The Swimming with Gentle Giants tour was an extraordinary combination of magical ‘once in a lifetime’ encounters with humpback whales, snorkelling and free diving in the clearest and most astoundingly blue water I’ve ever seen, accommodation with breath-taking views, delicious food and hassle-free logistics.

To top this off, I want to give a massive shout out to the staff, who are on another level.

It’s hard to believe Alice’s beaming smile and infectious, joyful personality could be matched with a passion and knowledge for all things ocean and a willingness to assist in any way she could. Somehow, she ticks all the boxes with ease to perform a first-class role as guide.

It can be daunting to step off the plane in an unfamiliar country, a feeling that was immediately quashed as the bright-eyed Sophie welcomed us, introduced us to the other guests and made us feel at home. It was clearly evident on a number of occasions that Sophie’s energy for life and all things ocean and science lifts the mood in any room. Her logistical work behind the scenes made for a silky-smooth experience.

Our group was incredibly fortunate to include Brooke Pyke as a co-leader and professional photographer. As a long-time admirer of Brooke’s stunning photography, I was beyond excited to witness her in action and view her masterpieces. I never expected to develop such a wonderful friendship and it’s only on reflection that I realise how much Brooke taught us about marine biology, interacting with marine animals, photography and photo editing. This is a reflection of her skill as a photographer, warm and friendly demeanor and willingness to assist wherever possible. Whilst Brooke’s photography remains on another stratosphere compared to mine, I’m beyond grateful for the vast improvements in my photography knowledge, skill and editing.

Thank you again for an experience that I’ll never forget!

I had the best time on my tour end of July.

Grant, Lucky and Villi were the best !!!!

They looked after me in every way.

They found the great whale experiences!!

Lucky made sure I got in close with my smaller camera and smaller fins.

Grant freely shared his photography skills n knew the tg6 back to front . A fantastic tour leader. !!!

Villi made sure we found the whales .

They were all so passionate about their jobs and so eager to give us the best time.

I thought from my first email your trips would be good and the tour exceeded my expectations.

Food was great each day and accommodation was beautiful.

A great team !!!!

I recently had the absolute pleasure of experiencing one of Scott Portelli’s ‘Swimming with Gentle Giants’ tours in Tonga and I was blown away. But first, some back story… I am actually a professional traveler and instagrammer and literally spend my life traveling to the best places in the world doing incredible experiences all the time. And yet, by the end of my two weeks in Tonga I had named it the “Best Trip I’ve Ever Done!” It’s a coveted title, with previous title holders including my first trip to Alberta Canada, the aurora in Northern Finland and a luxury cruise in Australia’s Kimberley region. What makes a great trip? For me it’s always a combination of a great destination, a life changing experience and wonderful people and Scott ticked all the boxes. He’s such a lovely man with such a genuine love for what he does, it’s a pleasure to be around. And then you get in the water and it’s actually impossible to describe how you feel when you come face to face with the whales. Combine this with the chill vibes of Tonga and you’ve got a trip of a lifetime on your hands. I’m already scheming how to get back next year, I urge anyone to do this tour and book now because the secret it well and truly out.

Australia’s first instagrammer, Digital Influencer

I first traveled to Tonga in 2009 for research on my Masters. I worked with several tour operators, including Swimming with Gentle Giants (SWGG), to assess whale swimming in The Kingdom of Tonga.
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As the small plane flew from the mainland of Tongatapu we looked out of the windows of the plane, admiring coral reefs and beautiful blue waters.We were looking forward to a well earned break, relaxing on tropical islands, snorkelling in coral reefs, and swimming with humpback whales!
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