Jantung saya berdegup kencang saat saya berenang perlahan ke arah dua paus raksasa yang sedang beristirahat di permukaan. Saya merasa sangat gembira karena akan bertemu dengan induk paus bungkuk dan anaknya.
Saya telah melakukan perjalanan ke Kerajaan Tonga, sebuah kepulauan di Pasifik Selatan antara Selandia Baru dan Samoa. Budaya yang kuat, bentang alam yang masih alami, pantai berpasir yang sepi, tebing batu kapur yang spektakuler, gua bawah laut, dan hutan yang rimbun adalah beberapa alasan untuk mengunjungi Tonga. Daya tarik wisata utamanya, bagaimanapun, adalah kesempatan untuk berenang bersama paus bungkuk yang karismatik.
Di antara hewan terbesar di planet ini, paus bungkuk memiliki panjang sekitar 49 kaki dan berat rata-rata sekitar 35 ton. Punuk di dekat bagian depan sirip punggung, tonjolan khas di kepala, dan sirip dada yang panjang dan indah membuat paus bungkuk mudah dikenali. Sirip-sirip tersebut, dikombinasikan dengan daerah tempat para ilmuwan pertama kali mendeskripsikannya, membuat mereka mendapatkan nama ilmiahnya, Megaptera novaeangliae, meaning “large- or great-winged New Englander.”
Humpbacks feed in polar waters during the summer and then migrate to tropical or subtropical waters to breed during winter. Various locations offer seasonal whale-watching, but swimming with them is legal in only a few places — Tonga is one of them. Every year its warm and sheltered waters provide a nursery for the whales, which gather there between July and October after a long migration from Antarctica.
Tonga was not always a safe place for humpbacks. Whalers hunted them there for decades until 1978, when King Tāufa‘āhau Tupou IV declared a moratorium on all whaling within the kingdom’s waters — a decision that probably saved the Tonga humpback subpopulation. The government issued the first tourism license for whale swimming in 1993, and since then thousands of people have traveled there from all over the world hoping for the experience of a lifetime with the majestic giants.
Berenang bersama paus memiliki pedoman yang ketat, dan hanya operator berlisensi yang dapat menawarkan aktivitas di dalam air. Peraturan utama termasuk bahwa hanya empat klien dan satu pemandu lokal terlatih per perahu bersertifikat yang boleh berada di dalam air dengan kawanan paus dalam satu waktu, dan perenang tidak boleh mendekati paus lebih dekat dari 16,4 kaki (5 meter).
Hanya satu kapal berlisensi pada satu waktu yang boleh memasukkan perenang ke dalam air dengan satu kawanan paus. Beberapa operator mungkin setuju untuk berbagi sehingga semua klien memiliki kesempatan untuk mengalami perjumpaan di dalam air. Waktu interaksi maksimum kapal mana pun dengan kawanan paus yang terdiri atas induk dan anak paus adalah satu setengah jam, kecuali jika kapal tersebut memiliki Izin Interaksi Khusus. Setelah interaksi selama 90 menit, tidak ada kapal yang boleh berinteraksi dengan kawanan paus tersebut selama 90 menit berikutnya, untuk memastikan bahwa hewan-hewan tersebut beristirahat.
I have been fortunate to travel to Tonga many times since 2007. People often ask me why I keep going back, but there aren’t adequate words to convey what it is like to be in the water with humpback whales. Swimming with them was truly life-changing. It gave me a sense of peace that I had never experienced, and it humbled me that the gentle giants would be so tolerant of us. After hundreds of swims, I still feel overwhelmed each time and remain amazed by their size, inquisitive nature and level of consciousness.
I’ve also observed the powerful impact the whales have on other people. I have seen individuals weep with joy. Some go quiet for hours, deeply touched by the encounter, while others get so excited that they won’t stop talking about it.
