Tonga vs. French Polynesia

What’s the difference between French Polynesia and Tonga?
Whales travel across the South Pacific and stop at various islands. We love running trips here and have had some of our best whale encounters in these waters. There are days when we might spend hours in the water with whales, and others where we might not see any whales at all. This is true for both Tonga and French Polynesia. Wild animals exhibit a variety of behaviors and moods, and both locations are fantastic. There are a few differences.

Tonga has more whales, but there are also more boats. French Polynesia has fewer whales and very few boats. In either location, you will end up with a similar time in the water and the opportunity to swim with whales. You don’t need lots of whales to have a life-changing experience. The whales in French Polynesia often come much closer to shore where we sometimes see them over the shallow coral reef. While in Tonga, we sometimes need to go many kilometers/miles out to sea.

Tonga only allows 5 people in the water at a time (3 guests and our 2 guides). This means groups swap every other time but have very quiet encounters. On very slow days there can be a lot of waiting and taking turns between our boat and other boats, in respect for the wild marine life. French Polynesia on the other hand, doesn’t have a limit. We try to coordinate with other boats, take turns, and time things so that numbers are small, in order to still respect the whales. But it means there are times when there are more than 5 people in the water. Because there are so few boats, there have also been times when we spend hours alone with the whales.

Tonga has more variety of whale encounters (singers, heat runs, mothers and calves, juveniles, etc.) while in French Polynesia there are mostly mothers and calves who stay close to shore. If you prefer lots of variety, Tonga will give that to you, however, swimming with the same whales over the course of the week can lead to much more intimate relationships where the whales get to know you. This is the only location we’ve ever experienced this. In 2022 we spent 25 hours over the course of the season with the same mother and calf. They recognized us and got to know us well enough that the mother was incredibly comfortable sleeping in the same spot for many hours while her calf played, drank milk, slept, and interacted with us.

In conclusion, neither location is better than the other, which is why we run trips in both places. In Tonga and French Polynesia, you’ll have equal chances of time spent and encounters with whales, and both locations are absolutely fantastic. Swimming with whales is an incredible privilege. These are wild animals, and it is one of the only instances where you can get out of the safari vehicle (our boat) and have face-to-face interactions with giant animals ethically and consensually.