WEsail · video

What this video covers

Warren and Erica, sailing a 44-foot catamaran, completed a passage to the Vavau island group in Tonga.0:51 They secured a mooring ball in the local field for approximately 20 Tongan dollars per day.9:19 Upon arrival, the crew booked a whale-watching tour, as Tongan regulations prohibit private vessels from approaching whales.3:51 Unlike French Polynesia, where private boats can encounter whales, Tonga mandates the use of licensed operators.14:59 These operators limit encounters to one boat per whale group for a maximum of 45 minutes, with only four swimmers in the water at a time.25:42 During their excursion, the crew observed humpback whales that migrate from Antarctica to these tropical waters to mate and calve between July and November.24:54 The couple noted that these strict regulations result in more intimate, less stressful encounters for the animals compared to their previous experiences in French Polynesia.23:07

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