During March to November, Vava'u and Nuku'alofa are a haven for many ocean going yachts. Port of Refuge harbor in Vava'u provides a beautiful sheltered anchorage. The Paradise International Hotel provides visitors with world class amenities . On Tongatapu, the Nuku'alofa Yacht and Motor Club welcomes visitors.

Horses are still a popular means of transportation on all the main island groups. Hotels and tour operators can make arrangements for the hire of horses. Generally there are no saddles available and the horses have not been schooled. Previous riding experience is strongly recommended.

A number of beaches at the Western end of the island of Tongatapu are ideal for surfing, and resorts catering to this dynamic sport make access to the warm water easy.

Whales in the South Pacific

Humpback whales migrate to Tongan waters between June to November. The warm waters of Vava'u are an excellent breeding refuge for humpback whales -- particularly around the island of Hunga.

Every winter the Tongan waters are host to the magnificent humpback wales -- (Megaptera novengliae). Migrating from their summer feeding grounds in the the Antarctic -- humpback whales make their appearance in Tongan waters every June through November.

The migration covers thousands of kilometers. The whales come to the warm protected Tongan waters to give birth and to mate. Humpback calves are born in Tonga with very little insulation. The warm waters are very important for their months of growth. During the first six months of their life; calves gain an average of about 45 kgs [99 lb.] each day.

Like all whales and dolphins, humpbacks are warm blooded, air breathing mammals who give birth to live young -- who suckle on their mothers milk. Tongan waters provide little food for the adult humpback. Studies indicate the average male looses up to 15% of his body weight. While a nursing mother looses up to 25%. It's no surprise that female humpbacks are the larger of the two sexes by 10%.

Humpbacks engage in fantastic courtship and mating behavior which can last for hours. Gestation for these enormous creatures is about 12 months.

The underside of each whales tail, (fluke), is unique. By photographing the fluke -- scientists have identified individual humpbacks in Tongan waters. Like all whales -- humpbacks -- are sonic creatures who rely mainly on their hearing. It is little wonder that they are very vocal. These whales are known for their complex songs. Like human composers -- they employ syllables and rhyming phrases to produce complex themes that are repeated in an orderly manner to make up a song. These songs have been recorded by scientists for a number of years. There a few mysteries of the deep like the song of the whale.

Because of their fondness for shallow coastal waters -- Humpbacks are among the best known of the large whales. This fondness for shallow waters has also been their downfall. At one time as many as 150,000 humpbacks roamed the worlds' seas. Beginning in the early 1800's and continuing into 1960's humpbacks suffered uncontrolled slaughter. It is estimated that only 12,000 humpback whales remain worldwide.

Whale Watching in the South Pacific

Worldwide changing attitude towards has been reflected in the growth of whale watching. 1994 over 5.4 million people spent US$ 500 million on commercial whale watching. More than 50 countries have some level of watching whales.

The coastline of many South Pacific nations are used by whale and dolphin species for feeding, breeding and migration. Tonga is well suited to the development of whale watching -- whales often visit Tongan waters. Humpbacks will be the main attraction for whale watching development here. These whales frequent areas along the coast and are spectacular in their behaviors. Additional attraction are "false" killer whales, spinner and bottlenose dolphins.

Whale watching provides the opportunity to further explore and enjoy the natural elements. The sight of a huge whale breaching or a pod of dolphins racing and leaping arouses human emotions as well as scientific curiosity.

This new industry is bringing economic benefits to many local communities -- including ex-whaling communities. The absence of rules and regulations -- whale watching can bring new dangers to whales and also not meet the tourists expectations.

Many countries are regulating whale watching. The joy of spotting a whale is preserved and possibly enhanced. This protection ensures that the whale population is not subjected to undue stress. It also ensures the continued presence of the whales.

The History of Whales

19th century whaling records indicate that a major winter gathering of the eastern humpback population took place in Tongan waters. Records indicate further that 297 humpbacks were caught in Tongan waters -- 3 in the Cooks Islands and 2 in Fijian waters. From early this century until the 1960's this humpback whale population was slaughtered by the thousands. New Zealand shore based whaling stations and pelagic whalers in the Antarctic were much responsible for this slaughter.

The whale population was driven close to extinction. The decline was estimated from an original population of 10,000 or more to as few as 250 whales. Due to increasing worldwide pressure the International Whaling Commission, (IWC), placed the humpback under total protection in 1963. However, hunting to meet local needs continued in Tonga. This hunt was mainly for females with calves. Although the number caught was fewer than 10 yearly -- the impact upon the residual population was quite significant. In 1979 whaling was prohibited by Royal Decree.

Far more devastating were the illegal kills of the former "Soviet" whaling fleet who regularly poached humpbacks, southern white and blue whales. The magnitude of this kill - 48,000 humpbacks mostly since 1955 -- explains why the humpback population remains low in the southern hemisphere -- despite of thirty years of official protection.