Tonga Whale Swim & Spearfishing Retreat - Eua, Kingdom of Tonga
Tonga Whale Swim & Spearfishing Retreat - Eua, Kingdom of Tonga
Salty Pilgrims Freediving
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Join us in Eua, the Forgotton Island of The Kingdon of Tonga, one of the oldest Islands in the Pacific Islands.
Spend a week in one of the best places on Earth for swimming with Humpback Whales, spearfishing for fish of a lifetime, and diving in some of the clearest, most vibrant waters you’ve ever seen.
Diving with Humbpack Whales is a life-altering, earth shattering experience and is pretty much the best thing you could ever experience in the ocean.
We’ve teamed up with the legends at Blue Water Retreat, where you’ll stay right on the beach, just steps from the famous Humpback Highway. Imagine drifting off to sleep to the sound of whales breaching just outside your door.
This trip is truly one of a kind. We’ve kept it small—only 8 people—so you’ll have plenty of space and personal attention. With just 4 people per boat and your own expert guides in the water, we're certain this is a trip you'll remember forever.
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Dates
23rd - 30th October, 2025
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Location
Eua, Kingdom of Tonga
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Where to fly into
Fuaʻamotu International Airport - Tongatapu (main island) arriving on 22nd October. (This flight from Sydney is around $345 one way with a stopover in Nadi)
Once you arrive, you will be picked up and taken to your accomodation for the night, and the next morning the group will travel to Eua by ferry (2 hours). This will all be arranged for you.OR take a 10 minute flight to Eua
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Cost of trip
$500 deposit to secure your spot
$6750- Total cost, all inclusive except for flights. Payment plans available.
Read below for the full list of inclusions. -
Accomodation
Beachfront bungalows set back just behind the humpback Highway - you will hear whales jumping laying in bed at night, and can see them from bed in the morning.
Twin bed or Queen bed setup, private bathrooms.
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Weather
Water temperatures range from 27 - 28 degrees celsius. 3.5mm wetsuits recommended.
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Spearfishing Ability
We will be doing lots of Bluewater spearfishing, so this trip is more suitable for those with spearfishing experience. There will be ample opportunities to shoot Wahoo, Mahi Mahi and Dogtooth Tuna for the more experienced spearos.
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Your Vibe
This trip is for those looking to experience the profound beauty of Tonga, while making lifelong friendships and can appreciate the unpredictable nature of the ocean and take it in their stride! This is for those people who aren't totally focused on just Spearfishing, but want to appreciate swimming with Whales, and spend afternoons relaxing on the beach with a drink.
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Molchanovs Freediving Course Levels
Wave 1 and Wave 2 Courses.
Depth training & coaching for those wanting to dive deeper and longer -
Food
Sit back and relax with 3 meals per day cooked by our own private cooks. The mouth-watering week's menu showcases the best and freshest meals cooked with locally grown fruits and veggies, as well as your pick of the fish you catch! Fresh sashimi boards will be prepared from the previous day's catch.
Inclusions
☼ 7 nights accommodation at our own private Beachfront Resort located on the Humpback Highway
☼ Airport Transfers
☼ Boat Transfers from the main island to Eua Island
☼ 3 Days swimming with Humpback Whales - this trip is the ONLY trip unique to Whale swimming where you will only have 4 people on your boat and your guides! Every other tour company running has 10 guests per 1 boat. You will basically have your own private experience with the whales.
☼ 3 Days Spearfishing, including Bluewater spearfishing, FAD spearfishing and Reef spearfishing - Guided Spearfishing (only 4 others on your boat, groups split between 2 guides)
☼ Molchanovs Wave 1 & Wave 2 Courses, or depth coaching and training for the deeper divers
☼ Half day Island tour (on the rest day)
☼ Spearfishing Workshops tailored to suit your ability level and turn you into an incredible underwater hunter. Run by our experienced Spearfishing and Freediving Instructors
☼ 3 Meals per day & Sashimi platters
☼ Marine Biology Presentation
☼ Underwater photographs and videos of yourself swimming with Whales & Spearfishing to capture your memories
☼ Hat/ t-shirt
Swim with Humpback Whales
Eua is one of the best places, if not the best, in the world for in-water encounters with humpback whales.
All of the Whale swims are conducted by the legends at Bluewater Retreat, they are among the most experienced Whale swim guides in the world, and we are so confident you will have one of the best experience of your life swimming with the Whales!!
We are allowed to dive down 3m to swim with the Whales, which is more than enough to have the Whales playing, swimming, dancing and rolling around so close to you. We are also allowed to get as close as 5m to the whales if the whale swim guide deems it safe to do so, and you can bet that we will be there to capture these moments for you on video and photo!
Spearfishing
We visited Tonga recently to do a reccy mission, and we were blown away by the fish life. Our group collectively had chances at over 15 Wahoo, loads of Dogtooth Tuna, we speared Mahi Mahi, Yellowfin Tuna, Jobfish, Coral Trout, Trevally. All up in the week there were 36 different species shot, this place is abundant and good things come to those who wait for the perfect moment and shoot to secure one of these fish of a lifetime.
We recommend the spearfishing for those with a decent amount of experience. The Bluewater hunting for Wahoo and Mahi Mahi will be in the top 5-10m of water, while fish like Dogtooth Tuna and Jobfish will be more around the 15m+ mark.
There will be very experienced guides with each group in the water, working the flasher and burleying fish the whole time, splitting the divers into small groups.
The sharks are quite well behaved, however its good to have some experience diving around sharks as they can steal the occasional fish. The sharks are better behaved here than in any other pacific Island we have speared in.
We will be spending 3 days spearfishing different reefs and FAD's and the groups will be split accordingly to best suit the experience levels of the group.
Freediving Courses
Complete either your Molchanovs Wave 1 or Wave 2 course, OR train and be coached for more depth without doing a course. This involves a mixture of freediving on a line, as well as theory sessions.
If you have had no experience freediving, you will be able to do your Wave 1 Course, and potentially your Wave 2 Course. If you have done a Wave 1 Course (or equivalent) you will be able to do your Wave 2 Course.
If you have already done your Wave 2 or 3 courses, you will be able to get personal coaching and train for more depth!
The dive sessions will be right out front of the resort, in crystal clear blue water.
Trip FAQ’s
What Freediving Certification can I get?
If you haven't done a freediving course before, you will be able to do the Molchanovs Wave 1 Course. If you have done a Wave 1 Course, you can complete the Wave 2 Course.
If you have already completed your Wave 2 course you have the option to be coached on the line to become a more confident diver, and reach deeper depths.
What if I don't want to Spearfish?
You don't have to! You are able to freedive and explore instead.
What if I don’t want to do a course?
You may take the opportunity to improve your freediving with coached line diving sessions, unlimited depth and clear, warm water. There is no better place to improve your freediving ability.
What gear is needed?
You will need to bring all of your own freediving and spearfishing gear with you. We will supply you with dive weights so you don’t have to travel with them.
3.5mm wetsuit recommended.
How do I travel with dive gear/spearguns?
Traveling with your fins and gear in a dive bag, or a Sportstube is best.
What if I have dietary requirements?
The cooks will cater for your food requirements.
Exclusions
☼ Flights (approx $350 one way from Sydney, stopping through Nadi)
☼ Accom for the night before the trip starts, on the main island
☼ Travel Insurance
Travel Insurance
We recommend getting travel cancellation insurance upon booking your spot on the trip, to save you any financial hardships if you need to cancel your trip. You can get travel insurance that covers this.
You must have travel insurance before leaving Australia to join this trip.