Rae Gill - Tour Director, WhaleSwim Adventures

"As I slowly swam along her brilliant white side I saw that her eye was open, I hung there and looked at her. She seemed so peaceful and knowing, with 100 million years of wisdom within her. Something very profound happens when you look into the eye of a whale - and your life is never the same again."

Rae's first encounter with whales was as a child with her family in New Zealand - attempting to save stranded Short-finned Pilot whales - this had a deep and lasting effect on her. Over the years, she lived in and traveled to many countries around the world and took every opportunity she could to go whalewatching. Then when she swam with humpback whales for the first time in 1997 she knew that this was her passion - to share this experience with as many people as possible!
Her passion and endless enthusiasm for the whales, the environment and the people of Tonga is what makes her expeditions so special and the the best available in the South Pacific.
Her commitment to making a difference - is also unrelenting.

While not in Tonga (October - June), Rae spends her time between her home overlooking beautiful Huia Bay (on the west coast of Auckland - see photo below) with her 17 year old Aussie terrier X dog, Harry and new Poodle/Lowchen X puppy, Georgie. She operates Whaleswim Adventures from her home-office.
She also visits her son Geoff, his wife Xiao Ling and her precious grandchildren, Nicole (8) and Chung Yo (5) in Taipei, Taiwan whenever possible, where they live and run an inline & ice skating business and are very much involved in the Inline Hockey and Ice Hockey leagues. Both Nicole and Chung Yo are inline skaters - Nicole plays for the Taipei Tigers Inline Hockey League and Chung Yo was on skates at 20 months and is a budding top-class skater!

Rae's Opinion on whaling!
I find it absolutely incredulous that some people and countries kill these gentle and magnificent creatures for food and money. It makes me feel sick and sends me into a rage. If only those people could float in a warm tropical sea and look at a mother and her baby as I did, then maybe the world would be a better place.

        
                     View from my deck!                                       Georgie (4 months) & Harry (17 years!)     Georgie at 4 months

Darren Jew - Photography Advisor & Guide in Vava'u -
Winner of 2007 Canon/AIPP Australian Science, Environment and Nature Photographer of the Year. 

Having been inspired to explore a career in nature photography by my father's travels in Antarctica, Darren now pursues a passion for capturing and sharing the wonder of the natural world.

After graduating from the Queensland College of Art, he first worked in commercial photography, before taking up a position as photographer with the Queensland National Parks and Wildlife Service, where he worked for 8 years.

He moved on from that part of his career in 1994 and his work is now published widely in books, magazines and paper products. He has had the opportunity to photograph extensively across Australia and in Africa, Alaska, Patagonia, Tonga and Antarctica and have introduced many people to the world's great wildlife and landscape destinations first hand, through small group photography tours, predominantly to Africa and Antarctica.
Check out his website at www.darrenjew.com

Darren guided our photography groups in Tonga during 2001 and 2002 seasons. We are very happy to have him join our Whaleswim Team again to guide our photography tours in Tonga 2008.
For advice of camera equipment email Darren on darren.jew@bigpond.com

Mark Jones ('The Fish') Guide Extraordinaire

Mark first joined us on our 'Student Program' in 2004 his enthusiasm, dry sense of humour and quick wit won everyone over and so we invited him back as one of our guides in 2006. He is as comfortable in the water as he is out, hence the nick-name - 'The Fish'!

His knowledge of marine creatures and animals is enlightening and he loves to take whoever is willing, on snorkeling educational over the reefs whenever possible.

Mark graduated as a Marine Biologist in NZ in 2005 and is a qualified Boat Skipper and Dive Instructor.

Since he graduated he had worked with the South Pacific Humpback Whale Consortium collecting research data in the Cook Islands, on fish farm in the Marlborough Sounds - northern end of the South Island of New Zealand and in Western Australia. He is currently working as a Guide and dive instructor with the whale sharks on Ningaloo Reef, Exmouth, Western Australia. (see phot left).

Mark discovered a stranded humpback on a beach north of Perth last year, and sent me this photo, unfortunately, it did not survive.

Mark is joining our Team again for September & October of our 2009 season in Tonga - we are very happy about that!

Andy Williams - Our videographer in Vava'u

Andy is a Kiwi, residing in Western Australia.

Andy trained as videographer with Peter Mooney H2O video and photo (now scubapix) 1995/6. While there, worked on live aboard boats and day boats mainly with the Cairns Dive Centre and did some fantastic diving while working on Taka Dive going to the Cod hole and Coral sea.
He returned to WA and organised his first whale shark season with the original owners of Ningaloo Blue in 1997. During that time he also went to Dahab in the Red Sea as part of a European experience took his camera gear and worked briefly there.
On his return to Perth he became involved in the land based tourism as a Skipper/ Guide working for a number of companies once again doing day and extended tours from Esperence to Exmouth.
After 6 years he missed his true passion of being in the ocean and upgraded his equipment and started doing some video work in Coral Bay (Coral Bay Eco tours) then 4 years ago, met the Casey family at 3 Islands Marine which he has been happilyfilming tourists swimming with the whale sharks on Ningaloo Reef, Exmouth.

He came to Tonga in 2008 to swim with the whales and fell in love with Vava'u and the humpback whales!

Andy will be filmimg our guests underwater with the whales and taking great footage for WhaleSwim Adventures!

We are excited to have him as part of our Team this year - from mid August, after the whale shark season has finished in WA.

Dawn Alee Yerkes - Guide & Team Supporter!

Dawn is based in Washington DC, USA and was one of our guests during 2001 in Vava'u. Something she will never forget as 9/11 happened as she was flying out of Nadi Fiji on her way home - her flight was turned back to Fiji where she & fellow US passengers waited for 5 days before permission was given for the flight to land in LA.
Since her experience with the humpback whales that year in Tonga, she was passionately inspired her to spent several vacations since, on the Silver Bank with North Atlantic humpback whales.

Dawn joined us in Vava'u during our 2008 season as a WhaleSwim guide - she is fantastic in the water and is absoolutely passionate about the whales. We look forward to working with her again in the future!

Lynda Johnson - Bookings and Customer Service

Lynda is our Booking Manager, she looks after our guests bookings. So once you have booked - just email her with questions and information extra accommodations etc.

Lynda grew up in Dallas, Texas and immigrated to NZ 20 years ago. She lives with her teenage daughter Jesse (our neoprene vest model!), on the beautiful island of Waiheke, among the vineyards, olive groves and surrounded by magnificent beaches.

Tabatha Schneider-Glawe

Tab reigns from Canada, and after 2 years guiding groups swimming with dolphins in the Bay of Plenty NZ, she returned to Canada guiding adventurers down rivers and up mountains near Calgary.

Tab joined our team as a Guide in Tonga in 2004 and again in 2006.

Her adventurous spirit and love over nature and the whales, endeared her to all our guests during both seasons and even though she is not on our Team for 2009 we hope she can find the time to join the team again in the future..