Taufatahi Charters is a locally owned Tonga business. Our team of experienced skippers and whale swim guides are passionate about making people happy, and what better way to that through providing you with a life changing experience: "Swim with the Whales".

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Every year Oceania humpback whales (Megaptera novaengliae) travel over 3000 miles from their feeding grounds in Antarctica to the warm protected waters around Tongatapu to calve, breed and conceive next years calves.  Swimming with whales has been sanctioned in Tonga since the early 1990's, several decades after the decision to end commercial whaling in 1979.  Pressure from whaling countries to legalize commercial whaling again led to a concerted effort by the Tongan Government to create opportunities in Eco Tourism instead. 

 

With each generation of whales since, the "Tonga Tribe" has become more accustomed to interactions with humans.  This creates amazing opportunities to swim with these magnificent creatures, however, it also means that the responsibility to assure that the natural behavior of the whales is not disrupted, lies with us, the operators.  This is especially true with mother/calf pairings.  We take this very seriously and follow very strict guidelines on how we approach the whales, how close we are allowed to approach them, for how long we are allowed to swim near the whales and the frequency of visits with them per tour.  

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While respecting the whales, our number one priority is to provide

superb customer service - we love customers that share our deep sense of wonder

and respect for the whales and their natural habitat.

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Our family owned and operated business is committed to giving back to Tonga. 100 percent of our staff are local and we are committed to identifying, recruiting and supporting local talent. We are dedicated to training up the next generation of local Tongan whale guides and skippers. 

 

We keep 100 percent of earnings in Tonga and support other local businesses

in the running of our operations.  Our history in Tonga, our dedication and

commitment to Tonga and to the well being of Tongan Tribe of humpback whales

is what sets us apart from other foreign owned operators.  

 

We hope to see on one our tours soon!