We went with a company called Beluga Dive which is owned by a Dutchman and his Tongan wife Moa. Moa is the whale spotter and stands atop the boat searching for whales. When she spots the whales, the boat slowly approaches to see if they are ok with us being there. If they're not, they move on, and so do we. The whale watching outfitters are very aware that it is a privilege to see the whales and they work together to make sure the whales are not feeling harassed in any way. They limit the number of people in the water with them at any one time and they keep the boat a respectable distance away. If the whale exhibits behavior indicating anxiety of any kind, the boat moves on. This can mean some customers don't get to be up close and personal with the whales. However, we were lucky and had a really wonderful experience.
After some searching around the islands we found a couple of large adult whales that seemed quite fine with us being there. We would jump in the water in groups of four with our wetsuits and mask and snorkel, the guide leading us closer to the whales to hover over them, watching as they slowly rise from their most recent dive. And as they slowly rise, almost within arms reach, you fully appreciate their enormous size. They would come to the surface, take a few breaths before diving back down. And with a gentle wave of their tail, submerge again. They are fantastic, amazing, magnificent...well you get the idea. Words cannot describe it. What an experience!
A visit to Tonga would not be complete without attending a traditional Tongan feast with roasted pig and a variety of local dishes. We anchored off Lape Island to attend the feast together with many other cruisers. Our host, Kolio, gave us a tour of the island. We saw the plant they use for weaving, learned how to husk a coconut and had a chance to try the local beverage, Kava. Kava is a drink made of local plants, I'm not sure which (Jens says it is made from the root of a pepper plant), but it looks like muddy water. Jens had a taste of it, I passed preferring to stick to the coconut water. We gathered back to the pier for the buffet and after the pastor led the islanders through a song of praise for the food and a prayer, dinner was served. The piggy was yummy and the potatoes and taro were starchy. I know I am a fussy eater sometimes, but I don't think Jens or I would adopt any of their recipes anytime soon, if you know what I mean.
But we also had some other great feasts. We have met up with our new friends Ken and Lil Bardon from S/V Moonbeam. Needless to say Moonbeam is also an Island Packet. She's just a few feet larger than Segwun (10 feet actually) and is on her way to New Zealand. We first met them in Tahiti and have had some fun nights together with them and their ever-changing crew. In Tonga we had a traditional American BBQ with steaks and potatoes aboard Moonbeam with Ken, Lil, Edie, Steve and Jon. And the following morning we had a traditional Canadian pancake breakfast complete with Maple Syrup and Blueberries aboard Segwun.
Let's not forget the feast for the ears. We had already experienced the wonderful singing at the church service. But nothing can beat the bright eyes, beautiful smiles and voices of children singing at school. We visited Matamaka GPS with Ken and his crew. They had already been to the island and this time came with gifts of books and school supplies. The children sang for us and as a way to practice their English they each stood in turn and told us their names and age, what their parents do (mothers are housewives or teachers and fathers are fishermen or pastors) and what they want to do when they grow up. Pitisi, the teacher at the school, is trying to expose the children to other career options so we too had to say what our jobs had been (after telling our names and ages...). After many visiting yachties, the children now have the aspiration to be policemen, engineers, doctors, nurses and pilots. But it will be a long road for these island children. Attending secondary school means leaving your island and family each week. And to attend University means leaving Tonga altogether most going to New Zealand or Australia. Only the smartest are supported with government grants.
With all these Tongan feasts, we are just about ready to move on. Next stop...Fiji!!!
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