Tonga Whale Trip

“I’ve never seen anything like this.. This kind of unity with the Ocean can only be felt - not described with mere words..”

-Jack, one of the 2024 guests

Get ready for the experience of a lifetime!

This trip will be filled with life changing Humpback Whale encounters and we feel completely comfortable setting that expectation.

Come with us to the remote island of Eua in Tonga and stay at Blue Water Retreat. The resort is right on the water and you can literally watch whales swim by from your room. But you might not even be bothered to watch them from land because everyday we will dive dive dive with the spectacular humpback whales!

Check out this video! This could be you!

So you might ask, 'is this a snorkel trip?' or are we going to swim underwater with the whales?'

We are allowed to dive down to a maximum of 3 metres with the whales and trust me, that’s enough to play and dance with these gorgeous creatures. It’s magic! The whales really do play, spin, dance with and interact with us.

No experience in freediving is required and it's an activity that anyone can do, really. The majority of the encounters happen on the surface.

And if this doesn’t sound like enough, we have a private chef that caters for us for the entire trip so you get to do it all in luxury!

Freediving with humpback whales is quite simply… the best experience a person can have in the ocean.

Join us for an epic week!

The trip starts every Thursday, and finishes on Wednesday.

We meet at Nuku’alofa (Tongatapu) and depart from there to Eua.

We come back to the main island at the end of the trip.

The transfers to Eua and back are on the start (Thursday) and end (Wednesday) days of your dive trip.

You need to be in Nuku’alofa (airport code TBU) at least one day before the start day of your dive trip.

And you need to fly out from Nuku’alofa (airport code TBU) at least one day after the end of your dive trip.

There are 21 spots for each week: 3 boats with 7 people each, plus the boat crew.

All whale swims are conducted by the local guides with years of experience. Each week, we have a very special Freediving Family host to make your experience even better!

Adam Stern will be joining the trips starting on 7 and 14 of August 2025!

Book your week!

7 - 13 August, 2025 - Spots still available!

14 - 20 August, 2025 - Spots going fast!

21 - 27 August, 2025 - Spots still available!

28 Aug - 3 September, 2025 - Spots still available!

Where?

  • Many travellers are drawn to Eua for the amazing combination of breathtakingly beautiful landscapes, eco-adventures, and whales.

    Unlike other Tonga locations, we will be the one of the only boats operating in Eua, which gives us unparalleled access to humpbacks in the region.

    This will be the absolute trip of your lifetime!

  • We’ll be staying in the rustic Blue Water Retreat with our own private chef and million dollar views with regular whale sightings from the grounds.

    Retreat is located on a sandy ocean front coastline on the western side of Eua Island - so 'whales against the sunset backdrop' front row seats are guaranteed!

    It has a licensed restaurant and comfortable houses along with two large glamping tents. Your package is based on a twin share basis and you will be sharing with one other person.

    With its unique location, the Resort has an all year round sandy beach at its doorstep!

    Simply the best!

The Trip

  • We will be guided by local captains and marine biologists who will teach us all the “do's and don'ts” of the whales from their unique perspective to make sure we get a mind-blowing experience.

  • Our trips start every Thursday.

    The transfers to 'Eua and back are via plane or ferry on the start and end days of your dive trip.

    Out of the 7 days, we spend 5 days on the boat diving with humpback whales (weather permitting, of course - your wsafety is our number one priority!). Once you get to dive with these amazing creatures for the first time, you'll never get tired of it.

    However, if we ever do feel like it and want to explore other things, there’s also the local reefs which often provide great dives, including the magical Cathedral Caves.

    The diving in Eua Island is said to be one of the best dive spots not only in Tonga but in the world as well. Drop-offs, sea mountains, caves and canyons - they got everything!

Money Stuff

  • The price includes:

    • 5 days (6-7 hours on the water) of whale swim tours on a licensed whale swim vessel with licensed skipper and guides (Weather dependent).

    • 4 meals each day, prepared by our special Tongan chef. (Beverages are also sold at the Retreat’s licensed restaurant)

    • 6 nights of twin/triple share accommodation

    • Return transfers to/from Nuku’alofa to Eua by either flight or ferry

    • Half-day Eua island tour on Sunday.

    • Snorkeling gear (on request). We have some available gear for you, but we recommend each of you to bring your own gear to the trip.

    Cost does not include:

    • International flights to the Kingdom of Tonga

    • Accommodation, meals or transfer expenses at Tongatapu (main island)

    • any Travel / Health insurance expenses.

  • The full price for the trip is $5,950.00 AUD.

    We have the following payment schedule. To secure your spot, you need to pay an initial deposit.

