27/08/2019 to 31/08/2019 - Vava'u / Tonga

Arrived... Tonga is divided into 3 island groups. We chose Vava'u for one specific reason - humpback whales. But before we get to that, we discovered something about the island above and below water. We stayed with a local family just outside the capital city of Neiafu and were treated to delicious local food every evening. We rented a car for a day and explored some of the main island. Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate and we saw a lot from the car. But the rainy weather didn't bother the many pig families living on the island. They sniffed around the beach even in pouring rain. So we went diving, because it's wet underwater anyway. We discovered caves, colorful fish, some sharks, and many snails with great visibility. On the sunniest day, we went out on a boat in eager anticipation of seeing whales. From June to October, it's whale season in Vava'u. The huge humpback whales can be found close to the coast with their calves, and everything on the island revolves around them. People with boats and the appropriate licenses offer whale watching and, if you're lucky, swimming with the animals. The demand is huge, and despite the many providers and the insanely high prices, everything is fully booked every day. We set off on the boat at 8 a.m. In the first 2 hours, all we saw were beautiful beaches and green islands. The mood on the boat slowly became subdued. But then we saw the first tail fins and jumps. We could already see the gigantic animals below the water's surface. A mother whale and her calf stayed near our boat for 1.5 hours. Occasionally, a third whale would appear, surface, and take a breath. So we had plenty of opportunities to observe the animals from the boat and also to swim with them. A very impressive experience that we will remember forever.