“Just got back from a 10 day trip with Humpback Swims. The best in-water encounters I've ever had. Swimming with a mother and calf humpback is just extraordinary. Do it!”
“We went on the boat Kalo, and had a great time. The crew all did a fine job, and Ashlee was an excellent whale guide. I have nothing but good words for this operation.”
“I spent a lot of time researching swimming with the whales in Vava'u, Tonga. I know from friends who have been, that you can get stuck with awful operators if you don't book your trip ahead of time. Not only that, the good boats and crews get blocked off years in advance. This is why it's important to book with a company like Humpback Swims. My first impression was wonderful, through the timely manner and response rate from Nadia and her team. All my questions were answered in what seemed like seconds after me sending my first email. Upon arrival I was greeted by a driver and whisked me off to Mystic Sands, the accommodation I chose for my stay. I was very very pleased with this decision. The staff their quickly became family and they took VERY good care of everyone. Mosi makes wonderful food! We had a welcome briefing from the Humpback Swims team, then relaxation. Sundays in Tonga are rest days, so we were not able to go out swimming until Monday (I arrived on a Saturday). The whale swims are hard to describe, I don't think it's easy to communicate how amazing it is to swim with whales, it just takes your breath away. Every day, and every encounter, was so different, just like the team said. I was very glad I chose the 8 swim day package. At first I thought it would be too long, but no, no it wasn't. It went by so quickly. It's nature so we had some slower days than others, so keep that in mind when you are choosing what length of trip, don't think 8 swim days is too much. It's also nice having 6 people on the boat, it's clear to see that some boats take 10 or more people, you are only allowed 4 people in the water at a time, I can't imagine being on a boat load of people, it would truly ruin the experience. So glad I chose Humpback Swims with their smaller group sizes. The crew were OUT OF THIS WORLD! They took such great care of us! They are experts in and out of the water. I think this is this most important thing to note, the crew really made sure that we got to swim with whales, even on the harder days, they kept us in great spirits and even took us to snorkel in some caves. We got to swim with whales every day on the trip! What else can you ask for? Moms and their calves, a small heat run. Big ones, small ones, shy ones, curious ones, so much diversity in the types of encounters you can have. Every whale has their own personality, that's for sure! I am 100% coming back with Humpback Swims in the coming years, Nadia and her team did an amazing job! You really can't go wrong!”
“I waited a year for this trip and it went without a hitch from beginning to end... I am booking the 8 day package as the 5 was phenomenal however I was more time in the water. The owner Nadia is amazing!! The crew above and beyond.. As far as the people from Tonga”
“Nadia and the Humpback Whales team did an exceptional job with the entire experience. From the superb response rate to questions during booking to the support throughout the whale swims. It was a little tough for me to afford the cost but it was so worth it. This experience is worth the investment. Thank you!”
“My experience with Nadia and Humpback Swims was top-notch from start to finish! We swam with whales for eight days last August and it was AMAZING! There were only four guests plus one guide per whale so we had plenty of up-close time with these gorgeous animals. The drivers and guides were incredibly professional and knowledgeable and were able to get us in the water with whales every single day. Mystic Sands was a great place to stay, super friendly, clean and delicious food. I would recommend this experience to anyone!”
“Thank you for an amazing experience. We waited a long to get this Adventure off the bucket list. Nadia, you were terrific. The swims were great and the staff and accommodations were also great. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone.”
“What a fantastic, once in a lifetime experience. Great and experienced guide and skipper that found us whales all day. The boat was spacious, clean and well maintained. No hesitation in recommending Humpback Swim, big thank you to Nadia and the crew. Julie-Ann & Phil Davis”
“Most incredible experience EVER! Loved every minute of it. Nadia put together a fantastic experience— not just the whales (which we were in the water with every day and were spectacular), but also accommodations at Mystic Sands ( run by the amazing Mosi) and fun dinners out (maybe the best pizza outside of NYC!) and Mosi’s home cooking. Def plan to go back.”
“This is one of those experiences in life that makes you in awe of the natural world and creates in your heart a fierce desire to protect. The location, while tricky to get to, is raw and gorgeous. The water is clear, and after jumping in the water a few times with these incredible whales the fear slides away as you witness the intelligence in their eyes, their acknowledgement of you, their awareness of you and them as they adjust themselves to swim by or stay and play with your group. It isn't a simple sight seeing tour, you are on a boat daily looking for these wild animals, and then jumping in the water repeatedly to get a once in a lifetime experience. Nadia's enthusiasm is contagious and her own screams of delight in a sighting or an experience are the best, as it truly never gets old, and once you leave, you will forever miss this experience and interaction and ache for it again.”