    Deposit: $1,350.00 AUD

    January 25: $1,650.00 AUD

    May 1: $2,950.00 AUD

    Important: Payments are non-refundable unless we can rebook your spot. If you think you are not able to make it, let us know as soon as you know so we could offer your spot to those on the waiting list.

    If we re-sell your spot, you will get a full refund less payment system transfer fees (depends on the amount you've paid by then, normally 100-200 AUD).

“No photo or video can truly capture how incredible of an experience it was!”

“My wife and I went on this trip knowing that we were going to have an incredible, once in a lifetime experience, and that is exactly what we received! The trip was so well planned out from lodging and transportation to food and drink. We had so much time spent diving with friendly whales while having plenty of time to explore the island and spend family dinners talking over our day’s experiences as well as sharing photos and video with each other. I still can’t believe what an incredible experience this was and would absolutely love to go again! I would definitely recommend this trip to anyone because no photo or video can truly capture how incredible of an experience it was!”

— Eric Haluch

Our Tonga spots fly… don’t wait too long to book yours!

The price of the trip includes: accommodation on Eua Island, all meals, return domestic flight or ferry to Eua Island, 5 full days on the whale boat (weather permitting), breath-holding workshops and, most importantly, the Tongan Government permits for you to be able to dive with the whales!

1,350 AUD

Pay Your Deposit

5,950 AUD

Pay In Full

To reserve your spot, we ask for a 1,350 AUD deposit. All payments are non-refundable unless we can rebook your spot. If rebooked, you will get a full refund less payment system transfer fees (depends on the amount you've paid by then, normally 100-200 AUD). Your transaction is secure. Terms of Service.

What will you get during your trip

5 days of whale swim tours on a licensed whale swim vessel with licensed skipper and guides (Weather dependent).

  • All meals on Eua, prepared by our special Tongan chef. (Beverages extra at the Resort’s licensed restaurant).

  • 6 nights of shared/dorm style accommodation.

  • Transfers from Nuku’alofa to Eua return by either flight or ferry (Our preference is flight but may have to resort to ferry depending on availability).

  • Half-day Eua island tour conducted on Sunday.

  • Snorkeling gear (only on request so please get in touch with us if you would like us to bring this for you).

  • An experienced and entertaining host (along with a marine biologist and boat crew) will accompany each boat.

  • Weights/lead

  • Local logistics knowledge.

  • Company credit, tagging on socials, etc.

  • Reasonable access to phone and internet reception at the resort (not for watching movies and downloading large files).

Not included in price:

  • international flights to the Kingdom of Tonga,

  • accommodation, meal and transfers at Tongatapu

  • travel insurance expenses

-Alberto Carrion

“I have the fortune to be in both Deep week and Tonga with Freediving Family and both of them have left me desiring for more of the same. Very nice instructors, wonderful manager, Adam always laughing and teaching us what he knows best. Also the best locations around the world for unforgettable experiences.”

-Samuel Mok

“Tonga is just an amazing opportunity, it honestly is life changing and I can’t really go back to my normal life now having experienced that.”

Whale, whale, whale, what do we have here…

Take a look of Adam’s past Whale Trip to get a glimpse of all the magic you will experience during this week!

FAQs

  • Tongatapu is the main island of Tonga. Most international arrivals land at Fua’amotu International Airport (Airport code TBU) on the island of Tongatapu, 21km (13 miles) from the nation’s capital, Nuku’alofa.

  • The first thing you will need to organise for your travels to Tonga is your passport and visa. Your passport needs to be valid for at least six months after your intended departure date from Tonga – make sure your passport is up to date!

    Entry and visa requirements differ depending on your country of citizenship and residency. Please check this website if you have any doubts about your particular case.

  • Yes, Tonga requires all non-Tongan passport holders to have comprehensive travel insurance.

    Travel doesn’t always go as planned. This is why travel insurance is as important as a passport.

    No matter who you are, where you're going and what you're doing, get travel insurance. Check with your travel insurance provider.

  • You need a full set of snorkeling or freediving gear for your Tonga Whale Trip.

    A “full set of gear” means:

    • 1.5mm, 2mm, or 3mm wetsuit. Some people get easily cold and might want to bring a 5mm. Remember that there is a lot of swimming involved and you’ll be in constant movement in the water. The water is about 23-24°C, so anything thicker and you’ll be too hot.

    • Freediving fins

    • Weight belt

    • Mask and snorkel

    Basic gear hire is available on the island. You can choose to bring your board shorts, leggings, and rash vest if you think that you’ll be fine with just that.

    If you don’t have a full set of gear we recommend buying it before your trip, or getting in touch with us once you booked your spot to ask gear from us.