Page 49 - Islands Business October 2023 edition

Safari

To safeguard the overall well-being of the beasts (and and fins, we plunged off the boat into the (numbingly cold!)
humans), and to ensure that tours are conducted in a water to find ourselves in front-row seats of a pageantry
respectful and responsible manner, the government places show known in marine biological circles as a heat run. Three
value over volume, which translates into a short supply of adult male humpbacks, each the size of a city bus, were belly
daily seats, as well as a steep price tag. But if you manage to flopping on the water surface and putting on a show to woo
grab a spot on a boat — as I did during a visit to Tonga earlier a solitary female whale, who periodically swam up from the
this year — here’s how the best Saturday of your life might bottomless blue below us to take a quick look at her suitors,
end up unfolding. before diving back into the abyss.
As if to compound the drama associated with the Despite being engaged in their courtship ritual, the whales
experience, our boat trip out of Nuku’alofa that day had were instantly cognisant of our presence and seemed to
begun on a damp note. The weather was hardly perfect; temper down their own movements so as not to harm us in
the sun had taken the day off without notice, and a chilly any way. Soon, a connect between two intelligent species was
15-knot wind relentlessly kicked up four-foot waves, leaving established. As we floated close to each other in the rough
us cold and sullen as we spent nearly two hours bobbing on water, the whales occasionally circled in to take a closer look
the choppy sea looking for signs of cetacean presence: the at us, often mimicking the body movements of our snorkelling
fountain spray of a blow, the Y-shaped fluke of a tail, maybe guides in a friendly gesture. Duck dives, somersaults, a wave
even the slap of a pectoral fin as a whale came up for air. of hand, everything we did was mirrored by the giants as they
There was absolutely nothing. played with us with juvenile glee.
Then suddenly, as we were half-contemplating beating an After about 20 minutes of getting to know each other, we
early retreat to the pier, we spotted in the distance what decided to move away from the whales. Another tour boat
seemed like a pod of whales creating a flurry in the water. As was patiently waiting its turn in the distance, its guests
the boat revved up its engine and gradually changed course due for a swim with the pod once we had finished. Heaving
towards the creatures, our state of mind flipped from near ourselves back aboard our boat, we slowly pulled away
dejection to utter excitement in a matter of seconds. It was from the whales and headed back to shore, the enthralling
game on. experience of being in such proximity to one of world’s largest
Ten minutes later, kitted up in our wetsuits, masks, snorkels animals etched in our minds for posterity.

Trip Essentials

The best whale sightings often take place around Vava’u, an island in northern Tonga. But the
northern bay of Tongatapu is more convenient to access from the capital Nuku’alofa.
Whale safaris are not conducted on Sundays, when all of Tonga shuts for business.
Among registered operators, the family-run outfit Deep Blue (www.deepbluediving.to) is based on
Nuku’alofa’s waterfront and conducts excellent whale watching tours.

Islands Business, October 2023 49