A whale of a time in Tonga

By ALEX TULLY

You might imagine that getting up close and personal with a whale is something that happens only in the movies. But you'd be wrong. It's actually rather easy to do. And you don't need to be an experienced diver or a gun swimmer either.

Just head for the Kingdom of Tonga and, as well as enjoying a relaxing holiday on a tropical island, for about $70 you can star in your own version of Whale Rider. Well, you can't actually ride a whale the way Keisha Castle-Hughes did, but you can go swimming with a 13m-long humpback whale (weighing the same as 40 small cars) and her 10-tonne calf.

Is it scary?

When I dropped over the side of the boat and realised that the bottom was more than 100m below me, and I was about to come face to face with an animal bigger than the average city bus, it was a little disquieting. But as soon as I saw the fish-shaped double-decker ahead of me all doubts about whether I was going to be run over vanished to be replaced by total awe.

At first all I could see were golden rays of sunlight making hazy stripes through the turquoise water and all I could hear was the gentle roar of my breath as it travelled up and down my snorkel. But then ahead I made out a group of large shadows.

As I quietly swam closer, one of the giant shapes turned slightly on its side as though to get a better look at me with a saucer-sized eye.

I felt suddenly overwhelmed by a sense of wanting to communicate with this giant animal as I recognised the look of intelligence and understanding in that unblinking gaze.

Then, as I held my breath in amazement, the huge mammal, its skin encrusted with barnacles, rose to the surface and, snorting like a horse, shot a misty spout of water and air into the sky.

Imitating its mother, the much smaller calf, only the size of a large car, which had been snuggled shyly against her side, also rose to the surface, so close to me I felt I could almost reach out and touch it.

From down below an eerie sound resonated through the water, like a deep, sorrowful moan punctuated by a squeak like the creaking of old timbers. The third and largest shape, a male escort, was calling to the female humpback whale beside me.

Suddenly it struck home that I wasn't watching this scene unfold on TV - I was living and breathing my very own David Attenborough moment.

Although you can watch whales all over the globe it is rare to be allowed to get into the water with the giant mammals. According to the Lonely Planet guide, the Kingdom of Tonga is one of only two places in the world where people are permitted to swim with whales (the other being in the Caribbean).

The best time to visit Tonga for a whale encounter is between July and November, when the humpback whales migrate around 8000km from Antarctica to give birth in the warm, sheltered waters of the Tongan islands.

Knowing where to go is just as important as knowing when to visit to ensure a memorable experience.

Although Tonga tried to put itself on the tourist map at the turn of the millennium with a marketing campaign which included "Tonga, the kingdom where time begins", tourism is still in its infancy in these islands and it sometimes seems as though time hasn't started yet.

Although this means these friendly islands are essentially unspoiled and the gentle pace provides the perfect antidote to a hectic life, it can lead to frustration if you have limited time, so choose your island carefully.

The Kingdom of Tonga consists of 171 islands spread over 362,000sq km of the South Pacific Ocean. These range from coral atolls with white sandy beaches, coconut palms and clear blue seas, such as Ha'apai, to steep-sided volcanic islands, such as Vava'u.

Vava'u is the place to visit if you want to do the whale thing. Not only are the waters around this island so clear that you can see a mother humpback suckling her calf 50m to 100m below you but the whale watch operators based on the island are professional and plentiful.

They have formed a code of practice to protect the whales and ensure that everyone has a magical experience. The rules include how close boats can get to the whales, how many people can be in the water at one time and how long boats can stay.

Two of the initiators of the code are Kiwi Magic Charters and Whale Watch Vava'u. Although nature cannot be booked to perform on cue, both of these operators know the whales so well that, if anybody can, they will be able to offer you a chance to see the whales at some stage during your day.

As well as swimming with mother whales and their new-born calves, you may also have the opportunity to get into the water with the male escort groups who come to court the females.

And if getting into the water is not your scene, you might be lucky enough to see an amazing display as the males show off to each other including breaching, pectoral fin slapping and tail slapping.

When you're that big, every performance looks as though it deserves an Oscar.

Getting there

Royal Tongan Airlines, Air New Zealand, Air Pacific and Polynesian Airlines are the main airlines servicing Tonga at present.

Depending on when you plan to go and where the airline price wars have got to at the time of booking the cost of flights and the flight/accommodation package deals may vary widely so it will pay to shop around.

Royal Tongan Airways flies between Auckland and Tongatapu four times a week and offers a daily domestic service (except Sunday) between Tongatapu and Vava'u.

Air New Zealand flies between Auckland and Tongatapu five times a week. At the time of writing its new Pacific Express service was the cheapest deal on offer with return fares starting at $398 return.

Polynesian Airlines fly to Tongatapu only on Thursdays.

Currency

After years of being the equal of the US dollar the Tongan dollar is now worth less than the New Zealand dollar. A New Zealand dollar will buy you around TO$1.30.

Whale watching trips

There are eight whale watch operators in Vava'u, which all charge TO$95 a person a trip.

To find out more go to Tongan holiday website or contact the operators directly:

* Kiwi Magic Charters: Email kiwifish@kalianet.to or invited.to/kiwi.magic

* Dolphin Pacific Diving: Email divedpd@kalianetvav.to or dive-adi@wave.co.nz

*Friendly Islands Kayak's Whale Discovery: Email fiko@kalianet.to

* Hakula Lodge's Whales-in-the-Wild: Email fishtonga@kalianet

* Melinda Sea Adventures: Email melinda@sailtonga.com

* Royal Sunset Island Resort: Email royalsun@kalianet.to

*Sailing Safaris: Email sailingsafaris@kalianet.to

Whale Watch Vava'u: phone (676) 70747 or fax (676) 70 493