With 8 days cruising the islands and striving to encounter lots of ocean life along the way, we can pack a lot of adventures in.

On the first day of the charter, we welcome you aboard, and you get settled into your cabins. Captain Sam will run through a bit about the boat and safety. We will then get underway out of town and Dior will run through a whale swim briefing and other household details. We will head out into the islands and begin the adventure!

Everyday on the ocean is different and we never know what will happen or what we’ll see so there's only so much planning we can do. We leave anchorage early every morning and spend the next 7 hours interacting with whales. We aim to anchor at a different island every night, most the time it depends on what we have done and seen that day as to where we end up for the night but the beauty of a liveaboard is that we have our home wherever we go. Often we will explore remote islands, snorkel the coral reefs, village visits and much more! On the last night of the trip we will be anchored closer to town again. After breakfast the next morning we will drop you back ashore to the airport or your accommodation. 

 *Itineraries are subject to change due weather and safety.

We provide three healthy, delicious meals a day as well as morning and afternoon tea. We use fresh and local produce, including catching our own fish as we go. 

We can cater to all sorts of dietary requirements, just let us know ahead of time.

Wildlife is a beautiful sailing catamaran built for performance and comfort. She sails comfortably and fast, although we motor most of the day when interacting with whales and other marine life. 

Wildlife has three guest cabins with king-size beds, hatches for fresh air, and a small fan; swim towels and fresh shower towels will be provided. 

She also has two lovely living spaces: the outside area (cockpit) for hanging out, reading, after-swim chilling and dining. Also, most importantly, the area you will be getting ready for swims. The inside saloon area is a dry-only area with a nice couch to get comfy on. 

The kitchen (for our chef only) is upstairs and quite large, where all the wonderful smells will be drifting around. 

Wildlife has a desalitnator to make water from the ocean. We have a good supply of water, but it is very important to be conservative; one lovely hot shower at the end of each day for each person is ideal. The head (shower and toilet) is upstairs and pretty simple. 

The deck area is the best place to see and capture everything: islands, volcanoes, whales, an epic sunset, flying fish. You never know what you’ll see, so grab a beanbag and relax!

The Kingdom of Tonga is a breeding ground for Humpback whales. During the winter months, July through to October the waters of Tonga are home for many whales. They are here to mate and give birth in the safe, warm waters of the islands. 

At Whale Discoveries we believe in minimising our impact on the world around us and the creatures that call it home. We have a huge respect for the ocean and environment and  that strongly influences our operations. 

When it comes to interacting with whales we want to be respectful and create a positive experience for us and them. We like to take it slow, assess the whales and approach them non-intrusively, if they aren’t displaying an interest in us we will leave them be. We strive for mutual interactions and to leave them the way we found them, swimming happily! 

Whale swimming is regulated by the Ministry of Tourism in Tonga and we strictly adhere to the rules and regulations, some of these include;

• Seven hours a day to interact and swim with whales

• Ninety minutes is permitted to spend with mum and calf pairs

• No freediving is permitted when swimming with whales

We respect the guidelines set out by the Tonga whale-watch industry and aim to create a team minded experience. Any guest displaying disrespect towards the whales, our crew or other guests will not be permitted to continue whale swimming or may be asked to disembark the boat.