“Hi. I recently got back from swimming with humpbacks in Tonga. It was excellent - far better than I expected. I have previously swam with Humpbacks at the Silver Banks. Nadia’s trip was so much better. In Tonga, you see so close to the whales. A few times the young calves brushed us (they don’t seem to know their own size). The Tongan guides are amazing. They seem to know what the whales are going to do before the whales themselves know it. I went to photograph Humpbacks. I got amazing shots. I’d go with Nadia again in Tonga or on other trips she puts together. Excellent. I’d go back to Tonga to swim with Humpbacks again too.”
“This is a dream come true - swimming with these whales is a tick off from my bucket list! The unforgettable encounters where truly breathtaking and amazing. I couldn’t be happier. Thanks to Nadia who took care of everything for me. I did a last minute booking and she made it possible for me. Looking forward to joining her again in the future!”
“Absolutely incredible. Truly indescribable. The experience with the whales was everything I dreamed it would be and more. We had great guides who knew how to find whales and interact respectfully, and we were a small group on the boat, so we got tons of time in the water with the whales. (Note: This is not the case with every company, as we saw on other boats!) To top it off, the accommodation was perfect, we even had a car to borrow included with the house, and we had lovely dinners out with wonderful people. I will forever treasure absolutely everything about this experience. Perfect perfect perfect.”
“The young humpback calf swam by, no more than an arm's length in front of me, and turned away. We were in open water off the island of Vava'u, in Tonga, in August in the midst of her migratory journey. She slid through the water and moved away into the blue depths, then abruptly rolled onto her back, showing me her great white belly, pivoting and turning back toward me, circling closer until she almost touched my camera lens. Then, as she looked directly into my eyes, curious and docile, her massive gray flank within easy reach, her mother loomed up behind her, 40 tons of maternal presence suddenly only feet away, and together they sped away. Enough play, mom seemed to signal. And they were gone. No animal experience I have had compares with snorkeling with humpback whales in Tonga. Nadia Aly's Humpback Swims is a fabulous adventure. My wife and I traveled there in August, and joined four other travelers for eight days of chasing, watching, swimming with, and getting to know these magnificent humpbacks. The logistics and accommodations were exceptional. Nadia took care of all the details, the Tongan islands were charming and welcoming, the weather was perfect, and the memories will last forever. Or maybe they won't, because we will go back with additional family members in tow and replace them with new ones. I cannot recommend Humpback Swims with Nadia Aly highly enough: six stars out of five!”
“I made the mistake of visiting Vava’u 5 years ago and not making any bookings. Nadia and her team saved me. Just showing up doesn’t work on this small island and the boats that had space available were a 1 star in comparison to what this company has. Everything makes a difference and it’s worth going with a company who knows what they are doing. I can’t say enough good things about this company. Look no further.”
“I loved our trip swimming with humpback whales in Tonga! Nadia organized the trip beautifully, from recommendations on flight itineraries, to organizing our housing in Vava'u, to choosing one of the most experienced and reputable day boat operators on the island. We had interactions with whales every day! It's a fantastic trip, I highly recommend it.”
“The most amazing day we ever had! After a huge disappointment the day before with another (really dishonest) company, we found 2 last-minute spots with Humpback Whales. They were perfectly organised, from boat to equipment, the driver and the guide were super nice and experienced, you could see they love their job and do it with passion! They explained us everything about humpback whales and Tonga, after an hour out on the boat they spotted 2 whales and after observing their behaviour we jumped in! It was amazing, we spent the whole morning in the evening water swimming with these beautiful creatures, it was truly breathtaking! After it we had a delicious lunch and spent the afternoon swimming and snorkelling ind beautiful natural caves. It was our dream to swim with whales and Humpback Whales let us fulfil it in our honeymoon, it was thousand time better than we ever imagined! We can’t stop thanking you guys!”
“Experience of a lifetime! From the minute we landed till the day we left Humpback swims team were their for us. I spent 5 amazing days on the water with a small group of 6 amazing travelers and swam with whales with different personalities every day. Mother’s and calf’s, young and playful 1 year olds, breaches everywhere, huge males and heat runs. It was beyond my expectations! Not only in whale swims, but fantastic accommodations. If you are looking for a getaway from life itself. Reach out Nadia to get information. You will never regret it.”
“I went in 2019 and had a blast! We swam with the whales everyday! Can’t ask for much more! The boats were great, easy to see we had the best ones out there. Quite easy to get to from LAX. No complaints.”
“What a phenomenal few weeks we had with HUmpback whales in the south pacific. The animals encounters were awesome, not only that though, the operator Nadia and Humpback swims made everything run smoothly. From the comfortable boat, to the problem solving and help from Nadia herself to make out trip run smoothly. There are other operators doing similar things, but the guys with Humpback Swims were professional, informative and great fun to be around. Thanks guys!!”
