthusiastically swam with me I was so close that I had to keep swimming away just to get a photograph of the entire whale in shot.

The experience was overwhelming. I would swim side on as I looked in the whale’s eye and he would be there swimming with me. I would do a little twirl in the water and I was fascinated to see him also do a twirl. I lifted my arm and he lifted his pectoral fin. As I swam away to get a better photograph he would change direction and appeared to be following me. It seems unbelievable, but this whale was imitating my actions. Perhaps he was intrigued by my bright yellow fins, but who knows what motivates a 25 tonne whale to behave the way it does.

At one stage I was so close that the whale brushed his pectoral fin along my legs. It was not aggressive or even accidental, as he was always aware of where I was and often demonstrated this by moving his fins and body around me ever so gently and precisely. It was clear to see that the contact was a conscious action by an increasingly curious humpback. I spent 45 minutes frolicking with this amazing creature but the time passed so quickly and soon I had to say goodbye to this lone male humpback.

Nature in all its splendour and I was witness to it. This is what I had come to Tonga for and I was not disappointed. This was the encounter of a lifetime. I was aware that not everyday would be as perfect as this, but I was on a high that would last, well, at least for another year.

After one particularly disappointing day searching for whales, to no avail, we decided to head for home. On our final approach into the channel towards port we encountered a group of four rowdy whales moving synchronously through the water at a remarkable speed. They would surface and four fearful blows could be heard as they circled around the waters between the groups of islands. Their dominating display was remarkable. We put our boat into neutral as we saw the four whales turn in our direction speeding towards us like torpedos. Two whales surfaced at our stern, while the other two proceeded under the hull of the boat. It was a close encounter of the mammal kind. Watching this display was impressive to say the least.

There is some behaviour that cannot be seen, but can be heard from up to 30 kilometres away - whale song. While not as crowd pleasing as breaching and tail slapping listening to the haunting sound of a whale while in the water is a surreal experience. As you take a breath and dive just beneath the surface, the sound vibrates through your body. The feeling is so exhilarating it forces you to enter their domain and experience things the way a humpback whale might.

When you enter the realm of a humpback, you need to prepare yourself for a range of possibilities. Animals are always unpredictable and every so often they amaze you with behaviour that is indicative of our own social relationships. Slowly we are bridging the gap between our limitations and our ability to communicate with these mysterious leviathans. Tonga is one of the few remaining natural resources that can offer these encounters. I have found my second home.

The operation follows strict guidelines and the whales are never in distress. The tour operator Rae Gill is a conservationist and plays a pivotal role in educating the community about the importance of protecting these valuable resources. WhaleSwim Adventures is committed to whale conservation and fully supports the non-harassment policies of the Whale watching Guidelines in place in Tonga. They also support the implementation of the South Pacific Whale Sanctuary and of course, a World Whale Sanctuary. Email: tours@whaleswim.com website: www.whaleswim.com

All international flights to Tonga fly via Auckland, New Zealand; Nadi Fiji; Apia, Samoa, or Sydney Australia. The airlines are Polynesian Airlines and Air Pacific who are members of the One World group and Air New Zealand who is a member of the Star Alliance group. You can also fly Royal Tongan Airlines daily out of Auckland and every Thursday & Monday out of Sydney, Australia. After arriving in Tonga (Tongatapu) you will need to get a 1.15hour domestic flight to the island of Vava'u to join the WhaleSwim Adventure expeditions.