Photo Album - Tonga

(For a map of Tonga, click here).

Niuatoputapu Photos

Vava'u Photos

Ha'apai Photos

Ha'apai

Ha'apai has been a delightfully peaceful place to spend a few weeks. After the bustling activity of Vava'u, Ha'apai is a very different atmosphere. The main town of Pangai is a sleepy little place but the Tongans were holding the "Royal Ha'apai Agricultural and Fisheries Show" while we were there. We spent most of our time anchored near small, uninhabited islands like Ha'ano, Oualeva, Limu and Nomuka. Even though Vava'u claims to be THE place for whale watching, we were pleasantly surprised by the abundance of whales throughout Ha'apai. We even saw a female humpback giving birth to a calf right off the stern of Seawanhaka. The diving here was phenomenal...we took a trip out to Ofalonga and dove in caves, one even a hot water cave, coral arches, and saw sharks, a sea turtle, rays, lobsters, a lionfish, parrotfish, huge cowry shells, and the most beautiful array of coral.

Main street in Pangai, with banners welcoming the king.	The King of Tonga was famous for being the heaviest monarch (he used to weigh 450 lbs but has lost a couple hundred pounds).	Tongans listen (or sleep through) the King's speech.	Goods on display at the Royal Agricultural Show.
Squids stetched out on tree branches at the farm show.	Mother whale floating just off Seawanhaka's stern at Oualeva.	The tiny deserted island of Limu was an absolute paradise!	The weather was so calm and the water so clear in Limu that you could see the anchor chain laying on the ocean floor 35 feet below.
A calm morning at Limu...where the water meets the skies.	A view of the harbor from Nomuka Island.	Local Nomukans chop up meat for a pig roast/funeral party.	Stormy weather in Ha'apai.

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