Whale Nursery Shallows

A protected bay between two low sand cays in the northern Ha'apai group where humpback whale mothers and calves reliably rest from late July through mid-October. The seafloor is 6 to 18 metres of rubble and patchy coral — not the most dramatic reef dive — but the reason to enter the water here is the whales themselves, which approach to within a few metres of calm, non-chasing snorkelers and divers. Spinner dolphin pods of 50 to 200 individuals frequently join the scene. Outside of whale season the site offers good macro on the rubble slopes: nudibranchs, mantis shrimps, and flatworms in high diversity.