| Tonga whale watching and swimming with whales (the | | | | waters and are ether heading back to Antarctica or |
| southern Humpback), is a highlight for most travelers to | | | | are already there. |
| the wonderful kingdom of Tonga. | | | | Antarctica is the favorite feeding ground of the |
| Humpback whales have visited Tonga's crystal clear | | | | southern humpback whales the journey is about 6000 |
| blue waters for centuries. The southern humpbacks | | | | km from Tonga. They humpback feed on Krill and |
| migrate from their summer feeding grounds in | | | | schools of very small fish and as the Antarctic has |
| Antarctica to their winter breeding grounds of Tonga | | | | acres of krill and the humpbacks eat tonnes of krill a |
| for it's warm tropical waters and safer birthing areas. | | | | day, you can see why this is the obvious feeding |
| The journey takes them through the islands of | | | | ground for them. Humpback do not have teeth they |
| Tongatapu, 'Eua island, Ha'apai and Vava'u, The | | | | have baleen plates about 240-400 plates which hang |
| whales come to mate and give birth. | | | | on each side of their huge mouths. |
| The Southern humpbacks start to arrive in June, and | | | | The krill and small fish get trapped between the hair |
| most new caves are born between July and | | | | fringed edges of the baleen. During the winter migration |
| September. The courtship displays are incredible to | | | | (when they are in Tonga and 'Eua island) the whales |
| see with the whales leaping right out of the water. If | | | | do not eat, they survive on fat reserves from their |
| you are going, Tonga whale watching and swimming | | | | summer gorging in Antarctica. |
| with whales it is not un-common to have the whales | | | | The whale watching and whale swimming in Tonga |
| jumping out, right in front or beside the whale watching | | | | operators are aware of the delicate balance which |
| boat. | | | | needs to be maintained between viewing / harassing |
| By October most of the new calves are big enough to | | | | the whales.They have developed a code of conduct |
| travel, feeding on around 500 liters of Mum's milk a day | | | | to help insure that the population of humpback whales |
| and So the start of the long journey back, to the | | | | continues to find a safe and peaceful haven in The |
| nutrient rich waters of Antarctica begins. By November | | | | kingdom of Tonga. |
| most of the Humpback whales have left Tongan | | | | |