from $4,750* per person	8 Days	July
Comfort accommodations		Exertion level: 3
Operator: Oceanic Society		12 people max

Tonga tropical waters are the mating and calving grounds for endangered humpback whales who migrate to these warm waters annually from Antarctica. Humpback cows and their young calves remain in Tonga from July through November to allow the calf to grow in strength and stamina in preparation for its journey to summer feeding grounds far to the south.

In a large protected lagoon off the island of Vava’u, we immerse ourselves in whale watching above and below the water’s surface. We stay in comfortable beachfront lodge accommodations and by private charter boat, take daily excursions to visit with the whales and snorkel the clear waters filled with corals and colorful fish.

Our focused activity is the chance to enter the water with these magnificent mammals to observe them unobtrusively underwater. Using only snorkel equipment, all "soft in-water" encounters are while floating at the surface and always determined by the whales' response to swimmers.

Strict guidelines will be followed for participants' safety and to avoid disturbing the whales. We should be able to observe a variety of whale behaviors, including courting adults and playful calves. Participants must be experienced snorkelers, but no special skills are required. In addition to extraordinary whale experiences, this expedition offers exceptional coral reef snorkeling with soft coral walls and profuse marine life.