Selama bertahun-tahun saya mendapatkan kesempatan istimewa untuk mengamati interaksi luar biasa yang akan selamanya membekas dalam ingatan saya. Salah satu pertemuan yang tak terlupakan adalah dengan seekor anak sapi yang kami beri nama Snowy karena kulitnya yang pucat. Dia penasaran dan bertekad untuk bermain dengan kami, manusia kecil yang lamban. Kami telah melihat pasangan induk dan anak gajah ini dari jarak yang cukup jauh saat mereka sedang melintas. Sang induk dengan mudah dan anggun melompat keluar dari air, tetapi anaknya tidak begitu anggun dan masih dalam masa pelatihan. Upayanya yang kikuk dan tidak terkoordinasi untuk menerobos sangat menyenangkan untuk ditonton.
After they stopped and seemed to settle, we quietly entered the water and started swimming slowly toward them. The calf left his mother and came charging at us as soon as he saw us in the water. Remember, this is not a small baby — it’s about 15 feet long and weighs more than a ton. Having a humpback calf chase you can be intimidating, especially since they tend to lack spatial awareness.
Waktu kami di dalam air terasa ajaib dan menggembirakan, karena Snowy terus mengitari kami, berguling-guling dan berenang di atas punggungnya sambil selalu menjaga kontak mata. Saya menghabiskan sebagian besar waktu berenang dengan tertawa saat saya mencoba memotret si kecil yang lucu ini. Lensa sudut lebar saya tidak cukup lebar untuk mengakomodasi pertemuan sedekat itu, jadi saya sering kali hanya bisa memotret sebagian dari dirinya.
Induk paus bungkuk bisa sangat protektif terhadap anaknya dan biasanya berada cukup dekat, jadi saya terus mengawasinya saat berinteraksi dengan anaknya. Anehnya, induk paus ini tidak bergerak sama sekali di bawah kami selama berenang. Saya menduga bahwa rasa percaya dirinya muncul karena sebelumnya ia pernah didekati dengan penuh rasa hormat oleh orang-orang, atau mungkin ia sedang menikmati waktu istirahatnya sementara kami menyibukkan diri dengan anaknya yang riuh.
Another exceptional experience was with five adult whales engaging in a slow-motion heat run. Heat runs can be aggressive, as several males race and compete for the attention of a female. Operators need to carefully assess heat runs before allowing swimmers in the water. If safe drops are possible, they usually last only a few seconds as the animals swim past. But that day was quite different — the whales were swimming relatively slowly compared to usual and at times would change direction and come back toward us. It felt like I was training for the Olympics, but we never managed to get closer than about 30 feet during the hour we spent with them.
It was extraordinary to watch their behavior underwater. Initially, the males were mainly chasing after the female. They would speed up, cut in front of each other and blow curtains of bubbles, possibly to confuse their opponents and hide as they tried to escape with the female. The competition escalated quickly, however, as power and chaos replaced speed and deception. It became a battle of titans in which the males displayed their strength by headbutting and tail-slapping each other. One slap was powerful enough to resonate to where we were. The recipient was swimming on his side, and we saw his throat grooves shake when the other whale struck him. I felt the impact’s vibrations in the water. The whale that had just been hit continued racing as if nothing had happened, driven by the urge to reproduce.
All the whales suddenly dived in unison and disappeared for several minutes. I don’t know what happened in the deep blue, but it ended the chase. When the whales eventually reappeared more than 300 feet away, their pace had slowed significantly, and the group quickly separated afterward except for two whales that swam away together — probably the female and her chosen suitor.
Berenang saat paus sedang bernyanyi juga sangat menarik. Sulit untuk menggambarkan perpaduan suara erangan bernada tinggi dan suara dengkuran yang bervariasi yang dihasilkan paus bungkuk. Hanya dengan mendengar dan merasakan lagu di bawah air yang dapat menggambarkan keindahannya yang memukau dan menghantui. Ini adalah vokalisasi yang panjang, salah satu yang paling rumit di dunia hewan, dan diproduksi dalam pola yang terorganisir hanya oleh pejantan. Mereka dapat bernyanyi selama beberapa jam pada suatu waktu, mengulangi lagu yang sama berulang kali.
