Assessment of humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) watching activities in Vava'u, Tonga : pilot study

Abstract

Whale-watching has recently developed into an important industry within the South Pacific islands region (Economists @ Large & Associates. 2008a). In particular, the presence of humpback whales at high latitudes during the winter months has become of great interest over the last 10 years (Schaffar and Garrigue. 2007). In the Kingdom of Tonga, whale-watching activities began in 1994 and focus on a small population of humpback whales utilising the waters around Vava'u as their main breeding ground between the months of July and October. The whale-watching industry in Tonga is unique as it is one of the only countries worldwide to actively promote swimming with humpback whales.