Whale Watching in the Kingdom of Tonga

MALO E LELEI (Hullo)
During our visit to Mounu Island located in the Vava'u Archipelago - the northernmost group of islands in the Kingdom of Tonga at latitude 18.5' South, we were privileged to observe the magnificent, endangered Humpbacked whales. (They do not have a hump on their backs, but are so called because of the huge curve (hump) they make as they travel 'porpoise' style through the ocean.).
'Mounu' means 'Baitfish' in the Tongan language, and is the southern most inhabited island in the group. This 6.5 acre coral atoll is thirty minutes by boat from Neiafu, the main township of Vava'u. The dense tropical vegetation of the interior is fringed by white coral sands and set in water that ranges from brilliant transparent aqua to deep fathomless blue.
Brown Boobies and three species of terns wheel effortlessly past seeking a fish dinner from the lagoon by boat. They nest on the island and nearby rocks.
During the months of July to November, the warm waters around Mounu Island are the calving and breeding grounds for the magnificent Humpbacked Whales that migrate from their feeding grounds in the Antarctic. On most days, as we were we eating breakfast we watched mothers and calves swim steadily past. The white plume of spray was easy to spot. The whales breathe or "blow" through each of the two holes (the nostrils) on the top of the head. On one occasion, we watched from the safety of the shore, as a group of males jostling for the attention of a female, head-butting, jostling and creating a huge commotion in the water.

We were privileged to join the whale watching boat Lulu Tahi, (which translates to 'shaking hands with the water'). In 15 minutes, this 9-metre aluminium catamaran took us to the breeding grounds within sight of the island. Two trained Tongan guides, who are expert at working harmoniously with the whales, skippered the boat. The welfare of the whales is always the greatest consideration and the crew will back off at the slightest hint that the whales are annoyed by their presence.

However, rather than being annoyed by their human neighbours, it seemed the huge creatures were curious about us. The 4 metre long calf put on a dazzling display of belly flops, breeching and tail splashing, while his mother watched patiently. The calf then swam up to the boat, giving a large splash with its tail as it swam past. The calf has a gestation period of 11-12 months and will nurse for about 1 year.

Humpbacks are dark grey to black on top and striated white below. They are distinguished from other baleen whales by their extraordinary long flippers - up to five metres or a third of their body length. A mature female male adult will average 14.5 metres in length and weigh around 40 tonnes. The male is slightly smaller. A speciality of this whale is its array of acrobatic antics, including spy hopping, (leaping head up like a periscope) somersaults, tail slapping and vigorous flipper waving. The most spectacular manoeuvre is 'breaching', when the whales rockets its huge body out of the water, then crashes back down, filling the area with foam and sparkling aqua aerated water.

As they undulate through the water they leave a narrow trail of liger water, but after a spectacular breeching, they leave behind a large scar or 'footprint' in the water. This transparent aqua area gleaming in the dark blue sea like a gigantic jewel is comprised of water well oxygenated by the dramatic movement of the leviathan, with a surface 'slick' of oil from their skin and remains intact on the surface for some minutes.

The decision to allow guests to get in the water with the whales rests with the skipper of the boat. He stops the boat and waits as the whales glide past on their stately journey. We experienced some minutes in the water, sometimes within three metres of the whales. It was a truly awesome experience to hang suspended in the water and watch as they glided past, 'eyeballing' the entranced humans.

The male humpback sings a complex repetitive song that is thought to be part of the mating ritual. To complete our experiences with the whales we were later privileged to hear this eerie, but hauntingly beautiful sound. While we were snorkelling above the reefs that grew beside sixty metres of crystal clear water, we heard the whale's 'song'. There, with the blue of the sea seeming like endless space, the 'song' was a sound that has no equivalent or way of describing it in human language.

The reefs themselves are a glorious experience. The colour and movement of the intricate Feather Stars and Anemones entranced us. The brilliant fish and spectacular hard and soft corals were colour co-ordinated in a fascinating array of finery.

David Attenborough, Discovery Channel, the New Zealand Natural History Unit and others, have filmed Humpbacked Whales in this beautiful area. Due to previous exploitation, Humpbacked Whales are among the most endangered of the large whales. We were thankful to discover that the King of Tonga has proclaimed that whole Kingdom of Tonga is now a 'Whale Sanctuary'.

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