Because whales usually sing most often during the breeding season, researchers believe the complex songs play a role in attracting females or establishing dominance between males. We are still attempting to understand whales’ singing during other times. All the males in a humpback population will sing the same song; if the song changes over time, they all will apply the same changes — proof that learning and transmission are happening among the males. Apart from being music to your ears, whale songs can be quite a physical experience. When positioned near a singer, you can feel the vibrations in your body.
My all-time highlight was a swim with two courting whales 10 years ago. That day our swim attempts had been unsuccessful — we had seen many whales, but none of them seemed interested. On the way back to the harbor, however, we suddenly saw big splashes in the distance as two adults rolled at the surface and slapped their long pectoral fins. I prefer to observe whales underwater, but watching them from a boat always gives a different perspective of size and sound. We could hear them breathe, and the rhythmic sound of their fins splashing the water was captivating.
They eventually stopped to dive, so we entered the water and swam toward where we last saw them. The pair was there, gliding slowly underneath us and pirouetting around each other, meeting and separating as if performing an underwater ballet. I am always amazed by humpbacks’ gentle and precise movements despite their size. One of the whales suddenly ascended straight in front of me less than 10 feet away and stopped there, clearly looking at me. The overwhelming feeling when looking into a whale’s eye and knowing that it is looking back and acknowledging you is unrivaled. It’s a moment in time that will remain vivid in my mind forever.
Saya memiliki banyak kenangan berharga lainnya, dan saya beruntung karena perjalanan saya ke Tonga kaya akan interaksi yang tak terlupakan. Namun, sangat penting untuk memahami bahwa berenang bersama paus adalah sebuah keistimewaan. Dibutuhkan kesabaran dan keberuntungan, dan seperti halnya pengalaman dengan satwa liar lainnya, tidak ada jaminan bahwa interaksi akan terjadi. Beberapa hari cuaca terlalu buruk bagi kita untuk naik ke kapal, dan beberapa hari paus tidak mau mengizinkan kita berada di dalam air bersama mereka. Pada sebagian besar hari, Anda akan menghabiskan waktu berjam-jam untuk mencari mereka.
Remember that the whales travel to Tonga to mate, give birth and care for their calves. The migration is more than 3,700 miles and takes several months. While migrating and staying in the birthing grounds, there is little or no available food, so whales survive by metabolizing the stored energy in their blubber. Mothers can lose up to one-third of their body weight during the migration and their stay in Tonga. It’s demanding and exhausting to protect, nurture and feed their babies in preparation for their long trip back to Antarctica.
Populasi paus bungkuk Tonga masih relatif kecil dan belum pulih sepenuhnya seperti populasi paus bungkuk lainnya. Diperkirakan, pemburu paus telah membunuh lebih dari 200.000 ekor paus bungkuk di Belahan Bumi Selatan pada abad ke-20. Perburuan paus Antartika mengurangi stok perkembangbiakan E dan F, subpopulasi yang berkembang biak di Tonga, Kaledonia Baru, Fiji, Samoa, dan Niue, dan populasinya kini hanya berjumlah ribuan.
Saat Anda berada di dalam air bersama paus bungkuk, sangat penting bagi Anda untuk bersikap sopan dan tidak memengaruhi perilaku dan kesejahteraan mereka. Dengan demikian, Anda dan pengunjung lain akan mendapatkan pengalaman yang tiada duanya.
Cara Menyelam
Sampai di sana: Tonga’s borders closed quickly after the pandemic started, so check travel advisories for the current status. Before COVID-19, you could get to Tonga via Sydney, Auckland or Fiji. From the U.S., flights leave from Los Angeles and connect through Fiji. Most international flights arrive at Fua‘amotu International Airport, Tongatapu, but a few direct flights happen weekly between Fiji and Vava‘u. If your whale-swimming adventure takes place in Vava‘u, Ha‘apai or ‘Eua, you can take a domestic flight on Lulutai Airlines.
