Welcome to rec.scuba.  Has anyone made fun of your name yet?

As for the whales, Maui seems a lot closer.  I doubt I'd want to swim with
them, though.  Swam with some dolphins once and they are nasty malicious
creatures.  One of them almost killed a poor girl in our group and they keep
trying to crap on you.  Can you imagine how much whales must crap?

Haven't been there but have a few mates who've worked there. Great diving by
all accounts and the place is well set up for it. Lots of good reefs and
some very cool coral caves. The humpbacks are a big thing down here to go to
Tonga for and it's regular enough to get as close to a sure thing as you
get.

There were some articles on the diving in the local dive mag you can find
them here-
http://www.divenewzealand.com/backissues/back.html down at issue 49.

A few web sites on places advertising down here as well :
http://www.belugadivingvavau.com/
http://www.whalewatchtonga.com/ these guys are more watchers than divers.

There are a few more places I can't find sites for like deep blue diving but
google might help there.

HTH

Richard Hall
New Zealand