Faka'apa'apa: Is swimming with whales in Tonga sustainable?

In Tonga, a Polynesian island nation, hunting humpbacks was legal and a main source of locals’ income until 1978, when the King banned all whaling within the Kingdom's waters. Since then, locals have made a shift toward ecotourism through whale watching, and whale populations grew from 250 to over 1500 individuals. Now, thousands of (human) new visitors go to Tonga to see and swim with humpback whales and their calves in their breeding ground. #travel #whale #whales #swimming #adventure

This short documentary follows Blue Latitudes Foundation researchers, as they work to understand the relationship between Tongan people and humpback whales, and the idea of Faka'apa'apa (respect). Researchers also look at the impact of non-local actors in the tourism industry. It seems important to protect locally owned licenses and limit the number of daily tours so that whales continue to visit Tongan waters. Whether or not a shift towards ecotourism will be sustainable for the locals, and the whales, remains to be seen.

#Tonga #Ecotourism #SwimmingWithWhales #WhaleWatching #HumpbackWhales #WhaleHunting #HumanWildlifeInteractions #SustainableLiving #LocalEconomy #EnvironmentalResearch #NatureDocumentary #PacificOcean #Polynesian #IslandNations


Timestamps:
0:00 Swimming with whales in Tonga, and how it changed since whale hunting days
1:25 Researching ecotourism and the relationship between Tongans and humpback whales
2:28 Life in Tonga according to locals
3:30 What is swimming with whales like?
5:30 Is ecotourism in Tonga sustainable for the local economy and for the whales?
7:30 What the low-season is like for the Tongans
8:20 Learning from the last Tongan who used to hunt whales in the past
9:45 Who owns tour licenses for whale watching and swimming with whales in Tonga?
11:00 The impact of whale watching tours on whales
11:30 The meaning of Faka'apa'apa for Tongans
12:05 What if the whales stop coming back to Tonga?
12:30 Conclusion: lessons from ecotourism in Tonga



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