Tonga Expedition Two
We had a boat full of German speakers on this cruise, mostly from Germany with two couples from Switzerland and team Hörl from Austria.
The people were great and the encounters amazing -- a perfect combination for a wonderful 10 days of whale watching.
Right off the bat we were into good whales with a lovely mother and calf. I always try to downplay early successes just in case our luck turns. I was not surprised then when no-one believed me when the good encounters kept coming.
by Christian Hürl
by Christian Hürl
by Christian Hürl
by Christian Hürl
by Christian Hürl
by Thomas Ley
by Thomas Ley
by Thomas Ley
by Thomas Ley
by Thomas Ley
by Christian Hürl
by Christian Hürl
by Christian Hürl
by Christian Hürl
by Christian Hürl
by Christian Hürl
by Christian Hürl
by Christian Hürl
by Christian Hürl
by Thomas Ley
by Thomas Ley
by Thomas Ley
by Thomas Ley
by Thomas Ley
by Thomas Ley
by Christian Hürl
by Christian Hürl
by Christian Hürl
by Christian Hürl
by Christian Hürl
by Christian Hürl
by Christian Hürl
by Christian Hürl
by Christian Hürl
by Christian Hürl
by Christian Hürl
by Christian Hürl
One of the highlights of the trip came about four days into it when we came across a mother and calf that after a few slow approaches, decided that we were good playmates, stopped right over the shallow reef and posed for photographs.
Imagine our surprise then when three days after that amazing encounter we came across a mother and calf that, strangely, seemed to recognise us and were just as cooperative. Some people wondered whether it was the same pair. I must admit that I had the same thought but then dismissed it as too unlikely. We were about 10 nautical miles from where we had the aforementioned encounter and the fact that both the whales and we on NAI’A could have travelled anywhere in the Ha’apai group, made a further encounter with the same whales highly unlikely. When I got back to the ship and studied the footage however, what do you know..? They were the same ones! The second encounter with these whales was in deeper water but just as special.
The encounters still kept on coming to the point where on the last day, some people were too tired to get into the water and we just sent out the one skiff. Whaled out before the trip ends. If that is not the mark of a successful trip then I don’t know what is!
Great trip. Thanks guys!
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