Swim With Giants In Tonga

By Andy Isaacson
I'll call her Anna. She had a long and slender face and a pear-shaped figure, and she moved gracefully through the water, ballerina-like, gently undulating and occasionally performing pirouettes. I stopped cold when I first spotted her. My heartbeat quickened, and as she drifted slowly past I reached out my hand and waved. This probably sounds silly—waving at an animal—but at the time it seemed like an entirely appropriate reaction. For what we were having, this creature and I, could only be described as a moment—a chance encounter sustained by mutual curiosity. As Anna came to within six feet from my face, and checked me out, I looked directly into her eye. She was the prettiest whale I'd ever seen. Read more...

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Humpback whales spend four months of the year around Tonga, giving birth and mating.
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Seacology guests swimming with curious humpback whales.
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Seacology guests swimming with curious humpback whales.
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Part of the 368 acre Fish Habitat Reserve that the residents of Felemea have pledged to protect in return for Seacology support.
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Seacology guests on the NAI'A enjoyed sunset walks and shelling on isolated beaches of the Ha'apai Islands, Tonga
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Seacology guests on the NAI'A enjoyed sunset walks and shelling on isolated beaches of the Ha'apai Islands, Tonga
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The NAI'A anchored. Volcanic island of Tofua in background.
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To celebrate the opening of a community center refurbished with Seacology support, Felemea residents treat Seacology tour guests to traditional–and untraditional–entertainment.

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