Day 7 was
spent on the open water, this time with a marine biologist, and while we
sighted many whales, they were not interested in interacting. Instead, they performed for us, with
breaching, slapping the ocean with pectoral fins and tails, and generally just
frolicking in the water. Charlie was
able to have a short swim with a mother and calf, but the rest of the time the
whales would move away when we entered the water. It was a great day, in any event, and we
learned a lot about the whales. One of
the surprising facts was the information that the calf consumes up to 100
gallons of milk each day to feed its rapid growth and creation of blubber in
preparation for the trip south to Antarctica.
Whale
breaching day 7
Whale
playing
Whale
tails
Whale
heading down
We should
also tell you about the local entertainment.
Native
Dancers
One night
a week the local village sends a contingent up to perform for the guests here,
and it is quite a show. One of the
adults describes the meaning and history of each dance, followed by a
demonstration by the local youth. It’s
an interesting way to educate the visitors and at the same time raise a little
money for the local school. We brought a
small bagful of school supplies to donate to the cause, for which the people
were very appreciative.
Tricia
dancing with the natives
We spent
the following day relaxing, snorkeling on the reef out front, bicycling down
the island, and doing a bush walk in the afternoon.
Sandy
Beach Resort from the water
This is
our last day in the Kingdom of Tonga; tomorrow we have three flights to get us
to one of the out islands of Fiji. It’s
a tight schedule, so wish us good luck.
Charlie and Tricia
© 2015
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