The island group of Vava’u in the north of Tonga where islands rise from the iridescent waters that surround the emerald green islands and their white sandy beaches, boasts diving and fishing at its best. Vava’u is a paradise pure and perfect for those interested in diving, snorkelling, fishing and whale watching.whale watching.

The Diving

One word that describes the diving in Vava'u is “MAGIC!”  The waters are crystal clear with the visibility being as good as it gets in the Pacific, averaging 30 metres plus.   The water temperature is warm all year round with an average temperature of 25°C in winter.  A big plus for diving Vava'u is the incredible variety of diving to be found around one small group of magnificent islands.  Vava’u diving offers hard corals that truly are untouched, soft coral gardens with a rainbow of colours.

Vava'u has numerous safe, interesting and unique cavern dives with spectacular underwater archways, tunnels, large black coral trees and wall dives that vanish into the inky blue. There is little in the way of currents and most dives are leisurely swim throughs. For wreck dive enthusiasts the 122 metre wreck of the Clan McWilliam that sank over 50 years ago, sits upright and still intact. Then there’s the Humpback Whales, a treat everyone should experience, both above and below the surface.

There are over 50 islands in the Vava'u group, so you can imagine all the wonderful dive sites that are still being discovered and explored.

The Dive Locations

The Clan McWilliam Wreck: This virtually intact 140m steel freighter was launched in 1918 and for 9 years was to ply the South Pacific. An accident involving fire amongst her cargo of copra saw to her demise and sinking within the Vava’u harbour. She has become home to a variety of small schooling fish and a resting place for a number of different hard and soft corals. This 30m dive will take you back to the time of the Titanic, where you can stand on a deck which has not seen the green hills of Vava’u for over 70 years!

Tu’ungasika: This small cliff bound island is truly a diver’s dream, with 3 different dives amongst its depths. It is surrounded by untouched coral gardens, with drop-offs of 30-40 metres, patrolled by small tuna and mackerel. A number of large caverns surround the island where it is possible to find white tip reef sharks. One cavern is adorned by a wall of golden sea fans and guarded by a reef that is crowned by multiple clownfish – a photographer’s paradise!

Kapa:   A well-known local attraction is Swallow’s Cave, but not many visitors get to see the top and bottom.

Diving starts outside with a wall dive, following bream and watching tuna as they go screaming by chasing the baitfish. If you are into nudibranches, a number of different types hang out along the walls. Take a side tunnel into the actual cavern, where the tones of light and colour take on new meanings. A torch is a must to explore the deeper recesses!

Euakafa:  Further south amongst the group of islands lies this uninhabited tropical isle. The dive starts from the beach and circles a nearby reef where the corals keep changing from hard to soft and back again – all the colours of the rainbow! You will be spoilt for choice with the display of reef fish, as most varieties are found here.

Kitu Cave:  This is another popular dive.  It is a huge cave with many chambers yet with the entrance visible from most chambers.  Within some chambers you can ascend 12 metres (40ft) up a 1.5 metre (5ft) wide tunnel, surfacing into a very large, totally enclosed fresh air pocket.  Just outside the cave is a spectacular and lush sea fan garden where the fans all measure 1.5 - 2 metres across.  Just beyond this “garden” lies a perpendicular drop-off with many fish and beautiful soft corals.

Coral Garden Reef:  Start this dive among numerous large and flourishing sea anemones teeming with the beautifully bright coloured and playful clown-fish.  Continue on to a hard coral garden featuring individual corals measuring up to 3.5 metres (12ft) across, and an amazing display of colourful reef fish.

Hunga Magic: A short trip out through the beautiful Vava’u Islands to the playground of the Humpback Whales during their calving season (late July to mid October) brings you to Hunga Magic, an undulating landscape dotted with gardens of leather corals, pastels of yellow browns, blues and greens. Strange little pimples of coral rock are underlined with carnation corals of vivid crimson. Green seafans transform into brilliant red under your torchlight!

Whales:  There are ½ day whale watching trips and if luck is on your side, you might be able to snorkel with these amazing whales.  Whale watching trips need to be pre-booked to guarantee space.

The Whales
The Humpback Whales (Megaptere novaengaliae) belong to the Baleen whale family.  Their diet consists of the small side of marine life, and their teeth are actually plates of keratin, forming filters that separate water from food when feeding.

Every year from July to November the whales complete their migration from the cold feeding waters south of New Zealand and Australia, to the warmer tropical waters of Tonga where they give birth to calves and perform courtship readying themselves for the next season.

Watching the Humpback Whales is a treat everyone should experience, both above and below the surface.  They aim to please with wonderful displays of activity. Breaching, spy hopping and fin slapping are a few of the behaviours regularly encountered on the surface of the water. The most heart warming though, are the underwater views of a mother resting with her calf, taking a well-earned break whilst still keeping an eye on her restless and often playful calf.

The sheltered waters of Vava’u offer plenty of hideaways for the young calves as they begin to learn the behaviours that the Humpback Whales are known for. Escorts eager to gain courtship during the season will often accompany the mothers, keeping out of the way and generally at a slight distance, but still keeping a watchful eye out for that certain signal.

Throughout July to November the waters surrounding Vava’u are filled with music as the Humpback Whales sing their hearts out. Lying on the surface of the water your body absorbs the vibrations and captivates your whole being into their song.

The above dive locations are our recommendations for diving in Tonga. There are countless other locations that we have also dived, and through trial and error over the last 20 or so years we’ve narrowed them down to bring you just the very best. That being said, if you have a specific interest in a particular area or wish to weigh up other options we have the knowledge to help. We have dived there, and would be glad to offer our expertise.