Tonga · Vava'u Islands
Vava'u Boat Trips
Humpback whales and the Swallows and Mariner's caves
- routes
- 3 routes
- departure points
- 1 departure points
- boats
- 3 boats
© Tauʻolunga · CC BY-SA 3.0Vava'u
Routes in Vava'u
Researched routes with stops, departure times and season.
Vava'u Island Tour: Swallows and Mariner's Caves
Vava'u Humpback Whale Swim (July–October)
Vava'u Private Boat Day: Kapa and Nuku
Vava'u
Highlights
Humpback whales
Humpback whales that calve and sing in Vava'u waters from July to October.
Swallows Cave
A tall-mouthed sea cave at the north-west tip of Kapa, entered by small boat or by swimming.
Mariner's Cave
An air chamber on Nuapapu whose entrance lies underwater and is reached only by a short breath-hold swim.
Boats
Boats in Vava'u
motor-yatVava'u Humpback Whale Swim (July–October) Boat 1
Neiafu, Vava'u 08:00–15:00
motor-yatVava'u Island Tour: Swallows and Mariner's Caves Boat 1
Neiafu, Vava'u 09:00–15:00
Vava'u Private Boat Day: Kapa and Nuku Boat 1
Neiafu, Vava'u 09:00–15:00
Vava'u about
Vava'u is the island group in northern Tonga; its main town, Neiafu, lies on the Port of Refuge harbour and is the official port of entry for yachts. From July to October humpback whales come to these waters to calve and mate, and licensed boats run swim-with-whales trips, with rules allowing no more than four swimmers plus a guide in the water at a time. Outside whale season, day trips visit Swallows Cave on Kapa, Mariner's Cave on Nuapapu (entered by swimming underwater) and quiet beaches. No tours run on Sundays, when commercial activity stops in Tonga.