On our 9-day Tonga expedition, travelers had the extraordinary opportunity to swim with humpback whales in their natural habitat. To support both research and safe, responsible encounters, we maintain a Whale Sightings and Activity Log, meticulously recorded by Oceanic Society naturalist, Chris Biertuempfel.
The numbered labels on the map correspond to each daily outing and encounter (Example: 13a correlates with our first encounter on September 13th), making it easy to reference when and where each sighting occurred throughout the expedition.
This sightings map serves many purposes:
Tracking Individual Whales and Pods: Each sighting is recorded with details such as the number of whales, behaviors observed (e.g., breaching, tail slapping, singing), and presence of calves. This helps our naturalists and guests recognize recurring individuals and pods during the expedition.
Behavioral Observation: By documenting behaviors and interactions, we gain insight into humpback whale social dynamics, mother-calf interactions, and feeding or play patterns in Tongan waters.
Safety and Planning: Recording the location, direction, and activity level of whales helps the crew and participants plan safe approaches for snorkeling and swimming, ensuring an ethical and responsible encounter with these majestic animals.
Contribution to Conservation: Data from our sightings log supports ongoing research on humpback whale populations in the South Pacific, contributing valuable information to conservation efforts and helping protect these endangered marine mammals.
Enhancing Guest Experience: Keeping a detailed log allows guests to reflect on and share their encounters, track patterns throughout the week, and connect more deeply with these incredible animals.
The log provides a detailed record of whale encounters throughout the expedition, helping naturalists study these majestic animals while offering guests a richer, more informed experience. Over time, it contributes valuable data to conservation efforts in the South Pacific, supporting the protection of humpback whales for generations to come.
13a: First Cow/Calf Pair
Resting state with slow, controlled surfacing. Minimal movement, maintaining consistent distance from the boat and humans. The crystal-clear, shallow seas made for exceptional visibility, allowing us to swim alongside them repeatedly, quietly gliding next to the pair as they held this calm, relaxed posture.
13b: Cow/Calf, Escort
A brief encounter with a cow-calf-escort trio. The calf spent most of the sighting hurrying to stay close to its mother, who appeared focused on creating distance from the persistent escort.
15a: 2 ‘Sleepers’
Whales were in a resting / logging state, remaining nearly motionless in the water column with slow, minimal surfacing behavior. This “sleeping” posture is typical of energy conservation between long swimming sequences and deep dives.
15b: Calf Perching
Calf periodically “perched” on the back or near the dorsal surface of the cow, a behavior often seen in young calves for stabilization, security, and resting support. Cow remained relaxed and stationary during perching periods.
Excellent demonstration of maternal support behavior and close physical bonding between mother and calf.
16a: Cow/Calf 2 Escorts
Escorts positioned on either side of the cow, occasionally shifting between lead and trailing positions. Calf remained close to the cow throughout, showing consistent dependency and protection dynamics from both escorts.
16b: Cow/Calf Breaching
Calf demonstrated repeated full or partial body breaches, energetic surface lifts, and playful aerial displays. Cow occasionally surfaced with high energy follow-up but primarily maintained supportive positioning. Indicates active calf play and increasing strength/coordination. Breaching events provide an opportunity for social signaling, communication, and developing motor skills.
17a: Singer w/ Dolphins
Whale produced powerful, sustained songs that carried clearly underwater, audible to both snorkelers and nearby observers. A pod of dolphins playfully swam around us seemingly responding to the song’s presence.
17b: Pseudo Heat Run x3
Three instances of pseudo heat-run behaviors, including rapid directional changes, coordinated movements between whales, and brief surface breaches.
18a: Cow/Calf Escort with Female Escort
Escort remained close to the cow-calf pair, showing protective positioning and matching their movements. Calf stayed near the mother throughout, displaying calm, secure behavior.
18b: 2 Large Sleepers
Both whales were resting at the surface in a calm, stationary state, showing minimal movement and slow, controlled surfacings.
19a: Heat Run
Rapid directional changes, high-energy surface activity, and coordinated group movements, with one whale particularly energetic, repeatedly breaching and tail-slapping.
19b: Cow/Calf Finale
Two peaceful whales resting near the location of the previous day’s sightings. The calf stayed close to the mother, with slow, controlled surfacings and minimal movement.
At Oceanic Society, we see travel as a powerful tool for conservation. Each expedition is designed not only to immerse you in the ocean’s beauty, but also to advance our mission of building a healthier future for the sea and for people.
When you join an Oceanic Society expedition, your trip directly supports projects that remove plastic from our oceans, empower local conservation partners, and contributes to global initiatives like sea turtle protection, habitat restoration, and scientific research.
We believe exploration should always give back, creating positive change wherever you travel.
This expedition follows Tonga's regulations for interacting and swimming in waters with whales, reflecting our commitment to ethical wildlife experiences.
For every traveler, we sponsor the removal of 200 lbs. of plastic from coastal environments worldwide.
Participation contributes directly to protecting marine life, restoring habitats, and promoting healthier oceans.
Every trip offers the opportunity to experience nature responsibly while leaving a positive impact on the places we visit.