Tonga

The Kingdom of Tonga is an archipelago comprising 169 islands covering only about 759 km2. Most are uninhabited. They are divided into three main island groups – Vava’u, Ha’apai and Tongatapu. These islands are scattered over an area of over 700’000 km2 of the southern Pacific Ocean. Tonga is located 1800 km north-northeast of New Zealand.

It is believed that these islands have been inhabited since 1500 to 1000 BC giving Tonga more than 3000 years of history with many ancient traditions still respected to the present day. Tonga has been a monarchy for over a 1000 years and is the South Pacific’s only remaining Kingdom.

Tonga’s islands are of volcanic origin. Its climate is semi-tropical except in the northernmost islands, where truly tropical conditions can be found. Agriculture is the mainstay of the Tongan economy. All land is essentially owned by the Tongan monarchy, but parceled out to peasant proprietors.

Nearly the entire population is of Polynesian ancestry. Tongans are closely related to Samoans. Religion is an important aspect of Tongan society. Most Tongans are members of a Christian church. Sunday is a day of rest – and this is taken seriously. Not even snorkeling with whales is allowed.

Humpback Whales

After a long journey north from the icy krill-laden waters of Antarctica, southern Humpback whales take shelter in the tropical reef-protected waters of Tonga to give birth to their young. They arrive in Tonga during the month of July and leave again in October. During their annual migration these whales swim about 10’000 km or more. They navigate this long route annually with unerring accuracy and precise timing.

At birth, the calves have little body fat and would not survive the icy waters of the Antarctic. A young calf can consume up to 450 litres of mother milk a day containing a very high level of fat. At birth they are around 4 metres long and will double in length by the end of their nursing period in Tonga. Fully grown they weigh around 25-30 tons and are ca. 15 metres long.

Tonga offers the unique opportunity to snorkel with these magnificent creatures. Seeing such gentle giants up-close and interacting with them is an experience I will never forget.  

Hunted close to extinction

Before a moratorium of commercial whaling in 1985, all populations of Humpback whales were reduced by up to 95% and close to extinction. It is said that the worldwide population of southern Humpback whales was as low as 3000 around that time – very close to collapse. Current population numbers estimates in the southern hemisphere are around 40’000 to 50’000.