Results for whale watching

Humpback Whales have been coming to Tonga since the distant past, they were almost wiped out during the hunting years. Numbers are climbing back. But for how long can we maintain the fragile balance of tourist and whale? Vava’u cannot sustain more boats out on the water. In these times with CoVid-19 and an unsure future for the tourism industry, it is very hard to have any hope or faith in commitment from government for a sustainable industry and conservation of the whales, when they are seen as an avenue for more revenue.- Kirsty Bowe

Tonga’s multi-million pa'anga whale watching and swimming tourist attraction is challenged by the findings of a new study by the Auckland University of Technology.

Whale watchers around the world can help scientists track the journey of individual whales by taking photos of the underside of their tails, said Ted Cheeseman, co-founder and CEO of Happywhale, a website platform used to help identify whales using pictures. “The underside of a whale’s tail has markings unique to each whale, just like finger prints are to humans."

The Tongan Government and people lose hundreds of thousands of dollars each whale watch season. – Selia Simmons.

A new, five-day whale watch tour guide training workshop, sponsored by IFAW (the International Fund for Animal Welfare) and CARIBwhale, the association of Caribbean whale watch operators, is being held in Dominica.