Swimming with Humpback Whales in Tonga
Mountains or oceans?
Two years ago, if you asked me that question, all my brain cells would unanimously vote for ‘mountains’. In January 2021, I happened to plan a last minute trip to Hawaii. Seattle’s winter blues were amplified by the pandemic and all I wanted was warm weather, flip flops and tropical fruits. That was the first time I would jump into the ocean and see what was underneath 71% of our planet. I didn’t know it back then, but that jump would eventually change my life.
Backstory
The first time I jumped into the ocean, I was terrified. The ocean floor was hardly 15-20ft below me, but I was scared to look underwater. As I got a little comfortable floating around, I saw a little black and white striped ‘fishy’ swim by me. It was adorable! A few minutes later, I saw at least 50 such fish all around me. Over the next couple of hours, I saw so many coral and fish - yellow tang, surgeon fish with an orange tail, blue-green parrot fish, striped angle fish, milletseed butterflyfish and so much more. I had no idea that the world underneath was so vibrant and full of life!
Over the next several months, I devoured every possible book and documentary I could find about the ocean. I learnt about the coral, the most colorful fish, the biggest whales, the strange creatures that live in the deepest waters, and the very intelligent octopuses. I was mesmerized. I started to discover all the amazing places in the world with rich underwater life. I wanted to travel to far off places to jump into the ocean and experience more of this magical underwater universe.
Nitish and I have always been fascinated with humpback whales. A few years ago, we visited the Museum of Natural History in New York, where we watched a short film about these whales. I remember being mesmerised by the gentle giants and their music. Earlier this year, I was casually doomscrolling when I came across a website ‘Swim with Humpback Whales’. Immediately, I showed it to Nitish and begged to go. He was apprehensive in the beginning, but eventually said yes!
Getting to Tonga
Going on this trip was not straightforward though. To begin with, I had no idea where this country was. Tonga is a group of islands in the middle of the pacific ocean. On the map, it looks no larger than a speck of dust.
Booking tickets to Tonga was a nightmare. Flights to Tonga run only 3 days a week. Only three countries - Australia, New Zealand and Fiji run direct flights to Tonga. It would take us 4 flights over almost 36 hours to get there. Nitish and I flew from India to Singapore to Fiji to Tonga. We then took a domestic flight to the island of Vava’u, where we’d be spending the next 10 days with the whales.
Humpback Whales
Humpback whale is a species of baleen whale. They don’t have teeth and their diet consists mostly of krill and small fish. Adults range in length from 14–17 m (46–56 ft) and weigh up to 40 metric tons!
Humpback whales feed in polar waters during the summer - Alaska or Antarctica, for example. Each year, they migrate to tropical waters to breed and give birth - Hawaii or Tonga, for instance. They migrate up to 16,000km each year! For our trip, it would be winter in Tonga, which means that the whales were there to breed, give birth and raise their calves.
I had never seen such a huge animal in my life, let alone swim with one in the ocean. I was VERY excited, and a little intimidated.
Swimming with Humpback Whales
Each day in Vava'u, we’d get on to our boat at 8 am and set off in search of whales. When we spotted a whale, we’d put on our wetsuit, mask, snorkel and fins, and enter the water quietly. Each whale encounter was different. Some whales would not want to be bothered and would swim away, so we’d let them go. Some encounters would be with a resting mom and a playful calf where we’d spend a lot of time hanging out with the whales.
My first close encounter with a whale was surreal. A mother and calf were resting underwater. The calf was cautiously hiding under the mother’s fin. When it needed to breathe, it left the safety of its mother and made its way to the surface. After taking a breath, it swam towards us a little, checked us out and went back to its mother. The calf was adorable! Just like the young of any animal, it was simply curious!
Throughout my life, whenever I’ve seen other animals, they were almost always in an enclosure - in a zoo or an aquarium. Interactions were always one sided where I would observe them doing their thing - a seal swimming in an enclosed pool, a bird flying around in its cage, or a tiger separated by a glass pane. Swimming with the whales in the ocean was far different from any animal encounter I’ve had. It was not always a one way interaction.
Humpback whales are very conscious creatures, aware of our presence. They can see and hear us. The first time I saw an adult humpback, I was amazed at how enormous it was! Yet, it was absolutely gentle. When I looked into the whale’s eye as it swam by, I could sense that it was watching us. I was hanging out by the side of its head as it gently swerved and swam away. It was humbling. Not everyday does one get a chance to spend time with a gentle giant hundreds of times the size of a human.
We met this calf that was extremely playful. It was rolling around, blowing bubbles and hanging out with us for a long time!
We also watched several whales breach. Breaching is when whales jump out of the water and land with a huge splash. Nobody knows for sure why humpbacks breach, but they look like they're happy and playing around!
One of the most amazing experiences was listening to a whale sing. We were right above this whale (about 20-30 meters) and we listened to him sing for at least half an hour. It was mesmerizing. The song was so loud that I could feel vibrations through my entire body! I had goosebumps all over. I was absolutely petrified as I listened to this otherworldly song. Can you believe that whale sounds can travel for thousands of miles underwater? Think of it - a whale singing near New York can be heard all the way in the UK!
Turn up your volume and listen to this singing humpback.
Over the past couple of years, experiences like these have completely changed my view about nature. I love being in nature no matter where - mountains, glaciers, lakes, rivers, meadows, beaches, forests - you name it. Yes, sitting by a turquoise lake surrounded by snow capped peaks is idyllic. But, the ocean is home to thousands of intelligent, fascinating creatures, some of which have lives similar to ours, while others seem like aliens. Whales are known to have very strong familial bonds like we do. Killer whales, for instance, live in tight knit family groups. Their calves stay with their mothers all their lives. Older females are known to continue to care for their children and grandchildren. Octopuses are known to be extremely intelligent creatures known to solve puzzles, use tools, and recognize humans. Pufferfish are poisonous to dolphins, but when ingested in small amounts, it gets them high. Dolphins are smart enough to have figured this out and they microdose to get high! Isn't that crazy?!
Each time I jump into the ocean, I discover something incredible about our planet. As land dwelling creatures, we hardly think about what happens underneath the ocean. It is 'out of sight, out of mind'. To be able to interact with humpback whales in the middle of the ocean was a privilege. The feeling when the environment around you responds to your interaction is incredible. I'm more intrigued than ever to keep diving into the ocean. It is hard to believe I’m saying this but that first jump into the ocean, and all the subsequent jumps have indeed flipped my vote from mountains to oceans. :)
Credits.
This experience wouldn't have been possible without our awesome crew and guide. Kudos to Nadia, our guide for helping us cross a gazillion hurdles to get to Tonga and putting together an amazing experience!
A big thanks to our crew - Datey, Sifa, Pula, and David who worked tirelessly everyday to ensure we got the best experience.
We also met some amazing people from all over the world - Traci, Toni, Roshni, Popi, Rami, and David, who shared the same passion for the whales and the ocean.
Last but not the least, the people of Tonga are the nicest people I've met. Their warmth and kindness made me feel like I was home :)
What a wonderful adventure! I always enjoy reading your posts. :-)
Amazing adventures.....so jealous of you both😁