Allow plenty of time between your domestic flight’s arrival time and your international flight’s departure for your return trip. Domestic flights occasionally get delayed or canceled due to weather, causing missed international connections.
I recommend carrying all your essentials with you, including your camera housing. Luggage delays due to being over the weight limit are not uncommon. It’s also good to have travel insurance to cover medical expenses, repatriation, flight delays and cancellations, and lost luggage.
Tempat menginap: Tonga is home to about 170 islands divided into three major groups: Tongatapu and ‘Eua in the south, Ha‘apai in the middle and Vava‘u in the north. The northernmost tip is the small Niua island group. Tourism infrastructure and whale-swimming conditions vary depending on the location. Staying on the main island, Tongatapu, for your whale experience will save you time and money because you won’t have to take a domestic flight to another destination, and far fewer operators are on the water. Your best option for hotels and activities is in the capital, Nuku‘alofa.
Most travelers prefer to take the one-hour flight to popular Vava‘u, the hub for whale swimming. Vava‘u is a scenic location with deeper waters and the possibility of seeing other pelagic species. The influx of tourists during the whale season has resulted in a wide choice of restaurants and accommodations to fit all budgets. The main town of Neiafu is a popular option, but quieter, more secluded resorts are located on the outer islands. The downside is there are many whale-swimming boats, increasing pressure on the whales. In the past few years, queueing for a whale has become more common.
There are fewer boats in Ha‘apai, where the tourism infrastructure is less developed than in Vava‘u. The waters are shallower, and the visibility is usually not as good. It is also flatter and more exposed to the weather. The most accessible islands in Ha‘apai are Lifuka, Foa and Uoleva.
Kapan harus pergi: The whales arrive in Tonga in mid to late June, and you can typically observe them until early October. The timing varies, so August and September are usually more reliable for whale encounters. These winter months can have strong winds, so have warm clothes and a spray jacket on the boat. Water temperature in August and September is usually in the mid-70°F range.
Sangat penting untuk memesan tur berenang bersama paus dengan operator berlisensi. Awak mereka telah dilatih mengenai peraturan dan praktik terbaik yang harus dilakukan saat mendekati paus, dan perahu serta peralatan keselamatan mereka juga telah sesuai.
Pemesanan untuk beberapa hari akan memaksimalkan kesempatan Anda untuk berenang dengan baik dan kesempatan untuk melihat perilaku yang berbeda. Tiga hari adalah waktu minimum yang baik, tetapi lima atau tujuh hari akan lebih baik jika anggaran Anda memungkinkan. Tidak ada jaminan Anda akan berenang bersama paus, dan operator mana pun yang memberi tahu Anda sebaliknya mungkin tidak mengikuti praktik etika. Sediakan beberapa hari ekstra di akhir perjalanan Anda jika hari berenang bersama paus yang telah dialokasikan ditunda karena cuaca atau
alasan lain.
Hanya empat orang dan seorang pemandu yang diperbolehkan berada di dalam air bersama paus pada waktu tertentu, jadi bergabung dengan kelompok kecil akan membatasi rotasi dan memaksimalkan waktu Anda di dalam air. Ini adalah pengalaman snorkeling; peralatan selam dan lampu sorot tidak diperbolehkan.
Catatan untuk para fotografer: Tonga is remote and doesn’t have a photography shop or support. Make sure your equipment is in perfect working order before going to Tonga. If you stay on an outer island, charging equipment might be available only at certain times of the day, so be sure to have spare batteries and memory cards in case you cannot charge or download daily. Drones are allowed, but talk to a licensed operator at the time of booking to determine the current permit requirements.
Jelajahi Lebih Lanjut
See more of Tonga’s humpbacks in this video by Annie Crawley.
© Penyelam Siaga - Q3/Q4 2021