Free-diving encounters with gentle giants in the Kingdom of Tonga
ON THIS EXPEDITION, we are in search of love. It’s easy to find in Tonga, where the gracious friendliness of the people who live there makes a lot of sense (we’ve come to paradise, after all). And it’s what we’ve come to see underwater as well: the sweet bond between the mother humpback and her calf, the yearning song of the male humpback performing for his heart’s desire, and the fabulous splash of the breaching male who has just launched himself completely out of the water either because he’s just that full of joy, or, more likely, to show off for the ladies.
You will love everything about this trip. It’s primarily a free diving expedition (whales don’t like scuba bubbles), and you’ll love being freer in the water. With Amos’s help, you’ll love the images you get in the 100-foot visibility. And you’re really going to love the Blue Lagoon, where we’ll be lodging. This is a nature-lover’s dream resort. You’ll be staying in ‘fales’, a Tongan bungalow built from driftwood and palm leaves, right on the beach. All electricity comes from either the wind or the sun. The food is a showcase of South Pacific cuisine. This is where the King of Tonga always dines when he comes to Vava’u.
General Itinerary:
Day 1: DEPART your home airport for Fiji. From the U.S. it’s about 11 hours, and crosses the International Dateline.
Day 2: ARRIVE Fiji, and connect with your flight to Tonga, a trip of about 90 minutes. At the Tonga International airport, collect your luggage and gear and take a cab to the domestic terminal, three minutes away, and connect with your flight to Vava’u. We’ll be waiting for you at the airport in Vava’u to take you via water taxi to our resort hotel, the Blue Lagoon.
Day 3 – 12: Begin nine days of whale watching and free diving. Depending on weather and water conditions, we’ll go out every day on our main boat, is 30 feet long and 10.5 feet across. She holds eight people. We’ll have wide-angle photography clinics with Amos (these are big whales).
Day 13: DEPART the Blue Lagoon by taxi back to the Vava’u airport for your flights back to Tonga and Fiji and home.
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Tour price includes:
- Nine days of humpback whale encounters and free diving activities
- Ten nights accommodation at double occupancy
- Transfers from Vava’u Airport to the water Taxi and Blue Lagoon
- All meals – breakfast, box lunch, and dinner at the Blue Lagoon
- Photo coaching by Amos Nachoum
- Only six guests
Not included in Tour Price:
- Airfare for all flights to and from home to Vava’u (Note: Tonga domestic flight is about $250)
- Excess baggage charges on flight
- Hotel charges in Tonga
- Personal charges such as laundry, meals ashore, bar, and telecommunication charges
- Insurance – we strongly recommend you buy your own travel, health, and diving insurance
- Loss of dive gear and equipment
- Gratuities
Payment Policy & Deposit:
When we receive your deposit, with your confirmation we will send you a comprehensive and detailed Trip Preparation Bulletin about the experience and the destination. All trip costs are subject to change without prior notice until your reservation is confirmed.
- A non-refundable deposit of $2,800 is required to secure a place on the trip.
- Full payment is due no later than 90 days before departure.
- We reserve the right to sell any space that is not paid in full 60 days before departure.
- A refund will be made if the space can be filled in time, less unrecoverable costs of sales, administration, or special promotion.
- Cancellation must be made in writing. Deposits are non-refundable if cancellation is made 180 days or less before departure.
- No refunds for unused part of the itinerary.
For payment, please mail your check to:
Big Animals Expeditions
2000 Broadway, Suite #1204
San Francisco, CA 94115
A note on preparation
We’ll be in tropical waters but it sometimes gets cloudy, rainy, and windy. Do bring a windbreaker coat that can go over your wetsuit. Bring casual clothing, a long-sleeve shirt in light colors, plus a hat, sunglasses, and sunblock cream. Bring a hard waterproof case no larger than 21”x13”x9” for your topside camera, and a waterproof soft bag for dry clothes to carry onboard. Be sure to bring all medicines you take on a regular basis. Bring your passport and a credit card.
Diving equipment
We recommend a 3mm wetsuit or Lycra lightweight body protection. Bring your mask plus an extra strap, snorkel and fins (plus extra straps — spring-loaded straps are highly recommended). Ankle weights (to keep your fins in the water for maximum efficiency while snorkeling). A BC & regulator — these are not required and can be rented if needed at the local dive shop.
A general note
Although we’re confident about what you’ll experience on Vava’u, we’d like to remind you that we’re in the wilderness and despite all our careful preparation, Mother Nature may not cooperate with us exactly as we’d wish. Remember, the humpbacks are not on contract with us. When we’re at sea, we’re not at Sea World. We trust our previous experiences, and so far our record is excellent. We believe that with good planning and a realistic approach, you’ll have a wonderful time with us in the South Pacific and with the gentle giant, the humpback whale.
All information is current as of January 2011. Dates and prices are subject to change without prior notice.
For Booking and/or further questions, please contact Amos:
Phone: (415) 923-9865
Toll free: 877-229-4253
Email: phototrips@biganimals.com
amos@biganimals.com
We look forward to your joining us on this adventure of a lifetime!
To join us, please complete the Registration Form
